Doctor Says Barnes & Noble Kicked Him Out for...Being a Man Alone in the Children's Section

With the recent wave of news stories involving cannibals and zombies, it is certainly understandable for people to clutch their children a little tighter.

But is it possible to take it too far?

In Arizona, a 73-year-old grandfather and world-renowned medical researcher was escorted out of a Barnes and Noble for being in the children's section by himself, while buying gifts for his grandchildren.

(Related: Fair? Married Father Charged for Offering Girls a Ride Home During IL Snowstorm)

Dr. Omar Amin, who is originally from Egypt but is an American citizen, says he was in the middle of looking for the books when his phone rang, so he sat down by the windows and talked to his friend quietly.

Though the area was nearly empty, a female shopper proceeded to tell a store employee that she found the man's presence uncomfortable-- not because he was talking in the bookstore, but because he didn't have any children with him.

In Amin's words, he was subsequently "[escorted] out as a potential sex offender."

"I left the store I was upset like hell because I've been so insulted and humiliated..." he recalled.

However, according to a local news site, the store has had problems with sex offenders in the past.

"Men alone cannot be by themselves in the children's area," the employee reportedly told Amin, denying his request to speak with the woman who lodged the complaint.

"This is an insult to all men not just to me," he noted, adding that he did not knowingly break any rules, and there were no signs posted indicating that unaccompanied men are not allowed near the children's books.

Watch an interview with Dr. Amin, via azfamily.com:

Dr. Amin was further offended last week when the company issued a statement saying its employee "acted appropriately," but the vice president amended today: “It is not our policy to ask customers to leave any section of our stores without justification. We value Dr. Amin as a customer and look forward to welcoming him in any of our stores.”

So the question remains, are we going too far in not letting men go near children's books unaccompanied, or is it worth it, if it keeps our children safe?

Fox News contributor Dr. Keith Ablow commented on the matter: "People should not always bury their instincts...Like it or not, most child abductors and sexual predators are male. While many people object to profiling anyone, a man who frequents the children's section of a bookstore alone is worth a second look."

(H/T: Daily Mail)