Stealing

[The Blur]

I just had bit of a moral dilemma which I thought would be interesting to post about.  Today,  I was at a major London train station when I decided to get something to eat at an independent (I think)  cafe.  I was browsing when out of the corner of my eye I saw a fairly well dressed woman with floppy hat stealing some food and putting it in her oversized handbag.   I am not 100% certain whether she was stealing but given her slightly panicked reaction when she cottoned on the fact that I might have saw her and the manner of her immediate departure which includes glancing over her shoulder in my direction convinced me that she was stealing.  I admit at that point I frozen and did nothing.  

 

I paid for my food and went outside where I saw her again.  I wasn't sure whether to report her or to approach her.  This was made even complicated due to my deafness as I have very limited speech so it wouldn't have been easy for me to call her out on it which is partly why I frozen earlier. 

 

So I was flip flapping at that point wondering what I am going to do when I finally made my mind up to write her a note along the lines of that even I saw her I won't report her as I don't know her life circumstances but additionally that she should re-evaluate her life choices.  I also checked whether if she is ok.  By the time I finished the note she was gone (I think she saw me while I was writing as there were some glances in my direction from her)

 

So basically I was wondering what you all would have done if you were in my shoes?

[Buce]

3 minutes ago, The Blur said:

I just had bit of a moral dilemma which I thought would be interesting to post about.  Today,  I was at a major London train station when I decided to get something to eat at an independent (I think)  cafe.  I was browsing when out of the corner of my eye I saw a fairly well dressed woman with floppy hat stealing some food and putting it in her oversized handbag.   I am not 100% certain whether she was stealing but given her slightly panicked reaction when she cottoned on the fact that I might have saw her and the manner of her immediate departure which includes glancing over her shoulder in my direction convinced me that she was stealing.  I admit at that point I frozen and did nothing.  

 

I paid for my food and went outside where I saw her again.  I wasn't sure whether to report her or to approach her.  This was made even complicated due to my deafness as I have very limited speech so it wouldn't have been easy for me to call her out on it which is partly why I frozen earlier. 

 

So I was flip flapping at that point wondering what I am going to do when I finally made my mind up to write her a note along the lines of that even I saw her I won't report her as I don't know her life circumstances but additionally that she should re-evaluate her life choices.  I also checked whether if she is ok.  By the time I finished the note she was gone (I think she saw me while I was writing as there were some glances in my direction from her)

 

So basically I was wondering what you all would have done if you were in my shoes?

 

Honestly?

 

I'd have minded my own business.

[Russell sprout]

14 minutes ago, The Blur said:

I just had bit of a moral dilemma which I thought would be interesting to post about.  Today,  I was at a major London train station when I decided to get something to eat at an independent (I think)  cafe.  I was browsing when out of the corner of my eye I saw a fairly well dressed woman with floppy hat stealing some food and putting it in her oversized handbag.   I am not 100% certain whether she was stealing but given her slightly panicked reaction when she cottoned on the fact that I might have saw her and the manner of her immediate departure which includes glancing over her shoulder in my direction convinced me that she was stealing.  I admit at that point I frozen and did nothing.  

 

I paid for my food and went outside where I saw her again.  I wasn't sure whether to report her or to approach her.  This was made even complicated due to my deafness as I have very limited speech so it wouldn't have been easy for me to call her out on it which is partly why I frozen earlier. 

 

So I was flip flapping at that point wondering what I am going to do when I finally made my mind up to write her a note along the lines of that even I saw her I won't report her as I don't know her life circumstances but additionally that she should re-evaluate her life choices.  I also checked whether if she is ok.  By the time I finished the note she was gone (I think she saw me while I was writing as there were some glances in my direction from her)

 

So basically I was wondering what you all would have done if you were in my shoes?

Pointed her out to staff as I hate theives and unless punished she will feel that she did/can get away with it

[Guest the fox]

Keep writing then removing what I wanted to say because I'm not really sure what to think about this.

[Carl the Llama]

Cut off her hands.

[Fox92]

If I saw something major I'd tell somesort of security guard but I wouldn't confront the person because it's not worth it. You never know what they're carrying and how they'll react.

[Suzie the Fox]

Rightly or wrongly i would have just got on with my own business and said nothing.  

[lifted*fox]

meh, I dunno tbh. 

 

most businesses account for loss in this way.

 

stealing isn't a great thing to do but if people are taking small food / drink items then they're probably feeling the squeeze at the moment. 

 

if I saw someone stealing a car or something I'd report it but food from a cafe - I don't need the hassle and they might go mental so, probably just shrug it off.

 

know a few people who say they put things through the self-service checkouts and chuck different items on the scales, etc. 

 

I stole something once when I was 14 and got caught, did my time and I've never stolen again - I learnt my lesson but I'll let others learn their own lesson. 

 

 

[Kinowe Soorie]

1 minute ago, lifted*fox said:

meh, I dunno tbh. 

 

most businesses account for loss in this way.

 

stealing isn't a great thing to do but if people are taking small food / drink items then they're probably feeling the squeeze at the moment. 

 

if I saw someone stealing a car or something I'd report it but food from a cafe - I don't need the hassle and they might go mental so, probably just shrug it off.

 

know a few people who say they put things through the self-service checkouts and chuck different items on the scales, etc. 

 

I stole something once when I was 14 and got caught, did my time and I've never stolen again - I learnt my lesson but I'll let others learn their own lesson. 

 

 

CD from HMV?

[SystonFox]

It’s still wrong tho innit. I’d report it

[Suzie the Fox]

I stole a hub cap off a Fiesta once, since i lost mine. The guy came out when me and my friend was nicking it, damn i dont think i ever ran so fast. Never again! Next Fiesta i had i made sure had alloy wheels. 

[Strokes]

I’d have joined forces and robbed my food as I’m all about equality.

[Captain...]

It depends on who it was, what it was and where it was from. If I saw someone who was clearly Struggling swipe a cookie from a Costa/Starbucks I wouldn’t say anything. If it was an independent cafe with tight profit margins and they were stealing a few things then I would say something to the staff.

[Soar Fox]

I have confronted a couple of thieves, once when I worked in a clothes shop in town on High St a lad stole a jacket and ran off I chased him caught him and took the jacket back but let him go. I got a telling off from my manager for going after him. 

 

The other time was not so long ago at the Tesco Express in Glenfield someone was nicking Lynx & coffee. They weren’t even being careful about literally just picking it up and bagging it. I said something to him but he just walked out. Didn’t bother following him as like someone said you never know if they are carrying something. 

[Guest Sharpe's Fox]

I wouldn’t snitch but everyone’s different

[Finnegan]

If it was a reasonably small local business I'd report to the owner. They can choose how to handle it, I doubt its worth claiming any insurance for losses over a sandwich or whatever but they can watch out for her in future. 

 

If it was a big huge chain I'd just let it go tbh, not my business and not like they'll struggle. 

[Brainy]

I work in retail and don't like confrontation. Had quite a lot of incidents in the past year, the few i've been around in I've walked around the corner and literally seen them in the act and I just freeze aswell The more i've seen it happen the more I hate it and as much as I tell myself that next time I'll actually do or say something, personally I have to change character to do so and in a split second thats more or less impossible. As someone said above though i'm not arsed enough to physically stop them as you don't know what they're capable of.

[VLC86]

Pretty sure I saw a guy on crutches shoving some coffee down his trackies at the petrol station near the police station in Wigston a few months ago and I had the same dilemma. As I couldn’t be 100% sure I didn’t say anything but I’m pretty sure he was robbing.

 

I didn’t say anything but felt like I should have, had I been certain I probably would have.

[VLC86]

14 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

If it was a reasonably small local business I'd report to the owner. They can choose how to handle it, I doubt its worth claiming any insurance for losses over a sandwich or whatever but they can watch out for her in future. 

 

If it was a big huge chain I'd just let it go tbh, not my business and not like they'll struggle. 

That’s what we all said about Woolworths when we were paying 20p for £9s worth of pick n mix.

[lifted*fox]

26 minutes ago, Sharpe's Fox said:

I wouldn’t snitch but everyone’s different

 

snitches get stitches 

[Jattdogg]

The right thing to do is report them to the staff. Of course its not always easy if you freeze so dont fret.

 

Confronting people is doable but not worth any risk in case they have a knife or something (in america i'd say a semi automatic cuz thats how they roll).

 

About 3 months ago i went shopping with the wife and 2 young kids. We went into several stores and bought the kids some sandals. So we get home (30 minute commute) and as i am unpacking i noticed something in the bottom of the stroller. I took it out and it was a kids batman pajamas. My 5 year old son saw batman and wanted it. Without our knowledge he slipped it in the stroller and because we never bought anything from that store we had no reason to check the stroller before walking out. 

 

Had a loss prevention/ security/staff had seen that i could have got in trouble. The dilemma for me was do i drive back 30 minutes to take it back.... no. I decided it was from a major chain so i would donate it to charity and then deal with my son accordingly. Funny thing is that the size he bought was for a 4 year old so wouldnt have fit him anyways unless he was trying to pull off the female yoga pant look.

 

 

Lesson learned: check your stroller when leaving any store. Kids are cvnts.

Edited 22 July 2018 by Jattdogg

[VLC86]

12 minutes ago, Jattdogg said:

The right thing to do is report them to the staff. Of course its not always easy if you freeze so dont fret.

 

Confronting people is doable but not worth any risk in case they have a knife or something (in america i'd say a semi automatic cuz thats how they roll).

 

About 3 months ago i went shopping with the wife and 2 young kids. We went into several stores and bought the kids some sandals. So we get home (30 minute commute) and as i am unpacking i noticed something in the bottom of the stroller. I took it out and it was a kids batman pajamas. My 5 year old son saw batman and wanted it. Without our knowledge he slipped it in the stroller and because we never bought anything from that store we had no reason to check the stroller before walking out. 

 

Had a loss prevention/ security/staff had seen that i could have got in trouble. The dilemma for me was do i drive back 30 minutes to take it back.... no. I decided it was from a major chain so i would donate it to charity and then deal with my son accordingly. Funny thing is that the size he bought was for a 4 year old so wouldnt have fit him anyways unless he was trying to pull off the female yoga pant look.

 

 

Lesson learned: check your stroller when leaving any store. Kids are cvnts.

 

Hope you shopped him in.

[Carl the Llama]

24 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

 

snitches get stitches 

[Benguin]

In my youth I was confronted with a hammer for catching a shop lifter. Admittedly I was an employee so felt obliged. Not happened since but I imagine I would cower and walk away but I think the right thing is to let the shop know. 

[RumbleFox]

I am a self employed, sole trader and I must admit that when people try to steal/scam me (I sell online) it is very frustrating, very stressful and affects my livelihood seriously.  The thought that someone thinks so little of me and of "the rules" that they can steal from me makes me deeply depressed.  I think if I saw someone stealing from a shop I would like to think I would confront them but maybe I wouldn't.  Having said all that, were it a big faceless multi-national I may feel differently so I am fully aware I am a hypocrite.  X