I turned a blind eye to a thief at a supermarket today...

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
By the sounds of it she was likely taking that steak back to go into a stew or something that would last her a week or so....i very much doubt it was to go home and bang it on the bbq for a meat fest....

Aw, that is how I thought she would make that beef last her, proper old school cooking...more cross with myself now that I didn't initiate a chat with her when I overtook her in the street on my way home.

Hehe... I'm glad you were compelled to come here and share your "dirty little secret". It was fun to read.

a reply to: 3n19m470
Haha, mine is a mildly entertaining story at best, but interesting enough to me to inspire conversation with unknown people online.
It's not even any big secret, as I'd happily tell a court that I ignored a fivers worth of beef being stolen by a skint poor and undernourished looking 70/80 year old.

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: WakeUpBeer
Ooh, I've never been in a similar position asked straight in ur face like that by a thief, and I don't know enough about the overall situation to make a judgement, but stealing beer just for a party is something I wouldn't normally be drawn towards doing or condoning, even from a multinational that can cover the loss.

Wouldn't normally, but not totally opposed to it eh?

Dunno how old this guy was. Definitely a young guy. Late teens or early twenties. I wasn't about to go alert someone for a couple reasons. For one, I didn't really care. It was a corporate chain grocery store (Haggen). Being corporate, I like to assume somewhere down the line they've done their fair share of stealing in some form. Second, I wouldn't want to be the pot calling the kettle black! I've been accessory to beer runs in the past. I don't pull those stunts anymore though. Would be a stupid thing to get in trouble for.

a reply to: WakeUpBeer
...I wouldn't cry tears for the still profitable multinational, fair one, haha

a reply to: Lysergic

Totally agree with your statement!

Especially an old lady.

Dont be taken in by this master criminal.

While the steak she stole was a small crime, she only needed to steal that steak because she had spent her pension on her MDMA, coc aine and STI drugs habits formed at the old folks center aka pensioner rave/orgie hub.

Shes too old to boost cars like she used to a decade before, so now has to steal steak to eat and sell to keep her tummy full and the lights on at home.

Things are not what they seem.

a reply to: Biigs
Haha, and don't forget the fortune she makes selling Codeine and Valium which she blags off her doctor on a free NHS prescription. Yes...gotta watch these criminal mastermind pensioners...probably carries a blade in that bag as well

Honour is a strange thing

much respect

Cody

a reply to: grainofsand


You did the right thing. You know, she may have been an angel in disguise.

I saw an elderly man steal a single bar of soap. At first I thought I should report him. (This was in early "70s). Then I thought, you know there might be a day when I am old and need to steal a bar of soap. After all, it wasn't caviar. I was grateful I bit my tongue and held it. The poor old guy walked nearly 6 blocks to his home...the house looked like it was bombed. I doubt he had water, let alone electricity. I just hoped that it wasn't his dinner. Now, about 40+ years later, I still see people stealing small things like a can of tuna, cat or dog food, bars of soap, and small medicinal items. Yet, it's not always someone old. The kid (barely 8) who took the can of tuna looked like he needed a much bigger meal. The medicinal items usually by are taken by what appears to be handicapped vets. Missing an arm or a leg, wearing some symbol of our flag, they usually go for aspirin. They always look the most ashamed. It's little old ladies that tote off the cat/dog food.

I guess whether you tell or not might have something to do with the way you were raised. Me, I went without a lot of meals because my parents drank and smoked the money away. I didn't have the nerve to steal big, but I did make off with a candy bar, once. I was really, really hungry that day. My brother, a Viet Nam war vet, got dosed with agent orange and was always in pain. Good luck getting anything from the V.A. way back then, either. He had to give up the meds because he couldn't afford them and went with suicide instead. And, now being a multiple pet owner, I sure the hell ain't ratting on the little old ladies. Your "view" changes with your life experiences.

There is no easy answers to stealing. I can say that the people I have seen steal an item looked like they needed it.
The only thing we can do to help is to try to be a bigger answer than a bigger problem...meaning, before ratting a person out, or yelling at 'em, try going through your own food and see what you can give to a food shelter or a starving neighbor.
Offer to buy the item for them, or take them for a meal. Bake or cook something and leave it on their doorstep.
I believe that your heart will tell you the difference between someone who needs vs someone stealing for the thrill.

To the store owner, I am sorry for what you have to go through. I know my answer brings you no extra money to pay your bills let alone the money needed to pay wages. Yet, I have seen you, the store owner, turn a blind eye as well. I am grateful for the person you are. I include you in my prayers asking God to bless your kindness. I also try to purchase more in your store. I believe that the Universe try to dance to balance in all things. When you give, you get. I really hope that in your case, you get far more than you have to give....

a reply to: smcneil01
Wow, just wow, thank you for such an amazing reply here.
We're sharing the same wind in our sails of life, I'd buy you a pint if we were at my local pub, nice one.

originally posted by: Lysergic
a reply to: grainofsand

Nobody should be forced to steal to feed themselves.

Nobody is forced to steal. But I will correct this to something more accurate. Nobody should be in a position where they must steal to feed themselves. There we go...much better.

Nobody should be forced to steal to feed themselves

Nobody should be in a position where they must steal to feed themselves

...#ing semantics bull#, means exactly the same thing in life outcomes.
Lame and you know it.

I seen a guy once stuff a rack of Lloyd's ribs down his pants, I couldn't believe it. It is sad though in this day and age that anyone in the World has to go hungry. ~$heopleNation

snitched to friend classmate neighbor, colleague a stranger or you will torment the conscience, Russian mentality pangs of conscience if snitched , contempt others, spoiled reputation get in the scoreboard youtu.be... or be killed

a reply to: grainofsand

I believe this behaviour will slowly increase over time with the current economic constraints. I hope she enjoyed that stake.

I wouldn't worry about it. You did the right thing. It's not your job to do icelands dirty work for them. Look at it as your good deed for the day.

Lol, I saw a thief getting caught at the same Iceland store after work today. The guy is a known heroin addict who I recognised , no fuss, he wasn't that concerned and went quietly with security to their back-office after handing over several packs of beef which were crammed in his coat pockets. He's clearly no stranger to the process of being caught.

I don't know the answer to addict thieves, prison doesn't work, residential rehab is massively expensive for the NHS so there are few places, national chain stores still make a profit regardless and employment is created in security work.
If stores were fortresses and it was impossible to steal from them then the same addicts would burgle old people while they slept or street-rob. For that reason I am glad stores take the hit and I pay for it through increased prices.

I have watched too many people who I loved deteriorate and slowly meet their death through heroin addiction and it is an issue which saddens me.
Forced detox/rehab has been the only thing I've ever seen work for the initial withdrawal, but when the addict is back in a similar #ty bedsit room in his old environment again, with no job, or chance of one, the failure rate is massive.

It seems we either pay for it in:
Prison, which pretty much always fails aside from keeping them off the street for a period.
Forced Rehab/detox with support to improve the addicts life, which costs an absolute fortune more than prison, but has a much higher success rate.
Or let the stores take the hit passing it on in their prices, and the thieves they do catch just live a revolving door of heroin, steal, police/court/punishment, steal, heroin. Most theives in my experience just laugh at it as a game of numbers.

originally posted by: Boadicea


jury nullification. I have done a lot of reading on this in the past few months. The idea is good the implication is hard.

Did you know that a Judge, by law, can lie to a jury about this? He can direct the DA and the defense to not say anything about it and hold them on charges if they do. He can even directly lie to the jury and tell them it is not allowed. Both of these rulings come from Supreme Court cases. Interestingly it is allowed in Federal cases even if the Judge saws it isn't. He has to allow the verdit and can take no action against the jury for doing it.

fija.org...

edit on 21-4-2015 by dismanrc because: (no reason given)

Ummm This should not be a quote, but a reply

edit on 21-4-2015 by dismanrc because: (no reason given)