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

So, I'm in Iceland (The UK chilled and frozen food national chain) which made £184 Million profit last year.
I'm browsing the meat, thinking chicken or beef, and noticed an old lady perhaps in her 70's or 80's browsing the same products. I changed my mind on impulse and walked towards the pizza freezers, then procrastinated again, turned, and saw the little old lady slip a £5 pack of rump steak into her bag.

I looked at her skinny stature, worn shoes, tattered coat, she appeared poor in my mind, and my first instinct was to quietly offer to pay for it if she is that skint, really didn't fancy seeing her get busted by security. It was then I realised I only had enough cash on me for what I was getting myself, so turned a blind eye and hoped she would get away with it.
The sole security guard was at another aisle and seemed more interested in a conversation with a cashier so I chuckled to myself and made my own purchase.

As I was paying for my stuff, I saw the old lady shuffle past, out the shop door and away to freedom. I chuckled again hoping she enjoys that steak tonight.

Now, I know some of the more morally superior members on ATS may be outraged by my attitude, "stealing is wrong blah" and yes, maybe the old girl is a full-on thief who dresses poor as some sort of cover act, I don't know her.
I couldn't really give a toss though, Iceland Stores can cover a fivers worth of meat out of this years profit, and there was no chance I was gonna grass her up to security, no chance at all.

a reply to: grainofsand

Luckily even if the lady gets caught she is won't get a harsh punishment. Here in the US the lady would be another victim to the Prison Industrial Complex.

a reply to: grainofsand

I have done this before. Good on you.

I dont condone stealing....but there is nothing that breaks my heart and makes me raging mad like seeing an elderly person suffering. Besides kids, though far worse with the elderly.

I used to work in a family mini-mart. Well, my dads. I would not charge the little old ladies or the humble old men full price. I wouldnt EVER let them know. I feel their pride shouldnt be hurt to boot. They have been through enough and sacrificed enough. They deserve some pride. I would always throw in some extra stuff if they got meat and I dispatched them...OR just add twice the amount and then some for the same price. Maybe some extra groceries people turned down last minute at the register. I know my dad wouldnt mind...he had money to spare. Even if he did, screw him at that moment and for that reason...lol

I really do feel there is no better measure of a society than how they treat the elderly and weak.

There really isnt anything that can send me over the edge like seeing an old person suffering. I could do just about anything in response to that.

Good for you.

Screw the rest. Do what you know is right and just own the consequences if there are any. Its always worth. Smile too.

a reply to: grainofsand

Nobody should be forced to steal to feed themselves.

a reply to: starwarsisreal
I imagine the Crown Prosecution Service wouldn't prosecute even if the police wanted them to, formal caution would have been my guess...unless she is a prolific thief who the 'authorities' are well aware of lol

a reply to: tadaman
Ah, totally agree, it is sad that any old person is forced to steal or whatever. I think of my elderly mother and there is no way she will suffer anything that I can take care of myself.
Sadly, too many old folk live isolated lives in UK society.

a reply to: Lysergic Again, total agreement there.
I stole food from a small store owned by an old couple when I was a homeless 16 year old. I hated doing it but it was so easy compared to a supermarket. Six months or so later when I had a rented room and a crappy dishwashing job I went back in and paid for everything I stole. The guy couldn't believe it but accepted my money and the apology.

sad to see how many old people end up with nothing and no one to help them ... instead society discards them forcing them to try and survive anyway they can ... its good to see that you did turn a blind eye rather than grass her out ..

a reply to: grainofsand

No criticism from me. Good for you for considering the circumstances and choosing the lesser of evils.

Here in the States we have the right to jury nullification, meaning that jurors can refuse to convict based upon circumstances even if they know that by the letter of the law, that person is guilty. You were basically exercising your natural right to do the same, and save the government (and therefore the people) the expense of incarceration and trial.

If a persons circumstances are so desperate that they have to steel food then I would leave them be.

Its like begging on the street, if i see a guy on the street in the late hours of the evening on a bitterly cold night, he gets my sympathy and what ever i have in my wallet. If he is standing selling the Big issue at 3pm outside a supermarket with a fag in his hand and a nice pair of new trainers, he is not even going to registrar with me.

You would have to be pretty dam desperate to steel from ice land, just like I think you mist be pretty dam desperate to be out begging on a snowy night.

If I saw her stealing a bottle of vodka, or a phone, or pick-pocketing then its a different story.

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin
You would have to be pretty dam desperate to steel from ice land

Lol, true, but the local Waitrose, Tesco, and Morrison's have lot's more security than Iceland.
The more I think about it I wish I'd struck a conversation with her on my way home as I overtook her as it's the sort of thing I usually do, Grr, bit cross with myself now.

I hate criminals, but in this instance I would've done the same thing. Honestly from reading your statement I believe if you had enough money you might have done the same thing I would have, that would be pay for her steak maybe get her two or three.

What surprises me is the country this theft happened in and that the lady you described seems poor. The reason being that from the descriptions I've heard about iceland I was led to believe it was a virtual Utopia for all its citizens. Apparently this is not the case, thank God the woman made off with the steak I'm sure it is much better nourishment than dog food.

Iceland is a store, not the country.

a reply to: Greathouse

She might have dementia, did she looked like she was going to steal it? There were a not long ago in my country similar case ( lady got caught tho ) she had a Alzheimer and in the minute she put item in her shopping bag she forgot that. Security arrested her and her grand daughter ( with whom she came to store ) was looking for her. It took some time to make security to understand the situation as the lady was very upset and put up a little drama up in there.
Old people specially with dementia wear not so tidy clothes. Starving ? Old people metabolism is giving up, their system only use fraction of what they eat and they should eat more than normal amount of food to keep them healthy.

And there are some old folks who put all their money in Bingo or slot games and have nothing left for food.. addiction

I was thinking wth when I read the title but smiled as I finished the post.

While everyone hates a thief, feeding yourself is in another class all together IMO. Nobody should have to steal to eat, to live yet we see it everyday.

Some may say you did the wrong thing. I say that we all must do today what we can sleep with tonight. I stand by that 100% and feel like you will not have an issue laying your head down to sleep this evening.

a reply to: Atsbhct

Oops!!! lol

Thank you for that correction and information.

originally posted by: dollukka
She might have dementia, did she looked like she was going to steal it?

I saw her look around before slipping it in her bag and I thought she looked proper shady. I'm no psychologist either, but as I watched her leave the store I thought her face looked scared. Who knows, but I wasn't gonna grass her up, no chance.

originally posted by: Kangaruex4Ewe
Some may say you did the wrong thing. I say that we all must do today what we can sleep with tonight. I stand by that 100% and feel like you will not have an issue laying your head down to sleep this evening.

I like that mindset, although I am troubled that I didn't initiate a conversation with her when I overtook her in the next street on my way home. I thought about it as I have a previous career life in welfare services so it's something I do often, but then I wanted to get back in time for the second half of the FA Cup semi final and strode past...I feel shallow now.

Good on ya old bean.

a reply to: grainofsand

I wouldn't "rat" someone out over petty theft. Seriously, if you are having a crisis of conscience, just know that you did fine.

Nor would I offer to pay for the item for the lady. She made her choice as to how the game was to be played, and would potentially be mortified at being approached. After living 70 years on this earth, the least I should allow her is the dignity of carrying out her plan without my interference.

what i may have done was play unknown wingman, trying to keep the security occupied until she left (if the security were actually working instead of chatting).

I hope she enjoyed it, too.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

i dunno....if a bottle of vodka is easier to steal than food, it could replace your meal for the night (energy from the sugars in the booze) while making what is obviously a miserable life al ittle more tolerable.

At the heart of it all: i don't like to rat. Unless you kill or rape, or beat a child/elderly.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan
Haha, I agree to an extent, but I've met more people who have been glad I interupted their time when asking if I can help than people who have been annoyed by the intrusion.
Totally agree about being wingman though, if I saw security had noticed her I would have told her before she passed the point of sale, definitely.