The corner market is redlining us again — providing shoppers in this area with the least freshest fruit, vegetables and eggs soon to expire .... sometimes set to expire the very next day.
So, after this morning’s workout, I drove to the market in the chain that’s not taking advantage of shoppers, the one that had a Find the Hometown Elf named Elfonzo.
While in line to check out, I saw a little girl, around 6/7 years of age, grab a candy bar, look back to make sure her mom wasn’t looking, shove it under her jacket at the waist level.
As she was holding onto her jacket to make sure the candy bar was secure, she looked up, saw me staring at her. I shook my head like no, don’t do it.
She smiled at me.
Guess she thought she was being cute. I didn’t.
At one point, mom took her attention away from putting groceries on the belt, looked to see where her daughter was, saw me staring at daughter and asked her, "What are you doing?"
"Shoplifting" said I, even though I wasn’t the one being asked.
The kid was still holding the spot where she'd stashed her ill-gotten gains, so mom had no problem finding, removing and putting back on the shelf.
Once they were gone and it was my turn at the register, the casher found she had not enough money to make change.
Calling a manager over, telling him "I don’t have any money" she asked me to step to the side while she helped the next customer who’d said "I’m using a card. I won’t need change".
No problem, I stepped to the side and watched as that card using customer completed her transaction and an old lady was next to step to the cashier.
As the cashier rang up her purchases, I noticed the old lady had 10 cans of cat food still in her cart (I counted them).
The cashier could not see from her vantage point that there were items still in the cart.
From the way the old lady was dressed and purchases she was making, she didn’t seem like the sort that needed to do what I assumed she was doing.
If she had looked like she couldn’t afford to feed herself AND her pet, I would have offered to pay for the cat food. So, it was on my mind to ask the casher if she knew the items were there, but then I thought ….. snitches get stitches, I’m not the police or security so, after ratting out the little girl, chose to mind my business on this one.
I watched the girl bagging the old lady’s groceries drop the bagged items in the cart, right next to the cans of cat food.
As the Bagger put the last bag in the cart, and the cashier was finishing the transaction, with me thinking the old lady was going to make a clean getaway, the Bagger grabbed one of the cans, held it up to the cashier, asked if she’d rung them up.
Cashier froze, looked at the can, looked at the old lady, leaned over her station to look into the old lady’s cart, looked back up at the old lady with a look on her face that was a combination of amazement, disappointment and what the hell.
The old lady went "Oh" like she’d forgotten those items were there.
That very possibly could have been true, but I doubt it.
Interesting time at the market it was.
Thank God it's Friday. I can cocoon up in my little unit, not have to see or deal with another human being, young or old, until Monday rolls around.
You missed your calling as a crime fighter! "Book 'em, Danno!"
ReplyDelete"Book 'em" no matter the age.
DeleteTundra Bunny here...
ReplyDeleteSnitches get stitches -- AHAHAHAHAHAHA! I absent-mindedly left a package of toilet paper on the lower rack of my shopping cart once, paid for the rest of my groceries and was halfway out the door before I realized I hadn't paid for the t-paper. I turned around and went back to pay and the cashier was gobsmacked by my honesty, LOL!
Honest mistakes do happen. But I'm fairly certain this old lady had larceny in her heart.
DeleteYou did good with the little girl. I had a similar experience with another little girl only I total her to put it back, which she did, and her mother never knew. With the older woman sometimes eye sight might make a person not be able to see so I might give her the benefit of the doubt while pointing out her era. But what are the odds that you'd catch two shoplifters back to back like that?
ReplyDeleteI wanted to give her the benefit of doubt, but 10 cans was a lot to miss, especially since she'd managed to get all her other purchases out of the cart and onto the conveyor belt.
DeleteGood point, I guess I missed how many cans didn't get charged. LoL
DeleteSo the mom casually took the candy and put it back on the shelf without a word to her daughter? It doesn't sound like much of a lesson in honesty.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think she'd have been indignant at one of us ... her child for stealing, me for calling her child out as shoplifting.
DeleteYou could get a full-time security job there! Apply today! You could get free goodies! I'm more disappointed that the mom didn't scold her candy-stealing kid; bet the mom knew she was going to do it? Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be all that surprised. On the other hand, the little kleptomaniac was careful to make sure mom wasn't looking when she lifted the candy.
DeleteI personally understand the mother's behavior towards the girl. Don't embarrass her in front of people, don't shame her in public, rather discuss the whole thing once in the car or at home. Preferably as close to the crime as possible. She is a small child. She has time to learn to do better.
DeleteHopefully she does learn. She could have asked her mom for it and, if mom said no, I'd have bought the candy bar for her. I once was in the market and overheard a little girl ask her grandma for the butterfly balloon she'd seen flying amongst balloons in the flower section. Grandma promptly said no. I purchased the balloon and, on my way out, flagged one of the clerks, pointed out the little girl, asked the clerk to walk it over to her. I paused leaving just long enough to see it was delivered, then disappeared.
DeleteSounds like you had quite the day.
ReplyDeleteInteresting day for sure.
DeleteI would have done exactly what you did ... with both the girl and the old lady. However, I’m glad I haven’t been witness to that. An interesting shopping day.
ReplyDeleteSome sticky-fingered kid isn't all that unusual, but a conniving old lady was quite something.
DeleteI have heard, but have no facts to back it up, that elderly steal more than younger people because they have such limited incomes, they feel they have worked hard all their life and are entitled, and no one will notice and the stores can "eat" the loss. I have twice lately gotten out of the store with an item in my basket. One was a toothbrush that had slipped down into the cart's "seam," and I didn't see it until I was unloading the bags into my car. I went back and paid for it. The second time was a greeting card I had put in the child seat so it wouldn't get dirty. I forgot all about it until I was on my way out to the car. I loaded my groceries into the car and went back into the store to pay for the card. There were no clerks to be found. I took the card back to the card rack and put it back. I wondered if they had cameras that caught the action and wondered what I was doing, bringing something INTO the store, not out of it!
DeleteWhatever the reason, be it limited income, feeling entitled, etc., I, like you, take care to do the right thing because I’ve lived long enough to know and experience the law of returns; that what you cast does, in many days, return to you. I feel sorry for people who think they’re getting away with something — whether it’s thievery or bad behavior towards another because, in the long run, it is they who lose.
DeleteLook at you among all these thieves - young and old! I've no doubt that grocery - and other - stores lose plenty of product via shoplilfters and people who "forgot".
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that this wasn't the first time for either of them.
Honest mistakes do happen, but neither of these were mistakes nor honest.
DeleteI think that's just the tip of the sticky finger iceberg. I can't say I've ever noticed any shoplifting as when I'm in stores as I just want to get it over with and the hell out. Glad you called out that kid to her mother. Lessons must be learned, but not sure much was learned there if the mother never said anything (that we know of)? And life goes on.
ReplyDeleteParanormal John
With nothing else to do but people watch, as I waited for change, who knows what else I would have seen had not the manager finally showed up with money for the cashier.
DeleteThe way the mom asked her kid that question and then just put the candy back, makes me think her kid has done things like that before. That can be hard on a parent too. Olivia
ReplyDeleteThe mom did look exasperated.
DeleteBut it's Saturday. Oh, that's right. I'm the one who's been absent. Sorry. I hate when you catch a kid shoplifting and they smile that radiant smile at you like "Hey we can be partners. You be Bonnie, I'll be Clyde." I think you made a good choice on the old lady. As I always tell my wife, "Everyone is carrying heat these days. Be careful."
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna put on blinders next time in the market.
DeleteSadly Theft is on the rise and people aren't ashamed of it and the most unlikely people, who probably don't even have hardship, are doing the Five Finger Discount just becoz they feel they can get away with it. The problem being, everyone pays the price, as Loss Prevention becomes harder, Retailers must just raise the prices to offset their losses from the Thieves. Ergo Honest folks pay the ultimate price for the Dishonest ones. A lot of the Parents Steal with Children in tow, not realizing, in our State anyway, the commission of a Crime that contributes to the delinquency of a Minor in tow, and in their presence, makes a Misdemeanor Shoplifting Charge now a Class 4 Felony. Kids often Learn what they Live, so if they see their Parents committing Crimes, or are encouraged to be Dishonest themselves by poor Parenting, it becomes a systemic problem handed down from Generation to Generation. I'm glad you said something to the Mom, it now gives her the opportunity, if she's a Fit Parent, to have a discussion with her Child about Stealing. As for the Senior, sadly, in Retirement Communities here, more is locked up becoz Management tells me that they have a lot of Theft among the Senior Customers, who knew?
ReplyDeleteI'm all for making shoplifting a felony. Maybe it will stop all the smash and grabs going on.
Delete