I witnessed two guys shoplifting today!!.

Galaxy66

Galaxy66

Jeremy Beadle
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My name is Mal not Jeremy :)
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I was not going to post this but what the heck, see if you would have done the same thing.

I was in my local Sainsburys cafe enjoying my coffee and happened to see two young men in their 20's strolling towards the cafe past the checkouts.

I immediately thought what a "shifty" looking pair they were, there was no one waiting to be served at the cafe and they stood there looking around for a few moments then they each picked up a bottle of coke and brazenly walked away with them, taking a swig as they left the store.

I did nothing and said nothing at the time or informed security afterwards, I was not going to place myself at risk for the price of two bottles of coke, I did not like the look of them!!.

I believe I did the right thing.
 
Galaxy66 said:
I believe I did the right thing.
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My question would be why are you asking if you thought you did the right thing?

I suspect that subconsiously you don't actually think that and are looking for support for your inaction.

What is the phrase that springs to mind? When good men do nothing!
 
i was in john lewis once, and saw a couple guys shoving a few pairs of jeans up their jackets, wasnt sure if i should tell anyone, but then saw a security guard just away to go up the escalator so told him, but it turned out they were just about to walk out the door and a couple more security guards turned up, i think they must have been watching or heard over CCTV, turns out the guys dropped the jeans just before they walked out the shop, so really they didnt shoplift. i made sure i went a different way than they did and hid in some shop somewhere(:lol:)

but if you didnt like the look of them and thought if you did say something and you were at risk then i dont blame you. luckily in my case there were several security guards around so if they did kick off i would have had backup :D
 
EdBray said:
My question would be why are you asking if you thought you did the right thing?

I suspect that subconsiously you don't actually think that and are looking for support for your inaction.

You really suspect that........for two bottles of coke:lol:

What is the phrase that springs to mind? When good men do nothing!
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I am just inviting other peoples opinions and experiences Ed , you are entitled to you opinion yes, but it was only two bottles of coke :D I have no guilt complex whatsoever over my inactions.
 
Galaxy66 said:
I am just inviting other peoples opinions and experiences Ed , you are entitled to you opinion yes, but it was only two bottles of coke :D I have no guilt complex whatsoever over my inactions.
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Nor should you Mal. The store (non security) staff would be told not to confront them, so why should you?
 
I didn't mean to offend, but having recently been the victim of a break in into my garage (along with 4 others) where it transpired that the perpetrators had been seen and not reported at the time I have a different slant on things.

This country is becoming more and more lawless, and crimes are being ignored on a daily basis, whilst ignoring petty crime seems trivial, todays two bottles of coke maybe tomorrows mugging and next weeks murder. Like drug use, escalation in crime is an inevitable result.

Just my thoughts, but I have on more than one occasion reported what I thought were suspicious events/characters and would continue to do so, I have also taken to task a group of teenagers who were harassing a young girl, foolish maybe, but I believe I was right to do so and would do the same again (okay, at the time I was around 24st and am 6ft so was reasonably imposing I suppose).
 
EdBray said:
I didn't mean to offend, but having recently been the victim of a break in into my garage (along with 4 others) where it transpired that the perpetrators had been seen and not reported at the time I have a different slant on things.

This country is becoming more and more lawless, and crimes are being ignored on a daily basis, whilst ignoring petty crime seems trivial, todays two bottles of coke maybe tomorrows mugging and next weeks murder. Like drug use, escalation in crime is an inevitable result.

Just my thoughts, but I have on more than one occasion reported what I thought were suspicious events/characters and would continue to do so, I have also taken to task a group of teenagers who were harassing a young girl, foolish maybe, but I believe I was right to do so and would do the same again (okay, at the time I was around 24st and am 6ft so was reasonably imposing I suppose).
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Ed I have not taken offence in the slightest :), as I said I was only inviting responses and your slant on it is interesting and understandable.
It is becoming lawless, and that is because of the threat of being attacked, as mentioned some "good men" have been killed because of their intervention on even petty crime.
The lowlife know the public on the whole are fearful of intervening and this is what they wish to make their criminal activity easier, a couple of stabbings here and there and bingo they get their wish.
I wish there was an answer!!.
 
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Galaxy66 said:
Ed I have not taken offence in the slightest :), as I said I was only inviting responses and your slant on it is interesting and understandable.
It is becoming lawless, and that is because of the threat of being attacked, as mentioned some "good men" have been killed because of their intervention on even petty crime.
The lowlife know the public on the whole are fearful of intervening and this is what they wish to make their criminal activity easier, a couple of stabbings here and there and bingo they get their wish.
I wish their was an answer!!.
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The lowlifes also know that, should they be caught, they'll probably get an ASBO. Somethinbg to bragged about to their mates.
 
One of my first Sat/Sun jobs as a teenager was in Poundstretchers. People used to come in with suitcases and swing bins to nick large quantities of the stuff.

What I couldn't understand was why you would even want to nick from Poundstretchers?????
 
I would have said something to the staff given the opportunity.

Have to agree about how this country has become a smash and grab free for all. Guess we get our standards from our leaders eh? If they're not bothered then why should we or they be? (Jack Straw finally admitting faults in Human Rights Act some 10 years after it was passed into law).

I suppose with that in mind you should have sent a message by pigeon carrier Mal. It would have been just as quick as telling the staff direct :D
 
I was walking into the little Boots Chemist near me and the two men leaving just grabbed a couple of bottles of whatever thay could off the shelf and legged it. I told the sales assistants who promptly did nothing, apart from comment that they were probably druggies.

Given that they were probably druggies, I wasn't going to try and stop them, not for shampoo.

I think you did the right thing, If it was a flatscreen tv they were carrying out, I'm sure you would have done things differently......
 
it could have been a lot worse....

you could have witnessed 2 guys shirtlifting !







:coat:
 
hepburn said:
I would have said something to the staff given the opportunity.

Have to agree about how this country has become a smash and grab free for all. Guess we get our standards from our leaders eh? If they're not bothered then why should we or they be? (Jack Straw finally admitting faults in Human Rights Act some 10 years after it was passed into law).

I suppose with that in mind you should have sent a message by pigeon carrier Mal. It would have been just as quick as telling the staff direct :D
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Do you have to mention pigeons whenever you reply to my posts:D
 
well i used to be lowlife doing all that shoplifting, drugs, breaking into sheds and cars(never houses) but that was many many years ago and now i've grown up, lovely family, good job etc.. i look back now and can't believe the things i used to do, to be honest i'm ashamed, thinking of all the hassle and hurt i caused people.

If i was in the position and seen shoplifters then it would depend on what they were taking, i'm a big lad and can handle myself but i'm not going to create the hassle for myself over 2 bottles of coke if you know what i mean. If i seen anyone taking another member of the publics property then i would step in myself and also phone the police etc..

people like that these days dont give a second thought about what they would do to get away from being caught. They carry knifes, bats and allsorts of weapons.

so my answer would be over 2 bottles of coke NO!!
 
did you get there addy I need a new lens :D

say nowt mate, :thumbs: you dont know what there packin :shrug:

dont get dragged into there low life
 
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Reminds me of when I did the collector's fairs, someone nicked an item from my stall.......

and put it back an hour later :shrug: :lol:





Rememeber now.......only 11 shoplifting days till xmas ;)
 
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It would appear that I am going to take the alternative stance to everyone else.

I fail to see that there is a major difference between nicking bottles of Coke and a Plasma TV - unless you sit in judgement, you decided what was minor and what would be major.

The very fact that they brazenly committed the act would indicate that they have probably done this before and had gotten away with it - it would appear that they also have the thought that even if someone does see them nick stuff, they are not likely to react. Unless they are shown that their actions are unacceptable, they are likely to continue - as you have shown your desire to judge what is acceptable, is 4 bottles worthy of note? 6 bottles? Couple of cases?

We are all quick to say that the police/security staff should do something, but unless we are all prepared to stand up and be counted, things will continue to get worse.

I have no desire to flame the thread, the original poster anticipated and invited the conversation.
 
Tulipone said:
It would appear that I am going to take the alternative stance to everyone else.

I fail to see that there is a major difference between nicking bottles of Coke and a Plasma TV - unless you sit in judgement, you decided what was minor and what would be major.

The very fact that they brazenly committed the act would indicate that they have probably done this before and had gotten away with it - it would appear that they also have the thought that even if someone does see them nick stuff, they are not likely to react. Unless they are shown that their actions are unacceptable, they are likely to continue - as you have shown your desire to judge what is acceptable, is 4 bottles worthy of note? 6 bottles? Couple of cases?

We are all quick to say that the police/security staff should do something, but unless we are all prepared to stand up and be counted, things will continue to get worse.

I have no desire to flame the thread, the original poster anticipated and invited the conversation.
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I get your point, but as it has been mentioned previously, you have no idea of the reaction of the theives or what they are "packin".

There have been some very high profile cases recently, one inparticular in Warrington, where people have been killed for standing up to minor crimes.

And yes it is important what they are taking. Whilst morally, theft is theft, at the end of the day it has cost sainsbury's £2. All the staff would have been able to do, if they had not witnessed the theft, and then made sure the items weren't dumped before leaving, is ban the lads anyway. Having worked in a supermarket, they risk the wrongful arrest route, if they collar someone that they are not 100% sure are on the rob, which means watching there everymove.

With a Plasma tv, staff would be able to prove that the stock was from the store, and also the lads should have trouble proving they had paid for it. With bottles of coke, they can just say they had them on the way in.

It would be great to think in society that all theives were punished for theft, but the bigger the crime, the bigger the time, or community service, or holiday to barbados........

I still say the OP did the right thing.
 
EdBray said:
Not to everyone.
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Aye!

I've twice intervened. First time was at this time of year, over ten years ago and the guy dropped "his" bags and ran. Afterwards, I felt quite sorry for the situation he must've been in. More recently it was 3 or 4 oiks nicking ice lollies, and I have to question the usefulness of CCTV, the police station being relocated to the town centre and the helpfulness in such circumstances of Joe Bloggs.
 
lawrie29 said:
I get your point, but as it has been mentioned previously, you have no idea of the reaction of the theives or what they are "packin".
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...but I think that is my point. Until we all are prepared to say that this has to stop, it will get worse. If the lifters are just prepared to do what they want and we are prepared to let them why would they stop?

I also think that escalation is a problem. If they get a couple of free cokes, maybe they pick up something else as well next time, maybe chuck a stone into someones car window to grab a bag, maybe just mug someone. If there are no perceved disadvantages why would they stop?

Apologies for my statement that I was alone. I am both encouraged and heartened by the knowledge that there are others with a voice.
 
Mal, I am not getting at you or anyone on this thread.

I think that it is pathetic that people are so petty that they steal bottles of coke and that the security guard would have been told to leave it!!!!!!!!! I mean FFS they get away with that then they are going to steal something bigger the god knows what it would escalate to!!!!

If a little scrote is caught stealing, chop his bloody fingers off!!!

Theving little low lives.

Thank god I had a decent up-bringing and didnt end up like that :)
 
As an aside to the main point of my post, I once stood browsing through a magazine at W.H. Smiths waiting for Mrs Galaxy who arrived as my face was stuck in the magazine.

It was not until I was half way down the high street that I realised I still had the magazine in my hands and had walked out without paying:eek:

This happened a long time ago before the days of cctv.
 
when i used to work in a shop i aprehended some shop lifters and took a swipe in the face from one of them. the shop whos sign on the door read 'we always prosocute shoplifters' didnt push for prosocution and nothing was done, personally i think id have done the same as you galaxy66, its the security guards job to police the shop, not yours.
 
Galaxy66 said:
As an aside to the main point of my post, I once stood browsing through a magazine at W.H. Smiths waiting for Mrs Galaxy who arrived as my face was stuck in the magazine.

It was not until I was half way down the high street that I realised I still had the magazine in my hands and had walked out without paying:eek:

This happened a long time ago before the days of cctv.
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ive very nearly done that a few times
 
There have been a few stories lately of good men doing something. Usually told by the media reporting from their funerals.
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And when good men stop stepping in, the graves get to be big open pits and the grave diggers JCBs. It's happened before. it's happening now.

I worked in retail for many years and developed a healthy hatred of shoplifters, I'd have reported the theft, but, it being Sainsburys do you know if they even have a security guard there?
 
Galaxy66 said:
As an aside to the main point of my post, I once stood browsing through a magazine at W.H. Smiths waiting for Mrs Galaxy who arrived as my face was stuck in the magazine.

It was not until I was half way down the high street that I realised I still had the magazine in my hands and had walked out without paying
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Cheers Mal. Now I know what will be replacing pigeons in 2009! :D ;)
 
Matt Sayle said:
Did you take it back?
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Oh Matt, I should have added that info, well, on discussing what to do, I certainly did take it back, Mrs Galaxy insisted. :D

But it demonstrates how easily I could have found myself in a very tricky situation, with not a great excuse to avoid being charged with shoplifting:eek:
 
hepburn said:
Cheers Mal. Now I know what will be replacing pigeons in 2009! :D ;)
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Thank god we are finally going to hear the last of pigeons being mentioned:D
 
Thieving is thieving and is wrong but having a go can get you hurt or killed, so the only option is to tell someone what's going on but even that can get you hurt or killed.

What the 2 oiks did is also no worse than what you often see mothers doing as they wander round with a kiddy or 2 (or 3...), namely taking crisps, sweeties, drinks etc off the shelf, feeding them to the brats then putting the empties back on the shelf.

To a certain extent, even reading a magazine in Smiths is theft, even if you DO remember to put it back on the shelf before leaving the shop. How many of us would be happy to pay full price for a second hand magazine? The most common excuse is "well, there were only a couple of articles that interested me". Does that mean it's OK for me to open a box of chocolates and just eat my 2 or 3 favourites?
 
Nod said:
Thieving is thieving and is wrong but having a go can get you hurt or killed, so the only option is to tell someone what's going on but even that can get you hurt or killed.

What the 2 oiks did is also no worse than what you often see mothers doing as they wander round with a kiddy or 2 (or 3...), namely taking crisps, sweeties, drinks etc off the shelf, feeding them to the brats then putting the empties back on the shelf.

To a certain extent, even reading a magazine in Smiths is theft, even if you DO remember to put it back on the shelf before leaving the shop. How many of us would be happy to pay full price for a second hand magazine? The most common excuse is "well, there were only a couple of articles that interested me". Does that mean it's OK for me to open a box of chocolates and just eat my 2 or 3 favourites?
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I was once informed that they actually did not mind folk reading the magazines as the main thing is to get bodies in the shop itself who hopefully will buy something if not a magazine before leaving the shop. That is why shops, especially supermarkets, have "loss leaders" just to get bodies in the premises.
Anyway magazines are on sale or return at W.H.Smiths.
 
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