Was suspected of being a thief, then saw an actual one.

[Idaho45guy]

So, made my weekly reluctant trip to Walmart today to get supplies. Leaving on a road trip to AZ next week and needed a large storage locker for the back of my SUV for gear. They had one clearance for $30.

So, I grabbed a shopping cart and made my way to the automotive section to get one. I put it in the cart and it barely fit. It filled the entire cart. But, I still needed food for the week, plus Superbowl snacks for tomorrow.

So, I got the bright idea to just put the items I needed in the locker. But, the lid wouldn't stay open. So every time I went to get an item, I would lift the lid of the tub and put it in, then close the lid. I got a few strange looks doing this.

I got the tub about half full and was going to do self-checkout, but I figured that would be a logistical nightmare due to the tiny little shelf space you get for your items.

So, I headed to one of three open checkouts.

Then I noticed a customer that had given me a funny look earlier, was now talking to a couple of Walmart employees and pointing at me. While I was waiting in line to checkout. One of them was speaking into a walkie talkie. Uh oh.

I finally got up to the belt and was able to open up the locker and start pulling all of the items out and place them on the belt. The employees and the customer stopped watching and left the area.

So, I had a nice chat with the cashier and she put all of my items back in the locker and handed me my receipt.

I start heading towards the door when I see a male and female walking from the grocery area with a box of merchandise. They are college-aged and he's a redhead wearing an old Army field jacket, and she's a chunky brunette that is mixed race of something wearing sweats.

They just walk briskly out the doors right in front of me, laughing.

The female immediately lit up a cigarette and the male started opening the box. Looked like it was a box of protein bars or something.

My first reaction was to yell at them or try to detain them.

Then I realized I was carrying. Then I thought about the actual potential outcomes and risk and rewards.

I decided to keep my mouth shut and just go to my car and leave.

It's simply not worth it to confront a criminal, while armed, over a box of protein bars being stolen from Walmart.

I even thought about simply taking a picture of them and their car, then letting store security know, but decided they would likely not want to be bothered over a $10 theft.

It went against every fiber of my being to not intervene and prevent the theft, but in today's world, it's just not worth it, sadly.

[skeettx]

Wisdom comes with age.
Well done and you have learned
Mike

[Gator 45/70]

Best we can do in a situation like that is hopefully they choke on the goods

[Minerat]

Or maybe the Texas 2 step.

[cwtebay]

You definitely chose the better part of valor.


Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

[Winger Ed.]

Well done.

It's not your job or responsibility. You're not a cop, or their store security.
The stores themselves tell their employees who aren't trained/armed security types not to interfere in situations like that.

I talked to a store cashier one time after the place he worked at was robbed.
A couple guys came in, and as the robbery progressed, he gave out all the money in the register
and told the robber it was no big deal--
it wasn't his money, and to grab some beer and a bag of chips on the way out too.

[Nazgul]

Was ringing the Salvation Army bell at our Walmart last Christmas. My wife's High School community service club had agreed to do it long before the controversy so we fulfilled our commitment. I was interested to see reactions since the news got out. No reaction at all, we got the normal amount of money.

Anyway, there was a large redheaded women with 5 kids who made 3 separate trips into the store with large baskets of stuff. Her hair was done up in an outrageous style, lots of tattoos and loud clothes. Very conspicuous . On her 3 rd trip store security stopped her in front of us. Wife told them about her previous trips and they searched her car. Saw in the newspaper later she was charged with some serious theft. We are in a conservative, rural, farming area so a good chance she was convicted and punished.

Don

[NSB]

We don’t get bags at the checkout here in NY. They outlawed plastic bags (actually not a bad idea, there are about a million of them outside the store in the bushes and woods) so you have to bring your own bag to the store. They must be used to it, I stuff everything in my pockets and empty them at the checkout. No one seems to mind, but I bet a ton of stuff gets stolen daily. I guess they don’t care because the cost just goes back on the merchandise we all pay for.

[Half Dog]

Where I work, ~2% of annual sales are allowed for theft. Items are marked up to offset that loss. That equates to around $250,000 per year.

[farmbif]

protein bars pale in comparison to this fold walmart theft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wjbVvhRiRo&t=852s

just gotta love sheriff Grady

[Froogal]

Had a similar thing happen to us at a Walmart, but with a picnic basket. The picnic basket filled the cart, so we placed a few items into the basket. Then we noticed several employees watching our every move and even following us to the checkout. We got even more scrutiny as the items were placed on the checkout counter and we were watched very closely as we exited and walked to our car.

Wife and I were in our '60s at the time, and dressed very normally. We have never visited that particular WalMart again, and we avoid ALL Walmarts unless that is the only choice.

[bedbugbilly]

As much as it goes against how most of us were raised, you did the right thing. What is going on right now is crazy and people better wake up. The "bill" for all of this "entitlement theft" is being paid by all of us.

Last year, at the Wally World near us here in AZ, a guy went into the store, went back and got a bike off of a high display and RODE it out of the store! Another sleazy could went in, picked up a new car battery - then switched the price label - putting a 35 cent label on it and then tried to tell the check out girl that "it's on sale". In both cases, they got caught but there has to be a lot of stuff "walking out" - and like I said, WE all pay the price for it.

You did the right thing - a box of bars isn't worth a situation that could have escalated into a situation where they turned on you - two against one - especially when you are carrying - a box of bars isn't worth it. Karma is a wonderful thing though - and at some point the thieves will get their's.

[Geezer in NH]

What paranoia guys Wal-mart employees are told not to confront shoplifters they do they get fired gheesh.

[contender1]

First off,, you did the right thing.

Secondly,, it's a SAD state of affairs that in this day & age,, letting a thief go is considered the right thing.

It used to be that anytime a thief was caught,, employees,, or customers were rewarded,, with at least praise. Plus,, it was a good thing to try & keep expenses down by reducing shoplifting.

Our society has been degenerating steadily for decades. Petty crimes are overlooked out of fear of it escalating into something worse. Plus,, the court system is so full & overworked,, often petty stuff is just dismissed. Heck,, in Asheville NC,, due to the huge loss of LEO's (thanks to a huge push to defund the police,) to the tune of 1/3rd of the force,, the DA announced that they didn't have the manpower to investigate crimes under $1000. A cop arrests a thief,, and the DA turns the thief loose.

Until our society decides it's had enough,, this downward spiral is going to continue AND get worse.

Personally,, if a store such as wally world, would stand strong,, and PUSH HARD for prosecution and try HARD to stop shoplifting,, it would make a big difference. But they choose to punish the good people by just jacking the prices so that everybody pays more to cover their no-spine attitudes.

[Battis]

Stores do not lose money though shoplifting. $.05 of every item you buy goes towards the store's losses. We pay the price. Another stat - 70% of all store theft is done by employees.
Back in the day - 70s and 80s - I worked retail security. I stopped a thief once that was stealing a pair of $14.99 shoes. He stuck a .38 in my face and told me to back off (I was unarmed). During my time in that job, I arrested doctors, nurses, a police sergeant, priests, a Sister Superior from a Catholic school (twice), and many employees (store managers, etc). We caught a famous singer (I won't name him) for stealing $75 worth of shirts. He had $3500 in cash on him. Heroin addicts with a $300 per day habit had to steal $900 worth of stuff to get that $300, and they'll fight every time. I got stabbed in the side with a screwdriver once (that hurt).
All races, religions, ages, male and female - it's a problem that is passed on to the consumers. Would I get involved now in stopping a shoplifter? Not unless someone was getting hurt.

[MUSTANG]

The story (and several of the comments) reflect that our society is severely corrupted. Strange that we have many on the forum who advocate their religious beliefs; but many seem to explain away any need for accountability of actions - or 'Cluck Cluck Cluck at the tragedy with no true advocations and demands for enforcement of society's common sense laws that span many thousands of years (Thieves in this story, but also one could say those who convey threats to extort, commit assaults, robbery, rape, mayhem, and .....)

[Four-Sixty]

The story (and several of the comments) reflect that our society is severely corrupted. Strange that we have many on the forum who advocate their religious beliefs; but many seem to explain away any need for accountability of actions - or 'Cluck Cluck Cluck at the tragedy with no true advocations and demands for enforcement of society's common sense laws that span many thousands of years (Thieves in this story, but also one could say those who convey threats to extort, commit assaults, robbery, rape, mayhem, and .....)

How about this?

First offense we pull their pants down and spank them in public

Second offense, we beat them with rubber clubs so that it hurts to walk for a week.

Third offense, we hang them.

I think the pendulum swings, and vicious justice will return again... That, unfortunately, portends hard times for all first.

[lightman]

You did the smart thing but I know it still made you mad!

When I had my part time electrical business I would sell scrap copper once or twice a year. They would take my picture with the scrap, take a picture of my drivers license, my vehicle license and a thumb print. All the while a little gangbanger would come in, drop a pile of copper freon line on the scale, get paid and leave! :evil: It would make my blood boil! I would be in my 1 ton van with ladders on top and electrical material inside. Obviously a work truck! I said enough about it one time that I was told not to come back!

[Outer Rondacker]

Well done. At my walmart and Lowes the workers are told to just let them go. My stepson was head of Loss Prevention for about a week at Lowes. He quit after being told to let the thieves go with around 5000 dollars of items. If the store does not care why should you.

[Winger Ed.]

What paranoia guys Wal-mart employees are told not to confront shoplifters they do they get fired gheesh.

Most corporate places are like that.

They don't want all the problems that can go with an employee getting hurt or worse over a theft or robbery.

[elmacgyver0]

Well done. At my walmart and Lowes the workers are told to just let them go. My stepson was head of Loss Prevention for about a week at Lowes. He quit after being told to let the thieves go with around 5000 dollars of items. If the store does not care why should you.

It is not they don't care.
If someone gets hurt in the process, even the criminal, the store stands to lose a lot more in litigation. Yes, crooks can sue.

[MaryB]

So, made my weekly reluctant trip to Walmart today to get supplies. Leaving on a road trip to AZ next week and needed a large storage locker for the back of my SUV for gear. They had one clearance for $30.

So, I grabbed a shopping cart and made my way to the automotive section to get one. I put it in the cart and it barely fit. It filled the entire cart. But, I still needed food for the week, plus Superbowl snacks for tomorrow.

So, I got the bright idea to just put the items I needed in the locker. But, the lid wouldn't stay open. So every time I went to get an item, I would lift the lid of the tub and put it in, then close the lid. I got a few strange looks doing this.

I got the tub about half full and was going to do self-checkout, but I figured that would be a logistical nightmare due to the tiny little shelf space you get for your items.

So, I headed to one of three open checkouts.

Then I noticed a customer that had given me a funny look earlier, was now talking to a couple of Walmart employees and pointing at me. While I was waiting in line to checkout. One of them was speaking into a walkie talkie. Uh oh.

I finally got up to the belt and was able to open up the locker and start pulling all of the items out and place them on the belt. The employees and the customer stopped watching and left the area.

So, I had a nice chat with the cashier and she put all of my items back in the locker and handed me my receipt.

I start heading towards the door when I see a male and female walking from the grocery area with a box of merchandise. They are college-aged and he's a redhead wearing an old Army field jacket, and she's a chunky brunette that is mixed race of something wearing sweats.

They just walk briskly out the doors right in front of me, laughing.

The female immediately lit up a cigarette and the male started opening the box. Looked like it was a box of protein bars or something.

My first reaction was to yell at them or try to detain them.

Then I realized I was carrying. Then I thought about the actual potential outcomes and risk and rewards.

I decided to keep my mouth shut and just go to my car and leave.

It's simply not worth it to confront a criminal, while armed, over a box of protein bars being stolen from Walmart.

I even thought about simply taking a picture of them and their car, then letting store security know, but decided they would likely not want to be bothered over a $10 theft.

It went against every fiber of my being to not intervene and prevent the theft, but in today's world, it's just not worth it, sadly.

Walmart cashiers are trained to open large storage containers and look inside. I had bought one and nothing else and quipped "do you think I am stealing steaks in there?" the cashier laughed and said it is store policy to stop theft. Apparently it happens more than you would think.

[hoodat]

"You shall not steal" is pretty clear, and is listed as one of the commandments passed from God to man. If we do it, we are clearly guilty. If we allow it, I believe we are also are guilty to some degree. As a society, if we train a huge number of citizens that theft is acceptable, and don't hold them accountable, we do them no favor. And as a society, we are probably guilty, and will be judged accordingly. jd

[megasupermagnum]

You did the smart thing but I know it still made you mad!

When I had my part time electrical business I would sell scrap copper once or twice a year. They would take my picture with the scrap, take a picture of my drivers license, my vehicle license and a thumb print. All the while a little gangbanger would come in, drop a pile of copper freon line on the scale, get paid and leave! :evil: It would make my blood boil! I would be in my 1 ton van with ladders on top and electrical material inside. Obviously a work truck! I said enough about it one time that I was told not to come back!

I used to be a lot more involved in a scrap business. That is an industry that needs to be looked at closer. Dad and I would haul in 1 ton of steel every week for a while, just a small side business, but the bigger money was of course copper and brass. Electric motors too if you could get them. That's way too much work for what it is. The last time I calculated out the dollars per hour I got out of it, I said enough.

It's dirty, rough work, and you spend hours sorting and smashing, and hauling for a pittance, just to be screwed by the scrappers. When I was real young I got a whole bunch of aluminum cans, and spent a whole day smashing them. It was one heck of a haul. I got dad to haul them in, and something happened, and all I got was $20. It wasn't the same guy, but there used to be a guy who worked the scales in St. Cloud, MN who would stick his foot under the scale to make it lighter, then steal the extra. It doesn't take much to steal $25 of brass, and he was doing that to every person, all day, for months. Plus scrap attracts criminals. All the gutted cars, or even just stolen catalytic converters. Now you can't even scrap a car without a title. Junkyards are usually better. It's the precious metal scrap places that are legal criminal organizations.

It's a bad deal all around. There's a lot of bad people doing horrible things out there. I don't like punk thieves either, but it isn't worth it to go after the guy stealing a box of nothing. They are a drop in the bucket of the scum that is crawling around unseen.

[lightman]

Its sad that stores either can't or won't battle thieves. I'm more of a rooftop Korean kinda guy than a sheep!

[lightman]

I used to be a lot more involved in a scrap business. That is an industry that needs to be looked at closer. Dad and I would haul in 1 ton of steel every week for a while, just a small side business, but the bigger money was of course copper and brass. Electric motors too if you could get them. That's way too much work for what it is. The last time I calculated out the dollars per hour I got out of it, I said enough.

It's dirty, rough work, and you spend hours sorting and smashing, and hauling for a pittance, just to be screwed by the scrappers. When I was real young I got a whole bunch of aluminum cans, and spent a whole day smashing them. It was one heck of a haul. I got dad to haul them in, and something happened, and all I got was $20. It wasn't the same guy, but there used to be a guy who worked the scales in St. Cloud, MN who would stick his foot under the scale to make it lighter, then steal the extra. It doesn't take much to steal $25 of brass, and he was doing that to every person, all day, for months. Plus scrap attracts criminals. All the gutted cars, or even just stolen catalytic converters. Now you can't even scrap a car without a title. Junkyards are usually better. It's the precious metal scrap places that are legal criminal organizations.

It's a bad deal all around. There's a lot of bad people doing horrible things out there. I don't like punk thieves either, but it isn't worth it to go after the guy stealing a box of nothing. They are a drop in the bucket of the scum that is crawling around unseen.

Right before I retired from the power company I caught a copper thief redhanded. He was cutting down copper lines with a set of tree trimming loppers on a stick. He was arrested, hauled off to jail and was home before I was, having to stay and clean up his mess. I ask the cops if he could stay and help but they said no. He did about $5000 worth of damage and got a year of probation. They were stealing us blind and the cops and my company couldn't care less.

[Shawlerbrook]

Sad state of affairs we have arrived at. Saddest part is we are all paying for it.

[hoodat]

It's been my experience, (actual experience) that tweaker types will work incredibly hard for half the night to earn what they could make in an hour at a legitimate job.

They will often cause more damage in a few hours than they will ever earn in their entire lives.

They will steal something that an honest man has saved years to purchase, and sell it for enough dope to keep them happy for one day.

I could go on, but you get the point. The fact that our system doesn't stop them, and actually enables them to exist like this, is at least as criminal as the criminals themselves. jd

[armoredman]

Best we can do in a situation like that is hopefully they choke on the goods

Sometimes Karma lets you watch...

[john.k]

Best scrappie karma I ve heard was a crowd of misfits called the "Munsters"......they had loaded up their 8 ton truck with copper stolen off the railways,as they drove over tracks ,the back of the truck couldnt mount the high rail,either side .....truck got hit by a train,there was no part of the truck couldnt be loaded up by hand.....The wreck was at the police impound ,and included in the bits were some brake cylinders off the loco.........Sometime later ,the boss Munster spotted a big bit of copper cable laying on the roadway on the Gateway Bridge........he tried the lean out the door and scoop up cable trick........and got rolled flat .

[Plate plinker]

All thanks to the ambulance chasers. Common sense is no longer common.

[Tazman1602]

With this story, I could use a few months of going back to 1870…….

Art

[Handloader109]

Saw a clip from a Walmart. At least one store has new Steel cased steaks for sale. The packages has a tamperproof case made from what almost looks like chain link fencing to prevent theft.....

[41magjh]

I use to go get a bag of chicken tender from deli at Walmart walk around an shop an eat them. There was someone that would follow me around to see if I would stuff the bag on shelf . Always payed because I’m not loosing 10 fold. Done like the stealing.

[Plate plinker]

Saw a clip from a Walmart. At least one store has new Steel cased steaks for sale. The packages has a tamperproof case made from what almost looks like chain link fencing to prevent theft.....

Yep, once had to enter a Walmart right near Gary Indiana. Anything of real value was in a locked up cage. That was a eye opener. Let’s just say the shopping populace was quite different from where we live.

[elmacgyver0]

Elections do have consequences, don't they?
If you elect crooks to office, you soon have crooks everywhere.
Trickle down thievery.

[MaryB]

Tweaker near here was on an abandoned farm stealing copper. He saw the lines hanging where the transformer should be and thought they were dead... went 2 poles out towards the road, climbed up and got turned into a crispy critter by 21kv They found him smoking at the top of the pole, piles of copper from the house and barn... next day it was scheduled for the lines from the road to be taken down and the poles pulled. Place was torn down later that summer so the farmer could gain 5 more acres of crop land. Pity, it was a nice house and the barn was loaded with old growth oak that I would have loved to salvage. They burned it all.

[Jaaymar]

Large corporations don’t feel the loss of theft because they pass the cost on to the consumer.
They do not submit claims to their insurance, for losses, in the fear that the premiums will increase or they may lose insurance because of too many claims.

What if someone could take the footage of the theft (with our liability culture everything is recorded).
Determine who the thief is & if they can pay.
Sue them in civil court for everything that can be counted (the loss prevention program costs, loss insurance premiums, investigators time, expenses, even the electricity cost of making & storing the footage from the CCTV, etc.).
With a judgement, wage garnishment & a brand new criminal record it may make some consider redemption.

The ones who are not capable of paying…I don’t know as yet. Maybe forced labor until the debt is payed. But that strays too far toward criminalization of civil matters (debt prisons). Not a viable solution.

The companies could write the whole thing off as part of their loss prevention & loss insurance.

They probably would still charge us the extra 2% anyway.
How do we tell the people not to steal when the government is the biggest thief of them all?:brokenima

[Big Tom]

In Chicago, it got so bad that the crooks walk into a (higher end) store in the middle of the day, fill the bags they brought and leave. That is while employees are helplessly watching them and the "police" decided not to even chase or confront them. Just unbelievable what parts of our society turned into.

[hoodat]

I kind of don't have a problem with the debtors prison/labor camp type of thing. What most of these folks need, is a roof over their head, sobriety, good food, hard work, and the love of God. I don't mind forcing it on them, AND recouping some of the costs they have incurred. It doesn't have to be indentured slavery like three hundred years ago, and it would have to be run by the book. It would have to be hard to get into, and hard to get out of. Violent psychopaths would not have a place in my plan, and would be in prison where they belong.

I'm not saying this would fix all of them, but they would at least be off the streets, and supporting themselves to some degree; most of them, for the first time. As cream rises to the top, so will some of the bums who are given a chance to work their way out of the desperation and desolation they now live in.

And in case you think I'm just a starry eyed dreamer, let me say that twenty five years ago, I was one of these worthless bums who was the problem, not the solution. jd

[Battis]

Stores do inventory every year. Basically, they see what they have, compare it to sales records, and the difference is called Loss. They file insurance claims to cover it (and pass the loss onto the customers). Some stores have been known to fudge the loss amounts. And, as I said before, it's estimated that 70% of loss is from employee theft. The smash and grab techniques have been around for a long long time, though it's much more prevalent in some locations now due to the attitude towards police.
I chased retail thieves for 11 years while waiting to get on a police force. 11 years it took this white guy to get a cop job, and I never scored below a 98 on a test (I know, that's another story).
I will say that I never caught a thief that could not afford what they were stealing. Never.

[Bmi48219]

How about this?
First offense we pull their pants down and spank them in public
Second offense, we beat them with rubber clubs so that it hurts to walk for a week.
Third offense, we hang them..

Gotta give the Arabs credit on crime prevention. Get caught stealing, you can kiss your right hand goodbye. No anesthesia either. Of course that was 40 years ago, don’t know if it’s still the same. Public executions are pretty sobering.

[Winger Ed.]

Get caught stealing, you can kiss your right hand goodbye. Of course that was 40 years ago, don’t know if it’s still the same.

Some of the govts. over there are getting away from that sort of thing, but all those taliban and radical types
still do it with a vengeance.... or just chop off the offending person's head.

[fatelk]

A number of years ago a friend bought some farm property. Between the time that the former owner moved out and he move in, someone snuck in at night and stole buckets of old brass and copper fittings (the kind of thing you’d find on most any old farm). Other stuff had been moved around and arranged such that it was clear they were planning on coming back for more, like a trailer full of irrigation pipe and such.

He called the police, and a county officer came out and took a report. He was frank with him, even told him he knew who did it- a couple of local dirtbags who were known for that kind of thing. He said he’d caught them red handed one time, in a farmer’s field with a hacksaw, cutting up irrigation pipe. They were let go with barely a slap on the wrist.

The cop told him what scrap yard they sold to, and my friend went down there and walked back in the yard. Sure enough, he recognized his stuff sitting right there. The cops came and forced the yard to show him the receipt, and the name on it was the known girlfriend of one of the aforementioned dirtbags.

Since he didn’t have any real evidence beyond his word, nobody did anything, but he knew, and it was exactly like the cop said. Dollar wise it wasn’t that big of a deal, but he was ticked.

Here comes the karma part; it’s absolutely true and it’s a bad one. Some months later it was on the news that there was a bad wreck in that same rural area. Two guys in a stolen car, with cans of stolen gas in the back, had taken a corner too fast and flipped over into a ditch. They were trapped in the car as it caught fire. Passers-by who tried to help had to step back and listen to their screams as they burned to death.

I saw my friend the next day at work, and he says “Remember those thieves who stole my stuff? Yup, that was them!”