Thwarting Thieves

As is usual for my Sunday routine I headed out to go shopping. I had my lists and piles of coupons for each store I planned to stop at - Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target, and Fred Meyer.

I was high from my Walgreens trip where I got 6 bars of FREE Dove chocolate (Woot! Free chocolate!) when I stopped by Rite Aid to get some free Toothpaste and inexpensive vitamins.

All my items were gathered and as I headed to the front of the store to check out I see this guy at the end of an aisle just standing there. I cannot tell you why, but something caught my eye and seemed ... off.

As I passed him he started jangling his keys. And not just in a 'oh my hand hit my pocket and my keys made noise' but in a really obvious "look at my keys" kind of way. It was so bizarre that I slowed down.

I looked to my left and down another aisle was another person who also started jangling their keys. At the next aisle I saw two girls together in the shampoo section huddled close together. Then ahead of me was an older man (older than the other folks...he was in his late 40s, early 50s) who didn't look like he was doing anything even though he picked up an item and seemed like he was examining it. Something told me that they were all together and something wasn't right.

All of this happened in less than 15 seconds and my hackles and spidey sense were up. Once at the counter I immediately told the cashier that I thought someone was robbing them. I told her exactly what happened and how all the people looked like they were together and the 3 around the 2 seemed like lookouts.

Of course, I could have been wrong...I didn't want to sound paranoid. But something was just wrong with the whole situation.

Sure enough...

She flagged down the shift supervisor. Then she got on the intercom and said "Security, please review all security tapes. Security, please review all security tapes."

Freaking BRILLIANT!

The first guy who jangled his keys walked out of the store. About 30 seconds later one of the shampoo aisle girls walked quickly out with a LARGE RED PURSE and as soon as she got outside she started running.

I was SO ticked. I wanted to follow her and tackle her and reem her a new one. How dare she steal!?! Doesn't she know that she can get free things legally with coupons? I guess that would be too much work for this set of thieving losers.

The other 3 thieves followed her and the shift supervisor saw them running across the street (jay walking across 5 lanes!).

I wish I could have done something. I was more upset than the Rite Aid workers. But they've been through this before. The shift supervisor and I chatted and she said that even if they had stopped her they can't touch her at all and if they don't actually see her steal something they can't stop her.

WTH?

I remember when I was around 13 years old and my brother and I were at Claires in the mall. My brother took out his little wallet and was counting his money as I looked at earrings or something. We happened to be behind a little display between us and the cashier. We didn't think anything of it and kept shopping. But just a few minutes later security was in the store and asking my brother to open up his wallet. They were NOT going to let us leave the store. Even at my young age I was pissed. But good for them for making sure that their store wasn't being robbed.

Granted, while I could have taken the little thief girl (I had a good 40 pounds on her) she did have at least 2 guys with her and another girl so 5 on 1 would have been a little difficult. =) Plus, they could have had weapons. But it still seems really wrong that employees can't even approach people who may be stealing from them! :( It just is NOT acceptable.

Who do these losers think they are that they can just walk into a store and take things without paying? What kind of selfish, self absorbed mentality allows a person to think that they have any right to do this? I was absolutely outraged.

Hubby was super proud of me though. First that I even noticed something seemed off...he likes to say that I'm not the most observant gal and that I wouldn't make a very good cop. Well yesterday my cop instincts were firing. Second, he said that I probably stopped it before they could get too much stuff. Her bag definitely looked full and heavy so they could have been there for a few minutes already (but I know they weren't there when I first got there and I was there for less than 10 minutes) and gotten some things. Hopefully not too much.

I'm still ticked about the situation. Theft - whether by individuals or government (*grin*) makes me very angry. But as the shift supervisor said ... they will get theirs.