To be pleased the the Policeman gave this rude, ignorant woman a lecture in front of people.

[Oldsu]

My DH is manager of a charity shop, this week I have been helping him out as he is short staffed and I have 5 weeks holiday as apposed to his 4 weeks so have used up my spare week to work in the shop.

Yesterday a woman dropped of a bag of donations when I was sorting it I found an envelope stuffed with money (600 quid to be precise) TECHNICALLY we could have put it through as a donation as policy is anything in a donation bag belongs to the charity, however it was clear it was a mistake, so 3 of us counted it, put it into an envelope signed it and DH locked it in the safe.

He also sent an email to his area manager asking what the policy is if customer didn't come back, made a note in the shops diary and made a phone call to the police, everything by the book and documented as it should be.

Today the woman came back in she forced her way to the front of the queue shouting 'where's my money I want my money'. So I spoke to her explaining her money was safe, its in the shop safe but only the manager has the combination and he has gone to the bank but he wont be long.

She went ballistic red in the face and spitting, accused me of stealing her money and demanded I gave it back to her NOW, again I tried to reason with her but she wasn't having any of it and stormed out saying she was getting the police, I was shaking at this point.

DH came back 5 minutes later and calmed me down. 1/2 hour later she came back with two Policemen one went up stairs with DH came down five minutes later with the envelope, she just snatched it out of his hand he stopped her and made her count the money in front of him, again she turned to go without even a word, the Policeman then stopped her again and told her to apologise to me , gave her a very stern lecture in front of everybody about wasting police time.

DH said he showed the Policeman the entry in the diary and the email he had sent his AM and that he had reported the find to the police station. to prove we were not going to steal it.

And I thought my old man had a cushy job just sorting through old clothes

[CocktailQueen]

What a mad old bat. She's bloody lucky (a) that the police actually came, and (b) that the money hadn't been nicked. FFS.

[Pipbin]

That'll show her.

I'm amazed she managed to find a policeman!

[LurkingHusband]

(remembers Fawlty Towers ....)

[ilovesooty]

mad old bat
Has her age been mentioned?

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

the Policeman then stopped her again and told her to apologise to me



He was right to speak to her about wasting police time but there are no manners police. He'd have had short shrift if he thought he could tell me who to apologise to like a child.

Did he tell her to apologise or ask her if she was going to?

[Oldsu]

MarthaCliffYouCunt I take it you wouldn't have accused someone of stealing, if you are so hot on manners yes he told her and I am pleased he did.

[OreoHeaven]

The woman was probably cross with herself for losing the cash but that is NO EXCUSE to be so rude.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

If i thought someone had stolen from me of course i would accuse them.

if you are so hot on manners

Actually it was the policeman who was appearing to be hot on the manners, which he had no authority to insist on, because there are no manners police.

Yes she was ridiculously rude. But its not his job to make her apologise. Thats between her and her conscience.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

And i wouldnt be pleased with a forced apology. It isnt a real apology. She wasnt sorry. She said it because a policeman was standing there telling her to.

[KenDoddsDadsDog]

Lucky there was a policeman handy .

[TestingTestingWonTooFree]

I don't think an apology dragged out of someone has much value, but perhaps she'll think again before being so rude.

[WorraLiberty]

Why did she not just call the Police on her phone?

[Lighteningirll]

Yes a policeman can tell her to apologise she was causing a disturbance and he could have cautioned her she got off lightly rude mare

[Valentine2]

martha
Please come down a bit from your moral high ground. I am sure the police have every right to be pissed at citizens taking a piss at them like this. They could have been doing their job elsewhere so I hink they were right in making sure she didn't go out without apologising to the workers at least because I can't see a rude bitch like that apologising to the policemen for wasting their time and energy (afterall she is paying the taxes you know).

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

A policeman can force someone to say "i'm sorry"? Really?

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

What exactly is the point in that? A forced apology? It means fuck all.

[Valentine2]

I don't think anyone present there would have taken it as a sincere apology either. But the point is to actually warn her. I don't think someone that rude would really learn to apologise properly in their life.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

Valentine i think youre picking me up wrong. I have no problem with him being pissed off, he was right to be and well within his rights to bollock her about wasting police time as she was. My only issue is with him telling her to apologise.

[Oldsu]

but MarthaCliffYouCunt I had just told her that we had it and it was in the safe, she had no reason to think I had stolen it, if I had said I hadn't seen it and there was no envelope in the bag then she would have reason to think I had stolen it. and therefore could be as rude as she liked and I would have just sucked it up.

Even a forced apology was better than nothing

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

And i would have no issue with him asking her if she felt she should apologise or would like to apologise on reflection. But its the telling her she had to i'm about.

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

I had just told her that we had it and it was in the safe, she had no reason to think I had stolen it, if I had said I hadn't seen it and there was no envelope in the bag then she would have reason to think I had stolen it

I know this. I wasnt commenting on whether she was right to accuse you of stealing. You asked me if I would accuse someone of stealing. Answer: yes, if i thought they had stolen.

[Birdsgottafly]

Being a Scouser, any Police Officer who told me that I had to apologise, would be given the answer "I will do, see you in 27 years".

People get upset and don't always act rationally.

[springydaffs]

And if she was young, would she be a mad young bat?

Less of the ageism folks.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

actually it was the policeman who was appearing to be hot on the manners, which he had no authority to insist on, because there are no manners police

To a degree there are.

We have laws and sanctions for public order and breach of the peace type behavior. They are in essence in a round about way a method of policing many of the things people in general consider to be decent manners.

Given the description of her behaviour a police officer who was so inclined could potentially consider her behavior to have been an offence, spitting and going ballistic in public as well as loudly accusing others of criminal offences at the very least are antisocial and we have laws about that as well

[MarthaCliffYouCunt]

Yes i get that she was being antisocial/breach of the peace etc. But is there actually legal [something] (not sure of the word) that says she has to apologise and can be forced to by law?