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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be gutted and quite shocked that anyone would do this? Possible theft

166 replies

Pyjamaramadrama · 28/12/2014 20:58

Was in PC World today, we were sat at the sale desks with a salesman. We were going to buy something but didn't, another story but was told one price on entering the store then another.

In all the confusion I put ds (6) character wallet on the desk which contained his £20 Christmas money and was going to buy a toy in the sales. It also contained some pretend play money so quite clearly a child's wallet.

We left the store then realised an hour later and went straight back. I was really convinced that somebody would have handed it in, especially being a child's. But nobody has, the lady had a good look around the area where it was left and the salesman said that he left the desk straight away and didn't see anything.

I'm obviously very trusting and naive, gutted to think anyone would steal from a lid for £20.

OP posts:
HSMMaCM · 28/12/2014 22:07

Left my pushchair beside the car once. Went back 15 mins later .., gone. Left my iPhone in a shop at the till ... Phoned it and customer services had it for me. My faith in human nature was restored.

Summerbreezer · 28/12/2014 22:07

I believe that keeping something you've found it still theft.

This is absolutely true, and people often do not realise this. I hope you get the wallet back, OP.

Psycobabble · 28/12/2014 22:07

Ey how is it her fault ??

If you find something that's not yours and take it that's theft

To the op iv seen a few articles in my local paper recently of cctv footage askin people to identify people who have picked up money and purses that they have found in shops and at a cash point . This is because it counts as theft.

The place were you left it means that there was a high chance of it been returned to you it's not like it was found in the middle of nowhere

I'd report it to the police

RaisingMen · 28/12/2014 22:09

Wasn't theirs*

WooWooOwl · 28/12/2014 22:09

I'm with you OP. I think most people would have handed it in or if it was staff that found it, kept it for you. You were unlucky to have crossed paths with a thief.

bloodyteenagers · 28/12/2014 22:10

Right because a crime is always the victims fault Hmm

LadyLuck10 · 28/12/2014 22:11

Yanbu but I feel it would be a total waste of valuable police time to hunt down a wallet.

tilliebob · 28/12/2014 22:12

My DD (then 7) left her wee girls handbag in a changing cubicle at Centre Parcs. In the 5 minutes it took to realise, some twat person had taken it. It was obviously a little girls bag and still it went, never to be seen again.

thecatfromjapan · 28/12/2014 22:12

I think it's Joyce carol Oates who wrote thst the problem for women is that, within patriarchal capitalism, there is this embedded idea that, if you can't protect what you own, you don't actually own it - it's not yours to own. So there is a link between the ownership of ideas and material things and the rights of women to not be subject to sexual violence.
Boundaries. The right not to be violated. To just exist.
It may not be obvious, but there are links.
We have a right to nog be perfect, and to not be perfect all the time.
We have a right to not have our things taken from us.
We have a right to own things.
We have a duty to not steal other people's stuff.
We have a duty not to violate others.

MissDuke · 28/12/2014 22:19

Victim blaming again :-(

Op yanbu! Of course it is not your fault. You should be able to leave something down without it being stolen. Cannot believe some people feel that it is the victims fault, and not the thief's :-/

kennyp · 28/12/2014 22:22

that's awful :O( i'd be utterly devastated if someone did that to my son. i've often left my wallet in places. once left my car keys on the roof of the car overnight. these things happen.

i really hope you get the wallet back. makes me shudder than people can just pick up and walk off with a childs wallet. disgusting.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 28/12/2014 22:24

A friend of mine lost her purse. She put it on Facebook and people shared it on several different local sites and it turned up. Make it too hot to handle, as they say. Hope it turns up.

FunkyBoldRibena · 28/12/2014 22:26

Rofl at victim blaming. It might have been knocked accidentally into the bin for all she knows. You cant just leave all your stuff all over the place and expect nobody to waltz off with it, FFS. Take some responsibility, you left it behind and its your own bloody fault for leaving it there.

Original poster
Pyjamaramadrama · 28/12/2014 22:26

That's bloody horrible tilliebob it really is.

The woman I spoke to encouraged me to ring head office in the morning, as they can get the manager to check CCTV, I suppose incase the unlikely event that it was a member of staff. Might not be too much to check as I know exactly what time it was.

Thanks all, it's nice to think most people are honest.

It's funny really because I wouldn't take my Xmas money out until I banked it, as I hate carrying too much cash incase of this, but didn't really think of ds £20.

OP posts:
CaulkheadUpNorth · 28/12/2014 22:28

I have two adult friends who have children's wallets, and use them as retro/semi ironic.

Just adding as that as you might not automatically assume it's a child's.

LadyLuck10 · 28/12/2014 22:31

Thecatfromjapan
Wow you've really gone on a tangent.

BalloonSlayer · 28/12/2014 22:33

You could check again tomorrow.

It could be that a member of staff had put it in their pocket intending to take it to customer services (or wherever) but due to work pressure had not got around to it in the hour before you got back there. < hopeful >

(My baby DD once lost a shoe in a supermarket. I noticed it had gone and retraced our steps but couldn't find it. It never turned up at customer services either. I can only assume that someone had picked it up intending to hand it in and just forgot - no one could have possibly wanted one baby shoe.)

Reindeerballs · 28/12/2014 22:34

Sorry that this happened to you. I used to work at a major tourist attraction and unfortunately it was quite common for kids to have their bags nicked. Happened to us on a bus once when I was distracted with two small kids - luckily there was only coppers in the purse but it was still horrible - sadly thieves often look out for vulnerable or distracted people.

Original poster
Pyjamaramadrama · 28/12/2014 22:36

It won't have been knocked into a bin I know exactly where I left it.

I'm not saying that I shouldn't take responsibility for my things, but I did get distracted and I've explained why, it was a human error and doesn't excuse nicking something that's not yours.

I assume with that opinion you won't mind bring stolen from the moment you make a mistake? Or perhaps it is in fact you who is a very special person who never makes a mistake?

OP posts:
MyCarHasBrokenDownAgain · 28/12/2014 22:36

Just a thought, but have you checked with the local police? If someone had picked it up, they may have thought you'd have more chance of getting it back from the police than from the shop ? DH lost his wallet in Slough, and despite having contact details in it they didn't call us, we only found out by contacting them and asking (we were really lucky as a lady had handed it in, bless her).

Fingers crossed the CCTV is up n working ...

Mrsmorton · 28/12/2014 22:36

Whatever excuse any scumbag may have, if you find something that's not yours, and you take it: YOU ARE A THIEVING CUNT. HTH to clear up any ambiguity.

Of course OP or her DS shouldnt have left it there but also, I shouldn't have gone out in a short skirt on Xmas eve. I was just asking to get into trouble wasn't i.

Crimes aren't perpetrated by the victims. FFFFFFFFFS. Wake up.

raltheraffe · 28/12/2014 22:37

Someone stole our Christmas roast somewhere between paying for it and putting it in the car! We only realised on Christmas Day

Original poster
Pyjamaramadrama · 28/12/2014 22:38

That's true balloonslayer.

On a side note has anyone ever seen a random adult shoe in the road or a random adult sock? There was a pair of soggy adult socks in the retail parks car park earlier. Who on earth leaves stuff like that?

OP posts:
BestIsWest · 28/12/2014 22:38

There is a huge difference between making a mistake and leaving something behind and consciously making the decision to pick that thing up and keep it rather than hand it in. I am aghast that any one can think otherwise. We all make mistakes, many of us can have lapses in attention or be distracted and I am in awe of anyone who can get through life without being distracted for a second. Well done to you. But for the rest of us this isn't reality.

OP I wish you the best of luck. I left my phone on the train the other day. For some reason it hadn't locked itself and the person who found it texted everyone in my contacts list in an attempt to get it back to me. Undoubtedly it was my own fault for being distracted and leaving it behind but I am so glad there are some honest people around. I believe the majority of us fall into that category.

PhaedraIsMyName · 28/12/2014 22:43

I believe that keeping something you've found it still theft

Mrs Morton - quite right. It is theft. There is no doubt it is theft.

You cant just leave all your stuff all over the place and expect nobody to waltz off with it,

What a horrible mindset.