For not saying anything?

[PumpkinKlNG]

I was in Greggs earlier standing in the queue and a man walked in grabbed a drink and a sandwich and walked straight back out without paying, the staff didn’t notice and I didn’t say anything, if you saw someone stealing from a shop would you say something?

Yeah I'd have mentioned it when at the till. I'd be worried they'd get in trouble or something, if they needed to look back through cctv they'd know what time it occurred. I once was accused of stealing from work when I worked in a pub. A bottle of spirit. It wasn't me. Can only assume it was a punter reacher over and grabbed but no cctv to prove anything. They never quite trusted me after, even when I said it wasn't me.

Way back in the sixties, when wearing fur coats was sadly a thing, my Dad worked in a department store doing the window displays. Some men wearing brown coats turned up one day and started wheeling a rail of fur coats out of the door. Dad just assumed they were storeroom workers because of the brown coats and held the door open for them. Of course they weren't from the storeroom and they walked out with hundreds of pounds worth of coats.

I personally wouldn’t as it’s not my business and nobody was harmed and you have to be careful about getting involved in situations as the person may of been suffering from mental health issues or drug related problems so if you want to get involved then you should report it to the staff or call the police .

I wouldn't confront the shoplifter directly, because it might be dangerous, but I'd definitely tell someone what I'd seen. I have no sympathy for them. As PP said, the rest of us are paying to cover the price of what thieves steal.

Never for food.

It's desperately sad that people need to steal food. They're definitely not "scum". What a cruel and vile thing to say. Have some compassion.

@Bumblecattabbybee

It's desperately sad that people need to steal food. They're definitely not "scum". What a cruel and vile thing to say. Have some compassion.

Most shoplifters who come in our food stores are not doing it because they're desperate. They do it to order especially steak and expensive cheese or £300 of chocolate. We can tell them to put stuff back but not physically apprehend them. Also most shoplifters know that if they take goods worth a small amount they don't usually get taken to court as it's not cost effective.

It happens all the time at my local Greggs. The same people come in every day and take whatever they like. While some may genuinely be in need, others simply steal their lunch on their way to work/ school. My Mum’s friendly with the women who work there and it’s such a frequent occurrence, they barely notice anymore.

I've not called anyone scum?? Not to judge by looks but he didn't look.like he needed to steal, he was well dressed etc

I would have said something, wouldn't have challenged him or expected them to have given chase either for various reasons. I get that Greggs is a big chain with big profits and that it was only a few quids worth. I also appreciate that I dont know the blokes circumstances but I would still have told them.
Personally If I would have let it go for the above reasons, I would be suggesting that theft is ok and it's not, if tolerate this and ignore it what next? where would you draw the line. Also, you actually dont know what peoples circumstances are and until they are apprehended and dealt with nor will you (they don't walk round with stickers on their heads telling you) .
I'm not saying I would go as far as finding out myself by apprehending them but if for instance Greggs followed it up and the bloke then got dealt with by police they would then either find out he is a compulsive thief or someone with other reasons causing them to take such drastic action then just maybe if their circumstances are that bad it may, just may get them the help they need rather than having to steal.
I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you walk away and ignore then your basically saying its ok, saying its ok means they keep doing it and then what will they do next?

I would have told them, especially in front of your son, to show him that stealing isn't ok

He knows stealing isn't ok but I told him best not to get involved in a situation like this.

Honestly... No especially if it is food

@Bumblecattabbybee

It's desperately sad that people need to steal food. They're definitely not "scum". What a cruel and vile thing to say. Have some compassion.

it was me that called them scum. thats what shoplifters are....and i posted that literally a few hours after having an altercation with one in our store....i think i called him more than scum, wont say what. dont want to upset the delicate mums netters who think these poor thieves should be left to it

police got him though....he's a known offender.

Would there be much point? By the time he'd walked out & you'd got the attention of the staff, it would probably be too late for them to do anything.

I certainly wouldn't try to challenge the thief myself in case they attacked me.

I have stolen food in the past. Around 20 years ago, I was on the bones of my arse and as I walked past a greengrocers, I took a bag of spuds and a bunch of bananas from the outdoor display. When I got my giro, 3 days later, I put a letter of apology and £2 through the door.

Just to add, you can be suited and booted up to the hilt but still only have 7p in your bank account to last the next 3 days. People don't always look hungry.

I'm of the mantra that if you see someone stealing food, you didn't.

@SoddingWeddings

Yes, but I'm an ex police officer and very quick to pipe up.

The funniest one was a chap who stuck a hot rotisserie chicken up his shirt and tried to get out the door with it with four off duty coppers paying at the counter. He burned himself, the idiot, before we recovered the chicken and had him detained.

Before the bleeding hearts pipe up, he wasn't stealing to feed himself or his starving children, he's a well known local thief and heroin addict who steals to pay for his habit.

OK. You're an ex copper. How much do you think he was going to get for a second hand, rapidly cooling chicken? Much of a market in your forces area?

I would have mentioned at the till. I once saw a very well dressed woman with her approx 8/9 year daughter dressed in private school uniform in Boots. She was in the queue and asked her daughter to go get something for her. Daughter came back with a huge handful of mascaras, easily ten mascaras. She then sent daughter off to get something else, dropped all the mascaras except one in her bag and proceeded to pay for just the one. I was a bit flummoxed as was in pharmacist queue which was really busy and didn’t say anything because of her daughter’s involvement. I don’t go in shops often and was shocked that there are really brazen shoplifters who must have gotten away with it countless times.

If there was a security guard then maybe but I wouldn’t put the staff in that situation. They may have noticed but didn’t act like it as I’m sure they’d get in trouble for not doing anything but it’s not worth it for them.

its more the arrogance, very much doubt its a starving, homeless person

someone just swooped in ahead of you, plucked out a sandwich and sauntered off with it. a free lunch, job done.

when we catch offenders they always have the means to pay there on them!! they would just prefer not to

Yeh I don’t believe he was homeless, I know people say looks can be deceiving but in this case I don’t agree as he was very confident, like I said he practically pushed passed my son to grab his drink which is why I noticed him, he was very brazen, I imagine someone who was desperate and feeling bad would have been a little bit less brazen about the whole thing, I don’t think the staff noticed as it was quite busy.