People openly stealing in Greggs

[Xraytime]

Whilst I was in the queue for a coffee, 4 different people came in and took several sandwiches, doughnuts and drinks.

They were not together.

I feel like Greg’s need to put every behind the counter, I can’t see how it’s sustainable long term.

I see this at different Greggs aswell but there will normally be just one person. Today was shocking.

Why won't police do anything?
Then the Greggs need to hire their own security for the worst hit places.

It's not down to Greggs. A security guard will cost more than the cost of thefts.

We need the police and courts to step up and start dealing properly with it.

I wanted to edit to add, the cost of living is causing major problems for would-be students too. There are cities that are no longer affordable for students.

I did go to uni and got a job, worked up etc got more qualifications, much good it did me when the tech changed too much, and I couldn’t afford life in the same region any more. People look at experiences like mine and think ‘it’s not worth it is it?’ And they are right.

Centuries ago we were pushed off subsistence farming by Enclosure into the cities and given a new way of life with a new social contract, although many noted at the time that villains who stole commons got away with it. The new way of life said we got paid enough to pay others for the costs of life in a market economy. It is not working any more. There are few real alternative ways of life - we can have hunter gathering (impossible with the population levels), farming (impossible in Britain with population levels), or working for a living, in a working market economy that pays the cost of living. Slavery is not acceptable, not here, in the first country to make serious efforts to obliterate that practice. So what now?

I work for Greggs. Yes in some area's, there is a problem with stealing. Thankfully my store, it happens, but not a daily basis. Like a few people have commented. We can't really do anything. Can't confront them, for risk of harm. The Police don't do anything. It doesn't matter how many staff are in the front of house. They will still do it, they don't give a ####. They know nothing will get done anyway.

Question, and it’s not a rhetorical question: if security guards are told not to challenge shoplifters what are they there for? What is their actual job description?

I was in Morrisons and a woman cleared the contents of the fish shelf straight into her bag. It was mainly fish heads and fillets that she stole. It was obvious that she was stealing to order rather than because she was hungry. The assistant who was stacking the shelves nearby wasn't too bothered by it either.

🙄

May I just say "Bollocks". Stealing is stealing and it happens everywhere

Don't be ridiculous. Companies don't hire according to who someone went to school with. That's you just making an excuse for the chip on your shoulder.

And someone earning £30k will pay back just £243.50 - £450 per year for their student loans, depending on when they studied. That's £20-£37.50 per month. Hardly a big obligation.

The people who actually do pay it back are those who get a well-paid job.

No one sold you.

I kind of agree with you though that there's now not enough difference in living standard between someone who works and someone who doesn't. But that problem comes from the policies of the Left, not the Right.

And there we have the racist in the crowd. Let's ignore the riots, the white coller crime, tax dodgers and the good old racists and come down heavy on the sandwich stealing.

Nail on the head. Too many bleeding heart liberals letting the feckless get away with everything. Time to be strict and challenge ALL law breaking. We're close to end game. Hence why the likes of Farage and Trump are getting votes. People are fed up with the dross taking advantage and the bleeding hearts letting them.

Last week I went to Greggs for lunch and the fridges were empty, staff said they had been cleaned out by a group of people who came in and filled a bag. Staff told not to challenge!

A friend who worked in Pret said the homeless people know they give away all the food by the end of the day so they’re welcomed to come and help themselves. But many come during the day and take. They don’t care, they know they won’t be challenged. Who’d risk any violence over a sandwich. There are plenty of places in my city that give away food so I don’t give money to homeless anymore. They always have a go at you if you try to buy them a sandwich or tea.

@strawberrybubblegum we all know you’re talking bollocks now. It’s not what you know, it’s who you know everywhere, although some places are worse than others. Location is also vital and locations are unaffordable for those without family money behind them.

Statistics and real facts on this are easily google-able.

The Pret at Stratford Station in East London has a security guard.

Too many parents don't teach their children right and wrong anymore. Stealing is wrong.

No, that's complete crap. The hiring practices of all the big companies are really scrupulous nowadays. Even work experience has to be properly recruited and evidenced - although is sometimes targetted at groups for which they want to increase representation for DEI and social responsibility reasons.

Some factors do proveably increase chance of success, such as the child being in a 2-parent family with at least one parent having higher education. But that's because of the stability it gives the child to thrive, not some extrinsic unfairness. And it's only probabilities. Children can and do succeed from all backgrounds.

And people at all wealth levels live in London, by the way.

“They hang the man and flog the woman
“”Who steals the goose from off the common.
But let the greater villain loose
Who stole the common from the goose.”

I am not the only person who knows this old rhyme, in a country that still has the same aristocratic family lines that came over in 1066.

All very evocative.

It's still not OK to steal.

The extra cost means companies have to put prices up, which means everyone else has to pay more.

You're not sticking it to the man, you're stealing from other working people.

Why complain to mumsnet why not complain to the thieves?

the force field of course!

The world is in a right state , its frightening. There's no law and order anymore. The government's answer to more crime is to reduce the police numbers, not send criminals to prison . Its almost as if they're encouraging it. What's going on? It's not just the UK it's everywhere.

Every customer pays for stealing, in the prices of the things they buy,

As PP have said how much donuts would a security guard have to save to be worth how much they cost

I’ve seen it in my local stores. I really don’t know what the answer is

I think life is not a simple class war.

My daughter's friend is from a wealthy family, is studying in London, living rent-free in a modern 2 bed flat in Fitzrovia (posh bit just west of Tottenham court road) owned by rich granny. Rich, but shoplifts frequently.

"The rich" pay huge amounts of tax by the way,
"The top 10% of taxpayers paid 60% of all income tax in 2023–24, up from 35% in 1978–79."

The billionaires with wealth offshore pay less of course, but that's a very small number of people.