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Original poster

Robbing from Tesco with impunity *edited by MNHQ*

362 replies

KatherineSwynford1403 · 11/08/2023 09:14

I just got off a bus outside a Tesco that is a short walk from where I work to buy some yogurt and fruit for breakfast. On the bus there were three horrendous guys - loud, under the influence, scruffy, swearing, F-ing and Jeffing across the aisles at each other. They got off at the same stop - well, burst off the bus laughing - and burst into Tesco. I watched them saunter up to the booze aisle laughing as they went, nick a bottle of spirits each and walk out laughing in front of all the staff (floorwalking).

I challenged one of the members of staff (a big guy who could handle himself) as to if he was going to let them get away with it. He says they come in every morning and help themselves and nobody is allowed to touch or challenge them. They've contacted the police who don't want to know.

I told him "Right, see you then, I'm helping myself to these strawberries and this yogurt, have a nice day!" and he said I was OK to do that!!! Of course I told him I was joking and I paid.

How in hell have we got to this state of affairs in this country? Or my town specifically?

OP posts:
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horseyhorsey17 · 11/08/2023 10:25

This shoplifting is another reason for food price inflation - the insurance costs are passed on to the customers. So we're all paying for these lowlives to get trashed every morning on 'free' booze.

WeetabixTowels · 11/08/2023 10:25

JudgeJ · 11/08/2023 10:24

Do you expect staff to risk their own well-being to stop a theft from a multinational conglomerate?

It doesn't matter how big the store these scotes are stealing from, this post almost implies it's OK to steal from Tesco. The security staff should have easy access to Tasers, that would stop them quickly enough but then there would be the usual lot bleating that their little cherubs have been hurt!

WTF.

Only people who should carry weapons are police (and even they can’t be trusted not to use them properly). I don’t want to live in a world where some billy boy security guard can taser me if he wishes

dworky · 11/08/2023 10:25

Wisterical · 11/08/2023 09:16

Which Tesco's please?

😂

Original poster
KatherineSwynford1403 · 11/08/2023 10:26

Daisyhillsareblooming · 11/08/2023 10:23

I saw similar in TKMaxx, I saw a guy fill his rucksack and walk out. I told the security guard and he said they’re not allowed to confront this . It’s totally bizarre.

What exactly is on security guards' job descriptions?

OP posts:
itsmylife7 · 11/08/2023 10:26

The Police are too busy arresting 16 year old autistic children. Or the women that attended the Vigil for Sara who was killed by one of their own.

I've no respect for current Policing.

MXVIT · 11/08/2023 10:26

Interesting point of view, and wrong. It has never been the role of store workers to be have a go heroes.

When I worked in retail a good decade ago we were always told if you see shoplifting do NOT approach them. It, simply, wasn't our job to stop it.

That's not to say its a human right - but rather a staff safeguarding issue.

As to whose job it is to deter? I suppose its the job of the police as first line defence, and the company's head office to look at shrinkage as a whole, identify trends and roll out measures to stop.

horseyhorsey17 · 11/08/2023 10:26

Wsmi · 11/08/2023 10:24

Remember, to Labour, there is no such thing as bad behavior or a crime. There is only intersectionality and underprivilege. Lefties usually have a dictionary to correct you and tell you what you can and can’t say. You will not be allowed to use the term anti-social soon because it labels people.

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Are you OK hun?

Daisyhillsareblooming · 11/08/2023 10:26

@Combusting I doubt it’s made up I have seen it several times in our southern town !

dreamingbohemian · 11/08/2023 10:27

RoyalMint · 11/08/2023 10:19

The areas worst affected by antisocial behaviour are in Labour council seats. In certain areas of (Labour-run) SE London, there isn't even a system for dealing with noise complaints. You basically just have to accept that stealing, illegal raves, and intimidation are a human right. If you complain to your Labour councillors, who have been appointed to make your area livable, they just blithely blame "Tory cuts" and do nothing,all the while spending tas payers money on diversity awards for schools, or painting your local centre with rainbow colours.
And yet Londoners keep appointing them, year after year. I could literally bang my head against the wall.

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You do know Lewisham Council aren't responsible for funding the Met, right? Neither is the mayor. Absolutely blame the Tories.

MumblesParty · 11/08/2023 10:27

male security guards should dress as women, engage in conversation with the shoplifters, wait till the shoplifter misgenders them, then call the police. They’d be there straight away!

oakleaffy · 11/08/2023 10:27

JudgeAnderson · 11/08/2023 10:20

I absolutely hate how "petty" crimes (which apparently include housebreaking now?) are no longer policed. These crimes and general anti-social behaviour are what make areas, and people's lives, a grinding daily misery while the most aggressive and amoral amongst them swagger around doing exactly what they want, and possibly even claim victim status.

It's especially galling when the same police who have no resources to deal with any of it, apparently have all the time and officers in the world when it comes to harrassing middle-aged women for saying the wrong thing on twitter.

Fuck this society, seriously.

A nice, middle class woman is an easy target.

Thuggy, aggressive men aren't.

The police won't do anything for ''under £200'' of goods- so that covers a lot of stuff.

Waitrose too , my friend witnessed a big theft {over £200!}- won't say how the thief did it, in case of copy cats, but it's a free for all, it seems.

oakleaffy · 11/08/2023 10:28

MumblesParty · 11/08/2023 10:27

male security guards should dress as women, engage in conversation with the shoplifters, wait till the shoplifter misgenders them, then call the police. They’d be there straight away!

Genius! 🤣

Daisyhillsareblooming · 11/08/2023 10:28

@KatherineSwynford1403 I have no idea, I thought it was really odd. Probably a health and safety issue 🙄

RudsyFarmer · 11/08/2023 10:29

It’s interesting how blaming institutions is SO much easier than parenting your children.

VegetablesFightingToReclaimTheAubergieneEmoji · 11/08/2023 10:29

It was covered on newsnight this week. Security cannot do anything as they have little power. Every one has a mobile phone and can record it which isn’t good for the shop.
police are under funded so it’s not a priority. Even though it’s part of a wider picture

ginghamstarfish · 11/08/2023 10:30

RoyalMint · 11/08/2023 10:13

And yet the police have resources to arrest people for praying silently, or interview people for posting anti-woke tweets, or send in an entire squad to seize someone's collection of gollywogs.

Was a out to say the same thing. God, what a state society is in. Glad I'm old sometimes.

OnedayIwillfeelfree · 11/08/2023 10:30

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 11/08/2023 09:23

This happens regularly in our local Boots (otherwise pleasant, very community-minded outer London suburb).

Forest Hill? They even keep cans of deodorant and tubes of sun cream behind the till now as the druggies would just walk in and brazenly steal them to sell on. I wouldn’t challenge them either. My life is worth more than £20 worth of toiletries.

Maireas · 11/08/2023 10:31

MumblesParty · 11/08/2023 10:27

male security guards should dress as women, engage in conversation with the shoplifters, wait till the shoplifter misgenders them, then call the police. They’d be there straight away!

Love this! 😂

DriftingDora · 11/08/2023 10:33

..Yes, it's amazing how the Police always manage to find the resources when they want to...anything involving a showbiz personality usually gets them turning out in force (pun intentional..).

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 11/08/2023 10:33

I was in my local Tesco Express to collect a parcel yesterday, and got some bits of shopping at the same time. As I walked out the security alarm blared and none of the staff blinked an eye. When I went back in it turned out the wine I’d bought had a tag on it that the till person hadn’t deactivated - he said it happens all the time and they are just so used to it they don’t even register the alarm.

DontBeAPrickDarren · 11/08/2023 10:33

Theunamedcat · 11/08/2023 09:15

That's not normal

It’s apparently more “normal” than you think:

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66323140

There were about 1,000 cases of crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in its shops every day in the six months to June

and that’s just the co-op

Co-op store attack

Co-op warns rising crime could create 'no-go' areas for shops

The retailer says crime levels in its stores have shot up by more than one third over the past year.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66323140

ginghamstarfish · 11/08/2023 10:33

Also can't help thinking, if instead of 3 aggressive men stealing booze, it was 3 elderly women stealing food, I bet someone would suddenly be able to confront them, when there's no risk of being knifed.

AlanJohnsonsBeamer · 11/08/2023 10:34

Happens where I live in the SE

Keyworks · 11/08/2023 10:35

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

KimberleyClark · 11/08/2023 10:36

RudsyFarmer · 11/08/2023 10:09

i saw a news piece yesterday where one of the state Mayors in America was correcting the language of a reporter who described a group of disaffected youth committing crime as a ‘mob’. Apparently that term is problematic. The large gathering of criminal young people was fine. But calling them a ‘mob’ was the thing to crack down on. It’s fascinating.

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Well, the Mob means something different in America doesn’t it?

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