On reading Maffi's blog about the theft of his "Poo Pump", I felt the need to once again have a rant. It sickens me that certain individuals on this planet will use any opportunity, to just help themselves to other peoples property. Do they have that important part of their brain missing that gives them a conscience? or are they just pure evil?
As my title says, it's nice honest people, and I would like to include myself in that category, who do indeed make it easy for thieves. We believe that if we leave anything on our boats, without an armed guard, that when we return it will still be there, because we find it hard to comprehend that anyone would stoop so low as to take it. We naively think that because we wouldn't dream of helping ourselves, that nobody else would, but they do, because they are selfish, and really don't give a damn the repercussions that their sticky fingers create. So what do we do? I am a hundred percent behind what Maffi says in his post, be vigilant, keep a look out, report incidents to the police, but how sad is it that we have to? Will it make any difference, sadly I don't think so, only because, we will all do our bit, only to be let down by the judicial system yet again. Here is a case in point....
As most of you will know I work in a shop, a discount store. We are constantly fighting a battle against thieves. It never ceases to amaze me the calm way in which the pilferers will walk into the store and just help themselves. Now to my case in point, a man walked through my checkout the other day, claiming he had left his wallet on his push bike as you can imagine I was immediately suspicious, even more so as he had a back pack on that was obviously full. I asked my manager to go check the ctv camera's, sure enough this guy had filled his back pack with goods from our store.
This guy was a regular customer, so goodness knows how long he has been " free shopping" in the store. He came in two days later, this time the manager was ready for him.....he watched him on camera, and sure enough within minutes he was helping himself. The manager pulled him up and asked him to empty his bag, which he did with a, " sorry about that mate", he then left the shop with the managers voice ringing in his ears that he was now barred from the shop. Hello?? I was off that day and was gobsmacked to hear that the police were not called, and why? because I was told it was a waste of time, and sadly I can't help but agree. Our nearest police station is just over the road from the shop, most of the time it is locked up and unmanned?? You ring the police, who say they will be out as soon as they can, three hours later no sign, in the mean time what do you do with the thief you have apprehended? Lock him in a cupboard? Maybe show him the in store catalogue so he can plan what to pinch on his next visit to the store. Even if they are caught and sent to court, it's usually the same story, a slap on the wrist and don't do it again. Laughable isn't it?
We have a huge poster in our Canteen of well known robbers who frequent our store's, it does help because we do recognise them as soon as they come in, so they can be quickly asked to leave, it would please me more if they were asked to leave with a good hefty kick up the backside, but heaven forbid, the police would be there quick smart then, and we would be, "done"! Most of the mugshots on our poster are of repeat offenders, who are actually posing for the photo's with smiles on their faces, as if proud of themselves. One woman's mugshot looks as if she is posing for a bloody fashion shoot, another guy is nonchalantly reading a newspaper??
If I had my way , and I am sure Maffi would agree, these scumbags should be tattooed across the forehead, THIEF in bright letters that light up in the dark, also be tagged so that every time they walk into a shop or try and steal peoples property, the tag would deliver a nice painful electric shock, that could maybe have an after shock that would have them sitting on the toilet for a good few hours. Cruel? maybe, but not half as cruel as taking peoples belongings that they have honestly worked and paid for. The situation is never going to really change, until the punishment fits the crime....As far as I can see, at the minute, there isn't sufficient punishment for these," petty thieves", and who came up with the title "petty"? Far from petty if you ask me...
