Could have stopped a shoplifting? WWGDD?

[Mcnumpty2323]

Wait, you're saying Spiderman wasn't a documentary?

Back on to the subject, many, many years ago I worked in a supermarket. On a good few occasions the 'secret code' came over the tannoy and I would rush to the front of the store and leg it outside to catch a shoplifter.
Given that my department was right at the back, I never so much as caught sight of one - but I got as far from the store as I could 'in pursuit' before I gave up and went back.

Lol
Would imagine supermarkets are same as psychiatric hospitals
If a patient gets off the ground owned by the company and staff tackle them and get injured
They Wont be insured for it
Happens all the time with psychiatric patients who know if they make it off the grounds
The staff will let them go
And phone the police~usually sending them to the nearest pub lol
By time police get there the patient has flung half a gallon of booze down his throat lol

 

[The_Arbiter]

Fine, live in fear, then.
Don't go out because you might get stabbed just for looking at someone wrong. Don't stay home, because someone might break in and rape you.

You can take my post way out of context if you want. What your post says to me is hypocrisy though, we're all hypocrites so don't that as an attack. If you want to try to address every issue that's right in front off you, that's fine, but i honestly doubt you do.

 

[Scam]

Fine, live in fear, then.
Don't go out because you might get stabbed just for looking at someone wrong. Don't stay home, because someone might break in and rape you.

Oh do shut up already. Going about your everyday life is not the same as deliberately putting yourself in an altercation with no good reason.

 

[ttaskmaster]

You can take my post way out of context if you want. What your post says to me is hypocrisy though, we're all hypocrites so don't that as an attack. If you want to try to address every issue that's right in front off you, that's fine, but i honestly doubt you do.

I like to step in and help if I can. But if I'm to be living of fear of what may or may not happen, what good is that?
Yes, there is a judgement call to make, but only so far as figuring out whether you can do any good, or not. By the time you've finished fretting over whether or not the shop is insured and can stand the loss of whatever teh guy is stealing, or whether he's already hurt someone on his barging way through, or whether he might still hurt someone on his continued escape, or whether he might be some crazed starving homeless person desperately stealing to survive... he's long past you and you were just staring blankly into space, letting another person get away with it yet again. Yes, there are people who do this to survive, just as there are people who do this for a laugh or a dare, or because they're 'persons of a transient nature' who like to **** all over respectable society.
Figure it out were you stand very quickly, and then act on it.

That also is "not the same as deliberately putting yourself in an altercation with no good reason", incidentally, as the good reason (to me, at least) is simply helping people... possibly even helping societal mentality re-grasp the idea that such things just are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. However, that is part of my everyday life, as far as I'm concerned, so @Scam, you can shut up already yourself.

 

[Scam]

However, that is part of my everyday life, as far as I'm concerned

Actually, it doesn't sound like you have much dealings with the general public at all or have any idea how dangerous situations can develop. You think all mentally unstable people walk around with a sign on their head so we all know not to mess with them? That's not how it works in real life.

There's numerous examples of good samaritans getting killed, the one that is springing to mind right now is the poor father who was stabbed 18 times and killed in front of his son, because he had an altercation with a guy on a train who turned out to have paranoid schizophrenia.. and a knife.

But by all means, go ahead. It's your life.

 

[The_Arbiter]

Most people like to step in if they can. But let's be fair, defending your mate's shop from a thief as you're fuelled by emotion vs being tired at the service station on a 5hr drive and getting eye'd up by 4 guys nabbing some mars bars aren't the same thing. And let's be doubly fair, no one truly gives that much of a toss about others, we are all here waxing our money on PC and media when it could go to someone who needs it.

 

[R.P.L]

Most people like to step in if they can

GD says otherwise, according to this thread...

 

[Angilion]

Most people like to step in if they can. But let's be fair, defending your mate's shop from a thief as you're fuelled by emotion vs being tired at the service station on a 5hr drive and getting eye'd up by 4 guys nabbing some mars bars aren't the same thing. And let's be doubly fair, no one truly gives that much of a toss about others, we are all here waxing our money on PC and media when it could go to someone who needs it.

That's a good point.

I've involved myself a few times in the past when I thought there was a threat to a person. It's rarely done any good, I've come off quite badly twice and it could have been far worse.

To protect a tiny proportion of a large business's profits? No.

 

[Rofflay]

Its sad leniant knife crime attitudes led to a situation where most people are nervous about these situations. 70 years ago everyone would have tackled them and a knife crime would be a big scandal about society.


Now in parts of England it is normal? And yet people take it on the chin every Goverment is afraid to answer tough questions about immigrants and drug dealers and robbers having knives. It should be a serious long term jail term of about 30 years

 

[builder22]

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Its sad leniant knife crime attitudes led to a situation where most people are nervous about these situations. 70 years ago everyone would have tackled them and a knife crime would be a big scandal about society.


Now in parts of England it is normal? And yet people take it on the chin every Goverment is afraid to answer tough questions about immigrants and drug dealers and robbers having knives. It should be a serious long term jail term of about 30 years

What was it like in the 1950's?

Wasn't there nothing to steal anyway because the country was broke and living off rations?

Knife crime isn't modern it's been huge in Glasgow for about 30 years.

It's nothing about being scared either. It's common sense. Even a famous csgo YouTube from Glasgow has been stabbed and has a scar on his face.

 

[Burnsy2023]

It's nothing about being scared either. It's common sense. Even a famous csgo YouTube from Glasgow has been stabbed and has a scar on his face.

So whilst knife crime is absolutely a problem, it's often confined to specific demographics of criminal. I have never found a knife on a shoplifter, so whilst a very small minority might carry, or perhaps it's different across the country, it's very rare in my experience. I don't think the fear of knife as evidenced by many people in this thread, is proportionate to the actual risk.

 

[AndyCr15]

I think we've had 2 through the years. I think you're right though, most of them don't. I guess the chance is reasonable they get caught. If they're caught with a couple of bottles of whisky... the probably end up walking. If they get caught with a couple of bottles of whisky and a knife, they're likely in a lot more trouble.

 

[Yadda]

I imagine shoplifters know there's a reasonable chance of them getting caught at some point so go with that in mind. I suppose the careless ones might be carrying their drugs but I can't imagine why they'd have a knife with them.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

So whilst knife crime is absolutely a problem, it's often confined to specific demographics of criminal. I have never found a knife on a shoplifter, so whilst a very small minority might carry, or perhaps it's different across the country, it's very rare in my experience. I don't think the fear of knife as evidenced by many people in this thread, is proportionate to the actual risk.

last shoplifter i stopped had a screwdriver on him. he was stealing lamb and other meat. notified 2 security guards and they kept me as a witness. he tried to hide the screwdriver whilst we were waiting for the police on some pallets in the back stock room. i had to go to court as well first timer case never got called as others overran. his defence was he needed the screwdriver to fix something that was loose on his bike. when the cops asked where his bike was he said he left it at home and the cop just laughed and shook his head and said yeah your deffo nicked.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Actually, it doesn't sound like you have much dealings with the general public at all or have any idea how dangerous situations can develop.

Well my most formative experiences in dealing with such situations usually (but not always) had me with a rifle slung across my chest at the time, and several other blokes similarly attired... but I assume that's a bit too extreme a scenario to use as a valid example, yes?
Since then, I've stepped in to help straighten out a few incidents here and there. I prefer following the lead of someone else who is more gifted with the gab, obviously, but that's not always been an option. You do what you can with what you have.

You think all mentally unstable people walk around with a sign on their head so we all know not to mess with them?

Are you asking me, or telling me?
If you're asking, would you like a serious answer or a couple of sarcastic, irreverent ones?

There's numerous examples of good samaritans getting killed

Yes. I am aware. Not something I choose to dwell on, though, for the reasons stated earlier. If it does happen, at least I'll die trying to help someone, instead of dying in fear of helping them. The more people willing to go to lengths like that to stop people getting away with things, the fewer people will think they have a chance to get away with it.

 

[rxodium]

had me with a rifle slung across my chest at the time, and several other blokes similarly attired...

That your WW2 re-enactment group?

 

[Mark A]

What a bunch of wimps here.

Yes, not wanting to get stabbed in the heart by some desperate crack head, in order to save a multi billion £ corporation a few quid is so wimpy.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

That your WW2 re-enactment group?

LARPING IS REAL, MOM, WHY DONT YOU UNDERSTAND? I AM A METHOD ACTOR.

I would watch this film.

 

[Rroff]

So whilst knife crime is absolutely a problem, it's often confined to specific demographics of criminal. I have never found a knife on a shoplifter, so whilst a very small minority might carry, or perhaps it's different across the country, it's very rare in my experience. I don't think the fear of knife as evidenced by many people in this thread, is proportionate to the actual risk.

Not disagreeing as such but knife crime is on the rise again around where I live after being almost non-existent for the last few years and I've seen or heard of screwdrivers and even keys used to attack people who have tried to intervene in incidents of anti-social behaviour or shoplifting in town.