Today, I have witnessed a shoplifting incident.
I saw him do it. I saw him take it off the shelf, eyes darting about the place, watching to see if anyone was looking; if anyone would notice; if anyone would care. I saw him holding it out of view. He looked at me. I gave him a dirty look. I saw him take it, hide it and leave. I saw this all. I didn't do anything about it.
I am a bad citizen.
Alright, so it was worth less than a pound. Alright, so it was a only bottle of coke. Alright, so it was at a small open-plan chain-name bakery store with no doors and he probably would have been off on his bike before I even had the chance to pluck up the courage to mention it to someone, anyone. Alright, so I was only passing, I had no time to stop and consider. Alright, so these are unexcusable excuses. I should have done something, told someone, I'm sure. But I let it slide. I had hands full of shopping, a tired mind and heavy heart and if I'm honest, I couldn't be bothered with the hassle. So I let him get away with it.
I witnessed a crime. I let him get away with it.
What would you have done?
I saw him do it. I saw him take it off the shelf, eyes darting about the place, watching to see if anyone was looking; if anyone would notice; if anyone would care. I saw him holding it out of view. He looked at me. I gave him a dirty look. I saw him take it, hide it and leave. I saw this all. I didn't do anything about it.
I am a bad citizen.
Alright, so it was worth less than a pound. Alright, so it was a only bottle of coke. Alright, so it was at a small open-plan chain-name bakery store with no doors and he probably would have been off on his bike before I even had the chance to pluck up the courage to mention it to someone, anyone. Alright, so I was only passing, I had no time to stop and consider. Alright, so these are unexcusable excuses. I should have done something, told someone, I'm sure. But I let it slide. I had hands full of shopping, a tired mind and heavy heart and if I'm honest, I couldn't be bothered with the hassle. So I let him get away with it.
I witnessed a crime. I let him get away with it.
What would you have done?
On the jukebox: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds ~ People Ain't No Good
If we stopped to right every wrong in this world we'd never get anywhere. If I was in the same frame of mind that you seem to have been then I pro bably would have done the same thing.
ReplyDeleteBesides the little man needs to beat Capitalism sometimes..
Crazy old cat ladies it is :o)
xx
It doesn't sound like you could have changed the outcome by reporting it. Sometimes you just have to be pragmatic and save your battles :-)
ReplyDeleteI'd let it slide. I think. I'm not sure, and I can't be sure until it happens to me.
ReplyDeletebtw, you're writing is only getting betters. I like the feel of this blog, even though it's quite different from your last. tip o' my hat.
I'd like to think that I would have done something. But its hard to know for sure what you'd do until you're actually in the situation. And I suspect that I probably would have done the same as you.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'd love to believe that I'd have somehow stopped the theft and in the process turned the man's life around, I think realistically most of us (myself included) would have let that go. Lucy is right in saying it probably wouldn't have changed anything save your feelings about the matter. In that respect, maybe it would have been worth it. I guess no-one will ever know.
ReplyDelete