Would you steal from a supermarket?

No, I wouldn't. But I've never been in a position where I've been so short of money that I've gone hungry, or had kids to feed, either.

 

That's great aussie ingenuity right there!
It's up there with swapping the deli wrapping of a kilo of prawns with a kilo of chicken drumsticks

 

Was that one meal or two?

 

2, kg of drumsticks one night, kilo of prawns the next.

 

This article is now talking about limiting self serve checkouts to 12 items and it seems Coles have gotten police involved, at least for awareness. But this is something I feel the supermarkets have brought onto themselves... and shouldn't be involving police time.

Coles reduces self-serve checkout to 12 items

 

Ta Geoff, link fixed.

 

Here's another idea. I reckon if the self scanning devices can't properly recognise theft (like cherries scanned as carrots) then the stores would need to be like at the airport... get staff to randomly pull people aside and check peoples purchases vs. what's listed on the receipts before departure. That would keep people honest and for smaller shops of 12 items or less it would not be overly time consuming to do.

And specifically target people with fruit and deli purchases as they'd be more commonly stolen/subsituted.

It does assume a level of dishonesty though and I'm sure many shoppers won't like it... so you go back to everybody going to normal checkouts and it's a step backwards.... Perhaps.

 

Definitely. The supermarkets know how much is stolen and how much wages are saved by self-service. It must be cheaper for them to cop the increased theft.

When they first came in the person at the ciggi counter was responsible for dealing with the self-service area. It was annoying; if you had problems it took time for them to stop serving smokers and come over. Most now seem to have a dedicated person to look affter the self service area. Reduces delays when someone needs assistance. But I reckon a major reason for them doing this is to have a staff member looking over your shoulder when you're checking out.

 

It's theft. Same as shoplifting. Of course the police should be involved, and charges laid if warranted. Same as driving away from a service station without paying. Or pinching fruit from the boxes outside the fruit shop.

If anyone does not like the self service checkouts, don't use them. I only do if I am in a hurry and there are long queues at manned checkouts.

If I accidentally leave the keys in my car and go inside, that is not an excuse for someone to steal it. Nor is taking my letterbox - yes, it has happened.

So it is ok to steal from roadside vegetables stands with honesty boxes? That's right, probably is. And also the reason you don't see many any more.

Sorry, make all the excuses you like but stealing is a crime and is NOT excusable.
We all pay for it with higher prices.
Marg

 

To be clear, I don't steal from supermarkets.

But my opinion is, for anybody so inclined, the self serve checkouts make it really easy to steal.

Better monitoring or going back to normal checkouts are two ways to arrest this theft. We aren't going to simply be able to "guilt trip" people into doing the right thing.

 

It is interesting that you are not the only person to think they brought it on themselves. It's an interesting position.

That person who forgot to lock a window and got robbed had it coming to them and the police should not be involved.

That person who parked near the train station should have known not to park there. Of course their window got smashed. Should have known better. Don't call the police.

Crime is crime. I don't think it is right to start picking which crimes deserve police attention.

 

Ok. So I change my mode of operation and decide to leave the front door of my home open everyday as I go off to work... its not my fault if someone comes in and steals our 55" tv?

 

Good example. The thief shouldn't be punished because you left your door open? You wouldn't get the police involved because it was your fault?

 

And this is what I feel the supermarkets have done. They are now leaving a huge hole in what had historically been a barrier to petty crime.... plenty of opportunitists out there.

You might forget to close the door 1 day. But it's not the same as leaving your home open every day.

 

And I don't see it as a justification to break the law. It's pretty bad when people start justifying a criminal act.

 

If you want to leave your front door open so that all and sundry can wander through then that is up to you.

It is still not ok for anyone to steal your tv, or anything else.

And if you find a wallet in the street, it is not ok to keep it just cos the owner was careless. "Stealing by finding" is actually a crime and you can be charged with theft.

It's sad that honesty seems to have disappeared.
Marg

 

If the shops didn't want me to have Devon and tomato sauce sambo's while i do my shopping they should stop selling the ingredients