Maybe it's just me, but the
idea of shoplifting is very
foreign. Why would I want to do such a thing? The thrill? No, that lasts a
milisecond, and can be gotten from any stupid act.
The possibility of spending time in lock-down for a few CD's? That can't be it either, so why?
What is it that draws people to the rap section where just today we found 8 CD's cut and looted. That's about $130 that just walked out the door.
You know what else that is?
That's my bonus. That's right, the thrill of the game for one person just cost me part of the money that was going to allow me to pay off my bills.
So what is it that makes thieves take from every employee in the store? Is it that they don't like someone? Greed? Petty selfishness?
Don't get me wrong, I know that $130 isn't going to lower my bonus by more than a few bucks, but that was only tonight, and that was only what we found. In the past week we've lost game boys, playstation games, CD's, in fact, one person walked out with a cart loaded with stuff, and the Loss Prevention employee was busy with too many people to notice. So no, the $130 dollars isn't much. . . but the $2000 is, and that takes a huge chunk from me, as a college student, and more importantly, from other employees who have actual families and lives to support.
"The thrill" is not a good enough excuse when you think about what you're doing, who's being hurt, and why.
Those CD's that went missing tonight will probably be listened to for a month max, and then they will sit with the rest of the collection, or maybe have a second life as a frisbee. For me, the impact is more long lasting.
I guess I don't shoplift because I think too much about the people involved. No, it's not just the big corporation that takes the hit, it's me, and every other hard working individual out there, so please, give me a good reason why shoplifters do it, so then maybe I can understand why I have to suffer for it.