Walmart causes shoplifting

She is partly right. Young, unintelligent, and uneducated people might figure, "hey, it's just Walmart." There are a lot of thugs in the inner cities, and I would keep an eye on them at ALL times if I managed any type of retail establishment.

awsfdasdf wrote:

She is partly right. Young, unintelligent, and uneducated people might figure, "hey, it's just Walmart." There are a lot of thugs in the inner cities, and I would keep an eye on them at ALL times if I managed any type of retail establishment.

Uh, I work and live in a town that is 99% white (not an exaggeration), has one of the 2-3 highest median salaries and home prices in the state and a high level of education. Shoplifting at the Wal-Mart here is rampant among students. There are lots of reasons adolescents do these things. They transcend race and education. The only difference is, in our town, lawyer parents threaten legal action when the kids get caught so nobody ever gets punished.

Since when have there been Walmarts in inner cities?

I'm not sure if you thought I was referring that my comment was race-based...it was not. However, I apologize if it came across that way. You mentioned that the students are the shoplifters in your community....young and unintelligent, for sure.

awsfdasdf wrote:

I'm not sure if you thought I was referring that my comment was race-based...it was not. However, I apologize if it came across that way. You mentioned that the students are the shoplifters in your community....young and unintelligent, for sure.

Well, throwing in words like "inner city thugs" (I'm paraphrasing) obviously gives it a certain feel.

While shoplifting is not an intelligent act, there are lots of otherwise intelligent kids who shoplift.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's right or acceptable. I'm just saying it's hardly an activity limited to poor, unintelligent or inner-city kids.

Your point is well taken. I admit I may have been a bit harsh.

uhhhh wrote:

Since when have there been Walmarts in inner cities?

Good point! I have never seen a Walmart in an inner city.

Don't you think a thug would take a bus out to the suburbs to steal a flat-screen?

Yeah, nothing like walking to the bus stop with a stolen flat screen.

Nice try, WG.

Uh, I work and live in a town that is 99% white (not an exaggeration), has one of the 2-3 highest median salaries and home prices in the state and a high level of education. Shoplifting at the Wal-Mart here is rampant among students. There are lots of reasons adolescents do these things. They transcend race and education. The only difference is, in our town, lawyer parents threaten legal action when the kids get caught so nobody ever gets punished.

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Really? Shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished because Walmart is afraid of lawyer parents taking legal action? How do you know that shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished? Also, what would be the legal action that Walmart is afraid of?

awsfdasdf wrote:

Nice try, WG.

What do you mean, you were the one that referenced flat screens and buses.

Wendell Gee wrote:

Yeah, nothing like walking to the bus stop with a stolen flat screen.

Ha, I'm just picturing some guy sprinting to the bus stop with a giant stolen plasma screen TV with a couple of security guys chasing him and then checking the bus schedule and nervously shifting his glance between his watch and the security guys hoping that the bus somehow magically shows up and takes him away before his pursuers are able to close the remaining 20 meters. Sorry, other poster, I don't think that a city bus is ever going to be employed as a part of a getaway scheme.

W wrote:

Uh, I work and live in a town that is 99% white (not an exaggeration), has one of the 2-3 highest median salaries and home prices in the state and a high level of education. Shoplifting at the Wal-Mart here is rampant among students. There are lots of reasons adolescents do these things. They transcend race and education. The only difference is, in our town, lawyer parents threaten legal action when the kids get caught so nobody ever gets punished.

____________________________________________________________

Really? Shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished because Walmart is afraid of lawyer parents taking legal action? How do you know that shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished? Also, what would be the legal action that Walmart is afraid of?

I share your skepticism. For many years Wal-Mart has been well known as being very tough on shoplifters. It was big news when they loosened their policy to only seeking prosecution for people who stole more than $25.

Wait just a second there, you two. Are you implying that a liberal fabricated evidence in order to draw attention away from the facts and discussion at hand?

real al lity wrote:

Wait just a second there, you two. Are you implying that a liberal fabricated evidence in order to draw attention away from the facts and discussion at hand?

I don't know Wendell Gee's politics. Since it looks like overprotective parents shielding kids from the consequences of their actions, it looks to me like it was intended to make liberals look bad. Of course both liberals and conservatives tend to try to shield their parents, so I am not sure it is a partisan issue.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

I don't know Wendell Gee's politics. Since it looks like overprotective parents shielding kids from the consequences of their actions, it looks to me like it was intended to make liberals look bad. Of course both liberals and conservatives tend to try to shield their parents, so I am not sure it is a partisan issue.

I always threaten an age discrimination lawsuit when my dad gets caught with the five-finger discount.

Mr. Obvious wrote:

real al lity wrote:

Wait just a second there, you two. Are you implying that a liberal fabricated evidence in order to draw attention away from the facts and discussion at hand?

I don't know Wendell Gee's politics. Since it looks like overprotective parents shielding kids from the consequences of their actions, it looks to me like it was intended to make liberals look bad. Of course both liberals and conservatives tend to try to shield their parents, so I am not sure it is a partisan issue.

How is my take on this issue liberal? I'd like to see more serious prosecution of crimes. Regardless of race or income level. If you (real, not Mr. Obvious) construe that as liberal, you're a bit odd.

W wrote:

____________________________________________________________

Really? Shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished because Walmart is afraid of lawyer parents taking legal action? How do you know that shoplifting is rampant and no one gets punished? Also, what would be the legal action that Walmart is afraid of?

I will admit that I don't have any data to back it up, but here are a few examples of how I know shoplifting is common:

1. My students talk about it all the time.

2. I've seen it happen on multiple occasions.

3. It's in the local weekly newspaper "police beat" all the time, followed _every time_ by "juvenile was released to parent's custody."

4. My runners talk frequently about specific incidents where kids have done it, been caught and left.

What legal action? Well, bad choice of words. Trying to prosecute shoplifting when the parents will fight it in court, isn't really worth the effort for them, apparently. I don't know why.

Why would I make up that kids shoplift in my town? What the hell would my motivation be?