Every day, people age 12 and under become less "customer" and more "annoyance".

[theredbaron47]

Preface: my hardware store prohibits the sale of certain items (spray paint, DUCO cement, lighter fluid, certain solvents) to anyone under 18. It's not that uncommon a practice.

About a year ago, two kids (they couldn't have been older than 13) come to the counter, each with a can of cheap black spray paint. I obviously refuse the sale after they don't have ID, so they sulk away with the paint. Next thing I know, a co-worker came up and told me that he saw two kids make off with spray paint to the new construction across the street (vandalism would ensue).

It's a good thing the police station was RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the construction. They were caught, but honestly... this is why it's so hard for me to respect kids like that who come into the store.

Any similar stories? Since that happened, we were told to watch out for people under 18 to steal whatever it was they couldn't buy.

[bars.of.a.rhyme]

This is my friend's story, not mine, but she doesn't have an account here, so I'll go ahead and tell it for her.

This friend of mine works at a drug store in the same strip mall where I work (I actually met her back when she worked with me at Hollywood Video - shared hardship produces strong friendships ). Anyway, there are these kids that always come into my store and steal video games. They're banned from the store, but it's difficult to enforce that policy as preteens are becoming increasingly homogenous in appearance, and not everyone at the store has seen them in person.

So yesterday, this friend calls me to tell me that she busted the kids trying to steal cigars from her store. My friend's register is on a raised platform at the front of the store. The cigarettes are all kept behind the counter, and the cigars are shelved on the front of the counter. She noticed the kids acting kind of sketchy, so she paged her manager to the front, where he posed as a shopper so he could watch the kids. She saw one of the kids put something in his pocket RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, and then she nodded to her manager, who charged at the kid "like a bat out of hell."

Once the kid had finished soiling himself, they called the cops and stowed the kid in the back room.

The really funny thing is that they were stealing the cigars to unwrap and reroll with pot instead of tobacco. Unfortunately they're too stupid to realize that that trick only works if you're old enough to smoke cigars without arousing suspicion in the first place.

[AmericanZero8503]

Not just kids under 12 but most teenagers too. Those little bastards try to steal/rip us off all the time. They'll come in say the coke machine took thier money, then act suprised when I won't give them a refund. It's the same kids, all the time. We try to kick them out but their parents call in to bitch at the service manager...UGH annoying.

[Tito]

Quoth AmericanZero8503

their parents call in to bitch at the service manager...UGH annoying.

Yep, gotta love parents who think that their kids are just perfect angels who can do no wrong.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Quoth AmericanZero8503

They'll come in say the coke machine took thier money, then act suprised when I won't give them a refund.

I give them the benefit of the doubt at my store...but I cover my own ass.

I tell them that I'm more than willing to give a refund. But they have to fill out the reimbursement form on the back of the little paper change pocket that the vending machine company gives me.

If the guy comes in and sees that the machine has more money than inventory paid out then he'll put the extra into the envelopes. So far the only people who bother filling out the form are adults who actually lost something...I've only had three kids fill it out and according to the vendor...they actually lost money.

Making them work for their scam usually prevents them from bothering with it.

Mongo

[theredbaron47]

Now that you mention it, Zero, I should broaden that range to include teenagers as well. I can't tell you the number of ****-faced punks that come in and think it's a free-for-all, and that they don't have to pay for anything.

Recently, between me and two maybe 14-year-old punks:

*they come up to my register with a candy bar each*
Me: "Hi, how are you two?"
*both stare at the ground; one mumbles something*
Me: "Are you going to pay for those screws and bolts I saw you stash in your pockets, or do we get the managers and police involved?"
Both of them: !

The almost-stolen merchandise was on the counter and they were out the door before they could say "juvenile hall".

Seriously, what the hell is it with these punks and "rebels" these days?

[Rapscallion]

The fact that youths shoplift doesn't surprise me. What does surprise and worry me is what they were stealing.

Screws and bolts?

Sheesh...

Rapscallion

[kerrisan]

I used to work at Kroger as a cashier. I was on my break and using a computer in the Internet Cafe when I saw these 2 kids (males, probably 9-11 years old) messing around the remaining 3 computers and being loud and obnoxious. I assumed that they had been there for a while when my friend who worked Customer Service and is normally very patient with children responded with an annoyed "no" when the kids asked her if the coffee was free. Well, I just kinda went on my way after my break and forgot about the kids until I was ringing up some customers and all of the power goes off and the alarms start ringing. This was after 9-11 so I duck down behind my register having no idea what's going on (might be kinda sad, but hey! you never know!). Customers are becoming upset because it is dark outside and therefore nobody can see much of what's going on around them. Pretty soon we find out that the little angel children made their way out behind the building and were messing with the power when they shut it off!!! They made a run for it but WERE TACKLED IN THE GRASS BY A BIG BURLY GUY FROM THE DELI!!! It was fantastic. Then later I saw them with their parents and a cop crying and being lectured by the cop. Again, fantastic. I just glared at these kids when I walked past them to get carts. I'm very glad that they were treated like adults for pulling an adult-style crime.

[theredbaron47]

Quoth kerrisan

Pretty soon we find out that the little ngel children made their way out behind the building and were messing with the power when they shut it off!!!

Now THAT is just funny! Kids need to learn that there are prices to pay for screwing around with stuff, and that includes stealing. Props to the deli guy for tackling them, and props to whoever got the police and their parents involved. Maybe they learned a lesson... hopefully.

As a sidenote, I don't think the schools assign enough homework, as proven by cases like these

[Kiwi]

we used to sell spraypaint at the craft store

headquaters was too cheap to give us a locking cabinet, so we ended up with a gang of young boys taking 3-4 cans a week

to DUMB to figure out that a group of teenage boys in a SEWING and craft store kind of stood out....

we pretty much had to post a staff member infront of the cans for a few weeks, and/or we to page "security risk in craft, all managers to the area immediately" over and over and over

all that time of staff wasted when $100 cabinet would have solved the problem....