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言うべきか、言わざるべきか
スーパーマーケットなどでの万引きの被害は、
結局消費者である私たちの負担となって跳ね返る。
こうした悪循環を食い止めるためには、
一人一人がその抑止力となることが大切だ。
To tell or not to tell
It was not my day! Earlier in the morning my family and I pulled straws to decide our weekend chores. I got the short one and was stuck with grocery shopping.
To be honest, I really don't like grocery shopping. For me, grocery shopping ranks on the same level as sitting on cold toilet seats or eating raw liver. I do it if I must but definitely not for pleasure. Not only is shopping boring but I hate having to decide and calculate the best deal on food.
So, there I was in a supermarket on a beautiful sunny day with a shopping list and a pocket full of discount coupons that my mother-in-law had painstakingly cut out for me, when my eyes fell on an elderly lady. Her arm had just moved at lightning speed as it grabbed a package of processed food and dropped it into her jacket.
Could it be that this woman was shoplifting?! Could I have been mistaken? But then she shuffled down the aisle and did it again!
Suddenly I was presented with a major dilemma. To tell or not to tell? What should I do? Should I get store personnel? Why was she doing this? Was she destitute? I was torn between sympathy and justice.
Then suddenly I had an idea! I ran to the front of the store, grabbed a shopping basket and returned to the lady. In my best polite Japanese,
I said, "Excuse me, do you need an extra basket? If you put things in your jacket, someone might think you are shoplifting."
The lady just about fell over backward in surprise. But she accepted the basket and took the things out of her jacket while she apologized profusely. I felt a little embarrassed.
This incident happened over a year ago and I have often reflected on my actions and thought of that lady. Should I have reported her? Did she mend her ways?
Recently, a newspaper article in a Japanese newspaper stated that the demographics of shoplifting have been changing. More and more people in their 30-70s are stealing from stores. It appears that shoplifters in their 50s are the largest group of shoplifters in some supermarkets, and in some stores, senior citizens aged 60 or older comprise up to 80 percent of shoplifters.
What I thought was an isolated case is actually a real problem for businesses and stores. And not only that, the effects of their losses are then passed onto us, the consumers.
As I searched deeper into the shoplifting problem, it appears that concerned citizens are the best deterrent for shoplifters. Stores and police agencies are asking for our cooperation in stopping shoplifting. They are also asking that citizens notify store personnel or a policeman if they see someone shoplifting and let a professional speak directly with the offender. It is rare, though, for a first offender to be prosecuted. They are usually just counseled on the seriousness of their crime.
I personally do not plan to play policeman or store detective, but I feel I should not turn a blind eye on shoplifting. After all, shoplifters steal from everyone and it takes everyone to stop them.
Shukan ST: Oct. 10, 2003
(C) All rights reserved
- It was not my day
- その日はまったくついていなかった
- pulled straws to decide 〜
- 〜を決めるためストローのくじを引いた(短いストローを引いた人が負け)
- chores
- 雑用
- was stuck with 〜
- 〜を押し付けられた
- grocery shopping
- 食料品の買い物
- raw liver
- レバー刺し
- Not only 〜 but 〜
- 〜なだけでなく、〜だ
- boring
- 退屈な
- calculate
- 計算する
- best deal
- 一番のお買い得
- painstakingly
- 丹念に
- my eyes fell on 〜
- 私の目が〜に止まった
- at lightning speed
- 目にも止まらぬ早さで
- processed food
- 加工食品
- was shoplifting
- 万引きをしている
- shuffled down the aisle
- 通路の奥へごそごそ歩いていった
- was presented with 〜
- 〜に襲われた
- dilemma
- ジレンマ
- store personnel
- 店員
- destitute
- お金に困っている
- had an idea
- 名案が浮かんだ
- just about fell over backward
- のけぞって倒れそうになった
- apologized profusely
- くどくどと詫びた
- felt a little embarrassed
- 少々ばつが悪かった
- have often reflected on 〜
- しばしば〜について振り返った
- mend her ways
- 行ないを改める
- newspaper article
- 新聞記事
- demographics
- 統計
- senior citizens aged 60 or older
- 60歳以上の高齢者
- comprise up to 〜
- 〜までを占める
- isolated case
- 特殊な例
- effects
- 影響
- losses
- 損失
- (are)passed onto us, the customers
- 私たち、つまり消費者にかかってくる
- concerned citizens
- 関心を持った一般市民
- deterrent
- 抑止力
- notify
- 通報する
- offender
- 犯人
- It is rare, though, for a first offender to be prosecuted
- だが、初犯者はめったに起訴されない
- (are)counseled
- 諭される
- store detective
- 万引き監視員
- turn a blind eye on 〜
- 〜に目をつぶる
- it takes everyone to stop them
- 万引きをストップするためには、一人一人の努力が必要なのだ