Opinion

To tell or not to tell

By John Gathright

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

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