*cracks knuckles*
I was heading down to clock out for lunch when the kid who stole an entire arm-load of books passed me going up to my floor. I immediately called the other 3rd floor lead and had her watch him while I was at lunch. Then I came back and took over. I had to help a customer, but I made it as fast as I could, then went back and starting scanning books right where he was standing. He finally got the message and took off. Yeah! Don't come back, buddy!
Enter second thief. This guy is a bit more clever. He employs the trick of being so intelligent sounding, yet completely annoying, that a bookseller (yes, me in the past, I have a low tolerance level for annoying) will disappear to avoid him. And that leaves him in peace to take whatever his little heart desires. He carries a big duffel bag that he keeps unzipped for ease of his thievery. The other guy carried a black backpack. Most book thieves carry one of those black leather messenger bags.
The smarter thief chose to pester me about railroads. Supposedly he needed answers about railroad regulations. (I'm sure this is to keep me looking at the screen while he stuffs books into his bag.) Today I told him, nope, can't find anything on railroad regulations. And then I set up nearby and started scanning books that put me directly in his line view. Today he gave up quickly and simply left. May I add that he's been followed around by the store manager before?
These guys and other like them are serious assholes. They know that unless we see the book go in their bag and then we trail them all the way through the store, we can do nothing. The law is more on their side than it is ours. I'm so tired of this shit. Of having my faith in human nature go in the crapper each and every day from my job. I'm an extremely trusting person, for the most part, until something makes me doubt that trust. And these days? I doubt it constantly. Because those breaks I want to give people? They always come back to bite me in the ass.
But I got rid of two shoplifters and I told my fellow employees how to harrass them right back. We know whose stealing. It's fucking time we did something about it!
Enter second thief. This guy is a bit more clever. He employs the trick of being so intelligent sounding, yet completely annoying, that a bookseller (yes, me in the past, I have a low tolerance level for annoying) will disappear to avoid him. And that leaves him in peace to take whatever his little heart desires. He carries a big duffel bag that he keeps unzipped for ease of his thievery. The other guy carried a black backpack. Most book thieves carry one of those black leather messenger bags.
The smarter thief chose to pester me about railroads. Supposedly he needed answers about railroad regulations. (I'm sure this is to keep me looking at the screen while he stuffs books into his bag.) Today I told him, nope, can't find anything on railroad regulations. And then I set up nearby and started scanning books that put me directly in his line view. Today he gave up quickly and simply left. May I add that he's been followed around by the store manager before?
These guys and other like them are serious assholes. They know that unless we see the book go in their bag and then we trail them all the way through the store, we can do nothing. The law is more on their side than it is ours. I'm so tired of this shit. Of having my faith in human nature go in the crapper each and every day from my job. I'm an extremely trusting person, for the most part, until something makes me doubt that trust. And these days? I doubt it constantly. Because those breaks I want to give people? They always come back to bite me in the ass.
But I got rid of two shoplifters and I told my fellow employees how to harrass them right back. We know whose stealing. It's fucking time we did something about it!