Why would somebody do this?

[Brigid]

On CNN, they're showing an interview and video of a woman who was checking out at a local Wal-Mart. She spotted 3 kids shoplifting beer from the store, and when the cashier wouldn't intervene, she tried to stop them and even wound up getting slightly injured in the process. Why?

[AlabamaLibrul]

1. Because she feels the need to protect Walmart's profits n/t

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Some people have no other choice but to shop at Wal-Mart.

Sorry...can't resist a dig at Mal-Wart.

[elocs]

4. No matter how you meant it, that is absolutely true--some people have no choice but to shop there.

I don't demand that others have the courage of my convictions.

[emilyg]

23. This is true for a lot of people.

[elocs]

3. She reported it, that's the end of her duty. She's not a cop, has no arrest powers,

has no right to try and stop anyone in that situation.

[Shagbark Hickory]

5. For an in depth explanation, you need to visit "People Of Walmart .com"

Here's a link
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/photos/top-rated

[AtomicKitten]

6. Is this the woman who jumped on the hood of their car?

Yep, that was dumb.

[Brigid]

10. Yes, that's the one.

I went to CNN's site to look for the video, but it is not there yet.

[Incitatus]

7. Well, it was alcohol.

I'm sure she would have felt bad if those kids had got drunk, done something stupid and got themselves killed. If it was a couple CDs or something she might not have done anything. I wouldn't have done anything. I'm just speculation on why she would have.

[hyphenate]

8. Well, I would alert the store manager

personally, depending on the age of the kids. It doesn't have to be WalMart, either. If it's teenagers, I would hope that the kids would get caught by the store for the concern of anyone who is drinking and possibly driving, for example.

Smaller kids should be dissuaded from stealing, anyhow. It's not exactly something that should be ignored or encouraged, either.

If the store's personnel wouldn't intervene, I would contact the local police. Again, it's in the interest of anyone who might get hurt in any kind of accident.

If it was something other than liquor, I don't think I would care. But it's the fact that it's an alcoholic beverage that would bother me.

[demmiblue]

9. Because stopping criminals is not in the cashier's job description...

and rightfully so. The cashier should not be put in a position that could cause him/her potential harm. This is what security is for.


Edit: I thought you were talking about the cashier. Sorry!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

11. I suspect she did it because stealing is against the law.

That would be my motivation.

But I would not intervene directly; instead, I would either call the police or alert a manager.

[Poll_Blind]

12. I haven't read the story so I don't know the details. But in certain situations people...

...can become so upset they lose the ability to think with the kind of reasoning required in an emergency situation. We almost always hear about these sorts of things when whatever action the bystander took turned out well. However, it sometimes doesn't go so well.

PB

[JHB]

13. Because stealing is wrong?

Granted it was ill-considered and not her responsibility, but I have trouble finding fault with a person who saw a criminal act done right in front of her and felt compelled to do something, even if it was just a couple of beers taken from a company that is more destructive than those kids could ever be.

[bemildred]

14. Probably just a well meaning tool.

If we lived in a lawful, democratic society, where everybody played by the same rules, what she did would be correct.

[LisaL]

15. I don't know why the woman did it. But when does someone

stop being a kid nowadays? None of the suspects are under 18 years old.

[EC]

16. she endangered her life for 3 twelve packs?

She was close enough to get the plates and call it in...

[OhioBlue]

17. We don't know her reasons why...

perhaps there is something in her history that led her to act like this on this particular day when she saw what she saw.... I'm not gonna pass judgement... I've done things on the spur of the moment with good intentions that had I put more thought into it, I would not have done... but sometimes emotions, passion, etc. win out and your not-so-well-thought-out good deed bites you or others in the ass.

[MelungeonWoman]

18. It was a righteous mother/hall monitor/rambo overload

and she was on her second cup of expresso. Rahr!

[moondust]

19. Kinda dumb.

Seeing it brought back memories of 40+ years ago when I was shopping in a 7-11 when it was robbed at gunpoint:

I didn't see the robber at all, only heard the clerk shriek "OMG, he's got a gun" as the perpetrator ran out the front door. I immediately thought I'd run to the door and get the license plate but the clerk's words suddenly echoed in my head: "he's got a gun." I instantly changed my mind and didn't run to the door for fear of being shot! Consequently I was of no help at all to police or the grand jury despite the cops subtly trying to get me to finger some guy they had pulled in who had apparently been living in his car.

[pacalo]

20. Store employees are forbidden to intervene for safety reasons, but the manager should have been

called. The manager would probably have contacted one of the security people walking the floor.

[JI7]

21. it was WAlmart ? that makes this story even worse than when i first heard about it

i wasn't paying too much attention but assumed it was some small liquor store or something like that. even then it would be stupid to do what she did .

maybe i can understand more if they were stealing someone's personal property like a woman's purse or something.

but in this situation it was just stupid.

[flvegan]

22. Some folks live their ethics.

I have no love for WalMart, but some folks do what they do regardless of the "victim" so to speak.

[McCamy Taylor]

24. Because she was off her meds?

[Lucian]

25. Hell, I work there and I don't give a shit if someone steals.

[Raine]

26. Stealing is wrong and some people don't turn their

backs when they see a crime (no matter how small) being committed, they have a conscience.

I myself probably wouldn't have gotten involved but then if no one ever got involved it would be an even uglier world than it already is.