"Wild, Wild West Side." (Reisterstown: insurance, lawyer, cost)

[feck]

https://foxbaltimore.com/news/city-i...ons-for-a-ride

It does not give me pleasure to give Fox45 News even a shred
of publicity, but this news segment could not be ignored.
Thieves going into gas station stores along the Edmondson
Avenue corridor, filling backpacks with merchandise
and walking out without paying. The merchants feel
trapped behind glass partitions because they (claim)
to be helpless. The police are called, but the suspects
are long gone. One merchant said the situation was
becoming the wild, wild west. Does not he not know?
It has been the wild, wild west for a long time now.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by feck

It has been the wild, wild west for a long time now.

Like forever.

In the 1930's grandmother ran a little corner store a half block off North Av.
Made her money selling cigarettes two at a time, taking horse and numbers game bets and a bit of booze.
First of the month "Commander Itzel" of the Western District came around for their taste.

You can't have one without the other.

[John13]

They need to keep the doors locked unless behind a plexiglass. Scale down where the attendant(s) gets the customer what they want and nothing complicated. Don't give potential thieves access to the merchandise. Problem solved.
I see these types of businesses in gas stations often.

[feck]

Mr.. Rational responded:

"Like forever.

In the 1930's grandmother ran a little corner store a half block off North Av.
Made her money selling cigarettes two at a time, taking horse and numbers game bets and a bit of booze.
First of the month "Commander Itzel" of the Western District came around for their taste.

You can't have one without the other."


Cops on the take.
An American tradition.

[feck]

Originally Posted by John13

They need to keep the doors locked unless behind a plexiglass. Scale down where the attendant(s) gets the customer what they want and nothing complicated. Don't give potential thieves access to the merchandise. Problem solved.
I see these types of businesses in gas stations often.

That is a wise and practical solution.
Those gas station merchants seem
rather weak. I'd be dammed if a cretin
would leave my store with a backpack
full of merchandise while I watched
him/her behind plexiglass.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by feck

That is a wise and practical solution.
Those gas station merchants seem
rather weak. I'd be dammed if a cretin
would leave my store with a backpack
full of merchandise while I watched
him/her behind plexiglass.

There is a gas station up on Reisterstown Road in the vicinity where the 12o'clock boys was filmed next to Druid Hill Park.. The entire store is behind plexiglass and you have to tell the clerk what you want and they go and get it off the shelf.. and bring it up to the register for you to purchase. The only part of the store that is open for customers is the front door and a small lobby.. very similar to many take out joints in the City.. I can see stores in some of these areas moving in that direction...

[emmmcubed]

Originally Posted by feck

That is a wise and practical solution.
Those gas station merchants seem
rather weak. I'd be dammed if a cretin
would leave my store with a backpack
full of merchandise while I watched
him/her behind plexiglass.

Rather "weak," eh? What would you do about it, Mr. Internet Tough Guy?

[skeddy]

Originally Posted by John13

They need to keep the doors locked unless behind a plexiglass. Scale down where the attendant(s) gets the customer what they want and nothing complicated. Don't give potential thieves access to the merchandise. Problem solved.
I see these types of businesses in gas stations often.

I think they tried that in DC and it was considered racist using plexiglass in liquor stores, not sure how it turned out. Philly too.

[feck]

Originally Posted by emmmcubed

Rather "weak," eh? What would you do about it, Mr. Internet Tough Guy?

Why are you offended?
Are you one of those weak
merchants?

[Woodlands]

Its definitely a tough situation... If the clerk came out from behind the counter with guns blazing...I am sure he would be arrested and charged unless he had a permit.. Even with that.. if these guys didnt pull out on him.. He couldnt really shoot them as they may be considered unarmed and not a threat especially if they simply try to run around him and get out.. If he blocked the door and forced them to charge at him and then said he feared for his life.. A good lawyer could always say he could have retreated into his plexiglass enclosure and called the police.....Then after all of that.. some in the community would likely be pissed off that he shot and possibly killed someone and now people protest outside the business which cost you money or some friend, relative or ally of the victim lays in wait "omar - The Wire style" in an alley or junked car for your to walk out your store and then gets their revenge.. Its a lose lose proposition... The business will likely have to hire an armed security guard, wall up the entire store, close or just write it off as a loss to the insurance company when it happens.