what would you do if your toddler put something in the stroller while shopping and didn't realize it until getting home? (school, kid)
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Speeding 2 miles over the speed limit is not going to cause death/injury.
Stealing a $2 item however, is going to cause the store to lose $2. And maybe you don't think that $2 matters, but what if everyone decided that it was okay to steal $2 every time they went to the store... that adds up quickly!
Not everyone speeds only 2 mph over the limit. People commit dangerous traffic violations all the time, intentionally, and get away with it. Cops can't be everywhere all the time. I see this as far more dangerous and more of an issue than what we're talking about here. I mean, I prioritize things and don't see things so black and white. Equating this to traffic violations is a fair comparison because a lot of posters so offended by the idea of keeping a cheap item once or twice probably have sped in their lifetimes, or rolled through stop signs, or improperly passed another vehicle on a highway, or crossed solid lines, etc. No one is perfect, and I think the harsh judgments are just unnecessary. Sanctimonious holier than thou attitudes you'll only find on the anonymous internet, because IRL everyone has been technically guilty of something at some point.
Stores expect certain losses. I worked at a popular ice cream chain for years, my bosses owned multiple stores. It's in their budget to expect losses. Losses of cheap, small items are probably high on their list of expected losses, because they're easy to both intentionally and unintentionally take. Most stores wouldn't give a crap if you accidentally took home something worth $2 once or twice in your lifetime because it's honestly not a big deal. We would tell people not to worry about the couple of pennies when their totals were $5.02 and they paid in cash. That adds up, too. But it's the type of loss considered and accepted. Businesses, especially large corporations like Walmart or Target, know that stuff happens. Even small business owners know and get it. Reality is, anyone's little kid can snag something, and anyone can have good intentions but never deliver when it comes to returning it. The store likely won't ever even notice it's gone, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of employees or managers or owners wouldn't even accept such a small, cheap item as gum or a dollar store toy if one tried to return it in this circumstance. We would sometimes accidentally give customers a larger size of a product when we charged them for a smaller size, that they ordered, and some were honest and would tell us. We just let it go, because it's really just not a big deal.
No one is walking into a store and deciding to steal a cheap item - well, I'm sure some people somewhere are, but not the people on this thread. This isn't in that context. Most people who have had kids have probably been in this situation at least once. Maybe they brought the basically worthless item back, maybe they didn't. Maybe they really intended to but it slipped their mind and to this day, the item is either sitting somewhere or was inadvertently thrown out. I mean, it's just not a big deal. S*it happens. People are busy, they have lives. They might not always be so concerned about a $2 item or something. I accept that, because it's reality, and it doesn't mean they are immoral or bad or criminals if they, for whatever reason, decided once or twice it just wasn't worth it to bring an item back.
While many people would probably say it's right to bring the item back, they probably wouldn't go so far as to be as accusatory as some posters have in this thread to those who may just neglect to. There IS a difference between a situation like we are talking here and intentionally stealing items from stores, especially if it's done frequently. Like I said earlier in the thread, there are real crimes out there. As someone looking at this from somewhat of a criminal law perspective, this is just not a big deal. Most prosecutors would laugh someone complaining about this right out of their office. Cops, too. Again, it depends on the circumstance. Like, if a kid did this regularly and the mom always just kept the item, it's a little iffy. But once or twice, randomly, throughout the child's younger years - ehh.
There really isn't much else to say about this. I think people have basically covered it all at this point. OP hasn't even been back once.
How is that going to teach the child the lesson not to steal? You'd be just adding a lie that it was accidentally with your stuff. I thought the point was to "raise your kids right" and hold them accountable.
If posters are okay with stealing, I doubt they care about lying to store employees.
But you can just as easily say "My child grabbed this off a shelf, I wasn't going to buy it."
Not everyone speeds only 2 mph over the limit. People commit dangerous traffic violations all the time, intentionally, and get away with it. Cops can't be everywhere all the time. I see this as far more dangerous and more of an issue than what we're talking about here. I mean, I prioritize things and don't see things so black and white. Equating this to traffic violations is a fair comparison because a lot of posters so offended by the idea of keeping a cheap item once or twice probably have sped in their lifetimes, or rolled through stop signs, or improperly passed another vehicle on a highway, or crossed solid lines, etc. No one is perfect, and I think the harsh judgments are just unnecessary. Sanctimonious holier than thou attitudes you'll only find on the anonymous internet, because IRL everyone has been technically guilty of something at some point.
Speeding really has nothing to do with the OP. If you want to talk about the dangers of speeding, I'm sure you'll be able to find a more appropriate thread in the automotive section.
Speeding really has nothing to do with the OP. If you want to talk about the dangers of speeding, I'm sure you'll be able to find a more appropriate thread in the automotive section.
Unsurprisingly, you have a reaction like this. I am drawing parallels to other technically illegal things people do, quite frequently really, to point out the hypocrisy of some posters here. That's completely relevant when some have displayed the attitudes they have.
Unsurprisingly, you have a reaction like this. I am drawing parallels to other technically illegal things people do, quite frequently really, to point out the hypocrisy of some posters here. That's completely relevant when some have displayed the attitudes they have.
The topic is whether to return an item a toddler took from a store. It really doesn't have anything to do with speeding.
Stores expect certain losses. I worked at a popular ice cream chain for years, my bosses owned multiple stores. It's in their budget to expect losses. Losses of cheap, small items are probably high on their list of expected losses, because they're easy to both intentionally and unintentionally take. Most stores wouldn't give a crap if you accidentally took home something worth $2 once or twice in your lifetime because it's honestly not a big deal. We would tell people not to worry about the couple of pennies when their totals were $5.02 and they paid in cash. That adds up, too. But it's the type of loss considered and accepted. Businesses, especially large corporations like Walmart or Target, know that stuff happens. Even small business owners know and get it. Reality is, anyone's little kid can snag something, and anyone can have good intentions but never deliver when it comes to returning it. The store likely won't ever even notice it's gone, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of employees or managers or owners wouldn't even accept such a small, cheap item as gum or a dollar store toy if one tried to return it in this circumstance. We would sometimes accidentally give customers a larger size of a product when we charged them for a smaller size, that they ordered, and some were honest and would tell us. We just let it go, because it's really just not a big deal.
Stores certainly track shrink. Any idea how much effort and money companies like walmart put into shoplifting prevention? They might expect losses, doesn't mean they accept them and don't care.
I have gladly accepted mdse back from customers who have returned an item they accidentally took without paying for, regardless of what the item was. It makes them feel good to do that, and many also choose to pay for the item instead, either is a bright spot in my day.
Speeding really has nothing to do with the OP. If you want to talk about the dangers of speeding, I'm sure you'll be able to find a more appropriate thread in the automotive section.
It has everything to do with it since the discussion is about violating laws, either against speeding or shoplifting! Since speeding is an intentional act and the toddler taking something was more of an accidental occurrence, speeding is much worse.
For those of you who think it's ok to steal a pack of gum from the store, would it be ok with you if I stole a dollar from your purse? If not me, have my 3 year old do it.
It has everything to do with it since the discussion is about violating laws, either against speeding or shoplifting! Since speeding is an intentional act and the toddler taking something was more of an accidental occurrence, speeding is much worse.
You are stealing money that's not yours. If I speed I get a 100 dollar ticket, that I have to pay.
Stop trying to justify theft.
It was the toddler that was stealing a necklace. Next time the parents should watch the kid better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by glass_of_merlot
If I speed I get a 100 dollar ticket, that I have to pay.
More like $500 in California! But when you got away with speeding did you turn yourself in to the police?
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