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Saturday, June 12, 2010

Would Be Thieves or Not? You Decide.

This afternoon found me and the family escaping both our messy house and the hot, humid disgustingness that is Indiana in the summer by shopping at a local strip mall.

First we went to Old Navy, where we stocked up on some summer essentials for all of us. Then we went to TJ Maxx, where I found a bathing suit that at least didn't disgust me. And then? We went to Petsmart, where we threw our loot, along with our diaper bag, in a cart and proceeded to wander around the store.

I tell you all this not to bore you, but to give you the background information you need to evaluate the story I'm about to share.

To distract Tori from an impending temper tantrum caused by the removal of a dirty dog toy from her mouth, I pulled her from the basket of the cart and crossed to where the parakeets live in their big plastic jail.

The exotically-colored birds that chirped and flitted about the cage entranced Tori. So much so that I ventured even further from our cart (although still keeping it in plain sight) to help her get closer to them.

She squealed and clapped her hands in delight, drawing the usual charmed smiles from passers-by and besotted beams from us, her parents.

That's when I saw them.

A couple grabbed our cart and started heading for the exit.

I handed Tori over to Brian and went after them.

"Excuse me, that's ours!"

No response.

"Excuse me?"

They kept walking.

Finally, I caught up with them - just as they reached the front of the store.

"Excuse me, miss, you have the wrong cart," I said, smiling.

For a moment, she still seemed not to see me, and then she blinked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. It's been a long day. We must have grabbed the wrong one..."

And they melted away.

I reclaimed our cart and headed back to Brian, thinking nothing of it.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Oh, that couple...I guess they just grabbed the wrong cart."

"I don't think so. I think they were trying to steal our stuff."

"Don't be silly. Why would anyone want to steal a diaper bag?"

"They didn't have a cart of their own. Look."

I looked where he was pointing and saw the couple checking out with one small bag of cheap dog food.

"Well, maybe they already put it away," I said, feeling a little shaken.

"Somehow I doubt it."

We dropped the subject after that, but it's still bothering me. I like to think people are generally good (despite all the evidence to the contrary). I'd like to believe that that couple made an honest mistake. I really hope my husband is wrong.

But maybe I'm just naive. What do you guys think?

12 comments:

  1. Thieves? I think they probably were. But I have become more suspicious of people since I have lived in Chicago. :(

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  2. I don't see how they could have thought that was our cart, since it had a 10 lb bag of cat food, a 20 lb bag of Kermit chow, the bags from the previous stores and the diaper bag which is a nice sling Columbia bag that could pass as a purse all piled up in the cart.

    They probably thought we were too distracted with the birds and baby and it would have been easy getaway. And if they thought they could get away with it you were ready to seriously raise some hell.

    I could tell the way you said "excuse me" the second time. My ears perked up ready to grab my trusty phone and take pictures. Hey I was holding the kid.

    Just be glad I have drilled it into your head about never leaving your purse in the cart when you shop. I see too many women leaving their purses in the cart wide open and then they give me looks like I am going to take it when they are out hunting for the frozen peas.

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  3. Was your purse in the cart too? Then definitely thieves. Either way though, they were probably thieves.

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  4. Yep thieves definitely - lucky you spotted them when you did!! Unfortunately with the GFC etc people who wouldn't normally do that type of thing are getting a bit desperate. Or they are running in theiving gangs - same thing happens here in Australia!!

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  5. I think they were trying to take it. :(

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  6. Oh you already know the answer. If you have to question it, well, it's your God-given gift of intuition telling you...

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  7. Ok, I'm going with Bad, Evil people on this one and for one reason only...Yesterday out of shear boredom and no idea as to what to do with the kids we took them to the pet store as well and let me tell ya, it was like freak show centeral there and we didn't stay long. So it is my thought that people (the good ones like us) take their children to the pet store for entertainment while freakshow people (like the cart stealers) pray on the fact that we are distracted with our children and don't watch our crap!

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  8. They are thieves..........Just don't let that one bad apple ruin the bushel!

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  9. Sadly thieves. When I was a baby, two women approached my mom, the ooh'd and aaah'd over me. When my mom got to the check out, her wallet was gone. They had used me as a diversion.
    And then working in retail for years has proven that ANYONE can and will steal. It's sad. I want to be naive, I want to believe people are good, but often then aren't. That was pretty brazen to try to take your buggy. You should have told management. Chances are, they will try it again with someone else.

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  10. It seems like they might have tried to take it and that's a shame :(

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  11. I agree - I like to think the best in people, but in this case, I think your husband is probably right :-( A friend of mine put it like this, "Have high hopes, but low expetations."

    In this case I'm guessing they mistook your diaper bag for a purse...

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  12. I live in Chicago. Thieves. Definitely.

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