Forum Topic

LIDL tonight, two guys stride arrogantly & confidently out with huge shopping bags without paying.

Two security guys half their size challenged them but decided (rightly) not to pursue.This was unheard of decades ago but is very commonplace now.My thoughts on this will be well known to regular readers but is anyone else caring to comment as to how we got here and such criminal acts can now be done with impunity?

Rosco White ● 1432d17 Comments

Because those committing these acts know nothing will be done, they stick two fingers up to anyone in authority.  They also know that should the security guards even touch them they will scream abuse/injury and it will be the guards who are at fault.  Sadly, in many ways, the law is more on the side of those committing crimes than supporting those trying to prevent it!

Carol Williams ● 1432d

How do you know that they didn't pay? I often get stopped exiting Lidl when I've bought steak which seems to set off an alarm.What you describe doesn't sound like the normal pattern of shoplifting which admittedly is endemic. The thieves are normally people with alcohol or drugs issues who steal habitually but not blatantly as they are likely to be repeat offenders who are easily identified. They carefully select what they steal on the basis of how much cash they will be given for it. That's why alcohol is always at the back of stores. Prison is only a discouragement in that they can't steal when they are locked up but when they are released they resume their activities.Given the amount of CCTV in and around the Oaks including the store, if what you saw was theft, it will have been reported and the centre will be able to provide evidence to the police to make it easy to ensure a conviction. All that is likely to achieve ultimately is that the pair will chose another supermarket and be a bit less blatant about what they are doing next time.

Alan Fairchild ● 1432d

The usual answer, not answering the question.  😁

Rosco White ● 1432d

Already we have a naive idiot on this thread reasoning this away as the observer's mistake and making excuses for theft.Get a grip on reality why don't you?

Keith Iddon ● 1432d

I would put forward that failure to answer a simple, direct question, and constantly swerve onto endless other irrelevant topics to try and derail you, is because the poster knows the answer to the original question however that answer is unfortunately unpalatable to them?Where's Phillipa Bond when you need her? 🤣

Rosco White ● 1432d

UPDATE - Someone spoke with the security guards and it seems the gentlemen did not pay for the bags. The guards decided to let it go because the guys were "aggressive and intimidating."

Rosco White ● 1431d

PS - For what it's worth I did ask at the time "Have they not paid?" and the guard's answer was "Yes" so maybe I'm not entirely wrong?

Rosco White ● 1431d

I can believe that ..I work in a supermarket and it’s common practice now to use your own shopping bag ..fill it up and walk out without paying ..have witnessed it several times and the security guards are reluctant to challenge them .

Tina Halpin ● 1428d

At the risk of being accused of being a naive idiot again when you say the guards said that they didn't pay for the bags, this may have been exactly what happened. You often observe people loading up in the self service area then not having enough plastic bags and picking more up without scanning them. When the staff member managing the self serve challenges them they often get cross because they have already paid for the other goods and I have seen people  just walk past the staff members ignoring their requests to pay for bags.I'm not saying that shoplifting is acceptable, that it isn't endemic in Acton and that more shouldn't be done to tackle it. However, from your own description of this particular incident it makes more sense that this was a much more minor  case of theft and you were getting a bit over-excited about things. The guards sensibly decided that getting distracted by someone taking goods to the value of 25p was not really what they were there for.

Alan Fairchild ● 1424d

No, I didn't, and I don't, get "ove-excited about things."I was there, two big guys strolled out purposefully and the two smaller security guards chased and challenged them and they said "I pay" and kept striding away.Not something normal people do if challenged by security.I witnesed this and asked the security "Didn't they pay?"Security answered"Yes", meaning they didn't pay.We'll leave it there shall we.

Rosco White ● 1424d

When you first posted something did seem odd about your account and I'm afraid, Rosco, that Alan's explanation makes far more sense than yours. I'm sure it is a genuine misunderstanding on your part. Shoplifting is a huge problem in the area with some retailers blaming the number of homeless men in the vicinity of the High Street. However, whatever you think about the Oaks, it is well set up to combat theft. There is CCTV surveillance and plenty of security and once you exit a shop you have a distance to travel before you can get outside the centre. I do see people trying to leave Lidl without paying for bags a lot. Whether it is a genuine mistake or they are trying it on, the problem is that if they are challenged when walking out of the shop they would  need to go to the back of a long queue with their shopping to pay for an item costing a few pence. If you are paying by cash the wait can be very long so I can see why some people might be a bit miffed at having to do this and why the guards are inclined to let people off. The problem with shoplifting seems far worse in Chiswick than it is in Acton. There the stores face out onto the High Road so if you are inclined to steal stuff you can get away more easily. This time last year I went to the Waitrose to buy a particular brand of gin they stocked. There seemed to be no spirits in stock but when I asked a member of staff about when they would be getting a delivery they said they had plenty in the back but weren't putting it on display because it would be gone within minutes.

Alison Howard ● 1423d

The other reason that Rosco's account made no sense is that I have seen the security staff physically tackle suspected thieves at the centre and they weren't discouraged by the person's size. More often they can be seen responding to requests for help from staff in the stores when someone is kicking off about something and they are always calm and professional but take no nonsense.Therefore the idea that they would allow someone with bags full of shopping to walk right past them knowing that they hadn't paid for what was in the bags is a bit of slur on the staff. The guards literally told him what actually happened when they said he 'didn't pay for the bags'.These people don't get paid a huge amount of money, have to take crap from low-lifes on a daily basis and help make our lives safer. For that reason they deserve better than people making up false accusations about them.

Mark Evans ● 1423d

You were both there were you?".....when they said he 'didn't pay for the bags'." - Where on earth have you conjured up "bags" from?The word "bags" was never mentioned. I repeat, Security agreed they "hadn't paid", which is of course ambiguous - but if you'd have witnessed.  Security also said they had it on CCTV and would be passing to Police.Let's discuss this endlessly and turn it into a thing shall we? 😂

Rosco White ● 1423d

Apologies, my earlier update does say someone spoke to the Security and it was allegedly about "bags", but "bags" were definitely not mentioned at the time.  😊

Rosco White ● 1423d

So 'bags' just popped into your head then? Hmmmmmm.....There are two possibilities here. Firstly that it is as it appears to most people and the man you saw was challenged for not paying for shopping bags.Secondly, the security staff at the centre are not doing their jobs, Lidl is effectively being defrauded as they are paying for security which is not operating properly and we are all paying through higher food bills because of the extra that needs to be charged due to unrestricted theft.If you still genuinely believe that your original assessment was correct then we have to go back to the question that you posed at the start of this thread, "is anyone else caring to comment as to how we got here and such criminal acts can now be done with impunity?"I would say that such impunity will continue if witnesses take no action when they see such things happening. It surely must be your absolute responsibility to inform both Lidl and the management of the Oaks as to what you saw as it cannot possibly be the case that they would knowingly accept this. Will you let us know what their response is?

Alan Fairchild ● 1423d

Oh leave it out Fairchild, I have explained as best i can, something wrong with you?Care to comment on Tina Halpin's post, you conveniently haven't so far.

Rosco White ● 1422d

I think Tina is credible however, her witnessing people walking out with bags of shopping at a different supermarket doesn't mean this is what you saw. Your own description casts doubt on this version of events.However, I revert to my previous point. If you genuinely believe that you witnessed a man walking out of the Oaks Shopping Centre without paying for what was in his bags and the security guards confirm they let him go despite being aware of what is happening, your own inaction is very much part of the problem.You asked for an answer with reference to rising criminality and 'how we got here and such criminal acts can now be done with impunity?' and I would say that it is a combination of meekness and indifference from that section of the public who fail to take action when they see something that shouldn't be happening.You could partly redeem yourself by informing the Oaks Management of what you believe you saw - there is a contact form on their web site.

Alan Fairchild ● 1422d