This is a story.. a very nice story that happened to me yesterday.. that I was caught , suspected of stealing in a supermarket.
“What?? Stealing?? Are you that bad to steal…? ” you might think of me.
Hold on guys. If I did do that, I will not write this entry to expose my wrong doing, will I?
Indeed, it was such an unforgettable experience. I have never thought in my life that I would be caught like that, being suspected a thief.
Haish.
To begin the story..
I was in a mall yesterday, just to spend my free time there alone. After about 2 hours went in and out of shops, I entered a supermarket with the intention of shopping groceries, of course. I was not familiar with the market which I couldn't find where the trolleys’ collection point was, so I took a basket to put in the stuff.
I walked around slowly to find what I wanted while bringing the basket on my left hand, getting the stuff and put them into the basket. When the basket became heavy, I left it by the side of the pathway and went to get another more stuff, then came back to the basket. I then lifted the basket and move slowly, trying to balance myself, and then put it at another place…and I left it again and went...walking around.. looking around..
I glanced my wrist-watch on my left hand several times.. thinking of asking help from my brother-in-law to come over here on his way back from his office to pick me up with those heavy loads. But I was not sure myself because it was still early and I have a lot of time to spend in the market if I were to wait for him.
While I was still in that uncertainty, I continued walking and walking around..window shopping..and again I left the basket at a corner. There were some stuff which I was really unsure whether to buy them or not; thinking that my basket would be extremely heavy… and if it was not possible to get my brother-in-law to come over to help me, it meant that I have to walk home alone, carrying all the loads with my two hands alone, go up and down two crossovers, and the journey would take almost half an hour to arrive my sister’s home. It’s not the UK to enjoy such a long walk though~
I stood still before different shelves while considering: "Is this item really necessary for me to buy it now or… should I just postpone it to another time, maybe this weekend? Hmmm.."
I looked at my watch again, “ Still early..it’s only 3.30pm". I was thinking of going to the washroom first and then came back to continue my shopping. So I got my basket and left it at a hidden place and then stepped out.
DISRESPECTFUL
When I was 5 steps away after passing the entrance/exit, out of nowhere a lady called me from behind. I looked back; a middle-age lady was stepping slowly towards me, folding her arms to her body.
She asked me, "Where are you going? What happened to your basket?"
Basket? A feeling of strange came into my heart. "Who is this lady asking me about the basket?Did she see me shopping just now? Hmm ... ". She didn't seem like a staff at the first sight, plus she neither wore uniform, nor a name tag.
I answered her, " I left it at a corner, just for a while. I wanna go to the toilet first then come back. Why?"
But she further asked instead of answering my question,
"Where did you leave your basket? Show me."
Again, I felt strange. Much strange now. Who is she??
She walked back, while looking at her back, a sign of “Follow me.” She was not friendly by looking at the way she talked to me and with no smiles on her face. That made me feeling uncomfortable with this lady. I showed her where I put my basket, and afterwards she questioned me again,
"Why did u leave the basket here?"
I explained again that I wanna leave it JUST for a while for the toilet.
But she said, "Come. Bring the basket to the counter and pay. Then you can go to the toilet."
I said with disagreement, "No. I haven’t finished shopping yet".
But this lady just did not understand it. When she saw that I was reluctant to do what she just ordered, she then said, "Ok then. You follow me to the Control Room."
“Control Room? Why? Where is it?” I asked hesitantly.
She replied, " Just come with me. I wanna check what is in your plastic bag."
”Allahuakbar”, I sighed with a bit mad. Gosh, what this lady thought about me? That I am a thief??
Forget to mention you, there was a plastic bag which I kept bringing it with me all the time when I was in the market, leaving the basket behind. I bought something from another shop before that so I didn't want to leave it in the basket too, afraid of it being taken by anybody else. That’s simple and well understood, that she suspected me of stealing in her market and place the items in the bag.
I was feeling hot inside my heart at that time, but when remembering that this is Ramadhan the Holy month, I tried to calm down and told myself that I have to face this with patience.
She leaded me to a small room, full with greyscaled-posters of people’s faces on the walls. I did not really pay attention on what all those pictures were showing me at first. She took the plastic bag from me and looked inside it.
There were only two items in the bag and she took out the smallest item. She asked me,
“Where did you get this from?”
I answered her, while folding my arms to my body (now my turn to act arrogantly to this disgraceful lady), “at Watson.” as shown on the bag please.
She questioned me further, “Really? Are you sure?”
“You can see the receipt.” I answered, feeling distrusted while looking at the receipt stapled at the opening of the bag.
“Where the receipt is?”
“There.” I replied shortly. Didn’t she see the obvious white small paper being attached on the plastic while she opened the bag just now?? Ufff..
She took a couple of minutes just to check the list of only two items on the receipt and to make sure it was truly bought at Watson, not picked up from her market. While she was doing that, I looked again at the walls and studied all those pictures.
They were showing different persons, holding several items in his/her hands at chest-level, with a signboard on the wall on top of his/her head read as,
“ I STOLE ITEMS IN (the market’s name)”.
Haha. Funny. Like a photograph taken when somebody was jailed, with the prisoner holding up his jail registration number.
After she was contented with the receipt, she then said, “Give me your handbag.”
Haish.
I was totally humiliated but I just kept silent while watching this lady doing her investigation. I tried to control myself and gave my full co-operation in making myself understand why she was doing that to me based on those pictures I saw. Only God knows how I felt inside my heart to be suspected for something I have never thought of doing that in my whole life. She acted and treated me as if I was truly a thief. Please!
After seeing through my handbag, she put it on her desk, and came closer to me. Guess what? Now, she was checking all over my body. This was really like a security check at the airport dude. Oh, I like~ [ read this with cynical expression please. ]
After she finished checking EVERYTHING on me, she then opened the door and went out, letting me to follow her from behind. She kept asking me while she walked slowly,
"Why did u leave your basket there?"
She continued, "You can't leave it there. If the manager saw it, he would be angry."
I was, again, feeling like to burst into anger that she kept asking me that question. I responsed with uncomfortable feeling,
"It's customer's choice laaaah".
She looked back at me once but I quickly said, "I wanna go to the toilet." Without waiting for her response/permission, I turned to my left, heading to the toilets outside the market.
I just didn’t care. I couldn't bear be with her anymore, kept following her steps and answering her (stupid) questions. I have explained and neither she has found that I was guilty, so what else?? Such disrespectful manner she treated me. It's not like this in the UK where people are so respectful to each other.
When I finished at the washroom, I came back in to the market.
Opps, the basket was not there anymore…~
"Where my basket is? Did she take it??"
I looked around, looking for basket (and the lady). Suddenly I saw it being placed not far from where I was standing. I kept looking around for the lady to "thank" her and to say,
“Hey, I’m going to pay now lah. Don’t you want to escort me again?? ”
Eleh.
I browsed the contents of my basket quickly, just to make sure everything was there, then I picked the basket and walked towards the counter to pay. Two or three cashiers were looking weirdly at me.
What?
Oh, because they saw me being caught several minutes ago. What a shame! Even the guard gave me a strange look too. They thought I was truly a thief…. :(
I left after paying. Feeling that I could manage to carry all the loads myself so I just walked home straightaway. No more shopping or window shopping please. My head was already pounding and I felt sick already, as usual.
When I reached home and unpacked the stuff, I noticed something….. There were 4 items missing. That lady really took the items and returned them to the shelves!
Crazy! She still didn't trust me even after she checked me and proved that I was innocent!
At least she should just leave the basket and saw whether I indeed came back from the toilet or not.
Maybe she was afraid of her manager. Haha. Somehow, I found something good behind all these. I got a coupon book from the market for purchasing. When I went through it to find any best deals, I found that I can save a lot on those 4 missing items with the presence of the coupons. Thanks to the lady. I am going back to your market today to get my missing items back and I am looking forward to seeing you again to say,
“Hi. I am here again today. So watch over me, otherwise, your manager will get angry with you if I do steal. ”
Haha.
So, moral of the story, don’t ever leave your basket when you are shopping although it becomes heavy to carry, don't place it at different places, don't go and come back to the basket to put more other items, and also don't stand still at different shelves for long time; otherwise you will be caught of stealing.
Nonsense, isn’t it?
