The Off License
Ah the heady days of working for Threshers and Victoria Wines. I was witness to several minor shoplifts (chavs nicking cider etc) including the gypsies from the funfair, all piling in at the same time (about 30 of them) while only one member of staff was on, meaning 25 were buying sweets whilst 5 were stuffing as much booze up their woollen jumpers as possible (I won't be accused of racism or stereotyping here - every time the funfair came to town crime shot up four-fold)

A man tried the old "grab box of vodka from the window and run for it" technique but there were two of us on so I was able to chase him with the shop radio, directing the CCTV people to his exact whereabouts. A passing plod car came to assist and he was nicked! Hurrah!

But the worst one was an aggrevated theft when I was working on my own at Victoria Wines. Two guys walked in whilst I was serving and tried to empty the champagne fridge into a Head bag - I confronted them but kept myself behind the counter and they made their escape, yelling obscenaties at me. Fairly decent CCTV footage of the crime, car reg collected. I was a bit shaken up but otherwise ok.

The trial went on for three occasions with me being cross examimed by a wild-eyed Indian judge that was representing the one bloke who wasn't a great shot on CCTV. His defence was that they were both so pissed they "couldn't remember" committing the crime and so they couldn't be tried for it. He was charged with aggrvated theft but was given a pathetic sentence. The shop manager went out on a massive bender with the compensation money and didn't invite me.

Those sort of shops often run with only one staff on to save money. If the place gets robbed and the shop worker is traumatised they are replaced by another till monkey. Bastards!

length: fucking concave today *brrr*
( h3donist tryin' to play me out as if my name is Sega.., Thu 14 Feb 2008, 16:07, 1 reply)

Our local
area is on the whole of it a nice place - commuter type town - green fields and parks, of course it has not so nice areas, but on the whole its very low level crime that goes on here...

However, since our vicky wines turned into a 'Local Store' its been hit twice by armed robbers - there method involves spraying a couple of fire extinguishers into the store and grabbing all and sundry.

So now, we have a fortified shop, with the assistants behind inch thick perspex, and most of the stock in individual locked perspex boxes!!!

I've worked in a fair few rough pubs but I'd never work in an offy - or newsagents type place...
(feedingtimeatthezoo day 1 of his bikini diet started, Thu 14 Feb 2008, 16:43, closed)