It's a well known fact that teens have a ton of disposable income
to spread around…mostly thanks to mom and dad who give it to them. So
you would assume that most business folks would welcome the teens with
open arms, which is why the sign on the door was so mysterious.
Location: The 7-11 in Traverse City.
Sign on door: Two students at a time in store. Others will be
asked to wait outside.
Since journalists are a curious lot to begin with, it seemed only
natural to inquire as to the significance of that sign.
It didn't take long for the meaning to sink it.
"Last month we lost between $10,000 and $12,000 with kids coming in
here and stealing stuff," the assistant manager began the conversation.
12,000 bucks? That's a boat load of bubble gum, beef jerky and
slurpies!
And since the sign went up, the sticky fingers have disappeared.
The loss due to thief is now zero.
But the guy was not through explaining and here's where it gets
scary. Turns out one of the high school females who got caught
explained that it was not her fault that she was stealing.
"It's your fault," she advised the store owner "for not installing
the camera equipment to stop the stealing."
Hello. Earth to teenager.
This kid was serious. She apparently did not realize that
stealing is stealing and the person who does it is responsible and just
because the store can't afford the video system to nab everyone, does
not excuse the wrongdoing in the first place.
Talk about your misguided and illogical thinking.
Is it possible that somebody 17 years old has gone through her
entire life and nobody pulled her aside and explained that taking stuff
that is not yours is wrong?
And here's the real kicker. Some in the T.C. community are
criticizing the store for slapping the sign on the door! Those
comments are probably from the same parents who forgot to tell their
kids it's against the law to swipe stuff.
Go figure.