The Shop Lifter (Part 1)
First a little background this incident took place in an Arab State I will not give much detail as I will be working out there again soon and do not wish to upset people.
I had been fitting out a large store and having just finished and helped get all the stock in. On the opening day it was so busy that I ended up helping out at the store, filling shelves and generally keeping an eye on the customers. I saw a young lady maybe early 20’s who did not appear to be shopping but looking round very suspiciously she also did not look like the local Arab women, she had a large bag which looked like it had some of the stores clothes in. I radioed the owner and he told me he was busy and to take care of it, I saw her put an expensive top into her bag then head for the door without paying. I followed her to the door and catching the attention of the guard at the door caught her as she left the shop. I started to speak to her in the local language but she appeared not to understand, she then said “what’s wrong” ‘Ah you speak English, that makes things easier, I have caught you stealing items from this store we will return to the detention room’ We marched her to the detention room and the guard left me alone with her. ‘Where are you from’ “Ohio” ‘So what are you doing here and who are you staying with’ “I am in the Holiday Inn with a friend we are stopping over for the next week before heading back home” ‘You will not be going home, at least not for a long time, I don’t think that you are aware of how much trouble you are in, a local committing this offence could have their right hand chopped off, sometimes this even happens to foreigners but even if you do not have a hand amputated you are looking at 4 years in a prison’ “But I have never been in trouble before, the court must take that into consideration” ‘You are not in the USA now dear, you don’t get mamby pamby lawyers and social workers helping with your case and checking your rights, here it is black and white you broke the law – you stole goods you must pay the penalty’ Helen started crying, ‘That will not help you dear, however we are very busy and I don’t really want any bad publicity for the store so I am offering you an alternative, today right here and now you take a damn good thrashing by me on your bare ass.