Many of us are inclined to believe that bandits, thieves, and robbers tend to be rotten scoundrels with little regard for others, i.e. people without a conscience. After all how can you possibly steal from another if you had a conscience?
My friend, Noelle, called me the other day with a story:
Noelle was at Salvation Army on a Saturday afternoon when she heard a commotion toward the front of the store. From the back of the store, she heard people yelling. Not wanting to get caught up in the drama, she browsed the shelves and listened.
“He hit her! He hit her!” Noelle paid no heed. Sounded like domestic violence, but it was none of her business. This kind of stuff happens all over the world all the time, and being a nurse, she knew better than to get involved. However, the commotion wasn’t getting any better, so she finally went to the front of the store to see what the ruckus was all about.
In the parking lot lay a woman on the ground. A crowd had gathered, and a man stood awkwardly by with a blanket and pillow for the injured woman. Noelle finally decided to get involved and helped the lady on the pavement until the medics arrived.
When Noelle arrived at work on Monday, she found out exactly what happened during her eventful trip to Salvation Army.
A man had walked out of the store with a couple items for which he had not paid. Having seen him walk out without paying, the sales lady went after him to demand that he pay for the items. A game of chicken then ensued - apparently she stood in front of his truck to prevent him from driving away. Much to his surprise, she didn’t move as he drove right into her and knocked her onto the ground.
The man then went into the store to grab a blanket and pillow for the lady whom he had just run over. Once Noelle arrived at the scene and the lady, whom he’d just injured, was in good hands, he got in his truck and drove away.
Maybe it’s just me, but I guess I would have thought that a stealer wouldn’t think twice about sticking around to help the person they’ve just run over. Instead I would assume that the person would commit a hit-and-run and try to leave the scene before getting arrested for stealing.
So there you have it, some thieves have consciences! (…or maybe it’s just the thieves who steal $3 worth of goods. Which raises another question – if you were the sales clerk in this situation, would you really have risked your life over $3?)
- That One Girl
