This doesnt suprise me! I work in a large retail store and the amount of empty packets we find is unbelievable. People make the mistake of assuming that it's kids but most of the time it's adults, particularly the elderly. It really is disgusting as it is those people that are the first to complain about price rises and it's through theft that this occurs. Retailers have to cover their losses somehow. Consumers need to be more vigilant and report to staff people that they see or know in the stores that are repeat offenders.

I work in Central Square and find people talking loudly on their mobile phones in the store. I am wondering if it is not a diversion because the other night a gentleman had his wallet stolen while trying on clothes by a man loudly talking on the phone. They know by now staff will not approach them when they are on a phone and we generally do not register what they looked like. Apart from rudeness maybe we will be looking at those people in a new light.

Recently, I purchased a DVD at Coles and when I arrived home I found the case to be empty. Hence, it comes as no surprise to hear of the high incidence of shoplifters who are caught. While I profess to be almost sympathetic to the plight of those whose children are going hungry and who steal basic foodstuff in desperation, theft of material goods represents nothing more than greed and dishonesty. Unfortunately, those who are caught stealing return to repeat their activities the following day, albeit in another location! The fines these crimes incur are paltry compared to the value of the increasing stockpile of stolen items.

It's interesting that police have these new powers to fine people for shoplifting without recording a crime on their records. Also interesting that the moneys don't go to the retailers but to the government. Don't stop to think otherwise you may just find out nothing makes sense and the world's insane.

Well Mrs H..and other insightful contributors. From your ivory tower, the view must be grand! While surveying your estate, from the comfort and safety of your middle class existence, you might be excussed for nodding off and finding yourself in the dream world of Perfect. How disgusted you might feel, the day you find a son or daughter makes a bad judgement, or worse still, gets caught and you are publicly humilliated. Or when your elderly grandmother, who through her mental absence, places something in her handbag instead of basket, only to find the nice lady following her from the store is the long arm of the law. Let's collectively tsk and shake our heads at all those who who have stolen meat, because excuses or not, circumstances not withstanding, predicaments prohibited from abmissable evidence, these people are thieves. It's thieves fault we are in this financial tailspin. Thieving-driving up prices at our national chains - praying on the poor, unsuspecting global conglomerants, who only ever tried to offer the marginalised somewhere to park their $900 stimulus...that is if they paid tax last year... from their well paid middle class jobs..cleaning windows...in ivory towers.