Stop Thief!

Annmarie Throckmorton, M.A.

Mar 4, 2024

The last time I took an Amazon return to its drop off point at Kohl's, which is located up the mountain at Marketplace at Augusta, Maine, I was startled to see a white man running out of Kohl's with a heaping cart of merchandise. There was no one but me in the parking lot so I stopped and propped myself on my cane to see what was going on and to figure out which way I should go to be out of the way of whatever was happening. In hot pursuit of the thief was a silently determined young woman employee with paper and pen in hand to record the thief's vehicle license plate number. I was immediately concerned for her safety as any thief who steals a cartful of stuff in broad daylight, in full view of security cameras, may very well be armed with weapons and full of drugs.

It was like being in an old-fashioned, monochrome movie of the 1950s, where when criminals committed robbery, spectators did more than record the crime on their mobile phones, they gave chase. I hesitated due to my age limitations, then threw caution to the wind and galumphed after the store employee in her pursuit of the thief. I yelled, "Stop! Thief! Stop!" The thief looked over his shoulder to see who was yelling at him, and I was gratified to see that he sped up in alarm. I was also immensely relieved that he did not start shooting at us or any other unanticipated response.

The thief was quicker than we two ladies (neither of whom really wanted to catch him) and he piled his ill-gotten gain into his rattletrap old car and speed off. "Did you get his number?" I called out to what turned out to be the store manager. "Yes, I did." she replied with satisfaction. She said I should not have chased after him and I told her I did not want her to have to face him alone and I felt that I could support her. She smiled broadly at me. And when we reached the door of the store she had the several employees, who had gathered there to watch, hold the double doors open wide for me and she invited me inside with an appreciative flourish. I was very pleased with how it all went. For me the issue had been black and white, and I had been duty-bound to assist that vulnerable female store employee against the man committing the crime. I am old and expendable, but still useful.

Stop Thief!