By Eric Wolf Schoen
In the ‘I thought I heard everything’ column today, can you believe that thieves were caught stealing an Ice Cream Truck in West Haven, Ct. Monday night. The truck had about $30,000 worth of the luscious dessert and was making a delivery in West Haven, parked in a parking lot when a 35 year old man stole the truck.
Was he after the truck? Nope. He was after the ice cream in the truck. We learned that more and more stores are locking up the ice cream that they sell to prevent thieves from stealing it. I guess if you have refrigeration capacities, the theft of ice cream is, no pun intended a hot commodity. Thieves sell the ice cream to dealers, stores and the general public in cash deals. Everyone loves ice cream, so if you can get a half gallon of Breyer’s for $2, it’s a great deal if you own a grocery store and want to sell it for $5 to customers. As long as you keep it frozen during movement from freezer to freezer, you are in good shape. You don’t the product will drip out and make a bloody mess.
What is going on in this world? Do people feel they can steal whatever they want. You go into a grocery store or pretty much any type of store from Target to Stop and Shop to the neighborhood Bodega and so many products are locked up. It’s so bad you can’t purchase a bar of soap until someone in the store takes it out of a locked cabinet.
The thing that makes no sense is after the store clerk takes the product out of the case, they give it to you to hold on until you hit the register. If the item is small enough you put it in your pocket or pocketbook and can easily walk out of the store without paying for it. Chances are you can just walk out of the store with the item in hand and no one will notice. What should occur as that the item is brought by store staff to the register and you pick it up and pay for it when it’s your turn to pay for your order.
Let me give you another scenario of what I observed occurring at a local supermarket 2 weeks ago. Many people use hand held scanners when they are buying their groceries. Many people put groceries in their carts without scanning them. But this situation is a bit different. A man went to the grocery store and used the portable scanner. However, he didn’t scan several packs of beer which he put in the underbelly of his shopping cart.
When you buy beer you are supposed to be carded for age by the sales clerk. The gentleman didn’t scan the beer so the alert for the salesclerk to check his identification including date of birth never came up. He goes to walk passed the very effective sales clerk and she asked him if he forgot to scan the beer. He shows her his receipt on which she cannot find the beer. She Tells him if he scanned the beer an alert would have come up for her to check his I.D. The receipt was very long, and he grabbed it from her hands and said I don’t have time for this and walked out, free beer in tow.
Several issues here. The clerks at the various stores are told not to intervene in possible theft situations. Many of these stores have security guards and they too are not supposed to interfere. What then is the need for security guards? Why not let people run wild and free with the merchandise from the stores. The top management even penalizes clerks who interfere because they are told not to. Stores need to put active plans in place to prevent stealing.
Many stores in and around Yonkers employ Yonkers cops who are off duty to provide security. As one officer who was patrolling the store where the beer was stolen told me, they are told not to confront potential thieves by both the store management and those that assign them from the Police Department.
Bottom line is that the more things, whether it be ice cream, beer, or Gucci bags in Los Angelos get stolen, the higher prices will be for you and me. You must shop in a store that has active procedures in place to prevent shoplifting.
Supermarket Prices are INSANE
My sister’s beautiful cat, Sidney named after my father May he rest in peace eats 9 lives with Morris on the Bag dry cat food with flavors of chicken and salmon. Prior to the pandemic each bad was $4 or slightly under. Last week, a local store had the $4 product for $10 a bag. Someone needs to investigate these companies which are price gouging the consumers.
Congestion Pricing is a Hoax
I had the occasion to go to New York City on a Thursday, midday to an appointment at Union Square West around 14th Street smack in the middle of town. I came from Yonkers by car, and it took approximately 35 minutes for the trip. No traffic at any point of the trip, and 35 minutes is the usual timing without traffic. I was able to flow free through New York City. Thursdays are supposed to be when folks go to their offices on a 3 day in office week. Should be busy.
I had the occasion to go to the theater district on a busy Sunday for a 2:00 p.m. matinee that ended at 5:00 p.m. Peak times. Not a bit of traffic either to nor from New York City or around the town. From Yonkers it was 30 mins to and from the theater, and the same for the return trip.
Moral of the story? ‘Where’s the Congestion’ our Albany politicians and New York City officials say exists. This is simply a money grab of your pockets and pocketbooks for the New York subways which have misspent billions of dollars over the years.
$15 when you cross 60th Street in New York City. Not to fix the roads but fix the subways and trains. I don’t think so!
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com, or friend him on Facebook Eric Schoen…just look for him in the picture with Joan Rivers!
