Tip Thief
I went to dinner at the TomatoePizza Pie on Melrose. a great little pizzaria. $4.50 two slices of New York thin style, cheese and a soda.
Standing inline while the owner (a cool very enthusiastic fella, who will most likely have a chain in 10 years) got my order of 2 slices of cheese into the oven. The boy standing next to me reaches into the clear glass flower vase tip jar and pulls $1-$2 out hanging around the vase as easy as someone putting tips in.
I immediately looked over at him, and said sternly and coldly "Put it back". He replied "Put what back?" I said "the money you just took out of the tip jar". Almost as quickly as an improv actor getting a cue, he started spinning stories, and apparently fairly accomplished at it, "no I wasn't taking anything out, I was putting money in", half defiant (which made no sense given he had been waiting in line). I asked "would you like me to tell the manager your taking money out of the tip jar?" he calling my bluff, "said yeah, I didn't do anything I was just straightening out the tips" (hunh?). I turned back to the manager who was coming back to take my money, and said "this guy is taking money out of your tip jar". He took over in his rather direct new yorkish fashion, started digging in. "So is it true?", "no I was thinking about taking some money but decided not to, so I was straightening out the money" "Why were you thinking about taking some money" "because I needed $2 for bus fair to get home, but I decided not to". "I'm going to have to ask you to leave...hey I want my $2 back!" blah blah blah.
It's amazing how quickly everything happened, maybe 45seconds, and I was analyzing so much I immediately began questioning what exactly I saw. The interesting aspect is it was all caught on video, though it wasn't the clearest, and it showed that he was reaching in, taking things out. Had I been thinking clearer I might have pointed it out to him, as the camera is right over the register 17" monitor showing the output right by the drinks a few feet away. Which I first noticed in that "what show is that?, oh wait that's here, and that's tall skinny person must be me".
While munching on the pizza, had a nice adrenaline rush wondering what possible ramifications of him waiting outside for me when I came out, or bolting in with a knife, though I categorized both as unlikely. In retrospect I'm not entirely sure it was bold or stupid. $2 is petty crime, and the kid was just a juvenile and clearly not the smartest or most accomplished thief, and in the end he got what he wanted, so need to escalate. Fighting has it's time and place but for $2 it isn't worth it, I need my fingers to type/work.
I've sworn off LJ for productivity reasons, but thought this was an interesting enough story to share. I may be back in a few months.
Standing inline while the owner (a cool very enthusiastic fella, who will most likely have a chain in 10 years) got my order of 2 slices of cheese into the oven. The boy standing next to me reaches into the clear glass flower vase tip jar and pulls $1-$2 out hanging around the vase as easy as someone putting tips in.
I immediately looked over at him, and said sternly and coldly "Put it back". He replied "Put what back?" I said "the money you just took out of the tip jar". Almost as quickly as an improv actor getting a cue, he started spinning stories, and apparently fairly accomplished at it, "no I wasn't taking anything out, I was putting money in", half defiant (which made no sense given he had been waiting in line). I asked "would you like me to tell the manager your taking money out of the tip jar?" he calling my bluff, "said yeah, I didn't do anything I was just straightening out the tips" (hunh?). I turned back to the manager who was coming back to take my money, and said "this guy is taking money out of your tip jar". He took over in his rather direct new yorkish fashion, started digging in. "So is it true?", "no I was thinking about taking some money but decided not to, so I was straightening out the money" "Why were you thinking about taking some money" "because I needed $2 for bus fair to get home, but I decided not to". "I'm going to have to ask you to leave...hey I want my $2 back!" blah blah blah.
It's amazing how quickly everything happened, maybe 45seconds, and I was analyzing so much I immediately began questioning what exactly I saw. The interesting aspect is it was all caught on video, though it wasn't the clearest, and it showed that he was reaching in, taking things out. Had I been thinking clearer I might have pointed it out to him, as the camera is right over the register 17" monitor showing the output right by the drinks a few feet away. Which I first noticed in that "what show is that?, oh wait that's here, and that's tall skinny person must be me".
While munching on the pizza, had a nice adrenaline rush wondering what possible ramifications of him waiting outside for me when I came out, or bolting in with a knife, though I categorized both as unlikely. In retrospect I'm not entirely sure it was bold or stupid. $2 is petty crime, and the kid was just a juvenile and clearly not the smartest or most accomplished thief, and in the end he got what he wanted, so need to escalate. Fighting has it's time and place but for $2 it isn't worth it, I need my fingers to type/work.
I've sworn off LJ for productivity reasons, but thought this was an interesting enough story to share. I may be back in a few months.