Designing Lorri

Perhaps criminals don’t see theft as victims do. If you have ever heard the songs “What it’s Like” by Everlast or “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant, maybe you’ve considered the opposing point of view. Does a hardship or family upbringing make a wrong a right? Why, do we implement immense praise to those who were not likely to succeed when they achieve great things, and yet when the most likely to succeed do fail, they are scorned. Heads turn and fingers point: “they had such a good family”, “so and so was so smart in school.” Likewise, when those expected to fail do fail: “don’t blame them, it’s how they were raised.” What if we treated everyone equally? Oh, you broke the law but you had a great upbringing? Jail. Oh, you broke the law but grew up in poverty? Jail. I don’t care what family life or surrounding city crime rate was like, the choices made by an individual are that of the individuals alone. Children of criminals were not born breaking the law. Parents of criminals are not responsible for their child that broke the law. I am just getting this part out of the way before someone reads my next paragraph and is like, “well you don’t know their situation.” That’s right. I don’t know, and I don’t care. Wrong is wrong, right is right, law is law.

That being said, today I was on duty as a Gas Station Attendant at the store where I work. Let me set the scene for readers not in Texas: H-E-B is a Texas grocery store. The grocery store is at one end of the lot, then there are the parking spaces, then the gas station kiosk is at the other end. The kiosk is a box large enough for sodas, cigarettes, switchboards, a computer, and a human. Our station has six pumps (3 sets with two sides, of course). And today, at the pump located directly in front of the kiosk window, a middle aged Hispanic couple in a white car, stole gas. How this happens: Our particular store still allows customers to pump their gas first and then pay. As often as I can, I write down plate numbers when my screen shows me that a customer has selected “Pay Attendant”, as that means they are going to pump first, then pay. Thankfully I had gotten their plate number and a description. It came in handy for the police report. I cannot believe these people would, knowing I am watching and have made eye contact, proceed to steal the gas.

It turned out this was an out of town vehicle. A couple headed south, stopped in our little town to fuel up, and then proceed on their journey. Does the store lose profit over this? Yes. Does it come out of my paycheck? No. But it does not change the fact that I was the particular cashier there at the time. The moment it happened, they stole from ME.

On another note, I also though of this song.  This is the best cover of a song if there ever was one.