The Thief Who Wasn't

I can't remember if it was here, or on my supersecret blog, where I mentioned some teens in Orb K who seemed to be stealing merchandise. Their friend was up front using the self-scanner to buy a soda, and the other three stood by him a minute, then all walked out with their arms full of fountain sodas, not having set the others on the scanner thingy.

Anyhoo... I was in Orb K again on Tuesday. A wacky older lady was at the self-scanner, with only one cashier working down at the other end of the counter. Wacky had two fountain sodas. A couple of snack items. She DID put them all on the little shelf thingy for scanning. She had a little trouble with her card working, but I think it finally went through. She wasn't looking around for help, or adjusting anything on the scanner, or trying another card.

Wacky put her card away, picked up her merchandise, and moved along the counter, standing by the middle register. A manager-type gal was doing something there, but the register was not open for customers. Wacky just stood there. Manager Gal made some small talk. Then asked her if she needed anything. Wacky said no. Then she moved down the counter, standing between me and a woman currently in the middle of a transaction at the open register.

What in the Not-Heaven? At first I was mad that Wacky seemed to be cutting in line. Maybe her card HADN'T worked, and she was going to pay. She set her merch on the counter beside the other woman's stuff. The people in line behind me were shifting around and murmuring. Then I realized that Wacky was with that woman. 

The cashier must have also been confused. She was just standing there as Woman was scanning in her card and code. Wacky picked up her stuff and walked out. Cashier waited a minute, and then said to Woman: "Are you paying for hers, too?" And Woman said, "Oh, no. She's already paid at the self-serve." Which indeed, it appeared that she had.

When it was my turn, Cashier asked for my ID to buy scratchers! I didn't mind. I always have it in my shirt pocket. She said she was new. Not a big deal to me. She wanted to do things right. 

As I left, Wacky and Woman were getting into the red SUV parked in the handicap space across the walkway from me. So they were actually together. And Wacky moved kind of slow. I didn't begrudge them the handicap space. I don't park in it at Orb K anyway.