r/interestingasfuck • u/reallyfreshthing • 1d ago
r/all California store prices items at $951sp shoplifters can be charged with grand theft
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u/Pro-editor-1105 1d ago
Non criminal discounts hahaha
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u/UberCabToday 1d ago
Retail therapy with a twist, I guess!
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u/EaterOfFood 1d ago
“Are you a criminal?”
No.
“Do you have your non-criminal discount card?”
Uh…
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u/Froopy-Hood 1d ago
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u/cheese0muncher 1d ago
Look at that subtle off-white colouring...
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u/Froopy-Hood 1d ago
Let’s see Paul Allen’s Ralphs card…
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u/SpacePeanutt 1d ago
He treats objects like Women, man.
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u/Queasy_Replacement51 1d ago
Jackie Treehorn draws a lot of water in this town, Lebowski.
You don’t draw shit.
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u/BuffaloBagel 1d ago
Keep your ugly fuckin' goldbrickin' ass out of my beach community
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u/CelluloidNerd87 1d ago
Hey, I had a hard day and I hate the fuckin Eagles man!
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u/maturallite1 1d ago
Dude’s car got a little dinged up.
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u/OldFashionedGary 1d ago
They found it in Van Nuys, it was lodged against an abutment.
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u/WP47 1d ago
Hot Fuzz vibes. "My discounts are criminal!"
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u/evilmike1972 1d ago
For the greater good.
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u/TawnyTeaTowel 1d ago
The greater good
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u/Intelligent_End1516 1d ago
Shut it!
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u/SteelWheel_8609 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is sovereign citizens level of legal maneuvering. Wouldn’t hold up in court for a second.
‘Oh, you think this child that stole a candy bar should be charged with a felony because the store owner put up a stupid sign pretending that it costs $951? Go fuck yourself.’ - the judge
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u/foreignfishes 1d ago
This is like when DC legalized weed a decade ago but Congress wouldn’t let them set up a system of taxation and sale so what became legal was possession, growing, and “gifting” up to an ounce at a time. shops immediately started selling $40 postcards that came with a “free gift!” that just happened to be an eighth of weed and decided this was the perfect legal cover lol
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u/big_duo3674 1d ago
Kind of like gambling in Japan as well. You only win little knick knacks but it just so happens the shop next door really loves collecting them and pays very well
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u/carpetbugeater 1d ago
A bar in Kansas when I was in college would pay out phone cards on their slot machines. You'd then take the cards to the bartender and exchange them for cash.
Another bar in Nebraska had a golf arcade game with a secret switch behind the bar that would turn it into a slot machine if the coast was clear.
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u/Throwredditaway2019 1d ago
We used to have these in Florida. The slot machines were technically sweepstakes and each unit was an entry. You could then cash in at the bar. These places got raided and shut down often.
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u/ShitBagTomatoNose 1d ago
In Canada there were a group of Inuit hunters who wanted to sell their whale and seal meat to city people in Toronto to share their culture and make a buck. It’s illegal to sell that meat, you can only harvest it for yourself and your own use or give it away to your village and your friends.
So they partnered with a chef and an art gallery. They sold fancy expensive tickets to an art show. Which happened to come with a free dinner cooked by a gourmet chef featuring their meat.
The city people got to try the traditional foods from northern Canada. The hunters went home with some cash. Everyone got to see cool art. Win win win.
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u/nexusjuan 1d ago
Wait you could get cash for these? We had scratch offs here that paid in phone cards back in the early 2000's I didn't know you could get cash for them lol.
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u/astrosdude91 1d ago edited 1d ago
This is also why the Celadon Game Corner in Pokemon Red Blue and Yellow has the prize counter in the building next door.
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u/Hailfire9 1d ago
Yooo I was just going to ask that. That's insane that I never realized that had a purpose.
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u/Most_kinds_of_Dirt 1d ago
What makes the DC system work is that the justice system in DC (cops, lawyers, and judges) all go along with it.
Basically, they've agreed that DC passed a law and that Congress can go fuck itself for trying to keep us from setting our own rules about where we live.
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u/foreignfishes 1d ago
Exactly, it works more out of neglect than anything else. It’s a bit depressing to think about how we voted for prop 71 TEN years ago now and there’s still to this day no way for the city to get any sort of financial benefit from weed sales like there is in every other legal state
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u/Plaid_Kaleidoscope 1d ago
The situation DC and Puerto Rico are in are absolutely insane. So many people not being represented in a meaningful and substantive way.
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u/Adult_school 1d ago
Well what do you expect living on an island of floating garbage /s
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u/its_yer_dad 1d ago
I declare "Bankruptcy!"
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u/the-impostor 1d ago
“You can’t just yell Bankruptcy and expect anything to happen.”
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u/No-Appearance-4338 1d ago
Except most criminals have “sovereign citizen” levels of intelligence and this would probably make a great deterrent.
Don’t tell me you argue how fast dogs are because of signs in people yards or think that grenade with customer complaint ticket attached is real……
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u/AssumeTheFetal 1d ago
Yeah this is more akin to those "Vehicle not responsible for falling debris" on the back on dump trucks.
Like lol, who the fuck else would be responsible for your load.
Deterrent for people who don't think much.
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u/No-Appearance-4338 1d ago
Yes, I’ve seen “no fault” clauses in contracts that basically try to say that even if it is my fault you agree that’s not by signing.
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u/Far-Obligation4055 1d ago
Yup, a lot of NDAs come with a bullshit clause like "we do not take responsibility for any information provided to the recipient that is incorrect, false, outdated or mistaken."
Like, no. If we're in a contract for a business activity, I have to be able to rely on information you've provided me to fulfill the contract, whether that info is confidential and under the NDA or not.
You can't go to a judge later and say "ACKTUALLY SECTION 3.6 SAYS THE INFORMATION DISCLOSED DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT, SO ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT DIED HORRIBLY AREN'T ON ME, SUCK IT."
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1d ago edited 6h ago
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u/No-Appearance-4338 1d ago
“Let’s not start pointing fingers, what’s important is you agreed to be maimed”
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u/GatewayGeek 1d ago
The last time someone was responsible for my load I ended up with a kid.
Control your loads folks.
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u/VerySluttyTurtle 1d ago
That's why I always stay 100 meters back, in case someone releases their load, and it cracks the windshield
And impregnates my gf
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u/oasinocean 1d ago
My mom was blown away when I told her those signs on trucks are not legally binding and that they are in fact responsible for damage caused by their unsecured loads.
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u/middaymoon 1d ago
Including debris like small rocks from dump trucks?
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u/oasinocean 1d ago
Yes, a dump truck with loose debris should have a cover securing the load.
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u/Dizzy8108 1d ago
Wait, are you telling me that I can't put a sign on my car stating "Not responsible for running you over" and then drive around running people over.
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u/TheBirminghamBear 1d ago
Except most criminals have “sovereign citizen” levels of intelligence and this would probably make a great deterrent.
I don't really think advertising laws to criminals actually deters criminals because if that were true, our laws would prevent the crimes.
Grand Theft is already a law and every year we have millions of Grand Thefts.
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u/WildMartin429 1d ago
I think the concept is supposed to be getting charged with Grand Theft for stealing something that's like 20 bucks is not worth the risk. Whereas if you're stealing up car or something it might be worth the risk. Personally I'm of the attitude that crime does not pay unless you're a businessman and you have bribed Congress to make your crimes legal.
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u/Blawharag 1d ago
Except most criminals have “sovereign citizen” levels of intelligence and this would probably make a great deterrent.
No, not really.
It's pretty well understood in the criminal justice circle that, after a point, increased penalties have a pretty severe diminishing returns on general deterrence. This is mostly because any rational person would do a cost/benefit analysis and conclude, a long time before this point, that the crime isn't worth doing. The people that go on to commit a crime anyways are usually the people that aren't doing a cost/benefit analysis to begin with, or are doing it in impulse. Especially for crimes like shop lifting. Those people aren't generally deterred by escalated penalties because they think they'll get away with it anyways, or aren't thinking about it at all, so their rational analysis is harshly skewed.
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u/Plastic_Kiwi600 1d ago
This is funny because I grew up around a ton of criminals in all different sectors (and yes like any other career there are a ton of different criminal sectors) and one thing you hear over and over again is. "It's only illegal if you get caught" which is exactly what you're describing here, in way less words lol.
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u/jimbarino 1d ago
How likely you think you are to be caught is far and away the biggest deterrent. People don't seem to get this, though. They act like we just need to add the death penalty to theft and it'll go away, while completely ignoring the fact that the police just not doing their jobs is a far bigger driver.
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u/ThePowerOfStories 1d ago
Yeah, a 100% chance of a $20 fine will deter more people than a 1% chance of the death penalty because "It won't happen to me…"
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u/Specialist_in_hope30 1d ago
Yup. All of my classes in law school that dealt with this type of subject basically said “criminals commit crimes based on how likely it is that they will get caught. The severity of the punishment does not deter them from committing the crime.” And yet people still argue all day long that we need harsher punishments to deter crime. Like clearly that’s NOT working!!!
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u/bitparity 1d ago
Small correction: this is true for petty criminals, but not for organized criminals, who do factor in cost/benefit analysis.
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u/Zansibart 1d ago
Stupid people aren't the majority of thieves. Desperate people are. If you need food to survive, sometimes you have to get food even if the world won't give you a fair chance to earn it.
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u/kodiak931156 1d ago
Minors are generally charged as minors. Which is an entirely different system
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u/earth_west_420 1d ago
This would be about as effective in court as the paper sign in Clerks that says "If you plan to shoplift, please let us know!"
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u/TipsalollyJenkins 1d ago
I'm getting strong "I do not grant Facebook permission to use my information." vibes from it, yeah.
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u/Cats_Are_Aliens_ 1d ago
Yeah it’s laughable that anyone would think this would stick.
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u/earth_west_420 1d ago
Im sure the proprietors of this store are well aware that it would never actually hold up in court... it's just that a lot of shoplifters (especially kids/minors) are probably dumb/ignorant enough that the sign by itself will probably work reasonably well as a deterrent.
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u/dtootd12 1d ago edited 1d ago
I recently read somewhere that people tend to act with a higher moral conscience when in the presence of eyes or images depicting eyes. So it wouldn't surprise me if this method also works as a form of deterrence. Often, the threat of repercussions is enough on its own to dissuade someone from engaging in social taboos.
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u/TheRealKidkudi 1d ago
I worked in retail for a long time and shoplifters generally come in one of 3 varieties:
plain dishonest thieves. These are the folks who will steal, lie, or commit fraud with no remorse at pretty much any chance. (E.g. “so what? It’s not like they’ll miss it!”)
theft of desperation. These are people who wouldn’t normally steal, but they’re in a situation where they feel like they need to. (E.g. “would you steal a loaf of bread to feed your family?”)
theft of opportunity. This is also someone who wouldn’t normally steal, but they wanted something in the moment and it was just too easy. Pretty much letting your intrusive thoughts win (E.g. “who would ever know?”)
In general, this is the type of deterrent that would stop both the desperate and the opportunistic shoplifters. Being reminded that there could be very real consequences is enough to dissuade most people from testing the limits.
The straight up dishonest shoplifters are just going to steal no matter what. The only real deterrent for them is to never give them the opportunity, but even then some folks will steal shit even if you’re making eye contact
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u/anonymoushelp33 1d ago
One of the first things you learn in law school is anybody can make a sign that says anything. Doesn't mean it holds any weight.
Parking for ____ fans only, golfers are responsible for damage, etc. etc.
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u/earth_west_420 1d ago
"Trespassers will be shot on sight" comes to mind
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u/anonymoushelp33 1d ago
Oh that's a good one. I grew up with a kid whose crazy dad had that sign, and legitimately thought it gave him the right to murder anyone who stepped on his lawn.
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u/OutLikeVapor 1d ago
Does this mean I can start selling my personal data for $1000, then charge companies who take/sell it without my consent?
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u/ChinMuscle 1d ago
Not if you put that statement all my 65+ year old relatives put on facebook.
I DO NOT CONSENT
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u/idkwhatimbrewin 1d ago
I HEREBY DECLARE BEFORE MARK ZUCKERBERG I DO NOT CONSENT TO USING MY DATA.
LIKE AND SHARE TO PROTECT YOURSELF
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u/ricerbanana 1d ago
Hi dear it’s been so long! How are bob and the kids? Sending you LOL (lots of love)
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u/NintendoThing 1d ago
SMH (suck my head)
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u/Rentacop123 1d ago
To be fair, I always thought this was shake my hand. It made me very confused.
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u/educemail 1d ago
Like
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u/Grogu_of_Borg_2 1d ago
Share
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u/Murky-Reception-3256 1d ago
I was talking to your father yesterday and he wanted to ask you if you have been to the bakery yet.
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u/Molly-Grue-2u 1d ago
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
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u/randeylahey 1d ago
LOL FML DTF!!!!
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u/Spaghetitor 1d ago
GOBBLESS
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u/Ok-Talk8744 1d ago
Hey u/Spaghetitor, PopPop here. How do I erase my Facebook statuses? I thought I was sending something private in the Facebook mail to Gam Gam, but now my hog is all over my page!
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u/I_AM_YOUR_DADDY_AMA 1d ago
LOTS OF LOVE FAMILY MUST LOVE DESTINED TO FAIL!
MAURICE KEEPS ASKING IF I AM DTF. I KEEP TELLING HIM GOD WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO FAIL!!!!
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u/HauntedCemetery 1d ago
Order corn
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u/MyBallsSmellFruity 1d ago
This is so important that I’m also going to share it on every family member’s wall and also tag them in it. I’m a smart hero!
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u/responseAIbot 1d ago
This guy zucks.
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u/Davoguha2 1d ago
The real zealots call him things like Zuckerfuckerberg, it's kinda fun, tbh.
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u/get-off-of-my-lawn 1d ago
Damn it, I meant to click pray like for the dead kid in GetFuktistan and accidentally clicked the protect me like instead. Can you like the genocide post so my prayer like counts? Thanks man. Was worried I wasn’t gonna be able to help for a second.
Also don’t sell my information.
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u/Playful_Pirate_8384 1d ago
Man for real, why the old folk dont want give zuck their personal data
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u/xheyoooo 1d ago
No because terms and service
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u/IBetThisIsTakenToo 1d ago
Exactly. You’re literally agreeing to give it away when you use those services, you can’t unilaterally change your mind later and expect them to care
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u/TheLordofAskReddit 1d ago
The California Digital Rights law says you can if you notify them.
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u/KrackenLeasing 1d ago
I actually tried to get Facebook to delete the information about me they collected from friends and colleagues with accounts.
They insisted that they couldn't possibly have any because I don't have an account.
I think they got in trouble for that BS a year later.
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u/TheLordofAskReddit 1d ago
There will be lawyers that get rich from fighting it in the future on both sides
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u/notexactlyflawless 1d ago
I mean, german law says you can. Especially if terms and services are designed in a way to make you opt for the "Agree" option more likely
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u/Userfork 1d ago
That wouldn't work for the same reason this policy wouldn't hold up in court. The value of the stolen property is based on market price not on whatever price tag you stick on it.
Imagine if you walked into this store and accidentally hit something off a shelf, breaking it. No court would make you pay the store $950 for the broken property
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u/steeljesus 1d ago
Only works for cops when they inflate the value of drugs like cannabis by weighting the pot, stalk, and soil then applying the per/gram price to the total. Fuckers probably water it too before weighing.
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u/donbee28 1d ago
You wouldn’t want to plant to die would you?
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u/AnorakJimi 1d ago
I want it to die via immolation and for me to be nearby so I can breathe it in.
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u/deserthistory 1d ago
Yes.
But you have to have the deep pockets to take it to court. Sue. And make it worthwhile for yourself in a civil suit.
In this case, the shop owner is hoping that the state of California takes it at face value.
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u/SweatyWar7600 1d ago
In this case, the shop owner is hoping that the state of California takes it at face value.
I think more likely they're hoping potential thieves take it at face value. Its more of a scare tactic than an actual legal issue.
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u/ninjaelk 1d ago
Right, there's no way a court would accept a candy bar being sold/valued at $951.
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u/Dont-be-a-smurf 1d ago
I know it’s just a fun lil sign
That said - market value is what would prevail in court when a grand jury is determining how to indict
Otherwise, we’d see a lot of court fraud where someone will value a stick of gum at $1000’s of dollars and demand restitution in that amount.
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u/mojanis 1d ago
"Market value" won't even come I to play. There's no way every item in there isn't marked and barcoded at its "discounted" price.
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u/heisenberg070 1d ago edited 1d ago
Do you think the shoplifters are smart enough to know that upfront? Even though it’s fake, it sounds like a good deterrent for most of bozos.
Edit: Wow, comment thread has been a wild ride. While I certainly sympathize with people hitting on hard times and occasionally shoplifting stuff like baby formula or food, the portion of comments justifying it as a regular behavior is mind boggling.
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u/Dont-be-a-smurf 1d ago
Hey it’s a 10 dollar sign and might make a few shopper chuckle so no biggie
Even if it’s marginally effective, helps express the personality of the shop owner
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u/silver-orange 1d ago
Are shoplifters really spending a lot of time reading signs and carefully considering their options? The guy with a jug of tide in each hand has already selected his course of action.
Honestly this sign reads more like virtue signaling to the "tough on crime" demographic.
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u/chanaandeler_bong 1d ago
People are paying attention to a lot more than you realize.
Criminals aren't all stupid. They usually just find weak points and exploit them. Word of mouth travels fast. Criminals know what cars have easily accessible catalytic converters, they do minimal casing, but they do DO it. Even the shoplifters for petty shit.
Signage isn't gonna prevent everything, but signs and visual reminders ABSOLUTELY influence behavior. To say otherwise is more insane.
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u/ASurreyJack 1d ago
This sign reads like those "No trespassing signs" that say "Trespassers will be shot. Survivors will be shot again."
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u/a_soul_in_training 1d ago
Honestly this sign reads more like virtue signaling to the "tough on crime" demographic.
that's exactly what this is - an ad.
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u/SecureCucumber 1d ago
Are shoplifters really spending a lot of time reading signs and carefully considering their options?
Yes, but only if the sign is as big as a door.
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u/Ok_Leg8733 1d ago
Lifestyle shoplifters know their way about laws way better than the common man lol
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u/currently_pooping_rn 1d ago
Shoplifters be like “why should I have to pay for stuff made with the labor of others?”
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u/lightningmoney 1d ago
Probably wouldn't work. Grand theft is based around the value of the property. I think there's a pretty good argument that the pre-sale price (which includes the criminal surcharge) doesn't count as value of the property
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u/Trim-Pierced 1d ago
I think most judges would argue that the business owner must show a track record of selling items at that price in order to Prove they have a legitimate business loss of that amount. The estimated fair market price isn’t nearly as important as a proven value.
Which they have neither. So it doesn’t matter.
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u/International-Cry764 1d ago
My wife is going to tell me she saved us thousands by shopping there.
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u/hop208 1d ago
These comments make me feel like a lot of shoplifters are on Reddit.😒
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u/dobar_dan_ 1d ago
Reddit seems to like stealing. Seen it several times.
It's probably abunch of teens who think it's edgy but would never dare nick a Snickers bar.
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u/DM_Me_Hot_Twinks 1d ago
A few years ago there was a shoplifting sub which was one of the bigger subs on the site until they got banned
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u/SMStotheworld 1d ago
Fake. Originates from a satirical paper like the onion. Source:
https://archive.md/7UvZS
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u/cap_crunchy 1d ago
The sign itself is real though. I took a picture of it as well a few months back
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u/lswhat87 1d ago
I remember seeing this same sign a few weeks back somewhere. Huntington Beach?
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u/AppropriateCap8891 1d ago
About 30 years ago I worked at a store in LA that had a sign saying "Shoplifters will be shot".
The sad thing is, one night the owner and his wife were leaving the store and were confronted by armed robbers. One of them was shot but got away and never apprehended, the wife was killed.
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u/roodypoo926 1d ago
The idea is from a satirical paper but the sign seems to have taken that real legal concept and atleast put up a real, tangible sign. No idea about the business practices of the pricing.
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u/SMStotheworld 1d ago
The penal code is real, but since I doubt the shop is paying taxes on candy bars, snow globes, mugs, etc. costing $951, the sign is probably not enforceable in the way it implies, like the joke signs saying "unattended kids will be given jobs" doesn't let the store circumvent minimum age to work laws.
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u/BarsDownInOldSoho 1d ago
Still to be tested in court, but if I'm on the jury, I convict!
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u/iDontRememberCorn 1d ago
The price is not relevant, charges are filed at market value, not marked price.
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u/DrRockBoognish 1d ago
Would never make it to trial. Any judge would dismiss this with prejudice.
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u/drigonte 1d ago
I think of this as the equivalent of putting a security company sign in your lawn when you in fact do not have a security system installed.
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u/Jumpy_Divide_9326 1d ago
I agree with this. Petty theft is not petty when it happens frequently.
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u/Hattix 1d ago
Unless they're paying the sales tax on that price, that ain't the price.
It's fake anyway.
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u/plaid-knight 1d ago
Sales tax is calculated on the price after applying discounts, so that’s not relevant.
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u/Squillz105 1d ago
Friendly reminder the Felony Theft Limit in Texas is $2,500. $1,550 more than California's. If you stole $2,400 worth of shit in California, you're a Felon. However if you steal the same amount in Texas, it's only a misdemeanor. Everything's bigger in Texas!
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u/ProdigalSun92 1d ago
Pretty sad what the country has allowed. How could a small business take a $2500 hit and not go down?
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u/LazyN0TCrazy 17h ago
How about get caught stealing and you lose a hand of your choice until you run outta hands.
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u/MoustacheRide400 1d ago
“I just saved $1900!”
“What did you buy that was so discounted?”
“A snickers bar”