Thievery

Have you noticed errant shopping carts lately? They seem to have gone amok, breeding like rabbits. There were five carts between Whittier Blvd and La Forge (the light that's an entrance to the shopping center) a few weeks ago. I bet it's one of the side-effects of the gas prices going up--instead of driving a block to the grocery store, why not make off with a cart? It can be conveniently dumped in an alley or on the lawn in front of an apartment building, and ta da! I just committed a minor crime for the price of 1/4 gallon of gas!

What's up with this? Stealing shopping carts has got to be among the tackiest crimes a person can commit, and i've seen all walks of life making away with them. Will people desist now that gas prices are slowly descending? It's not like it costs us nothing--the cost is indirect, like the store paying insurance on damage to vehicles from shopping carts and paying to collect its carts, a cost which they pass along to us. Then there's the social capital costs from tackiness and an appearance that no one cares, which isn't good for neighborhoods.

Some of my favorite crimes:

A family walking away from a store: woman, man, three kids around age 9-14. Kids carrying nothing, man carrying one bag, woman pushing cart with about 5 bags. They could've distributed that and carried it easily.

Members of the Greatest Generation: This one really bothers me. I mean, i can understand my reckless, whatever fellow Gen-Xers or Gen-Yers making off with a cart (okay, i can't. The shame!) But i can't understand how people who saved the world in the second war to end all wars with moral high tones (even if it wasn't completely that) can stoop to STEAL a shopping cart. I understand that rising gas prices are tough on a fixed income and that a frailer sort of person might not be able to carry a lot. But, there are these inexpensive little wire frame wheeled carts that carry groceries--why not get one of those? I've seen other older adults with them.

Then again, maybe it is simply showing the insides of us for what they really are. The Greatest Generation, after all, raised the people who raised hell during the 70's. Maybe we only follow the law when shame keeps us in check. I enjoyed the information in Tom Brokaw's book, The Greatest Generation, but i don't think any one--or any generation--has perfect morals & motivations.

Overall, i think the shopping cart thing is a sad commentary on us and i'd much rather be in a guilt culture (i'm guilty whether caught or not) than a shame culture (hey, as long as you can get away with it, it's not wrong). Heaven help us.