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Showing posts with label comment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comment. Show all posts

02 April 2012

Thieves & Charity Swap Shops. So Many Questions.

A rising trend of thefts from charity shops is puzzling. Items in the shops are priced very cheaply so what kind of person needs to steal them? If they are so poor that they can't spend £2 on a jacket, surely they would be candidates for receiving the goods free? Is there a charity that provides clothing to poor families in the UK, maybe via swap shops or recycling centres?

What drives people to steal from charity shops? Maybe a 'risk assessment' tells the perpetrator that charity shops are 'soft' targets or that low value theft means less severe punishment. Or maybe it's a short-cut for people who need those items? Many people would rather risk being labelled as thieves than admit to needing charity.

Is it easier to take than to ask? Probably. It's certainly quicker and you're not risking a negative response. Is it less embarrassing to steal anonymously (unless caught, of course) than to be recorded as a 'loser' who needs charity? Certainly in some people's opinions.

It seems that the decision to shun help from 'do-gooders' and resort to law-breaking may be based on retaining what little pride is left by keeping their anonymity. I'm so lucky that I haven't had to find out for myself.

31 March 2012

Unwanted Fame

If I ever do something really stupid in my own home, I'd like to remain anonymous, please. After all, the world isn't interested in the many other things I've done.

If, for example, I'd accidentally set myself alight by pouring petrol from one canister to another near a naked flame, I'd be quite happy for the anecdote to be used as a warning to help others to avoid the devastating results from doing the same thing. I would NOT be happy with having my name and photograph on prime time TV, forever associated with one idiotic act in an otherwise uneventful life.

Did the woman (who will remain nameless in this blog) provide the photograph, her name and age to reporters and agree to her '15 minutes of fame'/infamy? Fair enough, if she did. But did she? I wouldn't have thought she was thinking clearly enough or able to speak coherently at the time, let alone rummage around for a nice photograph and give an interview. No one else had the right to publicise her personal information and the public doesn't need that level of detail.

fireman costume
Fire Safety Notes.
  • Fuel vapour, as has been demonstrated, is highly flammable and should never be in an open container in the home. Even without cooking on the gas hob, there may be pilot lights on gas hobs and gas boilers.
  • Fire blankets are a very useful precaution (more usually for cooking disasters, such as chip pan fires).
  • Remember that if you smell gas in the home, even a small spark from turning on an electric light could ignite.