for the first time in three years i almost got caught, which has forced me to stop and re-evaluate everything im doing. i have had this post in my drafts for a few days as i needed time to re-group.
here are the mistakes i made:
ignored my gut feeling that something was wrong
âconcealedâ on camera
re-usable bags don't always work
put my hand bag in the shopping cart
so i was at the mall, Christmas shopping so security was waiting and ready. i was unprepared, not dressed up and not wearing my wig. i had $500 worth of clothing in my handbag. $150 of Christmas gifts in shopping bags (that i swiped from behind the counter when the cashier wasnât lookin so it looked like i bought them).Â
this happened in the supermarket i got a cart, put my bags from the previous stores and my handbag in it, got a couple of reusable bags, and set them open for my groceries. filled the bags up with food and drink, then proceeded to load up on vitamins and supplements, some more Christmas gifts, basically loads of stuff from the heavily monitored beauty isle. which i then proceeded to âconcealâ right there on camera (i was just putting them in the reusable bags which i normally do when i go to the supermarket anyway)Â
had a feeling i was being watched, not in person but via security and that they were alerting the cashiers (like a weird premonition). but like an idiot i ignored that feeling and continued. went to the self checkout bought a couple of cheap items. the lady that stands there to help with people who dont know how to use the machines was watching me. but i had $150+ worth of stuff so no way i paying for that (i only had $10 with me anyway.) i paid for the few cheap items with her watching me the whole time and as soon as she distracted helping someone else i left.
she followed me saying âexcuse me, excuse me maâamâ to which i ignored. she eventually caught up with me and told me i didnt pay for that stuff. i told her i did. there was a crowd forming around me and her, all these people watching this girl going red in the face as some old lady accuses her of stealing.
now here is what freaked me out the most, she said that âthey told me to stop youâ referring to the security who had alerted her from what they had seen on camera (yâknow that premonition i ignored). hearing that i knew if i didnt step up my game i was done. she asked me if i would come back inside with her. at this point i have $800+ of stolen stuff on me (not including every thing i am wearing.) and i was not going to risk it as where i am its something like one year in prison.
 i reassured her that it was fine âoh no its ok because i paid for all of itâ, turned my feet from her to the direction i was going to go, tilted my head that way slightly, gave a sort of apologetic look for wasting her time, just generally did all the body language to say im going to go now, sorry. she told me that they would look at the security footage and i just nodded as a walked off going âok thats fineâ knowing exactly what they would find and that they cant do shit about it once im gone.
gave my self three minutes to get as far away as possible. i was actually counting the seconds as i left (just a tip 4 u). walked out of the mall, dumped the cart, picked up all my bags (this shit was so heavy) and as soon as i was out of sight from anyone i ran.
dumb emotional reflection on the nature of guilt:
its been a few days now and i have completely detached myself from this experience. at first i felt horribly guilty about it. i keep having nightmares, and whispering to myself âshut upâ every time i remember it (which is making me look crazy) but i dont feel guilty about it any more, as i dont feel like it was me that did it. several days of mild dissociation has nearly erased myself out of the memory. i know what im doing is wrong. on one hand im glad it happened bc it has made me re evaluate what im doing here, and that this is infact illegal. and yet i dont know if im going to stop