Are we paying for a little bit of fresh air? Photo / NZME
Are we paying for a little bit of fresh air? Photo / NZME
On Thursday I had an appointment in Napier so afterwards I took advantage of my day off work and spent time browsing the shops in the city centre.
I love Napier. It's a beautiful city with spectacular views and great shops, cafes and restaurants.
However, just like any other cityin the world, there's a dark side.
The city was really quiet, with only a few people out and about, although a staff member in one shop I visited said the week before had been really busy, which is great to hear.
Anyway, I went into a clothing store and was greeted by a young woman who helped me find what I was after. She was lovely. So off I went to the changing room.
While I was in there the other staff member went to lunch and the young woman was in the store alone helping another customer.
As I came out of the changing room a person came into the shop and said "someone just walked out of here with heaps of your stock under their puffer jacket".
The staff member in the shop was so upset. She was immediately on the phone while the other staff member who had been on a break went out onto the street to try and find the shoplifter.
I really felt for them both. Later in the day I was in a shop a few doors down and the two staff members were talking about it. I told them I had been in the shop and one of them said the young woman who had helped me was her daughter.
She said it was the third time the store had been robbed and that the shoplifters knew most shops were short-staffed and when was a good time to strike.
Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.
She also said even if they got caught they just didn't care and came back to do it again.
Businesses are already under so much pressure, with staff shortages and the need to wear masks. It seems shoplifters are taking every advantage of the situation.
Again, I say the consequences for crime must be tougher.
Speaking of tougher, we are all finding the cost of living tough at the moment.
Every time I put petrol in my car I ask myself the same question. Perhaps you can answer it.
When you lock in, say, $40 and start pumping the gas into the car, you can feel it surging through the pump into your car until about the last $1.50 and then nothing.
