Dropped The Notes, And The Ball

(I work as a security guard at a large retail chain. One day, I am standing at the front door with a colleague when a customer comes up to us.)

Customer: “Excuse me. My daughter just dropped two £10 notes and the guy behind us has lifted them.”

Me: “Did you see him pick them up?”

Customer: “Well, my daughter dropped the notes and turned around, and he was picking something up and claimed it was a handkerchief. But I know it was her money. Can you do anything?”

Me: “I don’t know if there is anything we can do because we didn’t see it ourselves; we only have your word for it. We will call the manager.”

(My colleague calls the manager and explains the situation.)

Colleague: “The manager isn’t sure what to do. He is going to phone another manager and then call us back.”

(While we wait for the manager to call back, the customer who is suspected of taking the money pays for his items and leaves the store.)

Customer: “I’m going to go and speak to him; I am not happy that he can do this to my daughter.”

(I take control of the camera to watch the customers outside the store while my colleague stands at the door, in case the situation becomes violent. As I watch the situation, the mother approaches the customer and they speak. The customer then hands the mother something and walks away. I see that it is two £10 notes. She re-enters the store and hands the money to her daughter.)

Me: “What happened there?”

Customer: “Oh, I just told him that security had him on camera taking the money. I know you didn’t, but he didn’t know that.”