Today was the last straw

[majic99]

Earlier this week our washing machine quit. It is under warrenty so we called the company..The sent out a nice repair man who took it apart and put it back together and it worked fine for one load and quit again..While the man was working on the washer he told my wife that there was a $5.00 bill on the floor behind the washer. We called the company back and told them that the washer still wasn't working. They sent out repair man #2. The first thing he did was pull out the washer..when he saw the $5.00 bill he glanced around to see if anyone was looking and quickly put the five in his pocket..He didnt know my wife saw him..Its not the money..I make $10.00 per hour and I bet he makes at least $15.00 or $20.00 per hour, I would have given him the $5.00..I just dont understand why people these days feel its ok to take what doesnt belong to them..If it was a credit card would he have taken that? When my wife called me at work and told me this, I was furious and called the company and reported him, They seemed truley concerned about it and offered to send the $5.00 back..I would give anybody the shirt off my back if they would ask..I work in a small retail store and this past 6 months we took a loss of $27,000 in theft..I have never locked my doors since we moved here 12 years ago..last month three masked gunmen invaded an elderly couples home next door, tied them up and stole there life savings that they had in a safe (over $65,000) Now I lock my doors at night and cary a hand gun most of the time.
So my question is, am I wrong for reporting this guy? I really dont want someone to loose there job, but Im so sick of people bieng ripped off constantly, Maybe its time the good people took a stand and let them know "we aint gonna take it anymore!!!"

[Helena]

Why did you leave the money on the floor to begin with ?? I understand your disappointment in people but I do believe most people are honest. Tell me I live in a bubble perhaps..but I wouldn't have left temptation in his way. Get a wringer washer and you won't need much in repairs. Good Luck..

[TexasArtist]

well this person wouldn't lose their job because of you. They'd lost it because they can't be honest and control their theivery.

I think that if someone wants to leave $3,000 cash on their coffee table they should be able to do so. It's their house, doesn't mean someone should come in and help themselves to even one penny. True about the temptation thing but yet it's still a private home.

[majic99]

She was running late for work the first time and completey forgot about it after that. It wasnt just a matter of picking it up..the washer would have to be pulled out to get to it.
She remembered it when repairman #2 pulled out the washer..thats when she saw him stuffing it in his pocket

[lmrose]

You did right to report the repair man. If he would steal $5 he would steal more if it was available. There is never a time to steal from someone. If he found the $5 out front of your house where it could have been dropped by any member of the public and put it in his pocket that wouldn't be stealing. If he found $5 in a wallet on the side walk with identification the right thing to do would be to give it back along with the wallet. If people would follow the "Golden Rule" " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" this world would be a better place.

[Backfourty,MI.]

I agree with Imrose!
There's nothing I hate worse than liars or people that steal. I would also help anyone I could & give them anything they needed if they ask but don't just take it!

[NCLee]

You did the right thing. He could have done like the first guy and told your wife. He could have picked it up and put it on top of the washer. Yet, he chose to be a thief.

I'd be mad at you, if I knew you let him get away from stealing from you. Then, he came to my house and stole from me.

Lee

[Callieslamb]

I think the company he works for would want to know....Their reputation is on the line here also.

[firegirl969]

I would have reported him should the same thing happen to me. I can understand that your wife would not have pulled the washer out herself. I wouldn't have either. If I was the company he worked for, I would want to know what happened and deal with it before it got to bigger thefts in the future.

[uncle Will in In.]

Did he fix the washer so it works ok? The honest guy didn't. Sounds like he's a handy crook.

[cathryn]

Without a doubt he should not have taken the money. It is up to his company to decide what to do with this information. Perhaps he has a history-of being honest, or of stealing. Hopefully the punishment will fit the crime. My great-grandmother used to clean house for some women. They used to leave coins around to see if the girls would steal them or not. My great-grandmother would carefully gather the coins and put them on the table. A nickle, a dollar, or $10, stealing is stealing and most of the girls understood that they would be fired if they took the coins.

I just don't understand why people think it is OK to take things that aren't theirs. A friend was telling me about his great luck at the discount store. Someone had left a whole package of batteries in the cart in the parking lot. I was shocked that he took them. I told him that I have left things in carts before and returned to the store to retreive them. There were times the items were still there, and other times when the items were stolen by people like you. He thinks I am silly and that if they were stupid enough to leave them, they deserved to get taken. I will remind him of this if his unlocked car gets stolen, or items that are unlocked in his yard get stolen.

Oh-another story I just remembered. When I worked in publishing there was a co-worker who came in on Monday and said she went stone hunting over the weekend. I had no idea what that was so she told me they drove up north and took stones from walls that were "not being used". That's right, stealing stones from peoples stone walls. I was so mad and told her so. She thought I was rediculous and insisted that nobody would miss the rocks she had taken.

There are many good and honest people in this world. I try to focus on them, and I do not hold my tongue when people tell stories about being dishonest.

Peace-Cathryn

[Shrek]

Originally Posted by majic99

Earlier this week our washing machine quit. It is under warrenty so we called the company..The sent out a nice repair man who took it apart and put it back together and it worked fine for one load and quit again..While the man was working on the washer he told my wife that there was a $5.00 bill on the floor behind the washer. We called the company back and told them that the washer still wasn't working. They sent out repair man #2. The first thing he did was pull out the washer..when he saw the $5.00 bill he glanced around to see if anyone was looking and quickly put the five in his pocket..He didnt know my wife saw him..Its not the money..I make $10.00 per hour and I bet he makes at least $15.00 or $20.00 per hour, I would have given him the $5.00..I just dont understand why people these days feel its ok to take what doesnt belong to them..If it was a credit card would he have taken that? When my wife called me at work and told me this, I was furious and called the company and reported him, They seemed truley concerned about it and offered to send the $5.00 back..I would give anybody the shirt off my back if they would ask..I work in a small retail store and this past 6 months we took a loss of $27,000 in theft..I have never locked my doors since we moved here 12 years ago..last month three masked gunmen invaded an elderly couples home next door, tied them up and stole there life savings that they had in a safe (over $65,000) Now I lock my doors at night and cary a hand gun most of the time.
So my question is, am I wrong for reporting this guy? I really dont want someone to loose there job, but Im so sick of people bieng ripped off constantly, Maybe its time the good people took a stand and let them know "we aint gonna take it anymore!!!"

What kind of person would report a thief to their employer when that thief not only knows where you live , but has already had the opportunity to case the joint. Don't be surprised if the next time a burglary or home invasion is reported in the papers in your area, your house gets hit "in the string of robberies".

Like was asked a few posts up, why didn't you get the $5 bill after the first guy found it? Wouldn't had been worth 10 minutes to fish a half hours pay from out behind the washer?

[sirquack]

I am kind of suprised at your response. I am with the OP, I would turn them in and not worry about the ramifications of the worker. They are the one who 'chose' to take the money. They probably thought that no one would know about the money, but it was not their money to take.
The company did the right thing in offering to give the OP money back as it is their reputation that is on the line. They hired the thief and they will make sure it does not happen again.
As for the fix it guy knowing where the OP lives and knowing the lay out of the house. He would know that either way now, and will know others places in the future if he kept his job. This might be a wake up call for the guy, or he might have already had plans to come back with his obvious lack of moral character. Nothing the OP did would have any bearing on whether he decided to come back.
Karma is a pain, and he is going to hopefully understand that very quickly.

[Bentley]

Originally Posted by Helena

Why did you leave the money on the floor to begin with ?? I understand your disappointment in people but I do believe most people are honest. Tell me I live in a bubble perhaps..but I wouldn't have left temptation in his way. Get a wringer washer and you won't need much in repairs. Good Luck..

I hate to ask this, and I mean no disrespect. But, using your logic, if a girl was jogging in the park wearing a bikini, would it be her fault if she was assaulted? I mean, after all, SHE was tempting the (no good sorry poor excuse for a) guy, right?

ahem; As to the OP, I believe you did the right thing, and I applaud you for doing it. I'm a firm believer in this: "Evil will triumph when good men do nothing."

And that's my 2c
b

[Shrek]

Originally Posted by sirquack

I am kind of suprised at your response. I am with the OP, I would turn them in and not worry about the ramifications of the worker. They are the one who 'chose' to take the money. They probably thought that no one would know about the money, but it was not their money to take.
The company did the right thing in offering to give the OP money back as it is their reputation that is on the line. They hired the thief and they will make sure it does not happen again.
As for the fix it guy knowing where the OP lives and knowing the lay out of the house. He would know that either way now, and will know others places in the future if he kept his job. This might be a wake up call for the guy, or he might have already had plans to come back with his obvious lack of moral character. Nothing the OP did would have any bearing on whether he decided to come back.
Karma is a pain, and he is going to hopefully understand that very quickly.

The OP should of manned up and confronted the thief face to face , gotten off his lazy butt and removed the $5 temptation when it was pointed out by the first repair man or sucked it up, not run tattling to the thiefs employer.

The OP will get what he asked for and more just because he was too lazy to fish the fin out after the honest repairman pointed it out or just forget about it.

[luvrulz]

IMO, the original repairman should've left the $5 on the counter and told the woman, I found this behind the washer/dryer. End of story! As for turning in the 2nd repairman for stealing the $5, I think I would've been more upset with the first guy for not fixing the machine correctly the first time....!

[tasschisling]

Thief is a thief, enough said

[TexasArtist]

Originally Posted by Shrek

The OP should of manned up and confronted the thief face to face , gotten off his lazy butt and removed the $5 temptation when it was pointed out by the first repair man or sucked it up, not run tattling to the thiefs employer.

The OP will get what he asked for and more just because he was too lazy to fish the fin out after the honest repairman pointed it out or just forget about it.

yeah but if the guy is already a thief and she confronted him right there who's to say he wouldn't also have a violent temper?

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by Helena

Why did you leave the money on the floor to begin with ?? I understand your disappointment in people but I do believe most people are honest. Tell me I live in a bubble perhaps..but I wouldn't have left temptation in his way. Get a wringer washer and you won't need much in repairs. Good Luck..

What if a repairman stole your kid...would that be your fault for leaving temptation in his way?
Stealing is stealing.

[byexample]

If someone is willing to steal while a homeowner is close by... then they are a serious and habitual thief. I think you definitely did the right thing. I might even have called the cops on the dude... yeah it's only $5... but he's a thief. If you just let him go without turning him in who knows how much he'd steal from the next person.