Tales from the West Texas Dust

We all have our own personal perceptions on what the average criminal might be based on the type of things we see in our major media. Some may think of the very sneaky burglar hiding in the bushes lying in wait to try to steal all of the possessions in our home. Others may see a very dangerous predator who might threaten to molest our children or possibly (bleep forbid!) kill and dismember our children. But not all crimes are like that. They all have one thing in common, though - they still do damage to the fabric of our society (no matter how small or great the cost may be to each of us).

Take myself, for example. I have been of somewhat "good" fortune (and I use that term very sarcastically) to have been the victim of violent crime several times over the past year or two - three of those instances occurring at one of the jobs I currently work at within the past two months alone. As a result, I have been forced to look right into the eyes of the face of crime - and to tell you the truth, it is not always what the media portrays it as. One thing I have learned recently - what might be "minor damage and loss" to some will be to someone else complete and total devastation. Why do I make these bold statements? Because crime comes in many shapes and sizes and isn't always black and white.

For instance, the other night as I was doing night shift at the convienence store I am working at, I had a lady come in not once - but two times trying to get some money for checks that were written by another party to (as she claimed) "get a bus ticket for my mother". Unfortunately for her, policies that are in place at our store prevent me and other employees from allowing her to give her money over a certain amount for a check that was written - even if she had bought some merchandise. Let us say that each time she came to the store, she was extremely demanding, pushy, and VERY anxious to catch the next bus out of town. Without giving out too much of the story, I can say that later police informed me that the two checks she had given me were possibly "hot". She took some merchandise - and I was left holding the bag feeling like a stupid fool.

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