People are same all over
By ravisivan
@ravisivan (14079)
India
September 17, 2012 7:02am CST
Toronto -- 16th September - 6 pm. -- I went out for a walking to the nearby park. In that park you have play ground for children and there is a spot where water showers come out whenever a person touches a tube. I am not familiar with this type of showers and I was enjoying it.
6.10 pm -- A middle aged man - 38 years -- came around with his daughter and child scooter . He kept the child scooter(he told he bought it for $30 on 15th) near the second bench and smiled at me. I also smiled and he came around to my bench and sat and started talking.
He was talking nicely about his degree, family, parents, brother etc. and we got engrossed in the discussions.
6.40 pm -- Two young men (boys) came - one was walking and another came on his cycle . they kept the cycle near the second bench and sat in that bench. we were talking.
6.50 pm -- Both the boys started moving out one boy on his cycle and the second boy with the child scooter folded and he carried on his shoulder. I realised something wrong and asked the person with whom I was talking "Is that cycle not yours?" He realised and called him. This young man had already walked 10 metres away from us. that young man said "Oh ! it is yours" cooly came and gave that child scooter and started walking. We also did not question him further.
That gentleman thanked me for realising the alleged theft of his daughter's toy/scooter.
I was surprised at this incident. I thought such incidents do not happen in an advanced country like Canada. We did not further probe because both of us are people from outside Canada.
How you would have handled this situation? Do you think that young boy should have been taken to task or scolded? pl give your views.
5 people like this
21 responses
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
17 Sep 12
Ravi bhai
I had the impression that such incidents happen in india and neighboring countries only, but now i am convinced that this happens in the so called developed countries too, so people are same all over 
thanks for sharing in details.
I would have certainly scolded...
I had the impression that such incidents happen in india and neighboring countries only, but now i am convinced that this happens in the so called developed countries too, so people are same all over
thanks for sharing in details.
I would have certainly scolded...1 person likes this
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
17 Sep 12
Yes i and kalyani are taking medicines, blood sugar level is normal, but the pain, burning sensation in soles of feet persists
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
Professor bhaiya:
thanks for the response. Yes, I was really surprised at this type of behavior in an advanced country like Canada. I am sure even in Indian -- such things are rare -- in a place where more than 20% people are living below poverty line.
Hope you are taking medicines properly and are keeping up your routine of walking. have a nice day.
2 people like this
@riyauro (6421)
• India
17 Sep 12
these things happen all over the world. yes you are right people are same all over the world. I think the boy thought somebody left his or her scooter and he got it and became happy to have found a scooter. 
.. he must have got scared when he knew that the men next to you was the owner. it is good that you have not said anything else to the boy. Must keep away and not get into trouble in a foreign country. I think the matter should be closed now. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead. 
.. he must have got scared when he knew that the men next to you was the owner. it is good that you have not said anything else to the boy. Must keep away and not get into trouble in a foreign country. I think the matter should be closed now. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead. 1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
riyauro:
I was surprised at the incident and I wanted to share this with mylot members. Normally here houses have glass doors and with less security equipments indicating that people are all more honest. I am not proceeding with the case. I do not where that boy lives and the gentleman with whom I was talking lives where. may be I will not meet him again before leaving for India.
Here I am reminded of a village --probably in Gujarat where houses do not have doors--is it Gujarat or Rajasthan -- i am nto sure -- because there is no theft in that village.
2 people like this
@riyauro (6421)
• India
18 Sep 12
cool, yeah you don't know people in the new place and better to keep out of trouble. Hey I know that place in India here where there is no doors. I have been to there once when I went to Shirdi. This place is on the way to Shirdi and it is something connected to Shani God or something. Yeeah they don't have doors in the houses. the whole village don't have it. and not even the bathrooms have the doors. It is like people have the fear of God and there is no thefts or other crimes I guess. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead.
@scorpiobabes (7225)
• United States
17 Sep 12
Sadly, theft seems to happen ANYWHERE now. It no longer means anything when it comes to the area. I was raised in a wealthy community and many of the teenagers who already had everything they ever needed still shoplifted for the thrill. Those boys saw an opportunity to steal and took advantage of it. It would have been a crime of opportunity-both of you were obviously in conversation and were distracted.
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
18 Sep 12
yes. you got the point. we were engrossed in talking to each other. that gentleman was telling about his parents and other family members, this boy that the real owner was not there and he attempted taking it.
Your observation about rich boys doing shoplifting -- it is also because parents have failed to inculcate good ideas in their mind. My grand mother use to tell "do not accept anything offered free by anybody". she told this when I was a boy --possibly to see that I am not distracted to taken away. But I see a point in this we should never take anything exgratia.
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
17 Sep 12
hello ravi,
It's not a surprise anymore.
See, we have different languages and each of us (language and country) has name for bad people eg. robbers/thieves etc.
We're all human with different race, skin color custom/tradition- but we all have one thing in common- our blood color.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
jaiho:
your observation is true. though the language is different, climate is different their attitude is same.
1 person likes this
@phillip_shiny (2330)
• India
17 Sep 12
Hello ravi,
Nice to read your discussion. And it was a great act that you have the alertness to alert the person whom you were talking to. I have seen these kinda incidents in my place and there were incidents on which we chased the person who was involving in these kind of thefts. I love the way you presented the incident like an play (act). Thiefs are everywhere and is not in particular with countries. Hope you know these. Nice discussion.
Have a great day always. Cheers.
Nice to read your discussion. And it was a great act that you have the alertness to alert the person whom you were talking to. I have seen these kinda incidents in my place and there were incidents on which we chased the person who was involving in these kind of thefts. I love the way you presented the incident like an play (act). Thiefs are everywhere and is not in particular with countries. Hope you know these. Nice discussion.
Have a great day always. Cheers.1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
Philip:
Are we meeting for the first time in mylot. great. this discussion brought us together. You are also from India and you state that you have chased such persons as we see in Hindi movies and tamil movies. It is like this. We expect a child to score 100% marks as always. But he scored 95% only. it will be a disappointment for us. same thing happened to me and I thought it fit to share with mylot members.
1 person likes this
@vidhyaprakash_2 (7116)
• India
17 Sep 12
Ravi, Thieves are available in every place, Canada is not an exception for that, sad to hear about this incident. However you solved a great issue with your presence of mind. I wonder why that kids father don't noticed this thing? Anyway you watched it and alerted the kids father in the proper time and save his thing. You did a great job. When will you come to Chennai?
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
Vidhyaprakash:
Good point. Canada is not an exception in this case. For a moment I hesitated to tell that man about the child scooter being taken away thinking that it may not be that of this gentleman. But then I mustered confidence and I told him and that helped. thanks for your nice words. I intend leaving for Chennai in November second week.
good day.
@yugasini (12836)
• Anantapur, India
17 Sep 12
Hi Ravisivan,
So now you are in Toronto, you are lucky to visit USA and Canada. All persons does not have this type of chance to visit several nations, this is also gods gift. So there are also people if the chance is there they does not fear to carry other's things, now a days people and their behaviour become like that have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
Yugasini:
Thanks for your response. Yes. I will be returning to Chennai in November 2012. All said and done I am happy here but I will be more happy in my own place, There is nothing like one's own place. things happen as they are destined to and i have learnt to accept them as they are.
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
17 Sep 12
He should feel thankful that the young man gave the scooter up so easily. I would have done the same thing you did. If the person did not give the scooter up I would have been mad but I would probably not have pushed the issue. The problem is the world is getting worse every day. No where is an honest person safe. Even people who normally wouldn't commit a crime don't think anything about picking something up that appears unattended and walking off with it.
Also, there are gangs all over the world. No area is free from this plague. Gangs are usually violent and your experience could have turned out much different.
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
19 Sep 12
I honestly think that it would have been one thing if the young boy had not returned the scooter to the rightful owner and it is another thing because of the fact that he did return the scooter to the rightful owner. There is no doubt in my mind that he was trying to steal the scooter, but since he didn't give a lot of lip about returning it to the owner, then there is really nothing that you can do about it.
It is really sad to say that there are far too many thefts that do occur in the US and in Canada.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Sep 12
yes. you now have legal cases in your mind. you are analysing it legally. nice way of telling it. Supposing 100$ note is there on our way. No body is seeing us. Most of us will take it. only negligible percentage of people will discard that and go away.
@thanks1961 (7035)
• India
17 Sep 12
Yes, it could have been done in this way that, just call the child and correct him saying that what he did was wrong and make him understand the impact and how bad it could be and his parents also feel bad on your and they also may hurt because of his wrong doing. Sometime it could work and not sure because the children in these times are quite determined and they are fully awere what they are doing, regardless what age they are.
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
thanks
Yes. we could have given a talk to him. But both of us felt alien--that gentleman was from pakistan and I hail from india. I am not sure about the boy -- may be he is also a person from another foreign country. That gentleman left it as it is and thanked me profusely because he had bought it for his daughter only on 15th. (a day before the incident)
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
18 Sep 12
There was no office for lost property in that park. I am not sure whether he would have handed over to others.
I checked up the meaning "And pigs will fly". -- it is said that it refers to incidents that may not occur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_pig
If the value of it the product had been high may be he would not have dared to take it. but since it was costing $30 only probably he thought it fit to take away it as unclaimed property.
@prashu228 (37526)
• India
17 Sep 12
did the boy do it intentionally , i mean some people do it like that, sometimes, unintentionally, the other day i went to a departmental store, i kept my trolley there and was on phone, suddenly some on has come and took my trolley , for the bill, i realized it suddenly, then i went and talked to that man, he said , he didn't realize it, he thought its their trolley, i didn't understand how he thought so..but some what funny in one way
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
The incident you are telling may be unintentional -- because that person would have had a trolley and he has mistakenly taken your trolley for billing -- if the same thing had happened after billing then it is similar to the incident i told.
here that boy had not brought any child scooter with him and there is no reason for him to take it with him. probably he thought the real owner was nearby and felt confident to lift it.
1 person likes this
@deazil (4723)
• United States
17 Sep 12
Good morning ravisivan! Somehow this does not shock me. Forty years ago it would have but times have changed. Youth has little or no respect these days. Even in seemingly nicer places. I understand your feeling of not wanting to speak to the boy about it. In another place other than my town I would not feel comfortable saying anything. True, someone should say something to him. He has begun, it would seem, on a bad road. When young people do these things and aren't caught they continue until they are caught. By then it's become a bad habit and often a way of life. But it's good that you saw him. You saved that man from feeling very badly. How upset he would have been had you not been so aware. 
1 person likes this
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
17 Sep 12
deazil:
Yes. I am not sure whether that boy is also a foreigner. Even if it is so indulging in such activities daringly -- I felt bad. Of course the gentle man thanked me for cautioning him about this.
You are right. if he has not been caught he would have gone with that and presented it to his people or sold it and made money out of it. further that will encourage him to indulge more in such activities.
1 person likes this
@bdfreelancer (518)
•
18 Sep 12
I have seen similar incidents happen few times. people are same all over the world, no matter what colour, race, cultural backgrounds have we come from. There are bad people everywhere as there are good people. It is just that some parts of the world has less bad people than some other parts.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
18 Sep 12
bdfreelancer:
yes. a few parts of the world has less people who are unemployed or are suffering. It is also true it is not only unemployment or poverty is the cause for such incidents,. i am sure the person involved is not a professional thief or stealer. it is just a thing was seen without anybody sitting nearby that and he thought it fit to take it with him. thanks for your response.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
18 Sep 12
It was a daring act in a very public place. Your alertness foiled the thieving. Thieves are everywhere I supposed. It is not only confined to the developing third world countries but they are also breeding in many parts of the world. But the good thing is they returned the scooter when they were intercepted. If it were to happen here I think the thief would have fled with the stolen item even if pursued.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Sep 12
zandi
this is another side of the story. the fellow did not run away and returned the child scooter. if he had run away i am sure we could not have run after him to catch because the daughter of this gentleman was playing here. that way that boy is good.
@Pose123 (21635)
• Canada
18 Sep 12
Hi ravisivan, I agree this can happen anywhere, but I feel that the situation was handled well. The boy did bring back the scooter which doesn't always happen. I don't think there was any need to take the boy to task and I expect that he will learn. Blessings.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
18 Sep 12
Good. our views are same. the gentleman who was involved and myself thought it right to take back the scooter and not drag on the issue. that man has done it without giving much importance to his act of taking it away.
@chanchalpal14 (248)
• India
18 Sep 12
I think he should have been given some stern lectures or a slap or two, because in this way he would know the consequences of being caught for stealing.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Sep 12
chanchal:
welcome to mylot. Yes. it would have been good if we had given him some advice. we did not feel like doing it probably because we were interested in continuing the conversation.
I had a colleague with me in Bank by name Chanchalendu Banerjee.--he would have also retired by now.
nice to meet you,
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
18 Sep 12
hi ravisivan oh my the fellow was trying to steal the walker, thats really brazen of him right in front the owner too,. At least the other man spoke up and with some people watching him he just about had to return it. I think he should be punished for contemplating it but how would anyone go about that really.He brought it back and the owner never made any fuss.At least the owner should have reprimanded the boy for the attempted theft. I would have shouted stop thief that is mine before I call the police.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
18 Sep 12
Hatley aunty:
At that stage the gentleman was happy he got back the child scooter. He is a foreigner and I am also from a foreign country. may be the person who attempted taking away is also a foreigner because this area is mainly occupied by other than the natives. That boy was clever -- he folded the child scooter in such a way he can carry it -- the gentleman was struggling to unfold for his daughter because he had bought it the previous day.
I am happy the matter ended without dragging upto the police and in which case it would have put me in to unnecessary light in a foreign land.
@angelkarah050182 (4980)
• Philippines
18 Sep 12
Oh, young people now are already engaging themselves in stealing other people's properties. That's bad. I hope they will be corrected now that they're still young. If they are already used to it, I guess they will do it for the rest of their lives. It's good you've notice it imeediately. It's better if we are always careful of our things at all times. Thanks for sharing and happy mylotting.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Sep 12
angelkarah:
yes. we have to be more careful. Just as we should keep our medicines inside the cupboard so that children do not have access to it--we should keep our things carefully and an eye on it. this is more relevant during travel from one place to another.
what is the meaning of 'karah' in your lanauge?
@Rick1950 (1575)
• Lima, Peru
18 Sep 12
"Everywhere are baked beans." It depends if you saw that the boy was taking the cycle intentionally, or perhaps he thought that someone had the cycle forgotten, and that the man, who was talking with you, was not the owner. Did you really feel that the boy was stealing the cycle? If that is the fact the boy deserved to be scolded.
I have seen that in advanced countries, which also are very rich, the people leave with confidence their bikes, umbrellas,coats, etc., and these objects don't dissapear. The people leave also their new cars parking on the street, without being afraid that they will miss a tire or the radio when they come back.
I think that when the fruits of wellness reach the most people of a country, they won't need to steal things from others. Education and welfare are the clue.
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
19 Sep 12
Rick
how are you? How are you enjoying your job routine? Normally things are not stolen here. in fact houses have only glass windows which can be broken easily.I also agree that boy should have been given a sermon and then let off.
