If you owned a business with a waiting room area, you might have some inexpensive books and magazines for people to look at while they wait.

It probably wouldn’t be a big deal if a customer happened to take one of these books or magazines home with them on occasion, but what if someone started stealing all of the books and magazines?

Would you confront them or let them keep stealing?

That’s the situation in today’s story, but the culprit doesn’t seem to understand it’s not okay to steal until the laundromat owner goes to extreme measures.

Let’s read all the details.

My parents used to own a laundromat, and every so often I would help them Clean it up/ Collect the money.

They had a seating area with a few benches for customers to sit on, and a few magazines and kids books to read (generally old stuff that was donated, or from the dollar store).

One day we noticed that all the magazines/ books were missing, not a huge deal as they were all months old/ cheap books, and that happened every so often.

So we just refilled the books, and cleaned the machines.

A few days later it happened again, all the books were gone.

It kept happening.

Again a bit frustrating, but not a big deal.

We refilled them again and continued cleaning.

But then it happened again a few days later, and a few days again after that.

We were actually getting low on kid’s books, and had to buy some more from the dollar store.

They found out who was responsible.

My Dad and I finally had a look at the security cameras for the last few days, and we saw the same guy came in at about 1pm.

He was short, bald with a brown coat.

He would walk in the front door, go straight to the back grab all the books, put them in his coat and then walk out.

My dad was pissed, he said he was going to take the day off work to wait for this guy and ask him to not come back.

I told my Dad I would do it, as this was a side business for him, and I wasn’t working at the time.

He told me to be stern, but not to hurt him or anything.

He waited until the guy arrived.

I was there the next day between 12-2pm.

Just before 1:30 I see him.

Short, Bald, Brown coat.

Our Security cameras weren’t the best, so I waited until I saw him grab the books before I walked over, just incase it was the wrong guy who just happened to look the same.

But as soon as I saw him start to stuff them into his coat I walked over.

Here’s how the conversation went…

“Excuse me!”

I’m a theatre trained actor, so it boomed a bit, and made him jump.

“Please put those back!”

He looked at me, and to be honest he didn’t look 100% there, but he understood that he had been caught.

He spoke softly “I… I’m sorry, I just like looking at the pictures”

I eased back a little “That’s fine, you’re more than welcome to look at them while doing your laundry, but you’re not allowed to just come in here and take them.”

He put the books back on the table. “I’m Sorry” he repeated as he quickly walked out the door.

He looked like he had gotten the idea.

I quickly cleaned up, and headed home.

Next time, his dad confronted the man.

We thought that would be the end of it, until the next day when everything was gone again.

We checked the security cameras again, and it was him again.

This time my Dad went on a Saturday, and I saw the camera footage after.

Basically the same, but my Dad actually reached into his coat and took the magazines out.

We didn’t have audio, but I could tell he was yelling at him.

My Dad told me that he told him if it happened again he was going to call the police, and then he asked to make sure the guy understood, which we saw him clearly nod on camera, so apparently he did, and my dad let him leave.

The guy still came back!

A few days later all the books were gone again, and the cameras showed it was the same guy again.

My dad actually took a few days off work, and we went all afternoon to the laundromat.

We saw him come in once, and my dad yelled at him to leave, basically chasing him out with a broom.

Again telling him he’s going to call the cops.

The guy came back AGAIN!

Finally the day came.

My dad and I were there as well as a regular customer.

He was a Farmer, about 300 lbs.

My dad and I went to the restaurant a few stores over and picked up some takeout for lunch.

On our way back we saw the laundromat door close just as we left the restaurant.

We didn’t think much until we go in, and the guy was back shoving the books into his coat.

The guy tried to escape.

My dad lost it, and charged at him yelling about calling the police.

He turned and looked at us bolting for the door.

I quickly blocked him shoving him backwards.

He tried to go a different way around a table, but the Farmer was there blocking him.

“Please just let me leave.” he asked.

He asked for it!

But my dad (who was on the phone) said no, we’ve given him plenty of chances, and he is going to wait for the police.

My dad and I are larger guys, and like I said the farmer was pushing 300 lbs.

He looked at us all, and smugly said “You can’t keep me here… What are you going to do sit on me?”

I heard the farmer say “Ok” as he charged the guy pushing him back on to the bench, and he sat right on top of him.

The guy squirmed a little, but there wasn’t much he could do.

He yelled for help, but there was no one around but us.

The police finally arrived.

The police showed up, and the farmer finally got up.

The guy tried to run past the police, but they were able to catch him.

Turns out he was known to police because he would steal small things from the other stores around there.

He lived in a Halfway house nearby, and one of the police who showed up was actually one of his mentors in his spare time.

He asked us not to press charges, which My dad said he wouldn’t as long as he never came in here again.

He agreed, and other than the odd time seeing him walking through the parking lot he never actually did come back in again.

That 911 call sounds hilarious!

We gave the Farmer a free load of laundry as a thank you.

And I like to think he taught that guy a valuable lesson, Don’t mess with Fat guys lol.

Oh, my dad was telling me about his call to 911 afterwards, I wish I had a recording of it.

He said they said. “911, what is the emergency?”

And he said “I caught someone stealing my coloring books!”

And the operator paused for a second, and said “Umm… coloring books?” lol

I’m glad the guy never came back.

Calling the police was the right idea.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

Maybe the police mentor should take the thief to a library.

This sounds like a very good idea.

This is probably true.

This reader expected a completely different story.

This is a very good point.

They should’ve made him return the books.

Honestly!

If you liked that post, check out this story about a customer who insists that their credit card works, and finds out that isn’t the case.