The High Cost of Cherries...

About a month ago I was shopping at our neighborhood Costco and I was eyeing their wonderful cherries.  They are always plump, dark, sweet, and unlike other places that you buy them you don't have to throw a quarter of them away because they are bad. Yummm.  Anyway I was looking at the packages and minding my own business when a well dressed woman walked up to me and said are they good? Have you tasted them? I said they usually are...but I haven't tasted these in particular yet.... they are in closed packages I said wondering to myself how exactly I was supposed to be tasting them?  To my astonishment she said oh I just look for an open package and grab a few.  That's stealing I proclaimed loudly! Thanks for defining your character... I will remember your face and that you are a thief! She rolled her eyes and walked away.  Since she didn't take a cherry in front of me... I also walked away, and thought to myself how awful that people think they can just steal like that.  I wanted to ship her off to that country where they cut off your hand when you get caught stealing.  Anyway... moving on ... bigger fish to fry that day.  Fast forward to today... I was again shopping at Costco... it's been about a month.  Today I went looking for the Cherries and I wasn't disappointed.  They were in the walk-in refrigerated area, and they did look divine.  So as I am examining the packages and choosing the perfect one.. another well dressed woman of perhaps Filipino descent, not being racist... the first lady was white, walks up beside me and reaches into a slightly open package.. and plucks out a cherry and as she is putting it up to her mouth... I shriek....that's stealing!!!!!!  She turns to me and says... it was open... and I again shrieked... I don't care... it is still stealing!!!!! She then gave me a look of death and I kid you not... threw the cherry. (poor succulent cherry wasted :( ....) and stormed away.  I immediately went to find an employee and reported what had happened and gestured her way she was just across the isle now.  He said he would look into it and get someone to keep an eye out.  But I didn't stop there... I went to the front and got a manager and recounted the sorted encounter... and then exclaimed "fucking bitch... this is why the rest of us have to pay higher prices" The manger replied that is exactly right... as she was giggling under her breath.  She apologized to me... and I said it's not your fault ... but I just wanted you to know your inventory is disappearing and this isn't the first time I have encountered it personally. She thanked me and said they would definitely be looking into it.  Apparently, many people do not consider this stealing.  I read an article that says the average family of 4 will pay approx $440.00 a year extra for items they purchase due to pilfering.  The store has to make up for that loss somehow... so we foot that bill.  http://www.jrrobertssecurity.com/security-news/security-crime-news0024.htm  I don't know about the rest of you, but that simply isn't okay with me!  So now I am thinking about volunteering a few hours a day to guard the precious cherries for Costco... in hopes that they might pay me in product.  I would be happy to cause a huge scene and bitch-slap a few unsuspecting thieves. That just might make my day actually!