A Small Theft or a Small Thief?

Sunday mornning are always trips to the local Safeway store where I live here in Gig Harbor (catchy name huh? and yes it has historical significance) to get the three Sunday papers and groceries, some only available at Safeway. This last Sunday I did my rounds up and down the aisles to fill the carry basket (always a carry basket to limit what I buy) and went to the checkout stand. This Safeway is a typically designed one with 8 of them in a row facing the front of the store.

When I was going through checkout a squirrel raced across the front of the checkout stands along the front of the video checkout and branch of the local bank. In his mouth was a small candy bar, a Halloween size Nestle Crunch bar. He ran past the Starbucks stand to the exit door and under the electric carts just inside the store. A store clerk coming in startled him when he tried to get through the open door and he went back under the carts.

When the door opened for a customer coming it, the squirrel raced out the door and into the space for grocery carts. The cashier said the squirrel is a frequent shopper (although he doesn't stop to checkout and scan his card) and has learned how to trip the doors open or wait for customers to trigger them to open.

So, it appears this little guy asked himself why chase around the great outdoors and forest surrounding the store and store nuts when you can just go to the store and get them almost just as easy? And you don't have to face the possibility of a predator who favor squirrels for dinner. He does, however, have to brave the hazardous world of shoppers and carts, but I suspect he faster against both of those harzards.

But I have to say, he does need to read the nutrition guidelines though that too much chocolate and sugar isn't good for you and maybe consider something from the produce department. The cashier did say that no one yet has seen how he manages to get a candy bar from the shelf, and obviously candy what he favors, or maybe he's still sampling the choices of the whole aisle of candy bars.

The clerk who followed him came in to say the squirrel went to a safe spot under the grocery carts chewed through the wrapper and enjoyed his Nestle Crunch. And of course should anyone decide to file a report of the theft, he'll obviously be on the security cameras, like he cares or fears of being caught, and the worst that would happen is he's released into the forest he already lives.