FYI, when I was a teen, I was the shoplifting King. I got so good at it, that it was like a game to me. For me, it was like role playing as a ninja/secret agent. Stealing from a store for me was child's play. I knew how to disable every security device with my bare hands etc. I'd learn how to pick up stuff without cameras being able to notice it. I would distract all the people watching me. I'd go shoplifting for fun. I'd also recruit other experts to join me, once in awhile. Because teams work more effectively. It all started because I didn't have $$$ to buy the stuff I wanted in my life. I came from a upper middle class family but my weekly allowance didn't really cover much. But then it turned into an addiction. You get addicted to the danger of being caught, the rush of being victorious and getting away with loot. But one day I was caught by undercover security guards, due to complacency. Then I was handcuffed and the police were called on me. And I was under 18. If I resisted, they could have physically attacked me. I was also banned from the store. And the security guards they hired were so good at their job, they could memorize faces, exactly for years and years. So even after years, whenever I tried to enter the store, they would tell me to fuck off. Some security guards are off duty cops, trying to make some extra money too and these guys are professionals... People think they have all these rights... They don't. Stores have a lot of power when it comes to dealing with thieves even though the workers are just civilians, most of the time. Do I feel ashamed of my past? Not really. Because most of those stores are owned by shitty people anyway and that lifestyle helped me develop skills that I needed to use in the future when I was 18 and accidentally did something foolish, forcing me to use stealth and other tactics to get out of a bad situation. I have skills today, most people do not have because of my past. But my shoplifting days are over because in the end, you are playing Russian roulette with your life for very little rewards... If I was over the 18, my life would be 10000 times worse today and my mugshot would be on the internet forever for people to laugh at... And for potential employers to see...
