Ricky Ricky

Thieves may be prosectuted, but that prosecution invariable results either in a slap on wrist or a badge of honour.

Ricky S was in today - again. He arrived on bicycle as I was dashing between entrance and exit; took one look at me, recognised that I would do something if he attempted to enter and cycled off. Five minutes later he'd back tracked, snuck in and made for the booze aisle.

He's shorter than me, considerably shorter than me, which makes it somewhat easier to tackle him. If his family reputation runs even partially true in him he's perfectly capable of making serious trouble but at 11:30 in the morning he hadn't had time to take on any fuel.

So I stood my ground in the aisle and told him to leave. How courageous. I only had about fifty very interested spectator customers within 10 feet or so. At first he tried "I only want to buy some alcohol" then I got a chorus of "Darn [don't] hassle me, Man" and "Yer making a fool of yerself" then "Darn follow me" and finished up with the rather sweetly plaintiff "Darn make a fool of me!" as he crossed the last few steps to the exit.

He actually looked rather deflated as he cycled away in search of alternative prey.