My letter to a thief

[MareSINY]

That is called Bad Karma. for good to come to you from bad you have to kiss it up to God so to speak and think maybe the person that stole it or found it - because it really was NOT stolen - it was found - tried to get it back to you some how. You have to wish them well and hope the camera makes them as happy as it made you. Stolen would mean it was taken from your person or your locked hotel room. It was found where your son had left it. Maybe someone did turn it in and it was taken from lost and found, maybe the person looked and waited for you to return to that spot. There could have been a dozen situations...maybe it will be returned. Stranger things have happened. You really only know the story up to the point where your son left the camera...you don't know what happened afterward.

If you find something in a theme park and you don't bring it to Lost & Found than you STOLE it. You know that it belongs to someone else, it's not yours, you didn't pay for it. If you work at a Lost & Found and you took something someone turned in than you STOLE it. If you work in a park and someone turns in something to you and you keep it, than you STOLE it. Stealing is taking and keeping anything that does not belong to you, it doesn't necessarily mean you walked into a store and kept it. You can't tell me a person would think, "Wow, look someone left this camera here because they don't want it anymore, so I'm just going to take it." People don't leave cameras lying around unless it's an accident. Your post was absolutely ridiculous.

 

[diddldonna]

Just had to post and say how sorry i am to here this, i just can't understand people like that. If i found anything i would take it to lost property or the police station. Don't these people have any feeling of guilt? How can they sleep at night?

We are going on holiday in 3 weeks and your messege has made me think about cameras. My children have their own digital cameras and i am thinking about putting long string on them and attaching them to the children, lol. Children sometimes don't think and especially on holiday are in dreamland. My children have lost alsorts, luckly only minor items. I hope your son will feel better soon and that you can all put this behind you.

All the best.

Donna

 

[SeaShelley]

Well, add me to the group who's thinking overreacation here LOL! We had our camera stolen on vacation so I do know how it feels. We were awfully disappointed, but hysterical? Hey do your own thing but you guys might want to give some thought to calming down and calming each other down. It might have been a good time to tell your son that its just stuff and stuff is just stuff and he shouldn't be getting hysterical over the camera. And all this time later and you're still seething angry? I guess there's no exact formula for a "vent" but yours sounded kinda cold blooded and almost too thought out to be a "vent". I guess I always thought of a "vent" as sort of off the cuff and bordering on ridiculous (much like the poster referring to saying you want to eat a horse when you're hungry). Maybe you've led a charmed life but I sure wish that the worst thing that ever happened to me and mine was when our camera was stolen.

Believe me, this "vent" was thought out. This incident happened on 10/17 and we did not return home and to a computer until 10/25....I've had this "letter" in my head for a week and was just now able to put it out there. Obviously, not all "vents" are created equal. You viewed mine as an overreaction and you are entitled to your opinion, just as I am entitled to my version of a vent.

I'm sorry that your camera was stolen. My DH and I were also very disappointed and upset; it was my 11 year old son who was hysterical. Why? 'CUZ HE'S 11! He felt horrible and it was his way of expressing it.....a vent of sorts. And yes, we explained that "stuff is stuff", but he is entitled to his feelings, hysterical or otherwise.

 

[SeaShelley]

If you find something in a theme park and you don't bring it to Lost & Found than you STOLE it. You know that it belongs to someone else, it's not yours, you didn't pay for it. If you work at a Lost & Found and you took something someone turned in than you STOLE it. If you work in a park and someone turns in something to you and you keep it, than you STOLE it. Stealing is taking and keeping anything that does not belong to you, it doesn't necessarily mean you walked into a store and kept it. You can't tell me a person would think, "Wow, look someone left this camera here because they don't want it anymore, so I'm just going to take it." People don't leave cameras lying around unless it's an accident. Your post was absolutely ridiculous.

Mare - I could not have said this better myself......thank you!

 

[maxiesmom]

SeaShelley:

I know how you feel about the lost pictures. It is really not about the camera but your memories that someone stole.


Lyn

Exactly!!! I last saw my new camera at Norway. When I realzed it was missing I ran to guest services. No luck. If the jerk who stole it needed a new camera that bad, fine, but it is the pictures that that idiot stole that I miss. All of my first day park pictures gone. The pictures from a
Tim Macgraw concert (shirtless!), gone! And whoever was working at Disney lost and found that day needed a personality transplant! She was rude and couldn't have cared less! Please give your son a hug for me! Let him know that plenty of adults make those kinds of mistakes all the time and it will be ok.

 

[dwkwootton]

Well I thought your "vent" was thought out but I think you may have missed my point on that. The fact that you have spent time really thinking this through and (whatever your quote was) about physical harm to the person or someone close to the person and said individual deserving every bad thing etc is not a good sign. I had figured that you weren't just blowing off steam as other posters were suggesting. You sounded, as I said before, cold blooded ... and over a stolen camera? Will you feel better about your camera if the person's child is in an automobile accident? Or (since you're not overreacting) maybe a stubbed toe was what you had in mind? You need to get a grip! It sure couldn't hurt for you and your children to learn how to deal with adversity. What in the world are you guys going to do if something really bad actually happens to you?

 

[Martha7]

I don't think the OP really expected physical harm to come to the thief, merely because she wished it. Some of you guys need to get a grip here and stop kicking the OP while she's down! I often think that aggressive posters like this want to believe that such things could never happen to them, and that they can control the bad things that occur in their lives; so they come off with a superior "why would you be so upset? After all, your son should just be more responsible" attitude towards others. It must be a shock when something does go wrong in their lives, and they haven't spread the good "karma" around by showing compassion for others when they're upset! That's the thing about believing in the karma thing; you have to expect the bad karma to come back at you when you attack people on a discussion board!

 

[maxiesmom]

I had figured that you weren't just blowing off steam as other posters were suggesting. You sounded, as I said before, cold blooded ... and over a stolen camera? Will you feel better about your camera if the person's child is in an automobile accident? Or (since you're not overreacting) maybe a stubbed toe was what you had in mind? You need to get a grip! It sure couldn't hurt for you and your children to learn how to deal with adversity. What in the world are you guys going to do if something really bad actually happens to you?

I'm glad that you and yours can shrug your shoulders at every bad thing that happens to you, but most of us are not that advanced! The OP is just venting! She sounds mad, not cold blooded. If you don't get that, why are you arguing about it?

 

[VSL]

While there is a small part of me that wishes you or someone close to you actual physical harm, I would be just as happy for you to have something stolen from you or from your child.

This is the part that bothers me.

I have an uncle who has commited armed robbery - should I suffer because of it? I'm a nice, decent person, but because my uncle did something wrong (I'm very angry with him myself), I should suffer 'actual physical harm'?

And if that person has a child, the child should be made to have something stolen from them? That would make you 'happy'?

Look, I know where you're coming from. People make me angry too, and I've had some nasty, horrible thoughts about them, but I'd never actually write it down on a message board, and I make the best effort I can to not wish them any kind of harm - otherwise, the karma has gone

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

I'm afraid I have to agree with VSL. I would never wish anything on someone's child. I'm sorry you lost your camera, I would be very angry too! Unfortunatley, when you posted your post (HA!) you opened yourself up to some real flaming!

 

[maxiesmom]

I think she just wanted the theif to put his or her self in her (the OP's) place. That is why she commented about the child.

 

[SeaShelley]

Well I thought your "vent" was thought out but I think you may have missed my point on that. The fact that you have spent time really thinking this through and (whatever your quote was) about physical harm to the person or someone close to the person and said individual deserving every bad thing etc is not a good sign. I had figured that you weren't just blowing off steam as other posters were suggesting. You sounded, as I said before, cold blooded ... and over a stolen camera? Will you feel better about your camera if the person's child is in an automobile accident? Or (since you're not overreacting) maybe a stubbed toe was what you had in mind? You need to get a grip! It sure couldn't hurt for you and your children to learn how to deal with adversity. What in the world are you guys going to do if something really bad actually happens to you?

I believe it's you who missed my point. If you've read the entire thread (which it doesn't sound like you have), you'll note my subseqent post #16, which explains the rationale behind my vent.

Since you know nothing about me or my family, except for this one (in your opinion) "overreacting, cold blooded" thread, I really don't think you are in a position to judge how my family deals with adversity. My original post was a vent, my vent, and in no way asked for any opinions about how I dealt with this particular situation or how my family handles adversity in general.

 

[goofie4goofy]

If you find something in a theme park and you don't bring it to Lost & Found than you STOLE it. You know that it belongs to someone else, it's not yours, you didn't pay for it. If you work at a Lost & Found and you took something someone turned in than you STOLE it. If you work in a park and someone turns in something to you and you keep it, than you STOLE it. Stealing is taking and keeping anything that does not belong to you, it doesn't necessarily mean you walked into a store and kept it. You can't tell me a person would think, "Wow, look someone left this camera here because they don't want it anymore, so I'm just going to take it." People don't leave cameras lying around unless it's an accident. Your post was absolutely ridiculous.

If you read thru my post you will see the point I was trying to make. You don't know if the person stole the camera or is trying to return it. Nobody knows how many well intended hands the camera has gone thru. Many things sit in lost and founds everywhere with no claims. Like I said, maybe it is somewhere in a lost and found where they have not looked....I'm sure there are more than one in WDW. All I am saying is there are dozens of sceniaros, and you cannot condemn anyone since no one really knows.

And there is a difference between losing something like her son did and something being stolen. At this time the camera is still lost...we don't know if anyone has kept it.

 

[Ergens2]

I am so sorry to hear that. I know the feeling but on a bigger scale. My CC # was stolen while at WDW this last trip and the "scum" charged over $6000 in Niagra Falls Canada the very next week. I am still working that out with my CC company. Luckly I caught it the day it happened. I am sorry for your loss and hope your next is a better one!!

 

[umaangel00]

If you read thru my post you will see the point I was trying to make. You don't know if the person stole the camera or is trying to return it. Nobody knows how many well intended hands the camera has gone thru. Many things sit in lost and founds everywhere with no claims. Like I said, maybe it is somewhere in a lost and found where they have not looked....I'm sure there are more than one in WDW. All I am saying is there are dozens of sceniaros, and you cannot condemn anyone since no one really knows.

And there is a difference between losing something like her son did and something being stolen. At this time the camera is still lost...we don't know if anyone has kept it.

I was going to stay out of this but you really need to read this thread. Again for the millionth time, it was not in WDW. It was Seaworld. How can you comment on something when you have no clue what you are talking about? Try reading the whole thread before making comments.

To the OP:

You were justified in what you did. Most of us know it was just a vent and that you really do not want harm done to the person that stole your camera. Everyone says things like that when they are angry. People need to get a grip on reality and realize that. I am very sorry that you lost your camera. As you have said, lesson have been learned. It's now time to move on from this horrible experience and drop this thread. This is getting way out of control.

 

[LakeAriel]

Well, add me to the group who's thinking overreacation here LOL! We had our camera stolen on vacation so I do know how it feels. We were awfully disappointed, but hysterical? Hey do your own thing but you guys might want to give some thought to calming down and calming each other down. It might have been a good time to tell your son that its just stuff and stuff is just stuff and he shouldn't be getting hysterical over the camera. And all this time later and you're still seething angry? I guess there's no exact formula for a "vent" but yours sounded kinda cold blooded and almost too thought out to be a "vent". I guess I always thought of a "vent" as sort of off the cuff and bordering on ridiculous (much like the poster referring to saying you want to eat a horse when you're hungry). Maybe you've led a charmed life but I sure wish that the worst thing that ever happened to me and mine was when our camera was stolen.

AMEN! The idea that the OP wrote this 7 days after the event is very disturbing. A knee jerk reaction happens on the spur of the moment. The OP admittedly thought this out and then wished physical harm over a lost camera!! Please! Look around at the real world, teach your son what real pain is and pray he never experiences it!

 

[SeaShelley]

It's now time to move on from this horrible experience and drop this thread. This is getting way out of control.

You are right! I've said my peace, which was the intent of my original post. I feel much better about getting it off my chest and would like to send thanks again to all who replied. For those who took the time to read ALL of this thread...double thanks.

And for those who thought my comments were out of line, cold blooded or overreactive.....tough. They were my thoughts and feelings at the time; I was angry and I reacted. Karma, Sharma. I am a good person, with a great family. We are blessed and may lead, as some would perseve, a charmed life. It doesn't take away the anger I felt last week. We have moved on and learned some valuable lessons. I only hope that those who were quick to criticize my comments learn not to be so judgemental.

MODS - PLEASE LOCK THIS THREAD. Thanks!

 

[SeaShelley]

AMEN! The idea that the OP wrote this 7 days after the event is very disturbing. A knee jerk reaction happens on the spur of the moment. The OP admittedly thought this out and then wished physical harm over a lost camera!! Please! Look around at the real world, teach your son what real pain is and pray he never experiences it!

READ ALL THE THREAD...I did not have access to a computer until 7 days after the incident. I "wished" physical harm over the anguish my son went through, not over a lost camera.

Thanks for the advice about teaching my son about real pain. I think, however, I'll start by teaching him to be more understanding of others feelings and not be so quick to judge!!!!

 

[Disneyrsh]

I would prescribe several viewings of "My Name Is Earl" for important lessons in karma.

Everyone reacts differently to situations, y'all. Seriously, who are you to judge?

I'm flabbergasted by the venom heaped on the OP!

I'm sure many of you have had nasty, evil thoughts running through your head when something bad happens to you-all she was doing was working through her anger and impotence about the situation, and you stuck a knife in her back while she's coming to terms with it.

Nice.

 

[LakeAriel]

READ ALL THE THREAD...I did not have access to a computer until 7 days after the incident. I "wished" physical harm over the anguish my son went through, not over a lost camera.

Thanks for the advice about teaching my son about real pain. I think, however, I'll start by teaching him to be more understanding of others feelings and not be so quick to judge!!!!

I understand no computer what I don't understand is the vengence 7 days later.

"Thanks for the advice about teaching my son about real pain. I think, however, I'll start by teaching him to be more understanding of others feelings and not be so quick to judge!!!!"

Your OP is a step in the "wrong direction"
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