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Why not $500 or $5000 for everybody that walks into the store, or cops... Because nearly no one would pay and they'd alienate regular customers. We have long
by blfr 12y ago
Why not $500 or $5000 for everybody that walks into the store, or cops...
Because nearly no one would pay and they'd alienate regular customers.
We have long abolished the idea that law enforcement should only be carried out by government agents. Most western countries have more private security employees than police officers.
If this idea was ever seriously implemented in the first place. For nearly the entire history of Europe law was predominantly private.
- jacquesm 12y agoOh, so they will pay $320 but not $500? Why not, let's try price elasticity on this and maximize the take.
- blfr 12y agoThey won't pay at all. Why would they? Imagine you went shopping (not shop-lifting) and a store employee approached you with a "pay $300 or we will call the cops" proposition? What would be your response? Substantially different than "knock yourself out"?
- icebraining 12y agoActually, for a certain amount, I would pay to avoid having to deal with the waste of time and the stress that comes from that situation. And I can see myself being willing to pay quite a bit more if I was part of a group that is perceived as more prone to shoplifting (teenager, poor or non-white). Of course, I would then denounce them to everyone I could, from the cops to regulators to newspapers, but if I was actually a member of those groups, how would you rate the probability that I would be believed?
- chrismcb 12y agoWell it depends, the fine for shoplifting in my state is close to 320 than to 500.