"Yaho..........!"
Posted on 10/21/2002 4:12:34 PM PDT by aculeus
AUGUSTA - Authorities in this eastern Georgia city have been busy investigating odd thefts of beer from convenience stories, where the suspects run out the door screaming ``Yahoo.''
The robberies have been reported as far away as Texas, and it's become known as ``Yahooing beer.'' The problem has been particularly bad in Augusta.
``It is a big problem. Two of our stores got hit on the same night,'' said Denise Price, who manages an Amoco gas station in Augusta.
A college student from Texas who was arrested for allegedly stealing beer described the process on his Web site.
``You run into the store, grab a six-pack, and run out while yelling 'Yahooooooo!''' he wrote. ``The whole process takes about 20 seconds. Before the store clerk has any time or thought to act, you're gone.''
This student got away with his crime the first night, but wasn't as fortunate the second time.
Pam Neal, a manager at Holiday Market stores in Augusta, had run-ins with the thieves, too.
``If we don't get a tag number, all we can do is file a police report,'' she said. ``The last time, they backed out all the way out of the parking lot so I couldn't get the number. They had apparently done it before.''
Catching the thieves is made more difficult because many stores don't want to prosecute the beer bandits. They see the hassle of going through the court process not worth the small price of the stolen beer.
``All that does is promote it,'' Richmond County Sheriff Department Maj. Richard Weaver said, adding that the crime goes unpunished nine out of 10 times.
Weaver has his own ideas of how to stop these robberies.
``It's a pity someone isn't there to snatch them up when they yell 'Yahoo,''' he said.
Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed
Note to self: the average convenience store clerk has a reaction time of approximately 20 seconds.
Of course, I am a compassionate man and would not want these hooligans killed so I advocate birdshot. :D
In MIT's case... well, they live in Massachusetts so nothing can be done. If someone threatans you there, you have to get down on your hands and knees and beg for mercy, even if you are armed. If you shoot them, you will go to jail, even if they were going to kill you.
Aint Liberals grand?
Actually if a store-owner was getting hit often, he could install a cheap videocam at the coolers and get them on tape.
"Yaho..........!"
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