First brush with Kiwi crime

SOMEONE STOLE OUR 'HONESTY BOX'!!!



We have a stand at the bottom of our driveway where we sell mandarins. There is an 'honesty box' with a padlock on, and tethered to our letter box by a cycle lock.

Saturday is one of our busiest days and we spent hours picking and packing mandarins.

Someone stole it! Not sure how, for the cycle lock was still there. Only consolation is that I was given $10 in person by some customers I met down there.

Have sixteen bags packed in the garage ready for tomorrow morning which I now cannot put out. Mandarin anyone?

Oh, Glenda! How awful. Just by having an honesty box there you were declaring your trust for these people. Did ?they? also pinch some of the mandarins?

I think I?d be putting up an apt little notice explaining to those innocent parties, who?ve been supporting you with their custom, what has happened but, at the same time, hitting out at the culprits. Perhaps mentioning how your absolute trust in the kiwi integrity has been destroyed by this thoughtless and selfish act. Saying that this is how your children earned their pocket money might bring it home that the thieves have targeted the children and now their income has been curtailed as you can no longer carry on your business. If nothing else, you?d probably gain the sympathy of supporters who might take care to look out for the security of your ?orange empire? in the future and may even have an inkling as to who might have done it.

Is it far to the road from your house i.e. could people still visit your property (maybe have your mandarins inside your gate within sight of the house and a notice at the road directing people in)? I hope you can sort something out, as it?s important that these knuckleheads don?t get the upper hand and put you out of business. They've done enough damage already.

Nil desperandum. Illegitimis non carborundum.

That's why I've always said that crime/people in NZ are just as bad as in the UK. The crime stats are pretty similar. That's why I can't understand it when people say they can't wait to get out of the UK - people are the same wherever you go - some are good, some are bad.


Tottefan.

I know it is just an 'honesty box' stolen ... not exactly something like armed robbery, but it was soooo mean!

Mother Bear, thanks for your supportive words. I had the occasional person driving up to the house when I had sold out, and I really don't want that. The kids are out searching the local ditches and I'll speak the neighbours later on. Guess I will have to give up picking mandarins for the remainder of this season.

Tottefan, of course there is crime here - I would not have put a padlock and bicycle lock on the honesty box if there wasn't. However, on the whole I find ordinary people are more caring and trustworthy - which probably makes life easier for the criminal element.

:icon_biggrin:

Tottefan, of course there is crime here - I would not have put a padlock and bicycle lock on the honesty box if there wasn't. However, on the whole I find ordinary people are more caring and trustworthy - which probably makes life easier for the criminal element.

I must admit that I find the thought of having honesty boxes very trusting and naive. Certainly wouldn't happen in the UK.


Tottefan.

I must admit that I find the thought of having honesty boxes very trusting and naive. Certainly wouldn't happen in the UK.
Tottefan.

Cheer up Tottefan! am pretty sure there are still a few around in the UK, though probably not many. I would often pass through the Cambridgeshire Fens on the way to visit my parents in Lincolnshire and there would be vegetable stalls by the roadside ... and honesty boxes.

There must be a dozen or so fruit/vegetable stalls around our town, all with honesty boxes. Fortunately, most people here are honest. There is still about $200-$300 worth of mandarins on the trees, so I shall go out looking for a new box tomorrow.

were we live about 8 miles from colchester,the strawb and raspberry people still have these boxes although most are fairly close to the house.but onthe other hand there seems to be about 4 stabbings a week in in colchester.
the biggest and i mean big difference we noticed was the attitude of the young in NZ compared to those in the uk.the play areas were not all covered in glass and the swings had not been melted or smashed up. the majority of the kids seemed to still have respect.
theres a great post on here from welsh girl who explains that they are teaching the kids to think how their actions afect others and long may it continue

I just hope there are more gems than rotten eggs in your community, Glenda, and that you get to know them all. It makes me angry to think that in a small communuty, there's still someone who has no regard for other people's enterprise and property. Bad cess to them.

Perhaps next season, Glenda, if there's one near you?

Shoppers like taste of farmers markets
12 June 2006  
By BOB WILLIAMS

Food shoppers are rejecting busy supermarkets and heading in increasing numbers to traditional farm markets for a bargain, new Massey University research has found. The study, by Alan Cameron, cites growing interest in fresh produce and organics, the revitalisation of small-town New Zealand and television chefs Rick Stein and Jamie Oliver as possible reasons why farmers markets had doubled in the past five years.

'Some of it may even be a backlash against the supermarket ownership duopoly and a Kiwi desire to cut out the middleman and buy direct from the grower.'

Dr Cameron, a senior lecturer in the department of management, said New Zealand now had 26 farmers markets at which growers and producers sold directly to the public. Dr Cameron said farmers markets were distinct from other forms of flea markets because they were exclusively for producers, rather than traders, and primarily for locally grown or produced food and other consumable goods.

Under market rules, the food must be locally produced and the person who grew it must be on-hand to answer questions. 'People want to know where the food has come from,' he said.

Farmers markets were once common in New Zealand, Europe and the United States, Dr Cameron said, but were largely driven out by supermarkets. 'The revival is driven in part by the so-called `real food revolution' – a greater appreciation of food quality encouraged by celebrity chefs like Oliver.'

Feilding Promotion manager Helen Worboys said the weekly farmers market in the town had grown considerably since it started a year ago and now hosted 23 stallholders, up from nine. 'There was some opposition from local businesses to start with, but they now see the benefits of the market and how it can bring them new customers.'

Feilding's market, held each Friday, had become part of a normal shopping routine for people visiting the cbd. One supermarket in the town said it had noticed no difference in its Friday trading patterns since the farmers market had opened.

I'm sad that has happened Glenda. Here in the midlands you see plenty of these boxes around too, (and without locks!), selling eggs etc. I have bought from them in the past and think it's a lovely and fresh way of buying local produce. In fact, a nearby house in our village leaves an open basket of pears for you to purchase, on the roadside.... it's so nice to see.
Keep the faith Glenda and try not to become a cold cynic of mankind just because of this misfortune!
It's lovely to know there are still plenty of warm hearted people around so keep on picking!! :wink: