WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Flower thief

| Crime | West Seattle news

Todd reports this happened last weekend:

My wife returned home in the Belvedere neighborhood on Sunday to find a woman in a red Toyota Corolla with the passenger side door open, which was next to the curb, digging our tulips and other flower bulbs out of the ground.

Upon being confronted the woman got shaky and apologized and slid into the car with ease through the passenger side and vamoosed it on out on there. She was tall, blonde and blue eyes. Her car was decked out inside with glittery sparkly things. She was wearing blue flip flops. The perpetrator got a verbal lesson in stealing and the respect of other’s property. No police report was filed … it’s a sad story of a young woman stealing flower bulbs, as flowers are not worth anything but happiness and if you have to steal it, that defeats the purpose.

: ( April 17, 2021 (5:19 pm)

That’s pretty depressing. In other news, my toddler loves picking everyone’s dandelions. Let me know if you need her services : )

WSB April 17, 2021 (5:51 pm)

Awww. Tell her thanks. I hope the “bouquets” are all presented lovingly to Mom…

MAS April 17, 2021 (5:35 pm)

I’ve seen this behavior two other times in West Seattle, once cutting my neighbor’s lilac another just taking the flowers from a tree peony. Same reaction too “I’m sorry” and the skidaddeling. People are monsters.

Rick April 17, 2021 (6:46 pm)

It could be the somewhat entitled society we’ve become or just plain how they were raised.
Steve April 18, 2021 (9:48 am)

Yes, I’ve come across the “What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is mine” attitude quite a bit out here. People trespassing, neighbors parking in our driveway without asking, etc. (Probably typical of any city this size, I suppose.) It’s minor, but we’ve had an early-morning walker pick a few daffodils from behind our hedges.
- Pessoa April 18, 2021 (1:47 pm)
  
  No, actually this is not the case in other cities. In Los Angeles, one doesn’t even touch an orange hanging over a neighbor’s fence without asking permission. Frankly, you don’t even think about it. When I moved here, I was bewildered by the idea that private property is “communal” property.
  - Ms. Sparkles April 19, 2021 (11:08 am)
    
    It’s been more that 20 years since I lived in Southern California, but if your citrus tree’s branches hung over the property line, I was taught the fruit on those branches were fair game.

Searching for the happiness April 17, 2021 (6:57 pm)

People are definitely searching to meet those elusive needs for love, beauty and joy. I’m glad your tulips and flowers are spreading happiness in their glory, and so sorry you had to protect them to keep them at your home. I hope that woman finds a better way to fulfill her need for fresh flower beauty soon. 💐 And I would LOVE for a toddler & mom to come to my home and pick dandelions! My 9 year young son is hardly even motivated by money to do so! Truly. Reply here, maybe we can set it up😁

aa April 17, 2021 (7:29 pm)

P-Patch gardeners all over the city will attest to the ongoing problem of people stealing their crops. I’m not about homelessness or true hunger, many times it’s just people walking through the gardens taking what they want. They won’t miss a few, right? Walking right past the “please don’t pick our crops” signs.
Auntie April 17, 2021 (8:29 pm)

Perhaps your son needs monetary motivation. A little “allowance” used to get me going on projects in my mom’s garden! I also learned the difference between weeds and flowers along the way.

Lisa April 17, 2021 (9:24 pm)

When we lived on Capitol Hill I learned to never put out portable-sized container plants before Mother’s Day….they invariably disappeared….“Here, Mom, I stole this for you!” ?!!

Karen B April 17, 2021 (9:53 pm)

So sorry to hear this , Todd! WSB, I’m so glad you cover and publish thefts regardless of whether a police report has been filed or the dollar value is small. This documents another quality-of-life issue, even a seemingly small one. Even small acts of greed or seeming inconsideration are among the reasons why some of my favorite neighborhood friends have moved or are planning to move away.We have lots of flowers in our yard, which may look messy or plentiful to some, but many were given to us by friends or are souvenirs from our travels.I’ve seen people pick an occasional flower, or a few, or even help themselves to most of the low-hanging cherries from a cherry tree atop our rockery (with their children there watching). Those behaviors haven’t yet prompted me to water those plants and (oops, big oops) any visitors below at that moment. That’s a possibility…as I’m way better at watering my garden than conversing with strangers about their behavior or engaging in confrontation.I do want to emphasize that it’s far worse to steal someone’s bulbs or perennials — presumably knowing they won’t grow back. My hope is that the teachers here will teach future generations some of these gardening principles!

just wondering April 17, 2021 (10:10 pm)

When my now 21 year old nephew was a little guy I offered him a penny for every yellow dandelion he picked from my yard. He thought about it and then said if he waited they would turn white and grow more and he could get more pennies!

Mark April 18, 2021 (9:44 am)

People have no respect. Most people want INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Dandelion April 18, 2021 (10:02 am)

I don’t currently have any tulips to take, but if I did, I wouldn’t mind if someone in need took them. They are much easier to replace, than someones dignity after being shamed.

Terremoto April 18, 2021 (5:58 pm)

She took bulbs, not flowers. That is theft, they ain’t coming back.
Dandelion April 18, 2021 (6:47 pm)

*tulip bulbs
aa April 19, 2021 (6:28 am)

if a person feels shame as a result of someone expressing anger because of something they have done that was illegal, I would argue that it is not the angry persons fault. Self-esteem comes from esteemable acts. If they are feeling shame, maybe it is because they know what they are doing is wrong.
- Dandelion April 19, 2021 (1:29 pm)
  
  There is a difference between someone feeling shame for something they’ve done, and the act of shaming someone.
  
  I’m not saying the person who stole tulip bulbs wasn’t wrong, I’m just sharing a perspective, on choice of reaction and response.
  
  What’s a worse crime, stealing tulip bulbs, or publicly shaming someone who does? It’s an interesting question.
Tyr1001 April 19, 2021 (7:16 am)

I’m not sure what basic human need must be fulfilled with tulip bulbs that can’t be satiated with a walk through Lincoln park. I see no issue with shaming someone for stealing, particularly when there is no reasonable excuse for doing so. A moderate tongue lashing seems very proportionate to the crime here
WS lifer April 19, 2021 (8:30 am)

A little shaming can be good for personal growth. How else are we to realize how far we have stepped over the boundaries of acceptable behaviour.
Auntie April 19, 2021 (2:16 pm)

I consider someone “in need” if they need food or shelter or clothing or any other necessity. There is no “need” to steal tulip bulbs or any other plants other than just a sense of entitlement – i.e. “I need it more than they do.” Stealing is wrong no matter how you look at it.
- Dandelion April 19, 2021 (3:31 pm)
  
  That’s a pretty limited scope of needs.
  
  Also, has anyone considered she may be suffering with a drug problem and was confused?
  
  Or maybe suffering mentally, perhaps due to something awful that happened?
  
  People are quick to judge others harshly, with limited information.
  
  And even then, even if this is truly a seemingly ‘entitled,’ ‘evil’ person, we still have a choice in who we are.

Lola April 19, 2021 (7:59 am)

Dandelion, should she just have ignored it and let her keep digging? Just because they are there does not mean you can come along and dig them up. I am sure she did not need them just saw them and thought ohhhh free bulbs I can plant in my yard or container. Wow.

Dandelion April 19, 2021 (1:41 pm)

There are many different ways someone could see and respond to this situation, I think that’s interesting to consider and explore. Wether someone feels anger, confusion, curiosity, compassion, sadness, joy, and what they choose next, how they treat the person, is interesting.

TM7302 April 19, 2021 (10:34 am)

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. This maybe a little over the top in the “evil” department, but I bet that this is not her first time at taking something that is not hers and will not be her last time. For God sake’s, report it to the police. Easy to do, take the license plate and call it in. I can’t count the number of times where the “posters” say, “I heard gunfire” or “there was a car speeding after I heard or saw X.” The police out, help your neighbors out, reducing crime is everyone’s responsibility.

Dandelion April 19, 2021 (2:42 pm)

For one thing, not everyone would judge this as ‘evil,’ so that is also interesting.

And the idea of good ‘triumphing’ over evil is also interesting… instead of the idea of triumphing, there are ideas of transforming, changing or shifting, helping or healing, rising above, on and on
- TM7302 April 19, 2021 (5:56 pm)
  
  @ Dandelion, try leaving your garage door open for a night and try some of that transforming, changing or shifting, helping or healing, rising above, on and on with your property…
  - Dandelion April 21, 2021 (7:47 am)
    
    Brilliant idea…
    
    What if instead of using garages as a place to store excess things, some people repurposed theirs as a place for free things offered for anyone to take, maybe even a cot in the corner for a place to sleep for someone in need.
    
    Maybe with more generosity, there would be less thievery and crime.

Sorry, comment time is over.