How I (almost) stole a MacBook Pro.

Being in Switzerland for many times before, I knew that security isn't really a big issue here. People leave their bike next to their house for 3 years intact, cars open on parking lots and they are fine with it. On the other hand, at Media Markt, I was asked to leave my backpack with my laptop and all other stuff at the entrance. No problem with that, but today I paid visit to a Darty store. Somewhere, don't recall the exact location and I don't really want to be too specific about this.

The part that I liked most of the store was a tiny place, where I found both 2 favors of the MacBook, 24" iMac and a mini. They all had a cable in USB, which when unplugged, kicked off a really loud and really annoying alarm. In advance, the MacBooks had no battery, there was no Apple Remote around and power-bricks were locked out in a special compartment, not accessible by regular customer... so there was pretty much nothing to slip by sticky pockets. Except for the MacBook Pro. A shiny new machine, not having that requisite USB cable, immediately stroke my eyes. The price was set to 3500 Swiss francs, which equals to around US $2,900. Yay, the 2.33GHz machine, with basic stock 2GB RAM and 120GB drive. Well, that is a machine that I'd accept to replace my broken PowerBook. Aaaaww the hinges, poor them...
Now the real fun begins, after closing the lid, sleeping the machine, checking under battery if has that obligatory inductive sticker which lets off the alarm gates at store doors even on sub-dollar thing like a blank DVD. No. The machine was really new, which was also indicated by a MagSafe charger which was carelessly laying behind the MacBook Pro, of course, not secured. I have to admit, I had the dark thoughts of putting it under my jacket and sneaking out :))))

But this is an Apple device and I'm not a damn thief ! So I decided to take it to the front desk, tell them they should tie it with zillion kensington locks and plug that USB thing into every port they find. Out of sudden, my mom appeared, telling me she found car keys at the bathroom (cool, they have single unisex bathroom here ;) and in her fear to speak any other language then the default czech one, she pointed at a guy who was marching out the store rapidly. With the MacBook Pro in one hand, Audi car keys in the other, I ran past 3 or 4 store clerks that totally ignored me, out of the store and finally catching the guy who was looking for his key at the moment. He was happy, but I was not. At this time, I was technically a thief. I ran out of the store with quiet expensive thing in my hands, not even thinking about any payment. I slowly returned to the store, wondering if those alarm gates did anything ? Yes ? No ? I didn't know, in the hurry I did no realize at all. I came up to the guy at the information counter, telling him that this device was not secured by anything. He looked really surprised, telling me he thought it was my machine and he'll have someone to look at it. A tiny "Thank You" for me invoked the thought that everyone would have done this, as it's pretty natural and obvious.

It should be. I have to say, this is what I really like about Switzerland.