Police say a man picked up for shoplifting at a Southern New Jersey Wal-Mart had an unusual motive: Paying off a bet.

Fifty-eight-year-old Irwin Krakow of Millville was arrested and charged with shoplifting from a nearby store.

The alleged crime and motive were first reported by The Daily Journal of Vineland.

Police say the suspect told them he lost a wager that came with two ways to repay: stealing $50 worth of stuff from the Wal-Mart or running naked through the street.

Krakow reportedly regretted choosing shoplifting, lamenting that the fine would be less for the nudity.

He's charged with stealing a USB card, two spoons, a nutcracker, decorative tree, and Tshirts. The items were worth about $43.

Source: The Daily Journal, http:// www.thedailyjournal.com

What exactly would be the right age to stop taking on stupid bets? You would think that someone who's lived to be almost sixty would grow up and not make any wagers that required you to do juvenile acts in order to pay off a loss.

In fact, I never cared to be at parties where some people end up playing, what I consider, very sophomoric games. One is called "True Hearts" where you pull from a deck of cards, and if you pull any heart suits, you have to answer whatever question you're asked, truthfully. Needless to say, because of this I was never invited to many slumber parties.

Another is "Truth or Dare" where you choose to answer any question truthfully or take a dare instead. Depending on the crowd you're playing with, the dare could be something innocent like kiss a certain partygoer, or something more explicit like run naked down the street.

I suppose we all choose our battles, but if I'm going to make any kind of wager, I will usually limit the payment to doing the dishes for a week or treating to dinner at a nice restaurant. I try earnestly not to become the April Fool!

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