# A moral dilemma

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 26, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136 "2022-12-26T19:43:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/81 "2022-12-30T20:23:40Z")

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I agree - and in fact this probably covers the OP’s scenario - there are laws against just taking someone else’s shrubbery, but they are less likely to be enforced at the very small end of the scale.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/82 "2022-12-30T20:26:08Z")

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Yeah, and I concede that in the age of social media, it is possible for a sort of flash mob type situation to be triggered, causing a genuine ‘everybody-trying-to-do-it’ situation.

Although that also happens when Jamie Oliver makes an interesting recipe - everyone rushes out and clears the shelves of the star ingredient.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/83 "2022-12-30T20:43:06Z")

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Let’s recall the OP was not talking about taking a cutting. He needed the whole plant: roots, soil, and all.

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**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/84 "2022-12-30T21:08:27Z")

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And it’s obviously too late, and may have been a long shot even if it weren’t, but often landscapers _do_ leave some sort of calling card in their landscaping. They’d be the best to contact. They may even be happy to see you take away a plant that otherwise they would need to dig up themselves.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2022, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/85 "2022-12-30T23:04:10Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> …there are laws against just taking someone else’s shrubbery

[Outlaws don’t care](https://youtu.be/69iB-xy0u4A) about your stinking laws.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-moral-dilemma/977136/86 "2022-12-31T12:23:45Z")

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True. I still think the right answer is to be inspired by the example and work patiently to reproduce it. If you _really_ love bonsai, as opposed to just liking tiny trees.

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