# A Petty Rant for Petty thieves **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408 "2005-10-29T02:20:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/21 "2005-10-29T19:58:04Z")
I’m a shameless condiment-packet and napkin-stealer. I have a little basket full of ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, taco sauce packets, straws, and napkins, all liberated from fast-food places. I only take things when I’m there eating - I don’t just walk in, scoop up handfuls of stuff, and walk out. I justify it to myself by remember that I’m a college student, so somehow it’s acceptable. Plus, I’ve worked in fast-food and know that it’s hardly as if they inventory the individual packets. If you’re going to charge me three bucks for a soda that costs you ten cents, I’m going to steal a handful of ketchup packets. The napkin thing isn’t morally questionable, I don’t think. Just kind of wierd. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/22 "2005-10-30T00:06:54Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > I’m a shameless condiment-packet and napkin-stealer. I have a little basket full of ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, taco sauce packets, straws, and napkins, all liberated from fast-food places. I only take things when I’m there eating - I don’t just walk in, scoop up handfuls of stuff, and walk out. > > I justify it to myself by remember that I’m a college student, so somehow it’s acceptable. Plus, I’ve worked in fast-food and know that it’s hardly as if they inventory the individual packets. If you’re going to charge me three bucks for a soda that costs you ten cents, I’m going to steal a handful of ketchup packets. > > The napkin thing isn’t morally questionable, I don’t think. Just kind of wierd. Taking a couple extra everytime you eat there is one thing. I save my little packets too. Taking a handful instead of two is one thing. Taking five or six handfuls is morally questionable but in a a very “that’s wierd” way. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/23 "2005-10-30T00:28:49Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > \The napkin thing isn’t morally questionable, I don’t think.\ I must respectfully disagree with this. A restaurant supplies consumables like napkins and ketchup with the understanding that people use what they need while they are there eating, and leave the rest alone. I would say that virtually all North Americans understand this, and to take 500 napkins is indeed stealing. Stealing condiments from a fast food is indeed petty, and it isn’t a big deal, but I believe that the thinking behind it is problematic. I believe that people need to monitor themselves, and do the right thing even when nobody is looking. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/24 "2005-10-30T03:08:31Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > I’m a shameless condiment-packet and napkin-stealer. I have a little basket full of ketchup, mustard, mayo, relish, taco sauce packets, straws, and napkins, all liberated from fast-food places. I only take things when I’m there eating - I don’t just walk in, scoop up handfuls of stuff, and walk out. > > I justify it to myself by remember that I’m a college student, so somehow it’s acceptable. Plus, I’ve worked in fast-food and know that it’s hardly as if they inventory the individual packets. If you’re going to charge me three bucks for a soda that costs you ten cents, I’m going to steal a handful of ketchup packets. > > The napkin thing isn’t morally questionable, I don’t think. Just kind of wierd. I have a stash like that, too–not to mention the Equal packets and napkins in my backpack. 🙂 One of the cute little sayings on the Taco Bell sauce packets is, “How many of these do you already have in your desk drawer?” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/25 "2005-10-30T04:36:19Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > I don’t think taking a shitload of napkins from Wendy’s is the same as stealing merchandise. Taking a _shitload_—indeed, anything over .075 metric shitload—is indeed stealing. In defense of this statement, I appeal to the following ethical rules: What If Everybody Did It? Would They Be Okay With It If They Knew About It? Would You Still Think It Was Okay If You Were The One Losing Money From It? ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/26 "2005-10-30T08:47:21Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Taking a _shitload_—indeed, anything over .075 metric shitload—is indeed stealing. > > In defense of this statement, I appeal to the following ethical rules: > > What If Everybody Did It? > > Would They Be Okay With It If They Knew About It? > > Would You Still Think It Was Okay If You Were The One Losing Money From It? Good points. It’s when petty thievery becomes very common place, as in everybody does it so it must be okay, that companies have to change their policies. You’ll notice certain items at Best Buy have restocking fees now. That’s because they’re prime targets for the rent for free scam. Customers bitch and think the company is being greedy fucks, but you can really blame your fellow customers who joined the petty theif club in large numbers for the change in policy. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/27 "2005-10-30T09:26:36Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > On lunch break at Wendy’s I saw a young adult who was on his way out go to the napkin vendor and pull out a huge stack of napkins, several times. He tucked his 500 napkins under his arm and walked out. Of course, he may have been masturbating like a motherfucker. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/28 "2005-10-30T11:39:32Z")
I’m not so sure about condiment packets. I don’t like ketchup, yet almost every time I get a to-go order or go through a drive-thru, I’m given little packets of ketchup, especially if I’ve ordered french fries. I do like salt, and if I’m eating in a fastfood joint and they don’t have salt and pepper on the tables, I may take a few more salt packets than I need or the server may give me more than I need. I assume this wastage is built into the store’s calculated expenses, just like the packets **Ninja Chick** ’s taking. Here’s my stupid petty theft story. A few months ago, I was at a Mensa Regional Gathering, RG for short. There were also a couple of school sports teams staying in the same hotel. On our registration table, there was a basket of blue stressballs imprinted with a globe on them which were being given to people at the RG as a premium. I was hanging out by registration shooting the bull with friends (one of the major activities at RGs) when a couple of dozen kids on the way out of the hotel trouped by the table and just started taking balls from the basket on the table. As far as I know, none of them asked if they could or what they were for, although I did hear a “Thank you” or two. Now, maybe I’m an old fuddy-duddy, but I wasn’t raised to just take things off a table which was reserved for a particular purpose without permission, especially if it was an organization I didn’t belong to. It wasn’t a big deal and we had plenty of the balls; it was just slightly surprising. I don’t think anyone objected, although I’m sure some of our more pedantic members might if they’d known. It was just evidence of a different upbringing and different priorities, or at least that’s what I put it down to. CJ ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/29 "2005-10-30T15:24:43Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Of course, he may have been masturbating like a motherfucker. :o Dam I never thought of that. I hearby officially recind my rant. Anybody who needs that many napkins to liquidate the inventory deserves some respect. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/30 "2005-10-30T15:28:16Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > I’m not so sure about condiment packets. I don’t like ketchup, yet almost every time I get a to-go order or go through a drive-thru, I’m given little packets of ketchup, especially if I’ve ordered french fries. I do like salt, and if I’m eating in a fastfood joint and they don’t have salt and pepper on the tables, I may take a few more salt packets than I need or the server may give me more than I need. I assume this wastage is built into the store’s calculated expenses, just like the packets **Ninja Chick** ’s taking. > > Here’s my stupid petty theft story. A few months ago, I was at a Mensa Regional Gathering, RG for short. There were also a couple of school sports teams staying in the same hotel. On our registration table, there was a basket of blue stressballs imprinted with a globe on them which were being given to people at the RG as a premium. I was hanging out by registration shooting the bull with friends (one of the major activities at RGs) when a couple of dozen kids on the way out of the hotel trouped by the table and just started taking balls from the basket on the table. As far as I know, none of them asked if they could or what they were for, although I did hear a “Thank you” or two. Now, maybe I’m an old fuddy-duddy, but I wasn’t raised to just take things off a table which was reserved for a particular purpose without permission, especially if it was an organization I didn’t belong to. It wasn’t a big deal and we had plenty of the balls; it was just slightly surprising. I don’t think anyone objected, although I’m sure some of our more pedantic members might if they’d known. It was just evidence of a different upbringing and different priorities, or at least that’s what I put it down to. > > CJ Good example of petty theft. I’ve worked retail for years and it’s a constant surprise how kids of all ages behave. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/31 "2005-10-30T18:00:30Z")
> [@Rilchiam](#): > > Are you sure it was kids? There were no parents or other adults? If there were, it’s possible that an adult used the faulty logic of “Hey, it’s the Y; I’ve donated to them. What’s a stuffed animal, anyway?” I’m not 100% sure, but somewhat sure. The tables were in a circle in the middle of the Y’s gym, and there was a Y staff member, a woman manning the First Republic Bank table, and me in the middle. No other adults entered the middle, but some of the slightly older kids in ninja costumes were chasing each other around and eventually started diving under the tables and running through the middle. I didn’t think anything of it, and was really too focused on helping kids find shark teeth in our fake beach and warning them that the jaws were real and must be touched carefully so they wouldn’t cut themselves to check on the bin of stuff I’d decided not to use. **Anastasaeon** , that’s an amazing story. Actually almost makes me happy to hear the place went out of business. ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/32 "2005-10-30T18:22:31Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > Taking a _shitload_—indeed, anything over .075 metric shitload—is indeed stealing. > > In defense of this statement, I appeal to the following ethical rules: > > What If Everybody Did It? > > Would They Be Okay With It If They Knew About It? > > Would You Still Think It Was Okay If You Were The One Losing Money From It? My mom taught me rules #1 & #2 (and a variant of #3) when I was about 11 or 12 and she caught me at some petty thing. I don’t remember what the thing was now, but I do remember the rules. Seem pretty basic to me. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/33 "2005-10-30T18:49:55Z")
> [@Thudlow Boink](#): > > What If Everybody Did It? Then food would either become a lot more expensive, or condiments and napkins would be rationed. > [@](#): > > Would They Be Okay With It If They Knew About It? Obviously they are okay with it, since they allow it to go on. > [@](#): > > Would You Still Think It Was Okay If You Were The One Losing Money From It? If I was losing that much money from it, I would change the system–give people individual packets of napkins or ration out the ketchup. See a pattern? Obviously, the restaurant doesn’t care if a guy comes in and takes all their napkins. They go out of their way to provide these napkins, banking on the fact that almost everyone isn’t too cheap to buy their own napkins, and also the fact that napkins are super cheap. If enough people took shitloads of napkins, then the system would change. Simple as that. (P.S. I have never actually done this at a restaurant. The most I’ve done is keep the leftover condiment packets that I took because I thought I needed them, which is maybe two per meal.) ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/34 "2005-10-30T19:50:48Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > :o Dam I never thought of that. I hearby officially recind my rant. Anybody who needs that many napkins to liquidate the inventory deserves some respect. Just don’t be there when he puts them back. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/35 "2005-10-30T21:57:04Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Then food would either become a lot more expensive, or condiments and napkins would be rationed. > > Obviously they are okay with it, since they allow it to go on. > > If I was losing that much money from it, I would change the system–give people individual packets of napkins or ration out the ketchup. I’ve actually seen those changes occur. Remember when the person at the drive through or counter would just throw in a handful {always more than needed}? Now they usually ask first and then give out a specifc limited number. > [@](#): > > See a pattern? Obviously, the restaurant doesn’t care if a guy comes in and takes all their napkins. They go out of their way to provide these napkins, banking on the fact that almost everyone isn’t too cheap to buy their own napkins, and also the fact that napkins are super cheap. If enough people took shitloads of napkins, then the system would change. Simple as that. It’s not obvious at all. Comapnies balance convienience for their customers with exspense. If the exspense get’s to be too much then it get’s less convienient for customers. Just becasue that hasn’t happened at Wendys doesn’t mean they don’t care. Working in retail I’ve seen the petty and not so petty thieves make things harder for others many times. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/36 "2005-10-30T23:08:19Z")
I’m a petty thief. I steal a few packets of splenda whenever I eat or get coffee at a place that has them. Feel free to rant at me. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/37 "2005-10-31T02:53:17Z")
> [@Purd Werfect](#): > > I’m a petty thief. I steal a few packets of splenda whenever I eat or get coffee at a place that has them. Feel free to rant at me. when you take a few hundred at a time,… it’s your ass. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/38 "2005-10-31T20:12:32Z")
> [@](#): > > **Annie-Xmas** > I was once paying for my groceries when I saw someone take a huge bunch of plastic shopping bags from the container. The type you get free every time you shop! Who needs a handful of plastic bags. The only other thing they are good for putting regular garbage outside. I don’t take huge bunches, but I do take extra bags. I have two dogs who poop once or twice a day, so poop bags are pretty much always needed. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/39 "2005-10-31T20:39:20Z")
At a coffee shop I worked at, we used to give out frequent-buyer cards that would be punched with a specially-shaped punch. There was a man who would cut out the shape of the punch with an X-acto knife. It must have been many hours work for $6 worth of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408/40 "2005-10-31T20:39:56Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > On lunch break at Wendy’s I saw a young adult who was on his way out go to the napkin vendor and pull out a huge stack of napkins, several times. He tucked his 500 napkins under his arm and walked out. Is he saving money buy stealing from Wendy’s rather than buy his own? I’ll take this one…I’ve been that guy taking the napkins many times. Its revenge, pure and simple. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been ripped off by the drive-thru people on napkins (not to mention the order itself). I order $30 worth of food and get one or two thin napkins, hardly enough for everyone. So I take them when the opportunity presents itself and stockpile them in my glove compartment. That way when it comes time to go again I’m already stocked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-petty-rant-for-petty-thieves/328408.md?page=3)