Why not? It sounds like you were on some sort of power trip. Jesus, just give him the damned sugar.
I used to work in a gas station in a bad part of Columbus (OH), where we had the same problem with the air hose nozzles. As my boss explained it to me, people stole them to make crack pipes, since they were metal and had the right shape. He said people he compained to in the Columbus PD told him this.
And then there’s the the simple truth pointed out above that some people just have no respect for others, and will steal or destroy things just for the hell of it.
Just to argue this tangent a tiny bit more ( 
), there’s a slight difference between a swiped air-hose and an employee getting assaulted for the register. But I digress. I understand asking for collateral, but I know I’d be annoyed (although I’d probably comply).
Well, when I mentioned robbing the store, I was thinking more of a beer run, wherein a person grabs a case of beer and flees the store without paying. Security tapes were used as evidence to nail the idiot who walked out of the store with $30 worth of beer on my shift. So, in terms of swiping possessions- air hoses and beer fall into the same category.
But yeah, I agree that cutting a hose and robbery at gunpoint are two really different things. 
Anyhow, whether it’s a stupid policy or not (the asking for collateral), it is our policy, and I do have to follow it. I’ve gotten so used to following it that my instant reaction to his request was to ask for collateral. Sort of like being conditioned to greet a customer when they enter your store. While I can understand being annoyed at a supposed question of your trustworthiness, there was no need to get so bent out of shape so quickly as this guy did.
Hah. Successfully brought the tangent back to the OP. I’ll shut up now. 
Because it’s a waste of sugar, for one.
I can never tell when you’re being serious.
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Hey, just to strike back for the customer for an instant…
Mum bought me a shirt, and put it away for a few months before presenting it to me for Christmas. It was too small, so I returned it to the store. I knew things weren’t going to go well when I saw a small sign that said returns had to be made within 48 hours of purchase, but I hoped they’d be considerate and let me return it anyway - it still had the tags on, and was neatly folded, and I had the receipt. They refused, but not because of the 48 hour thing - they refused on the grounds that “It has been worn”. No amount of arguing or pleading got them to change their minds, and I was furious. They could have easily stuck to their 48 hour policy and refused to accept it, but they chose to call me a liar. They insisted that the makeup marks near the collar proved that it had been worn (Mum says they were on it when she bought it), and that they would never sell a shirt in such a “filthy” state. Well, they did! I’m still angry, and I still won’t shop there. The customer may not always be right, but sometimes you can at least pretend to believe what they are saying. She had no right or reason to call me a liar - she had the 48 hour policy to fall back on. I gave the damn shirt away in the end. Since it was too small for me, I couldn’t wear it.
I also don’t see what the problem was with giving the customer the sugar… he’s a regular, and he asked for 50 cents worth of sugar instead of syrup. Why not give it to him?
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The shoe store I used to work in had an open return policy. I once had to give a refund on a pair of shoes that wore out, twelve months after they were purchased! The customer had retained the receipt, and came in for a refund. I was surprised, but kind of impressed. It would never have occurred to me to ask for a refund on such an old pair of shoes. The funniest thing was the customer was so angry that the shoes only lasted 12 months! His daughter “only wore them on weekends” - to play basketball in!