No. The wiring in your building was installed by an electrician. Most EE’s (electrical engineer’s) wouldn’t have a clue how to wire up a house properly.
And frankly… The kid should be punished, but a felony? Sheesh.
FWIU & IANAL, it’s nothing at all until the person leaves the store with the unpaid for (in this case, unpaid for correctly on purpose) product.
I agree with you…the $4.99 dude is too stupid to get a degree. I’m curious though as to how someone that stupid can breathe.
Too bad he’s not attending my father’s alma mater, Virginia Military Institute. One incident of theft and he’d be expelled.
I knew someone was going to bring that up. But an EE designed some of the electrical components that are in my building.
Be thankful for Underwriters Laboratories, who set extremely strict standards for those electrical components. 
I’ll toast to that!
No, no, no. Hang 'im by his earbuds.
And pay no attention to the taped on UPC?
Throw this shmuck in the slammer until he is too old to breed. I’d be more lenient if it was a clever attempt at theft, but immoral and stupid together is too much.
He was probably hoping for something along the lines of “Any would you like our extended warranty with that, for only an additional … let’s see … 49 cents?”
Not sure about US law, but in UK law, if you switch the labels you are already committing theft, even if you don’t bring it to the cashier.
He’s an idiot AND an EE student - just what do you suppose his breeding options are going to consist of? He’ll need a schematic to find his way.
Jesus, at least use a more realistic price! I don’t think the kid would have made the news had he knocked it off even to half price.
4.99 for an iPod? Kid, you deserve what you get. And you just know you’re going to become a legend at that store. 20 years from now, they’ll still be talking about it!
I’m really sorry. It was wrong of me to have lied about the reason for going to war. I promise I will never do it again.
George
“Your honor, my client would like to plead not guilty by reason of stupidity.”
“That’s not technically an allowable plea, counselor, but your client has presented some pretty compelling evidence.”
hehe, he switched the sticker!
:smack: And to think that engineers “rule the world”…we’re doomed.
True translation: “I really didn’t understand the magnitude of the offense I commited, now I do and now I understand why it will never happen again, so much so that if you let me go, and if this does happen again you can string me up by my 'nads”
We do? Why wasn’t I informed?
And why isn’t my salary bigger?
He’s not saying he didn’t know how serious the offense was - he’s specifically saying he didn’t know how serious the penalty was. In other words - he probably thought the worst that would happen is a slap on the wrist and an ejection from the store. No matter what, he had to have known what he was doing was wrong, and illegal. And he still did it anyway.
Ha! That made me giggle madly. Luke Skywalerish and a cokehead? Off with his head!
So MEs make the box the future comes in. Then EEs try to get away with putting a different UPC code on the box, hoping for a 97% discount.