# People stealing my lunch, is it ok to make a cat food sandwich? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169 "2009-09-07T16:15:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/201 "2009-09-09T04:24:56Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Hopefully they either decided my food sucks and won’t steal it anymore or they realized what i did and won’t risk it again. Or the thief might like it, and continue to steal your sandwiches in hopes of coming upon another delicious one. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/202 "2009-09-09T04:25:31Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > My lunch has been the only one there since i started taking lunch to work a few weeks ago, maybe everyone else learned to keep it at their desk or gave up on bringing lunch. They wouldn’t have known it was mine unless they kept a close eye on the break room. Unintended consequence: tonight as i was making my sandwich for tomorrow kitty sat there watching me expecting food since she got the leftovers last night, i’m going to test the waters with real food and see if my trap had the desired effect. Is yours the only lunch in the fridge, then? (Or wherever you put the lunch) I would personally continue the cat food sandwich more than just one day. If you leave something good tomorrow the culprit may just think “Oh, it was just a fluke yesterday” but if you do it for say, a week straight, he’ll probably get tired of trying to steal your lunch at the disappointment of getting yet another cat food sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/203 "2009-09-09T04:28:03Z")
And at some point in the future, there will be a rumour going about the office that DigitalC lives on cat food. ---
**Author:** ![Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9adbd/32.png) [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fell_through_the_Ice)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/204 "2009-09-09T04:31:52Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Bring a toothbrush and have your resume updated. 😕 Why would DigitalC need to bring his toothbrush to work? Or do anything to his resume? ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/205 "2009-09-09T04:33:33Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > 😕 Why would DigitalC need to bring his toothbrush to work? Or do anything to his resume? I pondered that for a while as well. I think he was suggesting that the food stealer may have been a boss, and that since he gave his boss catfood he needs to: 1: Offer the toothbrush as a… dowry of penance? 2: Find a new job, because he’s going to be fired. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/206 "2009-09-09T04:42:53Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > I pondered that for a while as well. > > I think he was suggesting that the food stealer may have been a boss, and that since he gave his boss catfood he needs to: > > 1: Offer the toothbrush as a… dowry of penance? > 2: Find a new job, because he’s going to be fired. Toothbrush is in case he gets arrested, resume is in case he gets fired. Arrest is highly unlikely, I’ll admit. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Handsome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@Gus\_Handsome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Handsome)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/207 "2009-09-09T06:53:58Z")
> [@Erasmus\_Darwin](#): > > This is pretty obnoxious. Not because it fucks over the thief, but because you’re sticking dog shit in the communal fridge and potentially fucking over a number of innocent third parties. That’s just gross. When I do pack a lunch, it is packed very well in saran wrap, and then placed inside one of those zip-up ‘keep cool’ bags. The only one who would be in jeopardy would be the culprit after they take their first delicious bite. While I agree it is rude, I would rather err on obnoxious than continue being some chump who gets their lunch stolen. The thought of someone actually stealing someone’s lunch (my lunch) infuriates me to no end. I drive cab for a living so I see the true nature of people, and as a result my sense of compassion and tolerance isn’t quite as forgiving as some of you kind hearted folks on here. Now a lot of this comes down to perspective, and since we each have our own, there really isn’t any right or wrong answer here. I work hard, I pay my bills, and if I go to the store, buy my groceries, take the time to prepare a lunch for the following day, that’s a lot of steps I have taken to feed myself. It’s not just a lunch being taken; it’s all the hard work and effort that went into getting the lunch, working hard to pay for it, making it ahead of time, and bringing it to work with me. All of this is lost because some good for nothing POS feels like taking it? They didn’t just steal my lunch; they reached into my pocket and robbed me. That’s my perspective, and when people steal from me, I fuck them up. I’m sorry if my actions offend you, but you have to stand up for yourself, and sometimes that includes crossing a line I take no pleasure crossing. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/208 "2009-09-09T08:51:17Z")
**DigitalC** Right now I’d be most afraid of scaring the thief away. If he/she thinks you might be on to them, then they might be scared off for good, and you’ll never find out who they were or what they thought they were doing. Do you know someone with a remote video camera (maybe something like they make for parents to watch young kids). Or you could buy a really cheap contact alarm for a couple of dollars (no one else but you and the thief use the fridge right?). Maybe a skin dye might work? How dissapointed would you be if you just scare the guy away and never resolve the matter? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/209 "2009-09-09T09:45:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > **What’s to stop him from striking back at the OP and poisoning or otherwise trapping the OP’s lunch?** He _could_, but unlike the OP, he is in the wrong. When the OP does it, it is justified retaliation. If he does it, it’s evidence that he’s a bully who could make the world a better place by jumping in front of a bus. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/210 "2009-09-09T11:09:48Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > **DigitalC** Right now I’d be most afraid of scaring the thief away. If he/she thinks you might be on to them, then they might be scared off for good, and you’ll never find out who they were or what they thought they were doing. I won’t speak for **DigitalC** but I’d be satisfied with that result. Did you learn not to touch my lunch? Good. Don’t care who you are, just don’t friggin’ steal my lunch. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/211 "2009-09-09T11:31:08Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > Yeah, pretty much that. > > It was very unlikely that I would get caught. It was a pretty big county office building and I was just a part-time summer temp. I doubt most people who worked there permanently were even aware of me. Multiple floors, multiple breakrooms and fridges…I simply got away with it and was totally under the radar. > > I’m quite sure that it never occurred to me that the people working there might blame their co-workers - people they actually worked with. Until this thread, I actually never even thought about that. ☹ Now I feel even worse - I wonder if anyone got accused/fired over it. I doubt it. Most sane individuals recognize that you better have proof before even accusing, let alone firing. Look, you were a kid. Kids go through rebellious stages and maybe you had some extra chip on your shoulder from being in a group home, like “the world doesn’t care about me; why should I care about it?” a.k.a. anomie. And then there’s the temptation of being able to get away with something: that’s just part of human nature. Maybe your testosterone was spiking, making you feel invincible? I don’t know…it was pilfering food, not assault with a deadly weapon. Everybody can look back as fully formed adults and see things they wish they hadn’t said and done when younger, but it’s a mistake to Monday morning quarterback. If you want to make some amends, there’s always the option of putting some good karma back into the universe. Help out at a group home, be a big brother, donate food to a food bank, etc. It isn’t a 1:1 for the original transgressions but IME it’s better than remaining idle and letting guilt have its way with you and repays something to the world. > [@wierdaaron](#): > > I dont think the cat food will do the trick. Someone dense enough to steal the only lunch in the fridge every single day isn’t going to be deterred by a weird-tasting sandwich. They need to either be outed (caught in the act; either the dye thing or some kind of alarm) or actually punished (hot peppers). > > How many people are there in this office? Maybe if the inside of the bag were coated in ink or dye, you could tell who it was by checking hands/shirts/pants. Perhaps something sandwich-looking could be concocted that, when removed from plastic wrap, would spill something brightly colored everywhere. It’s a tricky business. Say I’m not the thief, but I need to move the bag to reach something else. The ink/dye test would give a false positive on me. A hidden camera is looking like the best solution. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/212 "2009-09-09T12:09:41Z")
Might I suggest attaching the cat food can label to your lunch bag with a note that says something like, “Is this one cat food, too?” ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/213 "2009-09-09T13:02:58Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Toothbrush is in case he gets arrested So he can make it into a shiv? Shank? What are the kids calling them these days? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/214 "2009-09-09T13:22:40Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > So he can make it into a shiv? Shank? What are the kids calling them these days? I don’t know about the kids, but the inmates call it a shank. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/215 "2009-09-09T13:35:33Z")
I’ll take your word for it, Q. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/216 "2009-09-09T15:05:00Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Preferable, I’d guess, to returning it to the fridge with a bite missing. That’s what happened to my sandwich at work. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/217 "2009-09-09T15:09:54Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > He _could_, but unlike the OP, he is in the wrong. When the OP does it, it is justified retaliation. Well, let us assume the lunch thief is that kind of scum. Clearly, he’d then have no scruples at all about getting secret and horrible retaliation upon the OP. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/218 "2009-09-09T15:12:35Z")
> [@Fell\_through\_the\_Ice](#): > > 😕 Why would DigitalC need to bring his toothbrush to work? Or do anything to his resume? I don’t know how you have the temerity to keep posting to this thread when you, twenty-some years ago, stole some lunches and now apologize for it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/219 "2009-09-09T15:13:27Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > I won’t speak for **DigitalC** but I’d be satisfied with that result. Did you learn not to touch my lunch? Good. Don’t care who you are, just don’t friggin’ steal my lunch. No, he didn’t learn to not TOUCH your lunch, he learned to not eat it. He may well still steal it, then just toss it. Or he’ll sabotage your lunch in retaliation. Maybe with something much more subtle and dangerous. Remember- he knows who you are, you have not idea who he is. He can get revenge at will, and now you have no weapons at all. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169/220 "2009-09-09T15:31:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No, he didn’t learn to not TOUCH your lunch, he learned to not eat it. He may well still steal it, then just toss it. Or he’ll sabotage your lunch in retaliation. Maybe with something much more subtle and dangerous. Remember- he knows who you are, you have not idea who he is. He can get revenge at will, and now you have no weapons at all. On our next thrilling episode of _ **Lunch Wars** _, Dave discovers that he has been stealing and eating Cynthia’s catfud sandwiches and retaliates by fouling all the food in the building, drawing the ire of Irene and Carlo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-stealing-my-lunch-is-it-ok-to-make-a-cat-food-sandwich/509169.md?page=12)