# stealing from the disabled and poor! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 2, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122 "2006-01-02T21:54:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/1 "2006-01-02T21:54:11Z")
How low can you be to do this? I was crossing the parking lot to go into the Goodwill store and passed the drop off bins. There were 5 people there pawing through the bins and taking things to thier cars, one man was complaining because he couldn’t find the top to a tubbie. Geez people! Do you not realize this 1) is stealing? Just because you can get your grubby paws on it doens’t mean it is free for the taking. 2) it is stealing from disabled people? People who are trying to work and NOT be a burden on society unlike the theiving assholes stealing the “good stuff” and further messing up the rest. I hope you get crabs and lice and other nasty critters infesting your home from stealing from the poor but you probably wouldn’t notice due to festering lice on your soul. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/2 "2006-01-02T23:13:06Z")
How do you know that those taking the stuff were not, in fact, poor and/or disabled? ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/3 "2006-01-03T00:10:44Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > How do you know that those taking the stuff were not, in fact, poor and/or disabled? How would it matter if they were? It’s still stealing. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/4 "2006-01-03T00:20:15Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > How do you know that those taking the stuff were not, in fact, poor and/or disabled? Hell, Adhemar is lucky to have escaped with his life. They may have been ninjas. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/5 "2006-01-03T15:06:23Z")
What’s a tubbie? ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/6 "2006-01-03T19:12:29Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > What’s a tubbie? a plastic storage container, one manufacturer is Rubbermaid. Comes in sizes from food sized to large christmas tree sized. As I was going into the store he took it over and put it in his car and as I was leaving the stire he was grubbing around in the donation box for more goodies to steal. I have heard complains from doation centers about people coming in the night to rifle the donations but this was early afternoon ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/7 "2006-01-03T19:22:22Z")
Did you take down a license number, call the police to report the theft, and provide the information as far as vehicle and description of the people to the agency whose bin was being stolen from? Because that IS theft. Those folks might as well have knocked out a store window and been helping themselves to the merchandise. And they can be prosecuted for theft, from all I understand. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/8 "2006-01-03T21:13:59Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Did you take down a license number, call the police to report the theft, and provide the information as far as vehicle and description of the people to the agency whose bin was being stolen from? > > Because that IS theft. Those folks might as well have knocked out a store window and been helping themselves to the merchandise. And they can be prosecuted for theft, from all I understand. Right. That’s theft. [But taking a power strip isn’t?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6952466&postcount=82) Curious. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/9 "2006-01-03T21:23:43Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > Did you take down a license number, call the police to report the theft, and provide the information as far as vehicle and description of the people to the agency whose bin was being stolen from? > > Because that IS theft. Those folks might as well have knocked out a store window and been helping themselves to the merchandise. And they can be prosecuted for theft, from all I understand. I let the people inside the store know. In this state liscense plates are only on the back of the cars and I would have had to be walk around the cars to note the plates. Frankly that is a little more dangerous than I am willing to risk. Memphis had 2 shooting fatalities as of Jan 2, I didn’t want to be number 3. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/10 "2006-01-03T21:33:29Z")
**Contrapuntal** , give it a rest. It was several years ago. It was a $10 item. It was an incredibly stressful situation when quite possibly our decision-making capabilities weren’t at their very best. I never said it was right, I said it happened. But if you really think it’s right to get a good man fired over a spontaneous act of misplaced generosity with something that didn’t belong to him, go right ahead. He was trying to do something nice for someone he thought was being screwed. At the time, we were feeling pretty royally screwed, too. It wasn’t worth arguing over any further then, and it’s still not now. And since when do I have to have a perfect track record in my own life to suggest that what someone else is doing is illegal? What about the candy I shoplifted as a child? Does that disqualify me from commenting on the fact that what someone else is doing is against the law? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/11 "2006-01-03T21:34:10Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > How do you know that those taking the stuff were not, in fact, poor and/or disabled? Reminds me of a cartoon I saw once – a homeless guy is reaching towards a Salvation Army collection bucket under the sign “Help the Needy.” The SA guy covers the bucket with a hand and says, “None of that, buddy! It has to go through channels!” ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/12 "2006-01-03T21:47:09Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > **Contrapuntal** , give it a rest. It was several years ago. It was a $10 item. It was an incredibly stressful situation when quite possibly our decision-making capabilities weren’t at their very best. I never said it was right, I said it happened. in linked quote: > [@Mama Tiger](#): > > We ended up with a couple of really nice power strips and such that he had no intention of removing from the premises, except the head of security insisted they belonged to him, and who was he to argue with security as he was being escorted out the door? 😃 revisionist items: “It was a $10 item” vs. “a couple of really nice power strips and such” “I never said it was right, I said that it happened” " 😃 " but I digress. I have no real defense for someone dumpster diving at a non -profit. I will, however, note for the record that for me personally anymore there’s a number of issues about **some** non profits that take donations like that. A. I understand that in many cases, they end up having to throw out much since it’s unusable (one of a pair of shoes, stained or torn clothing, tubs minus lids etc.). B. I also understand that in some cases, much of their much needed operating budget comes from sales of such donations, however: C. I also understand that in some cases the person doing the donating is believing that some ‘deserving’ person (poor, person w/handicap etc.) is the direct recipient of such goods, _gratis_, but that is not always the case. I used to be able to call on any number of local large non profits who had 2nd hand stores and be able to arrange that a client of mine got a pair or two of pants, a couple of shirts (when they had next to nothing) or a warm winter coat. Isn’t the case anymore. I was told that they ‘needed’ all of the potential store proceeds they could get. which didn’t help keep the guy w/o a winter coat warm. BUt I digress once again. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/13 "2006-01-03T22:24:09Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > **Contrapuntal** , give it a rest. It was several years ago. It was a $10 item. It was an incredibly stressful situation when quite possibly our decision-making capabilities weren’t at their very best. I never said it was right, I said it happened. No, but you did play the Katrina card. That was a gutsy move. > [@MamaTiger](#): > > It’s several years ago now, and all the people involved lost their homes in Katrina. It’s not worth endangering anybody’s job over something that small. > [@MamaTiger](#): > > But if you really think it’s right to get a good man fired over a **spontaneous act of misplaced generosity with something that didn’t belong to him** , go right ahead. IBolding mine) Actually I was just trying to get a range finder for your definition of stealing. That bolded part is priceless. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/14 "2006-01-03T22:34:06Z")
Congress just stole millions of dollars from the disabled and the poor. We can’t report them to the store, because they run the store. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/15 "2006-01-03T23:07:49Z")
They were stealing but just as a heads up most Goodwill shoppers are neither especially poor nor disabled. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/16 "2006-01-03T23:23:04Z")
> [@astro](#): > > They were stealing but just as a heads up most Goodwill shoppers are neither especially poor nor disabled. Yeah, most of the Goodwills I’ve been to are packed with hipster doofuses buying novelty records and crazy belts. St. Vinnie’s and Salvation Army tend to be the places where real poor people shop. And yeah, stealing from the Goodwill is pretty pathetic. Like the guy couldn’t wait till the next day and buy it for a dollar. Just goes to show you that for some people stealing’s not about the lack of money, it’s about the thrill. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/17 "2006-01-03T23:42:27Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Just goes to show you that for some people stealing’s not about the lack of money, it’s about the thrill. For some. For most, I think, it’s a misplaced sense of entitlement. The scum who stole goodies from the Goodwill box, who were probably going to sell the stuff at the swap meet, were entitled to it because they “needed the money” or something. **Mama Tiger** ’s husband was entitled to the power strips because he was laid off unfairly and it’s a big company and who’s going to miss a couple of power strips anyway. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/18 "2006-01-04T01:16:06Z")
I repeat: I never said it was right. It happened. We weren’t exactly thinking clearly at the time. If we had it all to do over again and weren’t kind of distraught about my husband being laid off, we probably would have done things differently. But since I’m 99.9% sure the security chief’s home was destroyed in Katrina based on where he lived, to do anything at this point in time, even return the forced-upon-us power strip, that might jeopardize his job? Not something I’m interested in doing, thank you anyway. (Hint: It’s okay to play the Katrina card when it’s true.) End of story. But stealing from a Goodwill donation box is disgusting. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/19 "2006-01-04T01:21:38Z")
> [@astro](#): > > They were stealing but just as a heads up most Goodwill shoppers are neither especially poor nor disabled. Goodwill EMPLOYS disabled people and the proceeds of the store also go to help train and employee disabled people. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122/20 "2006-01-04T15:23:07Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > I repeat: I never said it was right. You sure have flopped and twisted about trying to justify it, though. > [@Mama Tiger](#): > > (Hint: It’s okay to play the Katrina card when it’s true.) End of story. (Hint: Don’t play any card at all when the game is marbles.) The security guard losing his house in a hurricane has fuck-all to do with whether or not your husband was justified in taking the power strips, which you repeatedly claimed was true, since the guard told him to and there was _nothing he could do about it_. Shifting the argument to whether it would be right to fire the guard is simply more flopping and twisting. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-from-the-disabled-and-poor/338122.md?page=2)