# Which one of these shops would you rob money from 1st? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972 "2014-03-18T01:45:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![compositejoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/compositejoe/32/7232_2.png) [@compositejoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/compositejoe)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/1 "2014-03-18T01:45:13Z")
A street in a city has a row of 4 shops. A toy shop, a frozen food shop, a charity shop and a computer shop. If you had to make the choice, which one would you rather rob money from the most? :eek: I would personally go for the toy shop. šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/2 "2014-03-18T01:49:57Z")
If I needed the money, then Iā€™d rob the toyshop. They are at least maginally ethically worse as they take advantage of whining and naive children to sell their products. Then again, I would generally only steal if I was starving, so in the real world, Iā€™d be least unlikely to loot the frozen food shop. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/3 "2014-03-18T03:15:54Z")
If all I wanted was money, itā€™d be either the frozen food shop or charity shop. Customers in those two would more likely pay cash; people in the toy shop and computer shop would more likely charge, leaving less in the register. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/4 "2014-03-18T10:51:31Z")
Ethically, the frozen food shop. Itā€™s less likely to be a small business whose owners would be personally affected by the loss. Unethically, but practically, the charity shop, as itā€™s far more likely than the others to have cash on the premises. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/5 "2014-03-18T11:27:13Z")
Iā€™d rob the computer shop. Of computers. They can be quite expensive and could probably be fenced. Iā€™m talking strictly utility here ā€¦ if I had ethics I wouldnā€™t be robbing any of them. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/6 "2014-03-18T12:39:25Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Iā€™d rob the computer shop. Of computers. They can be quite expensive and could probably be fenced. Iā€™m talking strictly utility here ā€¦ if I had ethics I wouldnā€™t be robbing any of them. Yep - probably the highest ā€˜profit marginā€™ from robbing there. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/7 "2014-03-18T14:14:40Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > Yep - probably the highest ā€˜profit marginā€™ from robbing there. That was my rationalle as well. They can afford it. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/8 "2014-03-18T15:08:04Z")
Frozen food ------- or maybe the charity store. They probably have the highest percentage of cash sales. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/9 "2014-03-18T15:14:48Z")
What the heck is a ā€œfrozen food shopā€? Is that the same thing as an ice cream parlor? Or do you imagine a store specializing in things like Lean Cuisine and Stoufferā€™s frozen meals? ā€œWe sell it; you take it home and nuke it.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/10 "2014-03-18T15:21:07Z")
And what do the smilies next to each of the choices mean? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/11 "2014-03-18T15:31:57Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > And what do the smilies next to each of the choices mean? 1. Har 2. Oh, brother 3. Hee hee 4. Boo hoo ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/12 "2014-03-18T15:37:45Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > What the heck is a ā€œfrozen food shopā€? Is that the same thing as an ice cream parlor? Or do you imagine a store specializing in things like Lean Cuisine and Stoufferā€™s frozen meals? ā€œWe sell it; you take it home and nuke it.ā€ Er, there are quite a few such shops. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/13 "2014-03-18T15:54:43Z")
Iā€™ve never heard of one. Can you link to a webpage for one, or find one in Google Street View? Iā€™m not doubting you; perhaps Iā€™ve seen such things but canā€™t remember doing so. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/14 "2014-03-18T17:12:17Z")
Well, this is the UK, but itā€™s a major chain: [http://www.iceland.co.uk/](http://www.iceland.co.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/15 "2014-03-18T18:08:32Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Iā€™ve never heard of one. Can you link to a webpage for one, or find one in Google Street View? Iā€™m not doubting you; perhaps Iā€™ve seen such things but canā€™t remember doing so. Iā€™ve never heard of them either, I had assumed it was an ice-cream parlor myself. How bizarre! ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/16 "2014-03-18T18:26:57Z")
Yeah, frozen food shop? I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever seen one. Which one will I rob first? That depends on which one I encounter first. If theyā€™re all i a row like that I would probably try to hit all of them, since I was in the neighborhood in a larcenous mood. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/17 "2014-03-18T18:48:57Z")
So for the US-centric view, I suppose you could substitute ā€œchain grocery storeā€ for ā€œfrozen food store.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2014, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-one-of-these-shops-would-you-rob-money-from-1st/683972/18 "2014-03-18T18:59:27Z")
I canā€™t think of any circumstances under which Iā€™d rob any store, but letā€™s assume I was absolutely desperate. In that case, the KIND of store is irrelevant from a moral standpoint. I only have two concerns: 1. Which store has a lot of CASH on hand? 2. At which store wouldI have the best chance of making a clean getaway? The computer store is out because Iā€™m guessing most of their customers pay with credit cards. The other shops would probably have cash. SO, of the three remaining shop, Iā€™d steal from the one that has the fewest employees and the least security. If the toy shop has a single old man behind the register, perfect!