I was reading an old thread mentioning that pretty much everyone in certain types of jobs steals from their work.
I’ve never stolen anything - at least any physical products. I’ve pirated music and games before. I don’t want to turn this thread into a debate as to whether that constitutes theft equal to physically stealing things. For the purposes of this thread, exclude copying digital information. If you’ve never pirated a thing, though, feel free to say it.
Anyway - a few times in my life it’s come up for one reason or another, and the general reaction is that people either think I’m lying, or they think I’m strange. I recall job applications in my teens that asked if I’d ever stolen anything - I debated lying and hesitantly saying yes because I thought they might assume you have stolen something and were looking to see if you were honest about it. I considered lying in order to not appear to be a liar…
I simply find it unethical, so I don’t do it. I’ve gone back to pay for things that I accidentally taken with me. Plus - by the time I was in my late teens, after realizing I’d never stolen anything, I never wanted to break the perfect streak - it would seem odd to go all those years never stealing, and then suddenly start.
So I’m wondering, am I unusual in this regard? Has anyone else gone through life without stealing anything? Do people you know consider that strange?
Close, but not quite. When I was 18, I went to buy a modem at Radio Shack (28.8k, w00t!). The plan was to pay $30 on a credit card and the remaining $200 in cash. The cashier rang up the $30, went to get a bag for the modem, bagged it up, and sent me on my way. Without collecting the $200 in cash. I realized it as I was walking out of the door, and I kept walking.
Not something I’m proud of, but stealing nonetheless.
Still, I wouldn’t be surprised to find there are quite a few folks here who haven’t stolen anything, and I certainly wouldn’t consider them odd.
I don’t think I’ve ever actually stolen anything (I can say that since you’re not counting downloaded music).
Maybe the closest I’ve come is removing a couple of handfuls of pretty little rocks from a beautiful beach and THEN seeing the sign on our way to the parking lot that reminded visitors not to remove ANYTHING from the natural habitat. Oops … Still feel a little bad about that.
Oh, also, once I bought a pair of sneakers that were on sale - the new price had been hand-written on the sticker but it was blurry and had obviously been hastily scribbled. I thought it said $49.99 but the cashier quickly glanced at it and rang it up as $19.99, and I didn’t argue. I guess that kinda counts as stealing.
Once I absent-mindedly walked out of a department store with an unpaid-for sweater looped over my arm … when I got to my car I realized my error and went back and returned it to the cashier. It was the same store as the aforementioned sneakers, so maybe it sorta works out in a karma kind of way?
PS - I’ve only worn the sneakers once … the guilt is overwhelming … I should donate them to charity I guess.
When I was six years old, I took five dry beans from a bag of beans at the store that had gotten somehow opened. I felt so awful that I hid them in the dirt under where our car was parked at home. Of course they sprouted, and I felt even WORSE.
Same. I can’t think of things I’ve deliberately stolen (other than from my siblings, and I always gave that stuff back), but I’m certain I’ve accidentally left work with pens.
Pens don’t count. They have a natural migration pattern that you can’t control. I just round them up at the end of the season and return them to work. I certainly don’t need more than a pen or two at home.
One time when I was about 11, I took a little hair bow from a booth at our town carnival. I felt so guilty about it that I hid it under my mattress and it felt like the tell-tale heart. Finally, I buried it in a bag of trash that was to be picked up that day.
Other than that, I have never stolen anything at all. IMO, thieves are the lowest of the low and I have no desire to join their ranks.
I shoplifted a few trivial toys when I was 12 or 13, just to see what it was like (answer: it induces paranoia). Other than that, I’ve spent my life being scrupulously honest.
I don’t think it’s possible for me to steal from the workplace, since I work from home three days a week. Then there’s the fact that the office supplies here are so trashy that I end up buying my own for the office.
I stole a piece of bubble gum when I was 6. Ooh boy after Mom & Dad got done with the public humiliation and guilt trip I had no gumption to do it again, on purpose at least.
When I was 12, my girlfriend shoplifted makeup and candybars from the local drug store. I was so mortified when she showed me the stuff. I thought for sure I was going to jail because I was with her. I stopped hanging out with her and went back and told the owner about her.
When I was 25 or so I went to Albertson’s to get some stuff to wrap Christmas presents. I also found a nice tube of lipstick. When it came to check out I didn’t have the lipstick, but figured I dropped it someplace while roaming. When wrapping presents a couple of days later I remove the saran warp sleeve covering the wrapping paper and the lipstick fell out. I went back and paid for it. The manager thought I was a whack job.
As for work supplies, I have pens and stickies at home, but they got here more because I was working at home. If the kid uses a stickie, I don’t sweat it. Every so often I gather up the pens and return them the tray in my desk at the office.
I’ve done something similar. I went to return something to the service desk that I didn’t want, and told them that I also wanted to pay for an eyeliner that I seem to have not paid for on the previous trip. I had to explain more than once for them to understand, because it was such an unusual request. :dubious:
I did take home a roll of toilet paper from work when I was young, single, and completely broke, but I also used my own office supplies (by preference) and more than once did work off the clock, so I figure that’s a wash.
Sometimes I think I am the last honest person on earth. I am so tired of people telling me how they cheat on taxes. Pay what you owe, people. Your filing cabinet in the corner of your garage is not a home office, and you damn well know it.
I had a similar experience with a girlfriend. She stole things from the local TG&Y–which her family owned --and other places as well. The only place I would go with her after awhile was the movies.
And I do the same thing WRT taking things back. (Although, if I discovered it days later, I would be less inclined to do it.) One I recall was, I was browsing in a Barnes & Noble at lunch, looking for the perfect book. I had one contender in my hand, but I didn’t really think it was the book for me and I was looking for something better. Then I gave up, realized I was stretching the boundaries of my lunch hour, so I left. I hopped on the shuttle to go back to my office and when I did so I looked at the book in my hand and thought, "Hmm, usually they give me a bookmark…I wonder why they didn’t…!..!!!.. :eek: "
So after work I went back, took the book in and paid for it You would think that, if they couldn’t appear to be at least moderately grateful for an honest (or guilt-ridden) person, they would at least not treat you like the stupidest person alive.
I wore a pair of shoulder pads home from work when I was 15 and worked at Au Coton.
I have loads of pens from work at home, and a couple of sticky pads; however, I work from home during off hours for free quite a bit, so that sort of evens out I think (I use the pens and sticky notes for work).
If you don’t remind me to give back your pen, it’s a goner. If it’s nice, and if I remember where I, err, “obtained” it, I’ll bring it back. If it’s a cheapy with your comany logo on it, you’ll never see it again.
Once, at about age 10 or 12, I embezzled Monopoly money during a game. Shortly after that, a real embezzler made the local paper, where I read the definition of, and penalty for, embezzlment.
Still feel a little bad about that.