OK, before I start, let me say that I’ve already made a decision of how to resolve the situation, but I just want to know what the other Dopers think, and why. Here’s the story: Sunday afternoon, I went grocery shopping; this was major shopping for the week, for a family of five. I had two cases (24-can packs) on the bottom “shelf” of my shopping cart, so the rest of the groceries would fit in the cart. When I got to the check out, I said to the cashier “Do I need to put my sodas up on the belt, or can you just ring them?” She said I didn’t need to put my sodas up, and confirmed that I got two cases of the Pepsi products that were on sale. When I got home, and was inspecting my reciept, I noticed that she had failed to charge me for the sodas. My dilemma was that I was afraid if I told the store manager what happened that the cashier might get in trouble. But I ultimately decided that I wouldn’t feel right about just keeping them if they weren’t paid for, so I called the store and asked for the manager. He told me to write on the receipt which kinds of sodas I’d gotten, then bring the receipt next time I come in, and they’ll ring me up at the information desk. The turd didn’t even thank me for my honesty.
So, if I had just kept the drinks and said nothing, would it have been stealing?