Have you ever accidentally stolen anything?

[meaty]

I have - a pen from English lesson in school

 

[MIGrandma]

Not accidentally, but on purpose and to this day I still feel bad about it. When I was a kid, about 6 or 7 years old, the road commission was right across the street from where we lived. My friends and I went across the street one winter day and stole some salt they had piled up for salting the icy roads. We only did it once, and we only took a little in our hands, but it was still stealing.

My Mom almost stole something from a lighthouse gift shop. She had a t-shirt over her arm that she intended to buy, and got warm so took off her sweater and threw it over her arm also, right over the t-shirt. She completely forgot she had it on her arm and when she walked out I asked her if she was going to pay for it (it was just peeking out from the bottom of her sweater) and she was mortified that she walked out without paying for it and of course turned back around and paid for it.

 

[scrhsa]

When my girls were little we would go to the Disney Store. I can't count how many times we accidentally walked out with a stuffed animal in the stroller. MY girls were always so good about it. They would be the ones to holler and let me know and never threw a fit when we had to take them back.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I'll have to admit that I did...
We were in a discount store once (like T J Max, sells last years stuff, etc...), shopping about an hour from home, and it was chilly... I slipped on light zip-up chenille type sweater to keep warm... And after quite some time shopping, forgot, and walked right out... tags and all!!!!

You know what, I never got back over to the store and like go in and pay for it.
Maybe I thought I would just be embarrassed and mortified.
And, I LOVED that sweater...
As old and stretched out and ratty as it is, I STILL have that thing.
Wish I could another find one like it today, and would be happy to pay good money for it!

 

[Wishing on a star]

When my girls were little we would go to the Disney Store. I can't count how many times we accidentally walked out with a stuffed animal in the stroller. MY girls were always so good about it. They would be the ones to holler and let me know and never threw a fit when we had to take them back.

Love that cute story!

 

[shoney]

Socks from target. They were stuck in the cart. I found them when I was unloading the car.

 

[powellrj]

I once had a toothbrush in my grocery sack that I didn't buy.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Yes.

What is the statute of limitations for such things?

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

I had a meat thermometer (a good one, electronic) that got stuck behind a bag of cat litter in my cart at Target about 10 years ago. I didn't remove the litter from my cart; the cashier used the wand to scan the barcode. Got to the car to unload and found it. Went inside and paid for it. Still works great.

DD#2 liked to put stuff on the bottom of the cart while we were shopping, when she was little. I think she thought she was helping, but it drove me nuts. Several times, I totally missed stuff on the bottom and didn't pay for it. Always came back in and gave it back, and it was always stuff we would never use. Once it was a jar of pickled fish (um, eww) and another time she grabbed some generic laundry soap (those are the two I remember).

 

[PrincesCJM]

Last year, I was buying things for my son's Easter basket. I bought all the items on the belt for the cashier to ring up. The total came up less then I had expected but I didn't realize why until I looked at the receipt in the car. One of the items, I think it was the first one "scanned", didn't actually scan so the cashier never officially charged me for the item. Although I should have, I did not go back in to pay for it. I wasn't the one who had made a mistake. I had forgotten about it until seeing this thread.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I know I have, but it's been so long I can't remember what it was, nor the circumstances.

My BIL recently forgot to pay for a tank of gas for his truck and the police came to see his business partner about it (truck registered in company name). The partner was confused as he knew he hadn't even been to that town & then it clicked who had done it. They paid the bill & no charges were filed.

 

[js]

I accidently took a hand towel from DCL when they first started sailing. I dont know how it got in my luggage.

 

[Southernmiss]

Friday. Shopping at Wal-Mart. Went through self checkout. Unloaded groceries in the car. Found 2 packages of sausage under my purse. Walked back in. Self checkout lane was still open. Scanned them and walked out. All the while thinking someone is watching me and going to stop me. Nothing yet.

 

[Luvstotravel]

Yes. I remember giving my toddler a pack of Tictacs to play with while I checked out the groceries. Got to the car and realized she was still holding them. Don't remember what I did after.

We used self-checkout at our Walmart once, and were buying school supplies. I paid for folders, and missed one. They were a loss-leader, and cost a dime each. My daughter realized it when we got to the car. We went back and paid for it.

I almost dined and dashed a few years ago. Daughter and I had coffee at a coffee shop, we were so busy talking we just walked out, and both thought we'd already paid. Once again, as we got to the car, I realized we'd never paid. She ran back in with my card and paid.

 

[kimblebee]

I stole a 5 cent piece of gum from the corner store. I was buying a bunch of pieces and decided to put the orange piece in my pocket instead of paying for it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

The grocery store always seems to display sale items on the check-out counter. Sometimes they're on the shelf by the payment machine. They also have them on the actual counter where the groceries are bagged. More than once, I've found some of those items in my bag when I get home. Once it was a bag of Cracker Jacks. Another time it was two little bottles of Miso water flavoring drops. Apparently they got mixed into my groceries and the bagger tossed them in. I don't feel the least bit guilty. If they're going to display a bunch of stuff on the counter, they need to be careful about keeping it separate from people's items.

 

[DisneyMomof2Princesses]

A box of macaroni and cheese. I ran in to get it for my mom and ended up talking to a friend who was working at the store for several minutes, then said bye to her and walked right out with the box. I didn't even realize I had done it until I got home. I was 16 at the time and completely traumatized.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I might have, I'm not sure. I once found a nail polish in my purse. I remembered picking it up at the store, and considering buying it, then deciding against it. But what I don't know is how the heck it got in my purse. Did I unconsciously put it there? Did I actually end up deciding to buy it and just forget I had paid for it? I literally cannot remember.

 

[E&Cmom]

A " People" Magazine. I packed up my groceries and saw the magazine which I thought I had purchases near my bags so I picked it amd put it at the bottom of my DDs stroller. When I got home, I found out I had 2 copies.

 

[anniemae]

I was picking up some times at the grocery store and DD was still in the stroller. I didn't grab a basket since I was pushing dd in the stroller and just put the few items on top of the stroller. After I got to the car, I found a few things I put in the bottom basket that I never put on the belt an paid for. I felt awful and expected them to come running out after me! I went back in paid for them, I think it was hamburger buns and ketchup.