Know any restaurant thieves?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

You know the ones.... They take every ketchup packet they can grab, or sugar packet, or straw, or napkins? Like WAY MORE than they need for what they just bought?

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My sister in law used to take one place setting of the silverware. It started as a dare by her friends and she kept doing it.

She quit doing it years ago but I couldn't believe anyone would do such a thing, ever. Until she showed me her collection.
Very odd and stupid.

 

[Diznotyzed]

Not exactly a thief, because we'd paid for it, but for years my mom used to take the parsley from all our plates home in her purse. Used parsley - yum!

 

[MaggieMoo'sMom]

My great aunt cleans out the sugar packets, equal, etc... She also takes all the condiments, straws, little bottles of syrup, jelly, etc. Interestingly enough, she's worth millions. Literally. Go figure.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Someone in my wife's family does it... in fact, many of them do, and they brag about it.

I once saw a guy order a drink - only a drink - at Chik - Fil - A, and grab a handful of ketchup packets on the way out.

 

[MIGrandma]

I couldn't vote, you need an "other" choice.

I don't personally know anyone who does it, but I waited on some customers who did it when I was a waitress. One really sticks out in my mind because she would steal the broasted chicken.

She had a huge purse, lined with a plastic bag and she would go up to the buffet and fill a plate with just chicken. The next time you walked by the chicken was gone. It was in her purse. We all saw her doing it, but the owner (boss) wouldn't let us do anything about it. Finally one of the long-time waitresses who waited on this couple more than the rest of us had enough, and when she slapped the bill on the table she asked the woman, "would you like me to get you a to-go box for the chicken you have in your purse?"

The woman turned a deep shade of red, and they never came back.

Maybe food wasn't what you were talking about though as you mentioned condiments....

 

[charming23]

I had a former co-worker once steal the salt and pepper shakers from a restuarant. We had all gone out to dinner before a baseball game and my other coworker thought that the way they used old Corona bottles for salt and pepper was cute. Well when we got back into the car and we heading to the game the other coworker pulled them out of her purse to give to the one who liked them. I was dumbfounded.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I had a former co-worker once steal the salt and pepper shakers from a restuarant. We had all gone out to dinner before a baseball game and my other coworker thought that the way they used old Corona bottles for salt and pepper was cute. Well when we got back into the car and we heading to the game the other coworker pulled them out of her purse to give to the one who liked them. I was dumbfounded.

I wouldn't do that, but I do like when they do that with Corona bottles.

BTW, at this moment.... 2 people say they do it, and 2 people say to not call them thieves..... I guess 1 + 1 does = 2.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

My great aunt cleans out the sugar packets, equal, etc... She also takes all the condiments, straws, little bottles of syrup, jelly, etc. Interestingly enough, she's worth millions. Literally. Go figure.

My mother does this! It's so embarrassing because she doesn't even try to hide that she's putting all that stuff into her bag. I keep telling her she's a klepto but she says it's not stealing.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

DH's brother used to steal glasses and small dishes and bowls from restaurants when he was in high school and college. I don't know if he still does it now that he is married with a child! No reason for it, he would just try to show off that he could get away with it.

 

[Abbie]

Well when we used to take my Alzheimer's-suffering Dad out to eat, we would occasionally find a fork in his pocket when we got back to where he lived, does that count? I don't know what this fascination was but he managed to somehow acquire quite the collection...it really became something we giggled about.

 

[tiggersbombed2]

I had a friend once who took everything not nailed down from the Yacht club room we stayed in. Her excuse was that she paid for it. Um, no you didn't. Never vacationed with her again. She brought an empty suitcase just for towels.

 

[stepmommyof1]

This has to do with stealing from hotels, not restaurants, but still pretty funny.
Ok hotels don't mind when you keep the little shampoo they gave you and all that because they cannot give it to another customer once you've used it, and anyway most managers say it's good advertising- once youre at home, you might have that little soap packet or whatever lying in your bathroom and you will constantly see the hotels label on the item, which prompts you to remember your stay and make future stays at that hotel chain.
However, no hotel wants you to keep larger items than the soap or shampoo packets or tissue box (they don't mind the tissue box because when you leave a half used box, they cannot give it to the next inhabitants of that room anyway. ). This is all stuff a friend of mine told me who is a manager for a large resort. She told me they want people to take the soap, shampoo, etc but that SOME people try to steal towels, the hair dryer from the bathroom, even the bibles that come in the rooms! (if you're going to steal a Bible, then, well, you probably need that Bible lol)
At the last hotel I stayed at, they had a small note on the table when we went in that was just a printed notice that said this: (I actually spent time there copying down what it said because I thought it was hilarious- they found a way of dealing with theft but still being polite another it) "To our guests, please feel free to retain any of the complimentary soaps, bath products, and other amenities in your room. As for large items like our bath towels, we have noticed that these seem to be very popular with our guests, and so we now give you the option of purchasing our luxury bath towels. In order to make the purchase as easy as possible, you do not need to call or come to the desk to purchase. Instead, we will simply take note of which items you have selected for purchase- i.e., which items are not in the room at the time of your check out, and simply add them to your bill."

 

[Conservative Hippie]

"To our guests, please feel free to retain any of the complimentary soaps, bath products, and other amenities in your room. As for large items like our bath towels, we have noticed that these seem to be very popular with our guests, and so we now give you the option of purchasing our luxury bath towels. In order to make the purchase as easy as possible, you do not need to call or come to the desk to purchase. Instead, we will simply take note of which items you have selected for purchase- i.e., which items are not in the room at the time of your check out, and simply add them to your bill."

I have heard they have a similar note on the canvas laundry bags on the Disney Cruise Line ships - something along the lines of, "If you would like to take this home, you may, and a $5 charge will be added to your bill."

 

[FireDancer]

I've had jobs in the past where the entire kitchen area was stocked with sugar packets, salt packets, condiment packets, and silverware from one fast food place or another. It's been a while though.

 

[Acklander]

I took a Lobster Bib from Ken's steak house once. It was really nice (cloth, not plastic) and velcro closed in the back. for years after that, whenever we had lobster, there I'd be, wearing my bib with the words "Ken's" on it.

 

[stepmommyof1]

I want to point out that I copied down the note on the printed card... I didn't just steal the printed card they left in the room

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I don't really know how to answer this one. My DH and are both prone to taking a couple of extra paper napkins when we're on long road trips just to build up a cache to use when we (inevitably) spill something at some point. . .so we do take a couple or four more napkins than we need.

And I will, on those same trips, hoard ketchup packets to eat with potato chips, but it's not like I take ketchup for the express purpose of using it with potato chips later. . .

And no, I don't feel any real regret at doing this.

 

[fraggle551]

My brother used to steal silverware when he was little, like 5 ot 6. He used to be giggling all through dinner, and we could never figure out why. Then we'd get in the car and he would whip out a knife and fork! I could never figure out why he did it, but we have quite the random collection of silverware in our drawer.

 

[Mermaid02]

I always take an extra straw- more than once we've left a place and someone's straw had a hole in it. I take plenty of napkins too- because kids are messy and well, so am I.