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View Poll Results: Did I overreact in this situation

Voters
69. You may not vote on this poll
  • Hell, yes. I take stuff from restaurants all the time. Salt shakers. Nakkins. Chairs.

    3 4.35%
  • Taking stuff isn't right but you still overreacted.

    20 28.99%
  • Your friend is a buttdart. Stick to your guns.

    46 66.67%
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Thread: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

  1. #1
    AlienTruckStopSexWorker cincinnati chili's Avatar
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    Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    So, I went out to dinner with some friends who I thought I knew pretty well. This is a chain sit-down restaurant, somewhat on par with the "quality" of say, The Olive Garden. In other words, it's not super nice, but it's not exactly paper plates and plastic silverware either.

    Anyway, we were having a few laughs, finishing up our meal. We paid the bill and left a good tip. The waitress brought us all our doggybags to take home the thousands of calories we didn't finish.

    Then as soon as the waitress left, one of my dinnermates looked both ways, sort of scoping out the area. This dinnermate then proceeded to stuff two of the restaurant's glasses into the doggy bags to serve as souvenirs of the evening.

    I, being my stick-in-the-mud self, pitched an absolute fit, told this person that I was completely appalled and embarrassed by this behavior, stormed out of the restaurant and drove myself home.

    This person thinks I overreacted, and actually referred to this as a "victimless crime" (because this is a large corporate-owned place) and claims that such restaurants all but expect this behavior.

    While I'm not perfect, I'm pretty much hard-wired not to steal stuff. The last thing I remember stealing was some girl's pencil in the first grade. I know that if I owed a restaurant, even a sucky one, I wouldn't want people taking my stuff.

    So what do you all think?
    Stick to your guns.


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  3. #2
    The Lineups stink. KronoRed's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Quote Originally Posted by cincinnati chili View Post

    So what do you all think?
    Your friend is a thief.

    Expected? come on, this isn't a splenda packet.

    Good for you on speaking up about it
    Go Gators!

  4. #3
    Goober GAC's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    If he had got caught what do you think would have happened? Would the restaurant be within their rights to have him charged with theft?
    "In my day you had musicians who experimented with drugs. Now it's druggies experimenting with music" - Alfred G Clark (circa 1972)

  5. #4
    Member mth123's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Quote Originally Posted by cincinnati chili View Post
    So, I went out to dinner with some friends who I thought I knew pretty well. This is a chain sit-down restaurant, somewhat on par with the "quality" of say, The Olive Garden. In other words, it's not super nice, but it's not exactly paper plates and plastic silverware either.

    Anyway, we were having a few laughs, finishing up our meal. We paid the bill and left a good tip. The waitress brought us all our doggybags to take home the thousands of calories we didn't finish.

    Then as soon as the waitress left, one of my dinnermates looked both ways, sort of scoping out the area. This dinnermate then proceeded to stuff two of the restaurant's glasses into the doggy bags to serve as souvenirs of the evening.

    I, being my stick-in-the-mud self, pitched an absolute fit, told this person that I was completely appalled and embarrassed by this behavior, stormed out of the restaurant and drove myself home.

    This person thinks I overreacted, and actually referred to this as a "victimless crime" (because this is a large corporate-owned place) and claims that such restaurants all but expect this behavior.

    While I'm not perfect, I'm pretty much hard-wired not to steal stuff. The last thing I remember stealing was some girl's pencil in the first grade. I know that if I owed a restaurant, even a sucky one, I wouldn't want people taking my stuff.

    So what do you all think?
    IMO you didn't over-react. I'd have done the same.
    All my posts are my opinion - just like yours are. If I forget to state it and you're too dense to see the obvious, look here!

  6. #5
    First Time Caller SunDeck's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Victimless crime? No.
    Overreaction? Possibly.
    But I'm with you, Chili- it would never occur to me to do such a thing. Instead I would probably have asked for the glasses. If they were labeled with the restaurant logo, they probably would have gladly let your friend take them.
    Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.

  7. #6
    Oy Vey! Red in Chicago's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    well, that's one friend that i would never want over at my house...what kind of jerk steals glasses from a restaurant? i bet all of their towels are from different hotels chains as well:

  8. #7
    Strategery RFS62's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    No overreaction.

    Regardless of how they justify it in their minds, they're thieves.
    We'll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective ~ Kurt Vonnegut

  9. #8
    Big Red Machine RedsBaron's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Quote Originally Posted by Red in Chicago View Post
    well, that's one friend that i would never want over at my house...what kind of jerk steals glasses from a restaurant? i bet all of their towels are from different hotels chains as well:
    Amen. I'd watch my stuff because your friend is a thief.
    "Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."

  10. #9
    Dunnilicious creek14's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Quote Originally Posted by cincinnati chili View Post
    So, I went out to dinner with some former friends
    I fixed the first line for you. Cause that's what these losers should be.

    You did the right thing. Stealing is stealing.
    Will trade this space for a #1 starter.

  11. #10
    Member 919191's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    I used to date a girl in the '80's who was a klepto. Not so much a shoplifter, but other things. Once we left a Hardee's and she lagged behind me. She showed up at the car with a hanging plant that was absolutely huge. She always scared me.
    I've been to dinner at Jimmy Buffet's house, and I've eaten it at a homeless shelter. And there's great joy and harrowing terror to be found in both places.
    -Todd Snider

  12. #11
    Kentuckian At Heart WVRed's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    In this case, yes, I would agree.

    I remember going to Cracker Barrel when I was little and my parents would take the leftover jellies that the servers left. There was somebody else in my family who did the same thing and was jumped by the waitress for doing it.
    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    I've read books about sparkling vampires who walk around in the daylight that were written better than a John Fay article.

  13. #12
    AlienTruckStopSexWorker cincinnati chili's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Quote Originally Posted by 919191 View Post
    klepto.
    That was one of the things I seriously thought about. My understanding of cleptomania is that it's a desire to steal out of psychological need, rather than an economic one. And if someone really had this disorder, I probably shouldn't have reacted that way.

    To answer one of the above points - yes, the glasses had the restaurant logo on them.
    Stick to your guns.

  14. #13
    The Lineups stink. KronoRed's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    Alright fess up, who's stealing chairs from restaurants?
    Go Gators!

  15. #14
    Manliness Personified HumnHilghtFreel's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    I've had friends take things and I overreacted more out of worry that they were going to get us in trouble more than a "hey, what the hell's wrong with you" type of thing.

    To me, storming off and going home might have been overreacting, but at least you really drove the point home(pun intended) to them how you feel about such things.

  16. #15
    Baseball card addict MrCinatit's Avatar
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    Re: Ethical question: Taking stuff from restaurants

    The irony is, many restaurants of the Olive Garden-like ilk sell glasses like the ones he stole. If he so much wanted a souvenir - he should have bought one.
    If they did not have a souvenir shop, perhaps he could have asked the waitress if he could buy a cup - if he were so desperate.


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