At what point would you shoplift groceries?

[NightWatcher]

Poll question: At what point would you shoplift groceries?

Would you ever shoplift food? What if it were from a big, heartless store like Uber-Walmart?
Have you ever had to shoplift food in the past?

[Ian David]

1. If you must shoplift-- or loot-- buy Blue, loot Red. If you must, that is.

For example, do NOT steal gasoline from Hess or Citgo.

[TomInTib]

2. I would rob a store, first.

Stealing food is damned difficult.

Try stuffing a Stouffer's Mac and Cheese down your pants, sometime.

Robbing stores is easy.

Use the cash to buy food.

[John Q. Citizen]

4. That's a good point, but if caught, shop lifting is a lesser crime by far.

[Trajan]

8. I would not rob anybody ....

Never ....

I would rather starve ....

I once was living 'on the street', and hadn't eaten in a couple of days, and went inside a small independent grocery market .... I stuffed one of those 'variety' lunch meats down my pants. (BTW: Boxes of anything are to be avoided if you are placing them down your pants .... )

I was stopped outside and questioned by the manager, who found the stash. I told him how hungry and broke I was, and so he gave me five bucks to buy the lunch meat AND a loaf of bread AND something to drink as well ....

He made a point of mentioning he was Mormon, and that it was his duty to help those in need.

As an Atheist, I have never forgotten his generosity, or the desire to serve that is implicit in the Mormon faith. As much as I disagree with Mormon theology, I have always respected their public service, and do to this day ....

Rob ? .... Never .... I would beg before I would rob ....

[deadmessengers]

9. There's a risk/reward tradeoff, though

I mean, shoplifting is a misdemeanor, if they prosecute it at all. Robbing a store? That's a felony, and you can expect some serious prison time, especially if there is a gun involved.

So the reward is greater, but that's far outweighed by the added risk, IMHO.

[Wiley50]

20. Not only that, Tom

If you get caught you get "three hots and a cot"

(unless you're down here in the deep south

Then, you get two moldy green bolonga sandwiches, a filthy blanket and a big ole stupid 250 lb cellmate named Leroy who thinks you're kinda cute.)

[hoosier_lefty]

3. been there when I was 18, and homeless.

You would be surprised what you will do
if you are hungry enough and desperate enough.

I don't consider that a low point in my life. Luckily
I was young and healthy, and it didn't bother me that much
to be homeless or stealing to eat.

One of the reasons I stuff the red kettle when ever I see it.

[valerief]

5. If I was stuck in a flooded New Orleans and couldn't get out, I'd shoplift.

But I'm white, so the press wouldn't call me a looter.

[MercutioATC]

6. I didn't vote, but pretty much never. It's MY fault if I'm unprepared.

Those "gun nuts" that you all make fun of are preparing...as we all should.

I can live off of my pantry for 4-5 months. I'm working toward a year.


Too many on our side of the fence reject any kind of preparedness as cult, gun-nut, wacko stuff. It's not.

If you can't get any groceries for two or three weeks and your family goes hungry, it's YOUR fault...and I don't feel that correcting your own idiocy justifies theft.

[goldcanyonaz]

7. Never? w/o that pantry what would you do? Think Katrina?

[MercutioATC]

13. If you had any understanding of preparedness, you wouldn't ask that question.

That's the whole point...being prepared.


Whether it's an evacuation or stay-at-home, you're covered if you've taken the time and effort to plan for it.

[pitohui]

37. not true in katrina, most of that stuff we had "prepared" was destroyed

that's what a disaster that covers 90,000 square miles means in practice

most of the money you spend on hoarding will be lost when it's damaged by such things as the cedar fire or hurricane katrina

you are recommended to have 72 hours of food that you can travel with, because if you evacuate, guess what, those 50 pound bags of rice ain't going with you, you're going to need that space in your car for your kids, your pets, a change of clothes, important paperwork, photographs, jewelry, small things of value -- the sad reality of food and especially water is that they are heavy and take up a great deal of space

people who think you're "covered" because you took time to be prepared and followed all the rules haven't been in a natural disaster

natural disasters don't follow the rules, you can do everything right and still have a problem

you're not god and pretending that you are and that you can be an omnipotent person who can plan and prepare for everything is 1) just kidding yourself and 2) making yourself appear to be an asshat

[MercutioATC]

39. Again, if you understood, you wouldn't be making these comments.

I have a 72-hour bag that travels with me all of the time. It'll, feed me, shelter me, provide heat and clothing and medical care and defense.

That's the little bag. It's just for getting home.


I live in the suburbs of Cleveland. We're pretty safe from big natural disasters. However, if things get ugly, I go to my parents' house in the country...about 30 miles away. There, I have months of food and water stored, plus they've been running an organic farm for years. If necessary, my son and I can walk there on 72-hour bags.


People in the path of Katrina who were in high-risk areas should have left before the storm hit. Those who believed that geography made it possible to stay (not counting on flood control, but high ground) should have been prepared. Yes, there were people (the elderly, ill, etc) that didn't have as many options, but most of us do.

I'm not suggesting that there are some people for whom things are more difficult. I'm stating that preparedness isn't a thought problem, it's a mindset. To the degree that you become informed and intelligently prepare, you not only dramatically increase your own chance of survival, you lessen the burden on everybody else.

[uppityperson]

43. What if your town burns, and your car is destroyed, and your parents farm

gets tornadoed? Many in Katrina land were prepared, many did leave and came home to no home. Other's homes were also destroyed.

Preparedness is a great thing, but sometimes it is not enough.

[MercutioATC]

48. ..and what if aliens come and blow up the entire planet?

Yes, you will always be able to find grossly unrealistic circumstances that will thwart any plan.

That's not a reason to fail to plan for likely scenarios.

[uppityperson]

42. What if your house blows down in a tornado?

Your car is flipped and crushed, you cannot get into your house or garage for your emergency supplies. Likewise for the rest of the neighborhood (friends, family) and a long ways off. Yes, you can prepare but no, you cannot prepare enough.

What if your neighborhood, or your town, burns down in a huge fire? What then?

[Coyote_Bandit]

25. I had

two well stocked freezers and a large pantry of canned and dry goods. Until we had an ice storm and my electricity was out for over a week. The only things that survived were the dry goods. Everything in the freezers thawed. Many of the canned goods froze. I've largely restocked little by little. But I no longer assume that a well stocked pantry constitutes preparedness. It doesn't.

[MercutioATC]

35. Preparedness is not one-dimensional.

I laud you for having food needs covered.

Preparedness entails a complete approach. If you live in a climate that requires refrigeration/heat/effort to gain potable water/etc, that has to be part of the prep.

It doesn't take a lot of money, just planning and a little time. I've intentionally not planned for nuclear hazards, but I'm good in most other scenarios....as could everyone be. We have health insurance, we have life insurance, we have auto insurance...why wouldn't we have "bad times" insurance? Bad times are a lot more realistic than our houses burning down or us randomly dying.

[pitohui]

38. preparedness DOES take a lot of money

you are not truth telling here

one of the single most important things you can do to prepare for major repeating natural disasters in the united states -- the wildfires, the hurricanes -- is to own and maintain a reliable motor vehicle that you can keep properly topped off and ready to go in event of an evacuation due to fire, hurricane, or flood

this takes money, you ain't getting away the cedar fire or from hurricane katrina by beating feet or hopping on your bicycle, there is no substitute in disaster for your own vehicle ready to go immediately -- there is no cheap substitute for this, yet it may be the single most important thing you can do to save your life in event that an evacuation is necessary

preparedness is very expensive, and people who actually make preparations each year are aware that it's expensive

you can claim claims all you like but those of us who have actually "been there" know the truth

preparedness is not simply about how to make a solar cooker from string and sticky tape and boil 50 pounds of rice, it's about the ability to MOVE and get the hell out of the way from the disaster in the first place

an economy disaster is often the same only in slow motion, without a vehicle you can't move on to another job or another opportunity

we are just kidding ourselves if we pretend that being prepared doesn't cost a lot of money, nothing in this world comes without a cost in time, effort, and money

there is a reason that these issues hit poor people the hardest, and it isn't because poor people are idiots, it's because all this preparedness does cost money

[MercutioATC]

40. The biggest part of preparedness is a plan...and that's free.

As far as a 72-hour bag, you can put one together for almost no money. Mine cost some money to assemble, but I have some specialized equipment.

Food? Commit to buying 3 or 4 extra cans of vegetables or fruit or spaghettios or tuna or whatever's on sale that week...EVERY week. A couple of months and you're on your way.

Again, it's all about planning. If you KNOW that you live in an area prone to natural disasters, plan for them.


It's really not difficult at all...but many either refuse to make the plans or simply throw up their hands and say "Well, even if we "plan", we could still die, so there's no point." I encourage those people to get informed. If they choose not to, they deserve what they get.

[uppityperson]

45. I have a wk's worth in my car, and a bag with 72 hrs also. BUT

what if my car is destroyed, and I had to rush out without the bag? OF COURSE you prepare, but saying that you can prepare for every contingency is not possible. And saying that those whose preparations are not enough "deserve what they get"? That is just plain nasty.

[MercutioATC]

50. All one can do is to plan for likely scenarios.

Do that and fall short, it's an indication of either bizarrely unforseen circumstances or a lack of imagination.


My statement about people getting what they deserve wasn't directed at people who try and fall short, it was directed at people who snicker at the idea of preparedness and/or just refuse to make the effort.

[uppityperson]

51. I agree. eom

[sandnsea]

10. There are food banks, soup kitchens

There really isn't any reason to shoplift food, at this point in time.

[goldcanyonaz]

11. Tell that to the Katrina people.

[sandnsea]

14. I don't consider that stealing

Most people would gladly pay for whatever food or supplies they took during Katrina.

[OhioChick]

30. Many food banks here have closed

due to no inventory to offer.

[sandnsea]

34. Those new outlet stores taking their toll

I had never seen those until a couple of years ago. I knew right away that they were selling food that used to go to food banks. Between that, the govt cuts, and people with less money, there's no doubt things could definitely get worse in the future - and I don't doubt already are in some neighborhoods. That's why I said "at this point in time". I know it could change in the blink of an eye. There's no way I'd let my kid go hungry if there were a store full of food or field full of corn. The people don't have any control over the economy. It's amazing to me that there are still people who think they can control everything in their personal life. They can't.

[Hekate]

12. Dumpster-diving behind Burger King for wrapped, stale merchandise that's tossed, in back of grocery

...stores too. Have never, thank gods, ever had to do any of those things, but have read of those who have. Some were counter-culture kids who thought they were performing some kind of revolutionary act, but there are folks who can't get fed any other way.

If I were ever down that low I would explore every option, every social program and humiliating charity, to feed my family before putting myself in danger of arrest and prison. What earthly good would I be to those who depend on me if I were removed from them?

Hekate

[OffWithTheirHeads]

15. Not maybe, been there, done that.

That was 40 years ago and it was either steal or starve. Have not done it since because I was able to earn enough money to pay for my needs but I would have no moral qualms about it if it became necessary again. Hell, the rich steal from us all the time and frame it into law. If I have learned anything since Bush became Emperor, it is that morals are an illusion to keep the Prolitariate in line while the rich rob them blind but if I am going to steal, you bet it will be from farmer Safeway and not the farmers market.

[graywarrior]

16. I go for free samples at Whole Foods.

[AlCzervik]

17. and Costco! I'm so not answering the poll question in this thread.

[graywarrior]

22. Me neither.

What I lift and when I lift it is my own business.

*snort*

[AlCzervik]

23. hells yes.

:hi:

[QueenOfCalifornia]

18. Other

Since I have been told I am a "snob" on the GD-P page... (I cried myself to sleep I tell ya) I will admit - when I run out of Beluga Caviar and Dom Perignon I will get out my biggest hand bag and make a trip to Beverly Hills and see how much I can saunter out with... Oh, I forgot the truffle oil.

:rofl:

[goldcanyonaz]

19. Oh shit. I did eat an entire sample table once. Did you see me?

[goldcanyonaz]

21. The first sign of trouble has my ass in the store shoplifting for the community.

I am honest.

[Jed Dilligan]

24. There's a good feed every day near where I live.

Anything I needed beyond that, I would probably spange before I would boost. But you never know. If it got to the point where they stopped the feeds, I would probably kill someone to feed myself and my loved ones. We haven't ever seen real global-scale economic chaos in this country. I don't look forward to it.

[Squatch]

26. I would never ever shoplift groceries.

[rainbow4321]

27. Went shopping today and people are really starting to feel the pain of higher prices

For the first time that I can remember, as I was walking past other shoppers I overheard the following from 2 different people:

One woman on her cell phone telling the caller "Prices have gone up soooo much"

Later another shopper telling her companion "I'm gonna have to get a second job just to start paying for this stuff" And there was not ounce of joking in her voice. I noticed she said it as the person she was with was picking out what the woman seemed to think was a treat or extra and not a necessity. They were in the meat department. Whatever it was, he put it back down.

[psychmommy]

28. i have a little girl and a big family

i would hit my family up as long as i could. i would steal to feed my kid. i am a plus sized girl so i could miss a few meals but, my baby girl will never starve. if i have to shoplift so be it. if i have to come to your house so be it. i will try the food banks before i come to your house though.

[RB TexLa]

29. Never

[El Pinko]

31. Only if food stamps and food banks could not help.

I have 2 kids, so I don't want to do anything I would feel ashamed of when I look at them unless I absolutely have to.

[Edweird]

32. When I was hungry I got jobs at Burger King, Taco Bell, etc.... as a manager

Free manager meals. ;)
Hell, I ate for free even when I wasn't a manager. It's not that hard.

[Stinky The Clown]

33. To thine own be true

That would be the second choice in your poll.

[pitohui]

36. no need to it if you can look the part

in days of poverty gone by, i might have been noticed attending a wine and cheese party at a gallery, or a reception at a hotel, or an open house, and if i ate more than my share and didn't necessarily actually know anyone at the party, who was going to say anything?

you have to look clean, normal, and prosperous to get away with this tho

stroll by the high roller slots in a casino and help yourself to some free peel and eat shrimp or some pizza rolls, yeah, i can get away with it but try it if you look like a bum and you'll immediately find yourself out on your ass

even if you're hungry, never let 'em see that you're hungry, is my motto

[Glorfindel]

41. Never...I'm not too proud to ask for help

and I live in the rural south, where it would be gladly given.

[RedCappedBandit]

44. I'm gonna have to go ahead and call bullshit...

So these people voting never would rather let themselves starve to death rather than steal a bit of food?

[uppityperson]

46. It depends. Never say never, but no, I haven't in the past.

It would take a lot to get me to live in ND again, and it would take a lot to get me to shoplift. But never say never.

[Fox Mulder]

47. If I couldn't afford food anymore and I was running out, then I would.

Hell, the store robs from us already.

[TomHansley]

53. Just dumpster dive!

you find lots of fine food that way, especially bagel stores!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

49. No self-righteousness from me.

I know that even though I currently have a home and food things happen and circumstances change. I imagine if I were hungry enough and without other resources, I'd do what I had to to eat. Pretty much like most other people would.

For some reason this post gave me the earworm of Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing.

[Digit]

52. To help out my child if we were starving, I would try to steal...

Most likely would not get away with it...I would probably turn beet red in the face and give myself away.
As for me, I don't care what happens to me as I have so much arthritis it hurts to move.