To catch a thief ... restaurant pilferage ....

[birder53]

I was very bad in my college days. I routinely walked out with some of the oversized glassware they used for specialty drinks at a restaurant/disco in NYC. I made sure to carry my oversized tote on those expeditions. We also used to take home the cute little silver pitchers they served the sour cream in at the "Steak & Brew". I thnk they switched to paper cups.

We also (me and other members of my college fencing team) decided to help a teammate get started on her dowry by taking five sets of used place settings from the restaurant in the Ramada Inn in Ithaca when we stayed there during a competition at Cornell. I was actually a bit wary to return there when I had reservations for a business trip in Ithaca many, many years later. Guilty as charged!

My friend's mother dined out regularly with a group of women who would clean out the sugar and sweet'n'low on the table. She was mortified, told them it was wrong, but they insisted that the restaurant expected them to use it, that's why they put it there.

[reesek]

On the lighter side - my Grandma Lillie always helped herself to Sweet 'N Low packets.  Not sugar, salt, pepper, or any other item -- just Sweet 'N Low (of course, this was before Equal, etc.).  To this day, long after my dear Grandma has left us, recalling her furtively slipping little pink packets into her purse never fails to make us chuckle.

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my grandma geri used to do that too. if the napkins were the nice white paper kind, she'd make me split mine with her and take hers, untouched home. drove my mother nuts.

this kind of aged pilfering just reminds me of the brilliant soprano's episode when paulie takes his mother and the 2 snipy women to lunch and they fight over who gets to wrap the dinner rolls up and take them home.

[chile_peppa]

This reminds me of a story...

When my sons were small, we vacationed in Chincoteague, Virginia. One sunny, hot afternoon, during lunch at a restaurant, my younger son decided he wanted to save his bread and butter for later. Unknown to me, he wrapped it up in a napkin and slipped it into my purse. Later, after a day at the beach, I reached into my purse to find melted butter all over everything -- wallet, money, tissues, hairbrush -- everything! Yuck.

[jmcgrath]

Many years ago I was stationed on a missile submarine. There wasn't much to do, just sitting around waiting for a war to start... Patrols were two months long with no resupply. We spent a lot of time thinking of original ways to play with each others heads. One brilliant young man thought it would be interesting if people were forced to eat with their hands. So, tableware started disappearing. There are not too many places to hide things on a sub, but once something is flushed overboard via the trash compactor, it is gone forever. It took a while before anyone noticed, and after a while guards were posted in the mess room. With a 110 people on board, three meals and midnight snack daily, and guards who were annoyed with having to stand tableware guard, it was impossible to guard everything. Things got progressivly worse. After a while, other crew members picked up on the humor of the situation and began to participate in the theft. Threats were made, but no one was ever caught. Towards the end of patrol, a lot of meals were eaten with shared tableware.

Jim

[Octaveman]

I was very bad in my college days.   I routinely walked out with some of the oversized glassware they used for specialty drinks at a restaurant/disco in NYC.  I made sure to carry my oversized tote on those expeditions.  We also used to take home the cute little silver pitchers they served the sour cream in at the "Steak & Brew".  I thnk they switched to paper cups.

We also (me and other members of my college fencing team) decided to help a teammate get started on her dowry by taking five sets of used place settings from the restaurant in the Ramada Inn in Ithaca when we stayed there during a competition at Cornell.  I was actually a bit wary to return there when I had reservations for a business trip in Ithaca many, many years later.  Guilty as charged!

Finally, someone who fess's up to their own devious ways. Almost every single post here is about knowing, seeing, hearing but never doing. Why is that? Come on people, you know you've "done" it.

I fall in this "doing" category. Although, it was not my original intention. In my college days, I was going to purchase 6 of those big round plastic plates from Fuddrucker's for $3 each but I stood at the counter waiting for the manager for almost 10 minutes waiting to pay for them. I finally said screw this and walked out with them in hand. That was 15 years ago and I still have them and use them practically every day. Other than a hurricane glass from a bar while...in college, there hasn't been anything else that I can remember. I've seen friends take bar glasses.

[hshiau]

In college, for workstudy, I worked various shifts in one of our dining rooms. One of those was security. I got to check people's bags on their way out. My fraternity, in need of plates and silverware, came through. I opened up what must have been a 50 lb backpack full of stuff and waved them through.

Edited November 12, 2004 by hshiau (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Finally, someone who fess's up to their own devious ways.  Almost every single post here is about knowing, seeing, hearing but never doing.  Why is that?  Come on people, you know you've "done" it.

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Okay, okay, Sweet'n'Low in 1997 ... will pay full restitution but the restaurant "went under" .. I know, my fault ...

[phifly04]

Only a couple months ago had a waiter who was double dipping on credit card tips by duping two sets of receipts,one for the customer and one to hand in to the manager with his own "figures"-did he really think people dont check there statements??,at anyrate The restaurant suffered immense embarrassment and the owner took care of it as quickly and quietly as possible,and did,nt press charges either!!dont know what if any long term ramifications are yet,we,ll see

Dave s

[Human Bean]

Okay, one time I lifted a pint glass from a local brewpub, in the interest of science and consumer protection (Come on, $4.25 per pint, and that can't REALLY be a full pint, right?)

Turns out it IS a full pint, IF the glass is filled to the very top of the rim with a non-foamy liquid; no server on earth could deliver the full amount to the table without spilling some. Sigh.

I still intend on returning the glass to the pub sometime.

[corinne]

Growing up in Bayside, Queens we would spend many summer days at Jones Beach West End 2 with a group of friends. Since none of us had money for lunch we would enter the food court, eat whatever we could and pay for maybe a hotdog among us all.

[Randi]

When I was in college I knew a guy who would go to the local grocery store and slip the tv dinner out of the box, and slip a very expensive steak into it.

Also in college, my roomie and I used to bring complete meals from the dining hall back to her boyfriend. I still have a few pieces of flatware from that dining hall.

Other than that, I think the only thing I've taken is sweet n low packets (just 2 or 3 so I had them in the house for company), and it's been ages since I've done that.

Oh wait (yikes, why do I keep remembering more???) I have also taken the unopened mini Heinz ketchup and Grey Poupon mustard jars from room service trays in the hall of hotels! (yes, from the trays sitting on the floor waiting to be picked up.) I think I might have taken the little salt and pepper shakers on those trays once.

[Bacchusrogue]

Ooh I always do that. The mini heinz, mayo, mustard and of course the soap and shampoo packets. Anything left on a tray in the hallway of the hotel is fair game (well except the silverware)

[madziast]

I routinely walked out with some of the oversized glassware they used for specialty drinks at a restaurant/disco in NYC.  I

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ahahahaahha reminds me of a friend who decided to drink herself a set of festive margarita glasses. i forgot the name of the place, but the guests were supposed to take the margarita glasses with them as a souvenir. ok, so it's not exactly about pilfering b/c the guests received the glasses but the "oversized glassware" reminded me of her and how she drank 6 margaritas for a nice set for a party and got so drunk she tripped and broke all the glasses...

heheheheh

ok, now for a pilfering story - i never ever took anything myself but when i was very young (and stupid), i once went on a date with a guy who decided that stealing salt & pepper shakers would help him win my heart. i didn't protest - alcohol was involved and i didn't even think he'd do it. well, he did and i felt very, very guilty afterwards - i should have stopped him. i think i've given the restaurant more business than it deserves since...

ps my mom LOVED the set, ahem, which is why i still go to the restaurant and always order lots of wine and extras, esp. after i visit my mom...

[Gifted Gourmet]

reminds me of a friend who decided to drink herself a set of festive margarita glasses.  i forgot the name of the place, but the guests were supposed to take the margarita glasses with them as a souvenir.  ok, so it's not exactly about pilfering b/c the guests received the glasses but the "oversized glassware" reminded me of her and how she drank 6 margaritas for a nice set for a party and got so drunk she tripped and broke all the glasses... 

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What a cool story! Thanks for offering us the occasion to laugh with you ...

[Kim WB]

NYU, 1982, a long night of bar hopping and stealing ferns from various bars in the village. As the night wore on, we turned to ficus trees, spider plants, various forms of fauna. Woke up the next morning in a jungle. Later, borrowed a flat dolly from our building manager, loaded theplants on them, and proceeded to try to return them to the bars and restaurants, if we could remember where we got them from. Till this day, I think the manager at Buffalo Roadhouse took a few that did not belong to the restaurant! At least we tried to repair the damage.

Now, I am guilty of taking copious amounts of napkins from any fast food place, in order to keep my car well stocked.

[fiftydollars]

When I was in college a friend of mine threw a keg-party that was eventually overrun by random people. Things got out of hand, the police arrived, and somehow someone walked off with the keg.

[sacre_bleu]

Many years ago I was stationed on a missile submarine. There wasn't much to do, just sitting around waiting for a war to start... Patrols were two months long with no resupply. We spent a lot of time thinking of original ways to play with each others heads. One brilliant young man thought it would be interesting if people were forced to eat with their hands. So, tableware started disappearing. There are not too many places to hide things on a sub, but once something is flushed overboard via the trash compactor, it is gone forever. It took a while before anyone noticed, and after a while guards were posted in the mess room. With a 110 people on board, three meals and midnight snack daily, and guards who were annoyed with having to stand tableware guard, it was impossible to guard everything. Things got progressivly worse. After a while, other crew members picked up on the humor of the situation and began to participate in the theft. Threats were made, but no one was ever caught. Towards the end of patrol, a lot of meals were eaten with shared tableware.

The winner, hands down.

A hundred angry, hungry sailors eating with their hands?

Standing tableware guard.

What a great thread.

[Gifted Gourmet]

What a great thread.

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Very pleased that you are enjoying it, sacre bleu (great name!!)

[Fresser]

I worked for a very upscale restaurant with a very wealthy clientele.  Three things routinely pilfered were:

Salt & pepper shakers

Toilet paper ( )

...

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Elaine Benes must have visited your restaurant.

Beware the woman with big, poofy hair and a face like a frying pan...

[Neal J. Brown]

I actually just recently quit my job because I found out that the owners of the restaurant that I was the chef at was pilfering money that the servers were giving to the bussers and dishwashers. When confronted, they said that the money was used to have holiday parties for the entire staff. A little different type of theft, for sure, but possibly the most dispicable kind. These are people that really need that money. Not to mention, they do the hardest job in the restaurant....thanks for letting me vent.

[chow guy]

I actually just recently quit my job because I found out that the owners of the restaurant that I was the chef at was pilfering money that the servers were giving to the bussers and dishwashers.  When confronted, they said that the money was used to have holiday parties for the entire staff. A little different type of theft, for sure, but possibly the most dispicable kind.  These are people that really need that money. Not to mention, they do the hardest job in the restaurant....thanks for letting me vent. 

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I applaud you...Bravo!

I have done the same.

[Fresser]

I actually just recently quit my job because I found out that the owners of the restaurant that I was the chef at was pilfering money that the servers were giving to the bussers and dishwashers.  When confronted, they said that the money was used to have holiday parties for the entire staff. ... 

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So the owners stole the employees' money to finance a party for those same employees!

How generous.

[AmbrosiaFood]

I was involved in a recycling project, and every Saturday, I would go to the metal recycling center. Every time I went there, I would see the same old faces bringing metal in to earn cash.

I noticed a great amount of cookware coming to the center. There would be huge Vollrath stockpots, the heavy square aluminum army roasters, Vollrath steam table pans, sheet pans, you name it, it came through.

Some of it was dirty, like the dishwasher refused to be bothered. Some of it looked brand new. One day, I saw a case of hotel pans unopened!

Yep, employee theft was going on!

[naguere]

My grandfather kept pigs, they were swill fed from various cafes restaurants and government residences situated around my small market town.

Aged about 8 i often wondered why most of our flatware was stamped:

Mascot cafe

Corruna cafe

and Government Property.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Aged about 8 i often wondered why most of our flatware was stamped:

Mascot cafe

Corruna cafe

and Government Property.

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You sound like my daughter who examined our towels when she was able to read and asked "Is our family name Drake?"

the "backstory" to her comment ...