Have you ever stolen food? Would you?
By BayleighGray
@BayleighGray (4334)
United States
September 18, 2007 8:05am CST
I was just responding to a friends post about beggers. It got me to thinking, since I mentioned in my comment that I didnt think I would ever beg someone for food, at least not the way she described it.
Then I remembered a time when I was like 18 and me and my best friend ran off to another state to live. What my mother was thinking when she aided us in doing this Ill never know...but anyway when we got there we had enough money to get an apartment and some extra for survival until we found jobs. It was rather fun, I have to admit that. We had a great apartment, and within a couple of days we found jobs. But payday wasnt going to be soon enough, the money we had was needed for gas to get to work and we didnt have any money for food. So when we got off work at night, we would drive around to fast food restaurants and go in and tell them that we were just in the drive thru and that they forgot to put something in our bag; fries, a burger, or something. Without heistiation they would give it to us apologising for us having to come back. We always chose the busiest place since 9 times out of 10 they really wouldnt remember if we had actually been there or not.
So, do you think you would actually beg for the food or try something like we did or just flat out try and steal it from a store?
3 people like this
6 responses
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
20 Sep 07
I've stolen food before. Straight out gone into the store and stolen it. Or picked things out of people's shopping bags that they were carrying, or even grabbed a whole bag when I could. Granted, I was really young then, and I was living on the street, literally.
When I did have a place to live, and still didn't have food to eat, I would be more likely to steal money to buy food than to steal food. That, or beg for it, if I wasn't having any luck with stealing. I had a couple of places where I knew I could usually get something (like a restaurant that always undercharged me because the lady knew my situation) if I really had to, assuming I was in the right town.
I will freely admit that I have stolen before though. I have done what I had to in order to survive, or in order to help others survive. (For a while, everything I stole was being split with another girl who didn't have a home either, until we finally found a shelter that would take us.)
2 people like this
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
20 Sep 07
Hi Lecanis,
That must have been really hard for you. I have never been that homeless, though I was without a home of my own at one time in my life. I think it all comes down to survival as well, like you said. I mean you need food, and you can only go so many days without it.
I felt what we did was fine. I didnt view it as stealing or anything like that. Those places werent going to notice a hamburger or some fries that werent paid for, and we only did it for a few days. Some days we just didnt eat.
I admire your courage, and the simple fact that you survived. People are quick to judge, but when they have not walked one step on your shoes they have no idea what its like or what they are likely to do.
Thanks for your honesty in your comment!
Bay xx
2 people like this
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
22 Sep 07
Just being real with you Lecanis. I have been there, not to your extreme, but Ive been put in situations where I did what I had to do to survive.
Thanks, Bay xx
1 person likes this
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
22 Sep 07
Hi Noriko,
Well, I guess if she told you off limits then off limits. lol You stole it!
I was really thinking more along the lines of perhaps not having money to buy food, and what you would do to get it. What extremes would you take to get a bite of food.
I liked your response though, I thought it was cute!
Bay xx
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@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
26 Nov 07
Can I be cynical here, if I was that desperate for food, I think yes I would steal because it's a win win situation, if I don't get caught I get the food I have stolen and a full belly! If I do get caught and I get caught often enough I will be put into prison, once I am in prison I get all my meals for free! I get free boarding, free bed for the night, good hot square meals and a roof over my head. So a definite YES If I was desperate I would never go hungry, in fact I would actually want to be caught, especially in the UK. Not sure about other countries as their prisons aren't as luxurious or cushy as UK ones!
1 person likes this
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
26 Nov 07
Well here prisons and jail are really sort of different. Mostly for stealing that kind of thing, youd probably do your time in a jail. Those are awful, not that I know first hand! LOL I swear! They have no TV, cold, crappy food, jackass officers that couldnt make it as real street cops and there is no luxery what so ever in them.
In prisons here, individual cells with tv, radio, books, pens, all kinds of shoes, smokes, food and snacks personal cells and its pretty cushy!! You can go to school, visit a library, work out at the gym, get a job on the grounds and get paid, visitaions without a glass between you. So yeah sounds good! lol To an extent though.
So Jail and Prison arent different there?
Bay xx
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
20 Sep 07
Lol no I have never done anything like that I couldn't the Guilt would be all over my Face but I would not beg either I would rather go without Food to be honest lol
It must have been for you 2 though lol and I admire your Courage on this
Hugs xx
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
20 Sep 07
lol HI GABS!!!
Well when your really hungry, I guess you will do what you feel is the best way to eat. I didnt feel good about it, but I needed food! It did take a lot of courage to do this. One place actually asked me exactly what I orded and God must have been with me because I just started rattling things off and it must have been very close to an order they actually did have at the drive up window, because she deeply apologised and gave me the food I said they left out of the bag. lol
Thanks for your comment hon!
Bay xx
2 people like this
@laurika (4532)
• United States
4 Oct 07
I have stolen chocolotae when I was kid, just for fun.We had a bet with my friend, so I had to do it if I wanted be in the group.How silly it was of me.After that I have never stolen anything.But if I would be hungry I don't think I would stole something, I would probably beg some people.but I never think about something like you did.That is very original.I would remeber this,if Iwould be one day homeless.
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
4 Oct 07
Well thank you Laurika!
lol Original....never quite heard it put like that. Thank you, you made me laugh.
I hope that one day you wont be homeless, or not have money to buy food. But yes, that would be a way for you to get something to eat.
Im not just that kind of person to ask others for something. I would rather do without it. Im just stubborn like that. lol
Bay xx
@sephrenia (567)
•
18 Sep 07
When I was a teenager I would have never considered stealing food lol. I would have thought it pretty pointless and gone for something else instead. Now that I have kids, I know that if they were hungry and I had nothing then I would go round my friends and neighbours begging, and if it came down to it, flat out steal it.
In any other situation, if it was just me or my hubby hungry, then I would just be hungry and wait until i could afford some food or go to my mums house lol. I think it all depends on the situation you are in at the time and what you can do to rememdy it.
2 people like this
@BayleighGray (4334)
• United States
18 Sep 07
Well I guess there is begging and then there is BEGGING. lol I mean its one thing to ask your friends or neighbors for food, but its another to ask a complete stranger!! If you dont have family members to ask, I guess all you do have are your friends, which Im sure they would not turn you down. I know I wouldnt turn my friends down if they asked me.
Yeah since I was so far from home, and we were new to the city, friends and family were sort of out of the question. It got us by and then when we got our first checks, we went shopping and stopped doing it. We just needed to eat something during the day!
Thanks for replying Sephrenia!
Bay xx
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