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If we’re all being honest, I think we know that some things are just asking to be taken. If you go to a hotel, it’s a given that many people take shampoos, conditioners and soaps (some go buckwild and walk out with towels and robes).
If you go to a restaurant and buy a meal, it’s likely that you might walk out with more cutlery and napkins than one would ever need.
And in the interest of transparency, I too have been guilty of swiping a towel at a cushy gym. I’m not proud of it…
But when does “collecting,” as we’ll call it, turn into petty thievery? And when does petty thievery turn into serious crimes? And more importantly, if your significant other is guilty of such things, is it time to run for the hills?
Take for instance the story a New York woman shared with the Sun Sentinel. Her boyfriend seemed to enjoy stealing the most random things. She would watch him do it, annoyed, wondering why a man who made good money would steal frivolous stuff. Ironically, she was seeking advice about what to do — not stating that she was assuredly headed for the exit.
“My boyfriend steals things. It’s little stuff like pens, tape, markers, extension cords, paper, stamps,” she said. “Mostly he takes things from his employer, but I also saw him take salt and pepper shakers and silverware from a restaurant. I’ve complained about this stealing, but he says, ‘Everybody does it.’ He has a good job and he can afford to buy these things. What should I do?”
Then there was the woman who told The Cut that she dumped her boyfriend because she found out that he stole from a store. To be specific, “He stole cufflinks from Burlington Coat Factory.”
There’s also my old classmate whose boyfriend swiped some clothes from the mall. He almost got her arrested as an accomplice when he tried to make a run for it as she picked him up from “shopping.”
And then there’s the crazy story of my co-worker’s friend. Let’s call him Rich. He allowed his aunt and her boyfriend to stay with him to help take care of his grandmother. The matriarch had fallen ill and was being cared for at Rich’s home since he had the space. There were two bathrooms in the home: one in his bedroom and a guest bathroom. He made the guest bathroom available for his aunt and her partner. One day, after returning home from work, Rich found his aunt’s boyfriend in his room. When he asked what the guy was doing, he was met with a response of, “I was just using the bathroom.” Rich told him that even if he was using the bathroom, he didn’t need to be looking around his room.
Rich would soon find out that his aunt’s boyfriend had stolen some of his jewelry, and after confronting him, all hell broke loose. Despite such disrespect, especially when you consider the fact that Rich had given his aunt and her partner a place to stay, the aunt didn’t have much to say on the matter. That man was stealing when he was supposed to be providing support as this woman cared for her mom. Her boyfriend returned the jewelry, and she advised him to leave the home — but she didn’t leave him.
People are welcome to do what they please, but this is a serious issue. Not only that, but it’s also a huge character and moral flaw. If someone can so easily swipe things, whether they’re taken from the store, the restaurant or from someone’s home, one can’t help but wonder when and how this bad habit will eventually escalate. If they steal from other people, how long before you catch them pulling money out of your wallet? And honestly, can you imagine the anxiety of trying to bring a thief around your friends and family? God forbid they get their pickpocket on at your mother’s house or swipe some pink Himalayan salt from your friend’s kitchen just because. That should be a serious deal breaker, or a nail in the coffin, because dating someone who would do such things can make you look just as guilty, or worse — desperate…
But as always, that’s just my opinion. What do you say? Do you think it’s worth it to break up with a person who steals small things? Or is this a petty issue?
