Would you report someone for stealing a loaf of bread?

[SneakyGremlins]

Just that really.

I didn't. But should I have?

letsgomaths. You could try minding your own business? It's hardly the great train robbery is it?! Pathetic.

The morals blur when the person is stealing a loaf of bread to live on, but they spent all their money on drugs and booze etc etc...

Just wanted to make sure someone had mentioned Jean Valjean. Do carry on.....

Can you hear the people sing.....

No, it seems rather desperate and sad regardless of the reasons (usually drink or drugs) but that person high on God knows what is still human.
Hardly of any value is it?

Did they rob a house?
Did they break
A
Window
Paaaane?

It would depend. If it was a small business like in your situation I wouldket the person behind the counter know. The margins in those shops can be really small and many of those shop keepers are struggling to get by (just like my DHs parents back in the day). By stealing the bread this person may be stealing the bread out of the shopkeepers mouth. In the first instance probably not but over time theft can result in big losses. Especially if it encourages them to steal more expensive items like meat or liquor in future. The buck stops with someone and it shouldn't be a small business owner try to make an honest living. Fundamentally, if the the if us really that desperate for food they can go to a food bank. The shopkeeper shouldn't suffer for whoever choices led them to be so desperate for food they would steal it. Its sad but it doesn't excuse theft, especially when charity is often readily available.

No I wouldn't report it. They may have been starving and broke.

If I noticed it I’d give em money or I’d offer to pay for it. Stealing is stealing.

Nope.

Subsistence stuff, no.

It also slightly depends on the shop. Local, family-run, I'd maybe tell them. Shitty, big-business wankers, nah.

No. I would not.

And I don't care if they stole it because they spent all their money on drink/drugs. They must be living a horrible depressing existence in that case.

@Racecardriver it's been pointed out enough times on here that you can't just "go" to a food bank, your needs have to be assessed first and then you are given a voucher. You are limited to a certain number of vouchers as well.

No.

Once I saw a checkout woman in Tesco call out a very very old lady for trying to steal a can of soup. She shouted across to her in front of the whole shop. It was horrible to watch and I think the checkout woman was a power tripping jobsworth who should’ve stayed quiet.

Independent corner shop, I'd probably pay for it. Tesco etc, not a hope in hell.

As long as he shares it with Abu, I'm fine with it.

take that all of you who beat me to the Jean Valjean jokes

Ha, that advice has made my dull Monday morning. I certainly shall mind my own business when I hear the familiar slogan "see it, say it, sorted" on my commute. Meanwhile, perhaps the same advice could be given to 99% of AIBU. MN has often ranted about the bystander effect, perhaps people are sagely "minding their own business".

@bitchqueen sorry but I don't see how that puts you in a position where you decide to steal from a small business owner. Of course food banks aren't the only food giving charities anyway. But even if no charity was available and there was no choice but to thieve why no commit the lesser of two evils and choose a business that it unlikely to really suffer as a result of your dishonesty. Targeting small business owners because you know they struggle with securoty is predatory and downright immoral. If it was a large chain like tesco I would say there is an element of amorality. It's wrong but shirt term petty theft isn't going to make a dent in their profits. But to do that to someone running a corner shop is immoral. Their margins are smaller as is their scale.

Stealing is stealing

No it isn't. There's a great deal of difference between the great train robbery and a starving person stealing a loaf of bread. If you can't see that, then I really would question your whole mindset. I think you'll find the phrase 'mitigating circumstances' rather helpful.

mn thinks it is ok to steal from businesses, it just depends on the size. corollary - anyone not desperate for cash should accept a burglary.

The Les Mis comparison is useful, but not just because everyone takes it to mean we have to sympathise with poor singing 24601. Javert isn't a bad guy - he has principles, and believes in the power of the law to help prevent chaos and abuse - partly because of his own experience of those things. It's easy to say it's just a loaf of bread, but then Javert's message is to ask ourselves what are we saying about the wider principle - that law can just be totally ignored if a given person has decided it's not an important enough breach to care about? How far can you extend that flexibility before things start going really wrong? (Cf. Presidents who think the constitution doesn't apply to them). On the other hand, is it actually better to rigidly always apply the law? Javert eventually can't reconcile his desire to do right and preserve his principles by upholding the law, so his view is so unbending as to be totally destructive.

For myself I don't think I'd report it, because while recognising the hypocrisy, I actually don't worry about small areas of flexibility in law. Some things are complicated and not black and white. But that doesn't mean I think we should just totally ignore all of the wider implications!

Besides in Valjean's case one loaf of bread then leads to thievery from a bishop, identity theft, and revolution - it's a slippery slope. So maybe reporting would prevent the greater issues...

No

Yes, I would mention it to the person behind the till. What if the shop assistant gets into trouble for the till being short/missing goods and over a long enough timescale loses their job. If it were your shop wouldn't you want to know who was stealing from you? If someone was geniunely struggling you could then offer to give them food which would other wise been thrown away. It would allow you to keep an eye on that person and make sure they don't steal higher value goods and try to sell them on. It would mean you're not potentially questioning whether your employees are stealing from you, which is an awful situation to be in.

no

Where I live bread does have a resale value and yes the repeat offender shoplifters do steal it to sell on along with butter, milk, biscuits, baby food you name it they'll have it!
The shop I work in is a well known company but all the staff in our branch may well be out of a job by the end of the year thanks in no small part to these shoplifters who are helping themselves. So yes I would report it so the shop could get a crime number and if they wanted to claim on their insurance (unlikely I know for one loaf of bread), also the police will not investigate the theft anyway so bread thief isn't going to go to jail unless this is one of a long line of bigger crimes!
Also you are making the staff aware of the person so next time they come in the staff can keep a closer eye on them!

My friend was speaking to the security guy in a little Sainsbury's where some traveller types had stolen some stuff (they moved in opposite). The guy told her they do not bother the police unless it is over a certain amount of money I think about £80/£100 quid, not sure.