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AIBU?

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Original poster

I accidentally stole a saucer

98 replies

WomanStanleyWoman · 02/02/2022 14:30

This is going to make me sound a bit mad, but what the hell Grin

Where I live it’s quite common for people to leave things they’re giving away on their front wall or outside the house (books, toys, old cups/glasses etc.)

I went past this house a couple of streets away the other night and there was a saucer and a little bowl on the wall. The saucer had the exact pattern of the china my grandma used to have. I don’t usually believe in ‘signs’ or anything like that, but it would have been her birthday last week, so I was feeling a bit sentimental and decided I’d take the saucer.

Then last night I went past the house again. The bowl was still there, but with a different saucer… and they both had cat food in them. Obviously the first night the cat must have already eaten the food, or the owners hadn’t replenished it… but yes, I basically stole their cat food dish.

Do I put it back (creating the mystery of the disappearing and reappearing saucer in the process)? Or do I accept that it probably wasn’t a family heirloom if they’re using it for cat food and keep schtum (and keep the saucer)?

🙈🙈🙈

OP posts:
Linguini · 02/02/2022 16:39

I used to live in London and leaving things outside for people to take is a common occurrence.
I'm reminded of my neighbor who was obviously having a clear out and left out about 6 pairs of shoes.
I had a good look myself but they were all a bit dowdy/odd.

People would pick up anything and I mean anything, including cat saucers. You couldn't leave a potted plant outside your front door because people will lift it.

This woman's shoes were outside her house for ages. Seriously, almost forever. I sometimes wonder how she felt knowing her taste in footwear was so bad she couldn't tempt any passersby some of whom would take an old broken door knob if left out.

I'm now out in the countryside and recently gained a lovely lasagne dish via this method, I did check with the person! It was a giveaway.

Staffy1 · 02/02/2022 16:46

The cat has probably got the blame. Post it through the cat flap in the middle of the night, with a couple of fur balls.

VinylCafe · 02/02/2022 16:49

@hoorayandupsherises

You've made my day.

At least the cat wasn't sitting on the wall when you walked past, that would have a whole other level of awkward.

We had a cat who was a tattletale and would tell on anyone he perceived was doing wrong. If he saw you take his saucer, he would have followed you home then hurry back to paw at me until I followed him. Then it would have been really awkward with me standing on your doorstep saying "umm, the cat told me you did something?" 😂

The little brat did this all the time telling on DD and DS and even tried to tell DH where we hid his birthday presents!

CustardySergeant · 02/02/2022 16:51

Of course you put it back! Now that you know why it was left on the wall, why on earth would you keep it? Just as your title said, you accidentally stole a saucer, so you need to return it. It's not yours to keep.

Staffy1 · 02/02/2022 16:52

@VinylCafe, that’s really funny, what a brilliant cat Grin

Arabellla · 02/02/2022 16:56

@TheHaka

😆

As a woman bumped into me in a shop my bag dropped from my shoulder. I pulled the bag back in place, but unbeknown to me I accidentally hooked a red blouse on a coat hanger from a clothes rail under the strap of my bag at the same time. I walked out of the shop, through the shopping centre, walked the length of the very long queue at the bus station with the red blouse floating behind me on it's hanger. Rather than take it back to the shop for fear of being arrested for theft I tried to give it to the woman behind me in the queue, & the one behind her. As I did my walk of shame back through the bus station & shopping centre I held the red blouse high in the air as proof that I wasn't a shop lifter. The shop owner actually slid down the wall as she laughed whilst I explained the situation. If that wasn't bad enough the bus was still in waiting for me when I got back to the bus station, & they all knew.

Love this! Holding the blouse aloft to prove I'm not a shoplifter is something I would totally do Grin
girlmom21 · 02/02/2022 16:57

Sorry OP this made me laugh! You do have to return the saucer now you know you stole it.
Personally I'd stack it underneath the one on the wall so the owner is confused Grin

hangrylady · 02/02/2022 16:59

Woo hoo free saucer Grin

Drinkingallthewine · 02/02/2022 16:59

@tractorhome

I did similar with a trampoline. A rental house had been gutted and sold and a trampoline appeared in the back laneway. I assumed it had come from the empty house.

After watching it for a week or so I carted it off to our garden. A few days later I got a note in the letterbox saying I had the neighbour's trampoline, he'd only put it out into the laneway as they were having a party that night, and had obviously forgotten to bring it in again.

Him and his dad came round to collect it and treated me like an absolute criminal. It was mortifying.

Don't know what you should do in this case. If you do return it, do it in the dead of night.

Pfft amateur.

What you do is wait for a stormy night, then steal the trampoline. That way when the people wake up and find their trampoline gone, and they realise that even though they told their Dh to tie it down, he didn't fucking listen as usual, but now they obviously can't go looking for it in case it landed on someone's car and they now owe that someone a few hundred in repairs...

theemmadilemma · 02/02/2022 17:00

That made me snort.

Keep it, if it was a cat dish it's not much treasured. I suspect Grandma decided to give you a giggle. ;)

BobISMyUncle · 02/02/2022 17:01

This had me laughing like a drain! It reminded me of several years ago when we'd just moved in, I put the wrong wheelie bin out, quite early the evening before the day of collection. Too late the next morning, I realised my mistake and went to sheepishly retrieve it and looking up and down the road (to see if anyone had noticed me) saw that nearly all the other houses also had the wrong wheelie bin out ! That made me laugh as well! Whoops!

tractorhome · 02/02/2022 17:05

drinkingallthewine Ooooh that's brilliant, wish you had advised at the time and I could have retained my moral high ground over the lazy sod.

Chikapu · 02/02/2022 17:11

Report yourself to the police, it's the right thing to do.

ClariceQuiff · 02/02/2022 17:15

I wouldn't use a saucer I valued for that purpose, but I'd be slightly miffed if it was stolen nonetheless - I second the idea of going round and explaining, taking the saucer - I'd let you keep it.

Years ago, we left a broken exercise bike outside the house meaning to call the council to pick it up (we didn't have a car at the time so couldn't get it to the tip and this was before the days of widespread internet where it could be offered free for spares/repair). Someone helpfully took it the next day, saving us £20! It was probably fixable so hopefully they got it going again.

DomesticatedZombie · 02/02/2022 17:18

@Chikapu

Report yourself to the police, it's the right thing to do.
It's incumbent on all of us to report this.

Helpfully, this online reporting form has a 'I don't know' option for the 1st question of 'Where did this happen' it wouldn't accept 'mumsnet'.

www.police.uk/pu/contact-the-police/report-a-crime-incident/

DomesticatedZombie · 02/02/2022 17:18

Also from the poliice reporting site:

'Does it feel like the situation could get heated or violent very soon?'

Does it feel like a heated saucer, OP? Or were the Dreamies a dish best served cold?

PasswordEarth · 02/02/2022 17:27

Take it back with a saucer you no longer need and some dreamies. Knock on the door and explain and offer them the replacement or the original back. Hilarious though!

Arabellla · 02/02/2022 17:30

Take them a different saucer is the new cancel the cheque!

TheOriginalEmu · 02/02/2022 17:44

@pigsDOfly

Now you know you accidentally stole it, you now know to put it back.

It's not yours to keep.

And no, it isn't a sign from your grandma.

The fun sponge award goes to….
2018SoFarSoGreat · 02/02/2022 18:02

this has made me laugh!

I asked DH not to use our dessert plates to feed the (spoiled besom) cat her chicken. He is a good listener. His choice of replacement is my antique Shelly Cottage Garden plates. It is organic chicken, poached and chopped up with so much love but what?

Bloody cat.

Chikapu · 02/02/2022 18:07

It's incumbent on all of us to report this

I agree, a stern telling off by the local bobby might nip this in the bud before the OP escalates to soup bowls or god forbid a full dinner service.

Cherrysoup · 02/02/2022 18:25

Quite normal to leave stuff out round here and hope it gets taken. We replaced the kitchen and someone asked for the aluminium sink. I was thrilled, saved me a trip to the tip.

I like the idea of swapping saucers, but omg, can you imagine actually ringing on the door to do so? 🤣🐱

Puffflashpuffflashbang · 02/02/2022 18:27

@pigsDOfly

Now you know you accidentally stole it, you now know to put it back.

It's not yours to keep.

And no, it isn't a sign from your grandma.

You sound delightful, I bet you're really fun at a party!
GettingThemFromHereToThere · 02/02/2022 18:33

Just give it back and explain the misunderstanding.

Also - I'd knock and deliver it. Rather than just put it back on the wall, out of courtesy. You really have no way of knowing how important the saucer was to them. Likely not at all but it's theirs so you should return

MrsSiba · 02/02/2022 18:35

Funny story op. I would return a different saucer.

Reminds me of the time my DH was cleaning the car and left the handheld Dyson on the wall while he sorted the car then forgot to bring it in 😡 Someone thought we had left it to be taken which is fair enough as that is something people do in our area. Genuine mistake but I was furious