Is this stealing?

[Drive43]

AIBU to take spent seed heads from flowers from people's gardens as I walk past?

I leave mine on as food for birds and other wildlife. I wouldn't mind someone taking one or two but they should knock and ask.

Kindly, legally speaking, there's absolute no way for you to take the seeds without trespassing. You don't have to walk into their garden in order to trespass. Plants themselves are considered "land" so by taking or touching any part of the plant without permission (unless it overhangs your land) is trespassing. Taking possession of land you're not entitled to is trespass - plants and their seeds are considered land.

This is horrific. It’s the knock on affect - once you think stealing seeds is okay, then it will be the plants, then the plant pots, then you’ll be breaking into the house and taking the tv. Honestly can’t believe anyone would try to justify theft.

Couldn’t have said it better myself. Don’t be such a chav.

Of course it's stealing. They're not your flowers. On what planet is this 'not stealing?' I have lots of lovely plants and bushes in my garden and have had people walk past and ask if they can snip a bit off. 'Of course' I say, and am happy to let them have it. Try taking it without asking though, and you will feel the full force of my hosepipe.

No-one has ever taken without asking though. (Not that I know of.) It's bloody rude and cheeky to just take. Very entitled and grabby.

Aren't we all just caring for something which is ultimately not ours to own anyway?

Why are you trying to justify theft?

Hahahahhahahahahahahahahaha. Do you apply this logic when people steal from you?

I'm not (trying to justify theft)... the slow dawning realisation I might be a closet marxist ... I'm asking a question.

No. Nice try though.

I paid out my hard earned money for MY bushes and plants. They're MINE. Not yours. Shall I just come and take your TV? Your car? Your clothes? I mean 'nothing belongs to anyone' eh?

People can take my seeds, yes.

Why do people extrapolate from taking seeds to taking TV and that I'm on the slippery slope to full-time criminality?!

@Drive43

I'm not trying to justify theft.

That is EXACTLY what you are doing. And what you have been doing throughout the whole thread.

You literally said 'well we all care for things that ultimately don't belong to us.' What kind of bollux is that? We all have things that DO belong to us - that we bought and paid for - and we DO own. So you are basically saying you should just be able to take what you want, as nobody owns anything anyway. (which is rubbish.)

Because you seem to think it's ok to steal and so people are trying to get through to you by explaining how batshit you sound. Why do you think stealing seeds is ok but stealing a TV is not ok? Why do you think that just because you don't mind people stealing from you that everyone else should be ok with you stealing from them? (Let's be honest, it's because one of those things is actually happening and the other one isn't).

You haven't actually given a single reason why you won't just ask first...

Excuse me? With that logic, why not move into their home?

It doesn’t have to be murder or grand theft auto to be a crime.

You are still thieving, and that is still a crime.

I didn't literally just say it. I literally just typed it.
I'm not full-on, although ultimately all property is theft, when you think about it.
I'm only interested in seeds. Not surround systems.

Because you have shown absolutely not morality. All we have heard about is your willingness to break the law.

If you give the impression that you don’t mind people stealing from you it could very well bite you in the backside when they take it to the next level..

You keep changing your stance and quite frankly it’s baffling to read.

Uh oh OP. You pushed too hard and fucked up. You had us all believing you were a genuine poster for so long too. A solid performance but, four pages in, you got cocky unfortunately. Awaiting the deletion message now.

Well if this is your stance I suppose you’d be better off in a communist state. USSR is calling…

I don't mind people taking my seeds. If I'm attacked or burgled, that's down to the perpetrator. That won't be on my head because I don't mind people taking my seeds.

I’m glad someone caught on. What a sad little life you have OP.