Is this theft?

[Spiderman]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

 

[Revoltingest]

That level of "theft" is so de minmis as to not be
worthy of being called theft, especially compared
to the vast sums spent on food there.

 

[Secret Chief]

free

So never theft.

 

[Kooky]

It's only theft when it's illegal, isn't it?

 

[fantome profane]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

If they are filling up garbage bags full of ketchup packets then maybe. If they are just taking a handful each then the restaurant is still making a profit on their visits.

But only a barbarian like @Revoltingest would put ketchup on a taco. That is the real sin.

 

[Revoltingest]

But only a barbarian like @Revoltingest would put ketchup on a taco. That is the real sin.

You anti-environmentalist types miss the real crime here...
Small packages use far more packaging material,
& it's non-recyclable.
BTW, my tacos get squeezed lime juice.

 

[fantome profane]

You anti-environmentalist types miss the real crime here...
Small packages use far more packaging material,
& it's non-recyclable.

But I can’t resist those cute little quips they have on the taco sauce packets.

 

[Revoltingest]

But I can’t resist those cute little quips they have on the taco sauce packets.

I don't read books...or sauce packets.

 

[Spiderman]

It's only theft when it's illegal, isn't it?

I'm sure the store would frown upon it, if the sauce was being taken home, and not used while at the restaurant for the meal being purchased. Especially if it was a large quantity?

But I suppose that wouldn't be theft then, if it's not for a price...

 

[PureX]

That sort of theft isn't about the money. It's about the attitude. And yes, it is theft. And the harm it does is to the thief, not the 'victim'.

 

[halbhh]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

Since taking say just 1 extra packet would be pretty common, then where to draw the line depends on the situation: how many packets are available, and will it cause someone else to be deprived of a packet they really want/need. So, as usual, the Golden Rule (GR) actually can pinpoint where the line between ok and wrongful is, more effectively than we'd imagine ahead of time. Applying it, I ask, "If I was a someone else in the restaurant, would I feel harmed that the person in front of me took extra (or almost all, or all of the) packets?" Of course, that depends on how many packets there are, and how many likely customers, so there you get the answer that works well enough in real life. I'd by using the distinction from the GR then know to refrain from taking even 2 packets instead of 1, if only 2 were left, see. E.g. -- even if there are 4 packets left, I'd then still be constrained to get only 1, and/or ask a worker to put more packets out.

 

[mangalavara]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

My view is that one should take what one needs for food at the restaurant, not for food elsewhere. It is commendable to be scrupulous in one's cultivation of virtue. The virtue in this case is asteya: not stealing.

On a less serious note, if I were the owner of a franchise, I would send Predators (uppercase p) after everybody who takes superfluous ketchup/sauce packets. That'll teach Carl Weathers.

 

[Nimos]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

I wouldn't call it theft, as they keep coming back to buy meals, so even if they take a few small ketchup bags, I think taco bell would be happy

 

[stvdv]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

It's fine, but only if you ask the owner if it's fine to take a few bags daily, so that you save money to buy it yourself when needed ketchup at home

Now I have said that, I need to make a minor change in my life

 

[stvdv]

That level of "theft" is so de minmis as to not be
worthy of being called theft, especially compared
to the vast sums spent on food there.

True

Still "theft", unless you asked the owner if it's fine to take a few bags home with you to save money

Now I have said that, I need to make a minor change in my life

 

[The Hammer]

I'm gonna vote not theft.

As I do this all the time. I have BBQ sauce, soy, ketchup, hot sauce, sugar. All packets of course.

 

[stvdv]

I'm gonna vote not theft

Easiest way to know the answer for yourself:

Imagine that you own a business yourself, would you mind if all your customers did this?

That's the (Christian) "don't do unto others..." idea

 

[robocop (actually)]

So, let's say Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest eat a meal at taco bell every day of the year, and each time they do, they grab a handful of the small ketchup bags for free, so they never have to pay for ketchup at the store for their home, and they consume an extremely large quantity for their daily hot dogs and fries and such.

The cost on a daily basis adds up no doubt , for taco bell to enable their ketchup and hot sauce depravity affliction/addiction!

At what point does that make Mr. And Mrs. @Revoltingest guilty of theft, if ever?

Not theft; the restaurant can change its policy if it wants to.

 

[The Hammer]

Easiest way to know the answer for yourself:

Imagine that you own a business yourself, would you mind if all your customers did this?

That's the (Christian) "don't do unto others..." idea

No I wouldn't. The customers are already paying for it via food costs by shopping their. It's calculated already.

If I or a customer sits down and grabs a handful of ketchup packets we'll say 5. But only ends up using 2 of them. Putting those other 3 back in the pile of packets is a hygiene risk. Safer to take them home.

 

[Revoltingest]

True

Still "theft", unless you asked the owner if it's fine to take a few bags home with you to save money

Now I have said that, I need to make a minor change in my life

Were I the owner, I wouldn't want
to be bothered with the question.