Stealing lunch

[horselady]

I know this is very trivial in the grand scheme of things, but in my office there is a person or persons who keep taking other people's lunch every day from the fridge. It's a bit of a nerve, they obviously just think that rather than spending any money, they will eat another person's food. Any ideas on how to find out who it is? we've thought of daft things like a mousetrap in the fridge but then some innocent person would probably end up getting snapped and we'd all be in trouble. I spent all morning looking forward to my M&S chicken sandwich today and there it was gone.

[oldwoman]

Make a sandwich box up but fill them all with the hotest chilli you can find hidden in the mayonnaise.I did this at work,the culprit gave himself up.

[muddie]

Please - will you let us know what happens (preferably in graphic detail) ;~)

[Keeprockin]

Stealing is stealing,no matter how trivial. It really should be reported to someone who may be able to do something about it.

[samuel23]

I love the answer from oldwoman - but why not go one better. If it's not only sandwiches that are going missing then get something sweet (muffins or small cakes are good) and then get a piping bag, fill it with marmite, or bovril, or even better English mustard. Now carefully inject the chosen product into the centre of the muffin/cake etc. Stand back and wait for the results.
Also agree with Keeprockin ~ theft, no matter what is taken, is the act of taking something with the intent to deprive the rightful owner .
theft  � noun 1. the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny.

[MORELLO]

Laxatives. Strong ones. Your culprit will be 'flushed out' in an hour or so...

[MiniN]

Make a 'really appetising' looking sanwich but fill it with something gross like dog meat! or put a dummy sandwich in there but coat the tomatoes or if its got anything red on it (sauce) in food dye. then the culprit will have it written all over his/her face!

Let us know what happens

X

[janetsflower]

chillis in the sandwiches and a nice laxative chocolate covered cake for dessert

[flipflop104]

As pre the other answer - load the sandwiches and food with delicious looking food and also tons of tabasco sauce - a small amount makes a person's mouth on fire so loads and you'll know who they are by the amount of water they're drinking and the colour of their face!! LOL

[andy-hughes]

Excellent answers all!

I'm afraid that fridge theft is an endemic problem in modern offices. I suffered from someone stealing from the milk I left in the fridge - labellled - for my tea.

I placed a notice on the wall saying -

'To the individual who is stealing my milk - please be advised that on occasion - and you won't know when - my milk will contain additional and undisclosed body fluids. I have no problem at all re-ingesting my own body fluids - you may feel differently.'

The theft stopped.

[horselady]

Thanks everyone, nice to know you all agree with me. Someone's lunch was taken today as well. A lad in the office called me "small minded" for making a fuss and said that surely I shouldn't begrudge someone who may not have much money, some food! Utter rubbish, no-one is so low paid in there that they would need to resort to that.

[andy-hughes]

Quite agree horselady - if someone can't afford food, they can have access to mine freely, the merely have to ask. Thieving it is not an option.

[Trotbot]

In agreement with sentiments expressed. However, delibrately setting out to injure someone is a criminal offence, even if they themselves are committing a criminal offence at the time. Stick to dye rather than the more attractive options that hurt.

[MrBen5]

Just keep an eye on the fattest person there...

[MORELLO]

...or the guy who called you small minded...

[JackDanielsU]

Yes very "small minded"!! ------ as if

its probably that person then, who doesnt see anything wrong in it - sure hed be the first to complain if someone pinched his lunch..drink etc.

Do as suggested, make up a sandwich, and either use laxatives..or chillis

Id go for laxatives....the chillis may just make him..or her take one bite and then throw it away...The laxatives will probably go unnoticed, and will take effect.

One really extreme measure is to try and set up a concealed webcam, CCTV etc to catch the culprit in the act...there are some horrid clips of people whove done that, and found out exactly what people were doing in the kitchen.

[joko]

borrowing a slice of bread from a loaf, or a knob of butter from a tub on the odd occasion is one thing, but taking someones whole preprepared lunch every day is quite another!

get some of those blue tablets that denstists use on kids to stain their mouths and crumble into a cake mix

[chicklin]

Loved Andy-Hughes' solution. If I'm ever bothered with the same problem I'll definitely use that idea! Crackin'!

[saxy_jag]

Just to say I back up all the above, although how are you all going hide your 'real' lunches?

A teacher I used to work with got similarly fed-up with her husband (who was also the deputy head) nicking her sandwiches - quite openly and making a great joke of it. Anyway, she was a science teacher, and arrived in the lab one morning to discover that one of the African Giant Land Snails in the tank had died. She boiled it and put it into a sandwich 'for hubby'. He never actually ate it, but his face when he sat and opened the packet was a picture.