Stupidest/Weirdest Theft(s) From Your Work?

[CanadaGirl]

I've only seen/heard about one or two people stealing something really stupid before. At my second last job there were two guys walking around in big coats and looked a little mischevious, so the front end manager was keeping an eye on them. By chance the store manager was walking down an aisle that was facing the checkout stand where these two guys where "idling" and saw them steal a toothbrush from the hang-rack above all the candy. Wtf? Stealing a toothbrush? They couldn't afford to fork over $1.06 for a cheap toothbrush at the dollar store or something The store manager caught them in the act, and nabbed them both. I was at a different register at the time and kind of busy, so I couldn't catch most of the conversation, but I'm pretty sure he (store manager) made those guys feel like crap for trying to steal a stupid toothbrush.

Anyone have any stories about stupid/weird thefts? (I'm glad I work at a liquor store now, where the only thing stolen is liquor!)

[Ryu]

a trash can
a salt shaker
mylars that go over an individual theater to show which movie is playing
a roll of trash bags which they later decided they didnt want
someone tried to steal our change machine and somehow made it to the door before being seen by someone and it was left there
a napkin dispenser i believe
anything people can take, they will

[NightAngel]

What happens at my work is that they work in groups or pairs. One comes in and hides new releases in the middle section and then at a later time another one comes in and steals them. They know we don't have enough people to watch very close. We have become very good at finding the hidden ones before they can steal them though.

One of them I found last night was a movie called Mother Theresa about her life of course. I came up and dumped the stack of 'to be stolens' on the counter and asked my co- worker, "What kind of a goon do you have to be to steal a movie about Mother Theresa?"

She answered, "One that doesn't mind going to Hell- obviously."

[Acolyte]

The AAA batteries from the McBreakRoom remote. Also, the TV doesn't work without it, since it's a piece.
Seriously! There's a variety store next door! You can get two cruddy ones-the same ones in the remote-for $1!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

A few years ago, corporate made the brilliant (cough, cough) decision to sell regular bed mattresses in most of its stores (as opposed to the futon mattresses we already carried).

As part of the roll-out for these mattresses, we recieved a special cart to carry out the mattresses. Think of the lumber carts you see at Lowe's or Home Depot, only not as heavy-duty.

While we sold hardly any mattresses, we found the cart useful for carrying out other things. But one day, it got pushed outside and stored under the overhang by the recieving door, and then another day it was gone. The managers told us they didn't throw it out, so we figure somebody just walked up and took it.

Why, I don't know. It's a pretty big cart, probably too big to have in your house or garage.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Every lightbulb in the room, plus the fluorescent tubes from the bathroom light fixture for a total of six bulbs and two tubes. Oh yeah... they also took the batteries out of the remote.

This is in addition to guests at my hotel who have stolen in-room coffee makers, remote controls, sheets, towels, pillows, lampshades, comforters, and on one occasion, a borrowed coffee mug because the guest was too good to drink out of styrofoam.

[toolbert]

The weirdest thing stolen from our store are the little plastic SD cards that get put with the units. I mean, they do absolutely nothing and yet...people seem to need them for their unit. The one that really took that cake was that someone stole the back of a Treo we have on display. Nevermind the $60 battery in the device...just the back with the palm ID number...seriously now :sigh:

[Myra]

A ratty, dirty, filled-with-holes banner advertising the cellular company we sell. Seriously, this thing was icky. I had no idea why anyone would possibly want it, but they cut the ropes and made off with it. Good for them, the logo had changed so I had a new one on the way anyways.

[Brighid45]

Let's see . . .

At the security company call center we all used tons of disinfectant wipes every night because we didn't have assigned seats--it was grab a desk wherever you could, and Goddess Mother Herself only knew if the drone who used it before you had bubonic plague or ate a four-course meal there without a napkin in sight. Anyway, for a while it was common to have your wipes ripped off. They would take the roll out and leave the empty canister on the desk--at least until we stopped leaving them out to be stolen.

At the job I'm in now, the weirdest thing that was stolen recently was the big container of dairy creamer in the breakroom. I mean come on--it was dollar store creamer and cost a whole buck! And it was half empty too!

[Ree]

Those liquid air freshener refills. (Beginning to wonder if there is an illicit purpose for them since we lose so many.)
A sewing kit from the $1 bins.
Screws and parts out of appliances and tools.

[Kiwi]

fake fruit....I have always found that really really odd.... having illicit oranges staring at you every day

[Morrigan]

A $0.25 balloon from the discount table out front. The kid got caught and hauled back to the store by his mother, and I got to have a lovely conversation with him about whether a twenty-five cent balloon was worth a criminal record. Sad thing was, the kid was thirteen, more than old enough to know better...and why he needed a balloon with Aladdin printed on it I'll never know.

[JustADude]

My wierdest (and only) theft is from my days as a movie-pimp. The guy threw a rock through the front window of the store and tried to steal the DirectTV demo-television from the display. He apparently couldn't get it out and bolted before the cops got there. That's not the wierd part though. To get to the cheap, POS demo-tv he had to go walk directly past the new AND used retail sections. Yeah, most of them have those nearly-indestructable hard plastic cases over them, but the box-sets were just behind more plexiglass with a case-lock.

The guy must've been a real crackhead or something to not get that.

Oh, and we ended up using the rock as a doorstop.

[AforElephant]

From experience I can tell you that anything that is not nailed, tied or screwed down is liable to be whisked away by someone.

From catalogues (and if you ask us for you we will galdly give you one free of charge) to pen and card holders. We had a miniature bulb/lamp display that got stolen - although that was our fault for leaving it unattended on the counter and a display of samples of different cables - that was wrenched off the wall though.

A dummy display inverter also went out on two legs.

I fear that unless I chain my employees to the counter they'll get stolen too.

I think that in our case people do it only out of devillment, for the "buzz" of doing something naughty. There really is no logic in pilfering a catalogue or a display of 3 inch lengths of cables..unless they are harvesting copper.

[Becks]

A $0.25 balloon from the discount table out front. ...and why he needed a balloon with Aladdin printed on it I'll never know.

I know what you mean. The magic carpet was a way cooler character.