Is this stealing?

[KimberlyCat]

My friends and I often go out to eat for lunch during the week. Every time we go one lady does not order a drink and instead asks for water with lemon. She combines the water and lemon and adds LOTS of sugar packets and makes lemonade. This has bothered me for years although I’ve never mentioned it to her. I think she is stealing. If everyone did that restaurants would take a huge loss financially. I just say a little prayer and offer it up. Just interested in what other people think.

 

[Country_Gal]

Sounds like a good idea. Sounds okay to me.

That reminds me of my Mom and Step Dad. They were honest citizens, paid their taxes, didn’t smoke or drink. But, they would go to an all you can eat salad bar and order one salad and split it. It was quite embarrassing to dine with them.

 

[Country_Gal]

PS, I doubt if it’s a huge loss to the restaurant that she does this.

When I go skiing, I like to bring my own tea bags. They give you hot water for free, and I save a bundle on tea.

In my Mom and Step Dad’s case, yes, they were breaking the rules and essentially stealing.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

LOL! Yes, she may be stealing sugar packets for an non-intended use. She should just bring in a bottle of lemonade in her purse. It would be violating restaurant rules but wouldn’t be stealing.

 

[Allegra]

The sugar is put on the table so the customers can use it to flavor their drinks. No, it isn’t stealing to use it on water with lemon. It does sound gross though. I highly doubt they give enough lemon to make it taste even remotely like lemonade.

 

[Country_Gal]

LOL! Yes, she may be stealing sugar packets for an non-intended use. She should just bring in a bottle of lemonade in her purse. It would be violating restaurant rules but wouldn’t be stealing.

Lol, do they post a sign
[SIGN] NO USING SUGAR IN LEMONY WATER![/SIGN]

 

[Country_Gal]

The sugar is put on the table so the customers can use it to flavor their drinks. No, it isn’t stealing to use it on water with lemon. It does sound gross though. I highly doubt they give enough lemon to make it taste even remotely like lemonade.

Lemonade is ½ lemon and 2 Tablespoons sugar per glass

 

[KimberlyCat]

The sugar is put on the table so the customers can use it to flavor their drinks. No, it isn’t stealing to use it on water with lemon. It does sound gross though. I highly doubt they give enough lemon to make it taste even remotely like lemonade.

She asks for extra slices of lemons, “can you bring me a handful of lemons please?” Sometimes she will make us all ask for extra lemon slices for her. If there is not enough sugar on the table she asks for more sugar packets. It’s rather embarrassing. I love her so much and she is the funniest and kindest person I know. This drives me BERSERK!!!

 

[PaulfromIowa]

Carol Burnett used to talk about her grandmother stealing toilet paper from public restrooms and the sugar from restaurants. As a child she was always mortified that the police would be called and Grandma would get arrested. Only years later could she laugh about it.

 

[nodito]

She asks for extra slices of lemons, “can you bring me a handful of lemons please?” Sometimes she will make us all ask for extra lemon slices for her. If there is not enough sugar on the table she asks for more sugar packets. It’s rather embarrassing. I love her so much and she is the funniest and kindest person I know. This drives me BERSERK!!!

I don’t think it’s stealing, but it does sound embarrassing. If she’s a close friend you might pull her aside some time: “Mary, I love you to death, but it drives me crazy when you make us ask for extra lemons when we go out to eat! It’s kind of embarrassing. Could I treat you to a lemonade next time we go out?” See what she says.

 

[tabycat]

She asks for extra slices of lemons, “can you bring me a handful of lemons please?” Sometimes she will make us all ask for extra lemon slices for her. If there is not enough sugar on the table she asks for more sugar packets. It’s rather embarrassing. I love her so much and she is the funniest and kindest person I know. This drives me BERSERK!!!

If this is her worst fault, it could be worse. Just offer to treat her to a lemonade next time you two go out to eat. If she asks why you are doing this, just gently explain why.

 

[Julianna]

I’ve been out with friends who ask for ice water, and take out a crystal lite packet from their purse or a Milo and pour it in there.

No that is not stealing.

 

[fred_conty]

One twist,(no pun intended), to this is that a person cannot go against their conscience. Now we know that some have lenient, others strict, and others balanced consciences. But if the person thinks it is wrong, then it is wrong. In this matter of the lemon, this brings out this difference. A matter of more concern is “what about the tip”?

Just a thought.

 

[wcknight]

It may be embarassing but consider this.

Your friend who does not buy a drink accompanies all of you who are customers. Indirectly she is helping to bring in business to the restaurant. And if she is also buying lunch, the restaurant makes more than enough to cover any loss which is minimal.

I have a friend who always brought his lunch and only asked for water. Although the restaurant never made anything off him. It made plenty off the rest of us. It so happened that IF a restaurant refused to let him in with us (and one did and we never went back), the rest of us would have left and the business would lose out a lot worse.

Some people are embarassingly cheap. Sometimes the wife and I are like that. We may share a meal or a drink (its rare but sometimes we just are not that hungry or thirsty). BUT the business we do bring still makes money, the alternative is that the business makes zero, which is a whole lot worse.

Is it stealing ??? I think not. SInce the restaurant wlllingly gives the lemon away. She is not taking it without their consent, IF she were to go and grab some lemons it would be stealing. It’s questionable if lemons were available for use for paying customers and she then took some. BUT if the server obliges her by bringing them when asked it is not stealing.

 

[1love]

Maybe she prefers the flavor of freshly made lemonade to whatever comes out of their dispenser.

I wouldn’t be too concerned about it, morally speaking, but it does sound a little embarrassing.

 

[celtspirit]

Im sure shes just trying to cut corners and save a little cash, if she doesn’t earn much money

but its basically bad manners

Jesus said if anyone gives you so much as a glass of water they deserve a reward

so the woman should definitely be grateful for whoever giving her a glass of water

 

[Honour]

In my opinion no, it is not stealing.

She is a paying customer, sugar, lemons, and water are offered free to paying customers. So are other condiments.

What she is drinking is not like lemonade, most restaurants don’t serve real lemonade but that processed chemical stuff anyways.

If she wanted to pour ketchup and mustard in her water and drink that then thats fine too.

If she uses flavor packets or Mio, thats fine too, because restaurants don’t serve those.

Now if she is pestering the waiter for extra lemons and sugar, then it could be bad manners.

But you are under no obligation to purchase a drink to go with your meal!

Just my opinion.

 

[Country_Gal]

Maybe next time bring a lemon and a baggie of sugar for your friend? For Christmas you can buy her a bag of lemons and a bag of sugar.

 

[Deus_tecum]

It is not stealing. Some people do not use any sugar packs at restaurants. Other’s use up lots of them. They are free so it is not stealing. It is sort of bummy though. I’ve seen bums go to fast food places, ask for a cup of water, dump it out the beverage machine, fill it with hot water, and then put half a dozen packs of ketchup in it to make tomato soup.

I’ve drank plain water at restaurants for years. It’s not because of cost. I don’t want sugary pop, and the tea and coffee they have is too inferior to what we make at home.

 

[asia53]

My mom has a group of friends who meet weekly at a restaurant for coffee/breakfast. One woman brings her own coffee. I don’t know if it’s a sin, but it is definitely a lack of good manners.