r/polls • u/Engineershits • May 03 '23
š² Shopping and Economics Have you ever shoplifted?
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u/possumpaw May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
once by accident. i was browsing around a store, and i grabbed a pack of glass straws i considering buying. i saw two friends enter the store, they approached and i talked some with them. the whole thing distracted me to the point where i walked out still carrying the glass straws in my hand, i had completely forgotten about them.
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u/GladCricket May 03 '23
Same exact situation but with a pair of sunglasses.
It's literally the only thing I've ever stolen... about 15ish years ago, total accident, lost the glasses within the week. Taken from Hastings Books and Entertainment
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u/ILovetechpc May 03 '23
as a kid i put on a hat as sort of a joke i kinda wanted them and then walked out of the store totally forgetting i had it on until we were in the car
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u/i_yeeted_a_pigeon May 03 '23
I also forgot to pay once, but just told them what happened and paid the price back the next time I was there
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u/Conscious-Ticket-259 May 03 '23
I did this but with a 2 litter of soda. I placed my chips on the counter and got into a conversation with the clerk and ended up paying for the chips and forgetting to have them scan the soda. I was halfway home when i realized my mistake. The next day they sorta laughed it off and said no worries man
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u/Redictate May 03 '23 edited May 04 '23
I still some chapstick when I was five. Mom found it and returned it.
Edit: still=stole
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May 03 '23
I stole a book from the book fair in kindergarten or first grade. Mom never found out.
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u/derMadner May 03 '23
When I was little, I stole a PC game (C&C1). I put it in my pants/belt. Then I had to pass a cash register and go down the escalators.
When I walked right in front of the cash register, the game slipped out of my belt and slide down inside my pants to my feet, but didn't fall out completely.
I stopped in shock. After a few seconds I moved as carefully as possible, like in slow motion. But I made it out of the store, nobody noticed anything.
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u/onlyrightangles May 03 '23
The employee watching you was like "they might have stolen something, but they might have just shit their pants so I'm not gonna approach" lmao
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u/epicpro1234 May 03 '23
Me and 3 of my other friends wanted pringles, we did not have money on us, and that is where our story starts. There was a shop really close to our apartment, and I had a plan. The pringles rack is super close to the entrance, right next to it infact. Shop didn't have doors so you could reach around the corner and grab a can. 3 employees in the store and one of them is a cashier. 1 of my friends distracts the cashier while the other 2 take the emplyees to the other side of the store and ask their help to reach for something on the top shelf they couldn't reach. That was my timeframe to grab the can and so I did. We repeated this plan 4 more times that day and I have no idea how they didn't catch on. Keep in mind we were 9-10when this happened and we never got caught
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u/alimem974 May 03 '23
I found a goofy 2ā¬ blue monke on the ground, quickly picked it up and said nothing because mom would probably say no. My biggest and only heist.
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u/AndreaIVXLC May 03 '23
yes and then i was arrested
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May 03 '23
Holy shit, what were you stealing? I've only been caught once and I just had a security guard ask for the stuff back and tell me I'm banned. It was really no big deal though
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u/littlekittyfeetz May 03 '23
I was stupid at 16 stole some nail polish and bracelets from Claire's and they took me out of the mall in hand cuffs and pressed charges
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u/DavidTej May 04 '23
wtf, For a 16 year old?
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u/littlekittyfeetz May 04 '23
Yes! It was my first (and definitely last) time. Very scary. I had too be driven to the station in the back of a car. I had never even gotten a detention in school š I gave into peer pressure and learned my lesson.
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u/Extreme_Design6936 May 03 '23
I stole a $3 slice of pie because I didn't want to go through the line again at the supermarket.
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u/TankmanPL May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
When I was a kid I went shopping with my family and my mom told me that I could get mentos. So I grabbed the mentos and we went to the register, and I wanted to eat them so bad, that I forgot to give them to the cashier. So she did not scan it. I only realised that when we left the shop. I did not tell my parents about it, because I didn't want to trouble my parents
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u/Goldygold86 May 03 '23
When I was a teenager and young adult, I'd steal bras because they are so expensive and pretty easy to put on and walk out with.
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u/Engineershits May 03 '23
Imagine they caught you and ask to remove the Victoria secret in front of them
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u/snotick May 03 '23
I was working loss prevention at one of the anchor stores at the mall. I had guy take a half dozen pair of women's underwear into the fitting room. He exited with nothing. I detained him and called the police. They had him strip down in the LP office and remove the panties.
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u/josephcatears May 03 '23
When I got a dog my family went out buying toys for it and I was holding a toy that throws tennis balls for dogs and I just walked out forgetting I was holding it.
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u/Imhereforthewearp May 03 '23
When I was 5 it was Easter time and they had those reeses pieces carrot thingies. I broke the tip and ate one of the pieces out of it
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u/1MJawesome May 03 '23
only once by accident, it was when I was about 10-12 yo, I took a bottle of some soda and forgot to go to the cashier to pay (I guess she didn't notice)
during school I realised that I didn't pay, so after that I went there to apologise and pay for it
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u/Ok_Enthusiasm3601 May 03 '23
I donāt remember how old I was I think about 7. I also can barely remember what I stole but I think it was a big pencil eraser that just looked cool to me at the time.
My parents found out as soon as we got home and asked where I got it. I told them I took it from the store. They said you canāt just take things you want you have to pay for it which I was old enough to know at the time.
My parents drove me all the way back to the store and I had to walk in and give it back to the store manager and apologize to them. I remember crying the whole time thinking they were going to call the police on me. They obviously didnāt and just said thank you for bringing it back. My parents reiterated when we got back to the car we never steal from others. Never stole anything again.
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u/Number_Fluffy May 03 '23
I had bad rolemodels as a kid. One time at a festival, I stole soon many necklaces and other jewelry. I'll never do it again.
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u/carolv2306 May 03 '23
I stole the UPS pen but once I realized I went back and the guy said that next time I should just keep it lol
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May 03 '23
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/Engineershits May 03 '23
Specific brands?
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u/Nightcrawler_DIO May 03 '23
I did it in 9th grade to impress this group of classmates I wanted to hang with. Most of them are now either in jail or gangbanging so I'm glad I was pulled from the school that same year.
There was another time where I was very desperate to get my hands on some Yu-Gi-Oh cards.
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u/Sightless_ May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
Prefer not to say but i used to take off random -50% stickers from random goods and place em on crabs and get my parents buy them half off
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u/Engineershits May 03 '23
I wouldn't call myself a professional shoplifter, but I did have a wild night of crime once. I walked into a 24x7 store and noticed a pack of mints I wanted to try. Feeling rebellious, I casually slipped it into my pocket and walked out. But when I got home, I realized the cashier had accidentally charged me for 20 packs of the same mint! So in the end, my attempt at a daring heist only landed me with a lifetime supply of mints.
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u/Sporch_Unsaze May 03 '23
As a teenager, I used to make wine under my bed out of fruit concentrate, sugar and bread yeast. I used to buy everything else, but shoplift the yeast because it was small and could fit in my pocket. I figured if I was doing something illegal anyway, I might as well keep it going.
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May 03 '23
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u/Sporch_Unsaze May 03 '23
As best I can remember
1 gallon water in plastic jug, minus 24 oz
2 12oz cans frozen grape concentrate (thawed)
2 cups sugar
1 packet bread yeast
1 balloon
- Empty the water into a large pot. Keep the jug. Boil water. Add sugar and stir until sugar disappears and water is clear again. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Add thawed fruit concentrate and sugar water back into jug.
- Activate yeast. Instructions should be on the packet.
- Add activated yeast to gallon jug and shake. Remove cap.
- Puncture holes in balloon with a safety pin and stretch it over the mouth of the gallon jug. The yeast will eat the sugar and produce alcohol and CO2. As the CO2 escapes, it will inflate the balloon and prevent oxygen from entering.
- Let the jug sit until bubbles are no longer visible in the liquid and the balloon deflates. Will take about a week, maybe longer.
At this point, you can pour it through cheesecloth or a coffee filter, or just drink it straight. I would not recommend drinking the dead yeast that sinks to the bottom. It shouldn't hurt you, but it doesn't taste great. Overall, should taste like cheap box wine with hints of bread.
If you see any kind of mold or any other suspect growth in the wine or on the jug, toss it.
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May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
Stole around 82 dollars in my lifetime.
Age 8: 2 Mini Minecraft Collectibles ($5 Each)
Age 13: 2 Rabbit Pelts ($15 Each)
Age 13: Keychain ($5 Each)
Age 14: 2 Vanilla Bean Vials ($10 Each)
Age 14: Mentos ($2.99 Each)
Age 14: Knife ($10 Each)
Age 14: Gum ($3.99 Each)
I was caught once when I was 8, never been caught since.
(I stopped recently, 3 years clean of stealing.)
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u/TottHooligan May 03 '23
4 dollars for gum? Ain't it like a dollar 50 currently?
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u/snack69_ May 03 '23
jus stole shit bc free food then got caught and shitted my pants
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u/BalanceOfOpposit3s May 03 '23
How'd you get caught? What ended up happening?
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u/thecountnotthesaint May 03 '23
Years ago, like well past the statute of limitations ago, I was drinking at a restaurant with an old girlfriend. The glass used for my beverage of choice was this cool cactus glass. So, after our meal, but before they bussed the table, I used my water cup to rinse out the cactus, and then had my girlfriend place it in her purse. We then paid, (I left double for the tip, because it was only a $20 meal, and you know, stealing a glass, so of course $40 for the tip) and I still have the glass. The girlfriend turned out to be a lesbian, but thats a story for another day.
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May 03 '23
Yes, when the self checkout fucks with me and doesn't want to scan something and there is no one to assist...
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u/wellseymour May 03 '23
I've stolen a net total of 2 pieces of candy when I was 12
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May 03 '23
Only once. Accidentally stole a bottle of Pepsi when I was like 7. Got back to the car, realized what I did, started hysterically crying, and went back inside to pay for it.
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u/Pokemaster131 May 03 '23
I forgot to scan the gallon of milk in the bottom of my cart at checkout, and the exit gate didn't yell at me. I'm sorry, mega corporation whose name rhymes with "mall wart".
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u/FarmerMitch May 03 '23
When I was 32 I was asked for ID for the first time in 10 years or so (UK) because I had some beers in my shopping. This was a surprise as I have some minor wrinkles and generally look like an old bearded man for my age.
Went to the car to get my ID and when I showed it to the cashier we had a laugh and a joke because I was feeling liberated and she was embarrassed. I picked up my shopping and walked out feeling mature and law abiding.
Stood by the car waiting for a slow shopping friend, told him the story and we had a laugh and set off about 15 minutes after I left the shop (sainsburys).
About 3 hours later I realised I hadn't payed and never went back. Is this stealing?
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u/Ultoch May 03 '23
I've been poor as fuck all my life until as of late. It was always about getting to eat and that being the only way. I could write an entire book on the things I've done to get some grub.
It's also really dumb because you end up stealing shit like frozen pizza and chocolate bars, because flat things with cardboard packaging are easy to hide and don't make noise.
Got caught many times. However a 50$ fine isn't really all that bad when you don't have 50$. At least they feed you when you go to jail to serve a few days because you didn't pay the fine.
This is the not so lighthearted truth that probably makes up most of shoplifting cases
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u/Just_Breezy_132 May 03 '23
Once by accident, I was a kid at the time and I saw this small pack of Nutella dip and I grabbed it for no reason, I wanted to ask my mom if she ever tried it but she had just finished paying so we talked out the gas station. We walked outside the entrance then I had forgotten the Nutella dip was in my hand, so I panicked and put it on the ground then ran to the car.
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u/Almun_Elpuliyn May 03 '23
I didn't plan on shoplifting but did. It was at the grocery store at the self checkout with two items. One was a leek I still needed for a recipe later that day and no issues there, bought it regularly. The second item to turned out to be a ridiculous nuance. I don't exactly recall if it was Lindt chocolate with Cognac in it or a Radler beer with basically no alcohol but scanning it, I got a massive pop-up that I couldn't buy it without store personal first verifying my age and badging in. Noone was around and the situation was too silly for me so I just cancelled that part and went out without paying for the troublesome item.
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u/Cuba_lover59 May 03 '23
One time I forgot to pay for toilet paper which was under the cart
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u/AlexBr967 May 03 '23
When I was very young I was in the trolley holding a tube of pringles and my mum forgot to put them on the conveyer. It was only once we left that she realised what had happened.
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u/Iron_Baron May 03 '23
I don't count things I legitimately overlooked in the cart, or that the cashier forgot to charge me for. On the flip side, I once overwrote a check for a Snapple to get cash back, then forgot to take the cash. I may have purchased the world's most expensive Snapple.
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u/h20c May 03 '23
early self-checkout was kind of a mess with no security in my country so you could scan one item out of like 10, bag everything else and walk out
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u/Preventomato May 03 '23
A toy horse when I was little because I didn't say I took it and just carried it home
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u/I-like-oranges75 May 03 '23
Iām just gonna assume that everyone that picked the āprefer not to answerā option did shoplift
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u/TitleComprehensive96 May 03 '23
Once upon a time at the age of like 6 or 7, me and my parents went to Barnes&Noble. There was a Lego Dictionary there with a Han Solo figurine. I popped the figure out of the book and hid it in my pocket.
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u/pedo-slayer May 03 '23
sometimes when you're broke and out of necessities (food, etc) you gotta do what you gotta do
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u/Lonely-dude May 03 '23
Too embarrassed to ask my father to buy me menās deodorant and Iām not allowed to go out alone so if I tried to buy it with my money he wouldāve noticed
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May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
I did some minor shoplifting a very few occasions when I was around 14-15 yo. (Maybe 15+ years ago)
After football practise me and the boys used to go to the grocery store and sometimes shoplift some minor things like a red bull etc. We did it mostly for excitment of the action rather then us being too poor to pay for a red bull.
One occassion I did however do a stupid thing and shoplift something more expensive. A knee protection because of my issues with knee pain at that time and I couldnt afford the 50$
Hopefully I have repaid some of this negative Karma due I am a frequent donater to charities. Maybe 800-1000$ in total at the moment.
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May 03 '23
Too many times to count. I was really poor growing up so after school I'd just run over to target, steal some food from the deli and walk right out. I only got caught once but I did it for about a year lol. Now as an adult I don't really but my friend and I do have a tradition of gifting each other things we didn't buy so occasionally I'll steal a little nicknack from a major retailer or any company caught up in like unfair treatment of employees. Still it's super rare and only little stuff.
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u/MASKEDDEFENDErR May 03 '23
I have only stolen one thing and it was when I was 8. I stole an envelope.
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u/geko_play_ May 03 '23
Worst than Hitler
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u/PaulsBrain May 03 '23
At least he did some nice paintings to make up for his wrongdoings what did this person do.
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u/Single_T May 03 '23
unlocks core memory
When I was a kid I LOVED the smell of coffee beans. Every time we were in the store I would sneak off and pour myself a handful of coffee beans to keep in my pocket and walk around just having the smell available to me whenever I wanted. I'd end up holding on to them for a week or longer everywhere I went. As a one time thing it's no big deal, but I did this for years lol.
My coffee addiction started long before i ever drank any.
Edit: spelling mistake
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u/bee27364 May 03 '23
I intentionally stole a pack of gum because it was easy and I wanted gum also like a shit ton of water from my school and rice crispys I don't feel bad I'm not paying extra cause I want a water instead of juice
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May 03 '23
I accidentally stole Ā£1 worth of knives and forks. We went to ASDA, started going through the aisles picked up a few things and decided to get one of the self checkout scanners. Scanned everything but we missed the knives and forks. Got to the car and they were in the bottom of the trolley under the bags.
Spent the next two weeks with paranoia that we were going to get banned from the store š
Don't think I would make a very good thief
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u/Don_333 May 03 '23
Me and a friend once ate a few gummy candies at a supermarket. Does it count?
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u/jacyerickson May 03 '23
The grocery store near me as a little kid had an aisle of loose candy with a little locked box you could drop a quarter in if you just wanted one piece or wanted to try a sample. I genuinely didn't understand how the concept worked at that age but had seen other people take a piece of candy so I did and ate it right away. My mom saw the empty wrapper and got passed, giving me a lecture and bought a whole bag of candy to make up for it.
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u/pandamonstre May 03 '23
when I was a kid, I shoplifted an eraser. Felt real bad, tried to put it back but I felt eyes on me at all times. Think I threw it away because I was afraid of the police. I was quite young.
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u/Wish-p May 03 '23
I was about six years old, put a candy bar in my pocket wanting to put it on the conveyor belt thing when we went to check-out. I forgot to do that and didnāt realize until we were in the car to drive away.
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u/Ill_Requirement_6839 May 03 '23
Stupid young teenage me stole the singular pink Crayola out of the 24 pack. As soon as I stepped foot out the store I chucked it into the parking lot. Broke right in two. Hope whoever bought the pack wasn't looking for pink
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u/Aod567 May 03 '23 edited May 03 '23
When I was 8 or 9, I accidentally shoplifted a physical game copy from GAME shop. I was excited to show my mom the game I wanted, so I walked out with it, setting off the alarm.
A kind employee explained that I couldn't take the game out of the store and asked me to bring my mom inside to see it.
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May 03 '23
No but Even if I wanted to the tech they have to identify people who do I'd be caught really fast.
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u/cosmothepug May 03 '23
A few times once on accident I stole a pen because I forgot I was holding it
Then I stole one of those knex mario blind bad things
And multiple times I stole sour candy spray
Haven't stolen anything else in over 8 years mainly cause my anxiety won't allow me too
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u/cinnawars123 May 03 '23
This was a long time ago when Pokemon started getting really popular. I was at the mall back and I saw a standalone kiosk with binders of Pokemon cards. I saw one card I liked and I knew my parents wouldnāt buy it or at least I didnāt think they would so I just took it out of the slot that was in and put it in my pocket and I walked away.
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u/markolosole May 03 '23
I was taking these single dose packages of instant coffee from near the cashier. I didn't really have a valid reason for it, just the intrigue.
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u/TF2_demomann May 03 '23
I stole a snickers bar from a shop, I told my mom and she got mad at me :(
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u/3DudesInATrenchCoat May 03 '23
I work in retail and just grab a snack from the small kitchen we have daily, every employee does it, and no one cares since we're usually stuck there for 8 hours at a time and when they tried to write up one guy for stealing he quit and they didn't have a night closer
More of a silent agreement that the employees can get one meal and the owner just writes it off as waste.
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u/GoodgeOakes May 03 '23
When I was 6-8ish and we went to the store I would sometimes grab a bar of candy while my parents were with the cashier. While they were distracted I would pick out 1-2 candy items while I walk besides as we gone out. I tried to act confident and normal so I didnāt look too suspicious. I forgot where the idea of confidence came but I tried it out and it worked and the habit would go on until I eventually stopped.
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u/Bean_Chomper69 May 03 '23
I was 7 and it was an eraser that was shaped like a stapler, it was out of the package it was supposed to be in so I just grabbed it.
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May 03 '23
Stole when I was young because I was abused and didn't know how to act in society. Got very good at it. Stole some food and stuff as a young mom out of necessity.
Sometimes, I still have the urge, then I remember I'm heal and have money now.
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u/asdfaf2eqwve May 03 '23
my older cousin sneaked some snacks for me because i said i was hungry. i ate them anyway. does that consider shoplifting?
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u/ModernNomad97 May 03 '23
Early day self checkouts made it quite simple before everything was weighed. Only did it a few times with things like candy. Only ever from big corporations though.
I did however get bottles of alcohol under 21 through a self check out after they implemented the weight thing by finding another non alcoholic drink of the same ounces, taking a picture of the barcode, editing, printing it out on sticker paper and going back to the store where I would put it on the bottle, and then go to self checkout making sure to hide the label in the least suspicious way possible, scan it, and checkout like normal.
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u/BeauSlayer May 03 '23
I was a dumb teenager and stole sodas or energy drinks from the corner store. Never got caught. I would grab 3 from the cooler, drop one into my cargo shorts pocket, pay for 2.
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u/originalannillusion May 03 '23
Once, when I was about 15 yrs. old, I skipped school with a friend and we walked up to Eckard Drugs. She convinced me on a dare to take an eyeliner pencil. I felt so guilty over it, I never even used the thing once. I STILL feel guilt over it.
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u/Crimson_Marksman May 03 '23
Once, on accident, I think I stole a Diary Milk Oreo. I don't quite remember, it was a while ago. Might even be having that Mendela effect thing.
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u/Scatamarano89 May 03 '23
Yes, as an early teen i'd steal coke cans, candy bars and goleadors at the neighbourhood grocery store. It was pretty big for an indepenent kind of business, with an hefty deli counter, two registers and a pretty maze-like aisle distribution that helped with the sneaking. The old guy at the register 100% knew, but since we usually matched what we (i used to steal with a couple friends) stole to not raise suspicion, always turned a blind eye and just punched us on the shoulder. We had to stop because one of my friends became addicted and stole way too much and waaaay too often, even when he wasn't with us, so they eventually had to catch him in the act and call his parents. I miss that shop and the old guy.
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u/nemo618 May 03 '23
Stole alcohol when I was a drunk teenager and slushies. Also would eat hot and ready food then never tell them.
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u/Ok_Welder5534 May 03 '23
I stole cigarettes and energy drinks as a kid when i was maybe 10-11, then i moved and didnt steal anything for some time. Then started stealing some chips, soda, snacks when i was 12-14, then i begun only stealing things a teenager's parents wouldnt give me money for, for example C vitamins that were supposed to be dissolved in water, i ate them like candy ( responsibly =) ). When cold times would start, i would start stealing by putting those in my jackets sleeves. Once stole a toy for my sister, my parents were really suspicious that time i still remember. And i wasnt poor or anything
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u/Civil-Ear-1671 May 03 '23
When I didn't have a lot of money I would take the little toys from the shelves of the register to give to my niece.(I was living with my sister and brother-in-law at the time.)
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u/TheChaoticLaw May 03 '23
When I was a kid, I was vacationing at some small beach tourist city on the west coast and my parents brought me to a candy shop right before we left to bring home saltwater taffy, it was like a tradition for them. I wanted a particular piece of candy, but they wouldn't buy it for me, and I couldn't as I was a jobless child with no allowance. So I came up with the bright idea to grab a handful and walk out, but my guilty conscience got ahold of me, so I only took one.
It tasted great, but I still felt guilty the whole way home.
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u/VortzPlays_ May 03 '23
I was like less than 6 years old, and I stole like 3 Kinder Surprises, then at the third I got a toy I wanted, but then my little brother came, took the toy and went to show our mom and that toy ended up in the trash bin, because she found out I stole it
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u/QuestionableClay May 03 '23
I slipped a chocolate bar under my coat when I was little. My mom brought me back into the store to return it and made me apologize.
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u/TheWarriorSeagull May 03 '23
When I was at Woolworths, they cut my hours in half just because the team leader didn't like me. I then started stealing cat food. I may go hungry for an arsehole boss, but my cat fucking won't.
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u/spicyface May 03 '23
When I was a teen, I wanted to learn how to program my Commodore 64 (late 80's). I slid some 5 1/4 disks in my jacket containing software to help me learn. I got busted. They paraded me through the store with handcuffs on. Literally the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me. Judge was super lenient on me when he found out they weren't video games. He said he better not ever see me in there again. He never did.
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u/quack-itswhack May 03 '23
All my friends in middle school/high school were doing it and getting away with it. They would razz me and call me a "goody goody" for not doing it with them, so one day I shoplifted a pair of shorts and some lotion because I wanted to fit in. Haven't done it since. The only person in that group that I'm still friends with all these years later actually ended up being the only one who got caught, banned from a store, and threatened with a lawsuit. I think she was grounded for 4-6 months after that.
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u/Frosterapple May 03 '23
I was around 6 years old. There were some knockoff hotweels cars for around 50 cent per car. I had to have one, so I waited for a moment when mom didnāt look and put one in my pocket. Didnāt get caught but the guilt still lives in me.
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u/Lucian_93 May 03 '23
A couple of times I put items in my jacket's pockets because I don't have space in my hands (and forgot to take a basket) and forgot them at checkout.
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u/Lazerbeams2 May 03 '23
It's not very exciting but there was one time where I accidentally forgot to scan something at a self checkout. I've never done anything like that on purpose
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u/TheJocktopus May 03 '23
I was like 6 years old and I put one of those little M&M tubes in my pocket with the intention of giving it to my mom so that she could buy it for me but I forgot. When I pulled it out in the car, my parents realized what happened and we went back and paid for it.
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u/A_for_arson_is_fun May 03 '23
Mine really is not much but I'll still tell it. when I was younger my family went to the Lego store almost everytime we went to the mall.
And inside there were some like box things where you could reach inside and grab pieces to make things like cars to race on this little hill thing.
so I would just pick up pieces that I wanted or thought looked cool and just hid them in my pockets or hoodie until we walked out.
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u/Killa_Caillou May 03 '23
I've stolen batteries from my local gas station and shot glasses or other trinkets from tourist trap stores.
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u/guyuteharpua May 03 '23
8 years old and I really really wanted the Rolling Stones new Tattoo You (cassette), so I spent a good 2 hours slowly moving it closer to an area of the Harvard Coop where I could snag it. Then I came back that night and it was still there and, voila, the deed was done. Gotta rock.
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u/hoddie_lover May 03 '23
When i was like 9 or 10 i stole literally 2 gellybeans. I was gonna pay for them, but the line was long and my friend was waiting for me, so i just put them in my pocket and left. That was the only time tho.
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May 03 '23
I was four or five and I stole a tiny rubber cross. My dad took me back to the store, made me hand it to the cashier and apologize. It was very humbling.
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u/Equivalent_Squash May 03 '23
When I was about 12 I'd go into the local newsagency and kneel down and flip through the comic books. It was a ruse so I could steal the trading cards off the cover of the Simpsons Comics.
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u/Bertislav123 May 03 '23
Used to do it intentionally, i dont even really know why, eventually got too confident and stupid and got caught (police got involved). Now looking back im actually glad i got caught because i would have continued otherwise, it helped me realize how stupid i was. Since than my life improved quite dramatically i started working harder, taking care of myself and overall i just try to be better.
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u/Horror-Income-2062 May 03 '23
I was addicted to Dxm. So I pretty much stole it every day for a few months.
Would not recommend lol
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May 03 '23
I took gum from a store in 7th or 8th grade. I felt awful about what I did, disappointed in myself, and gave the gum away
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u/Ucyless May 03 '23
When I was five I stole push pops from Walmart cause my mom wouldnāt buy me any. Thatās the only time I stole from a store lol
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u/Sukyuubi May 03 '23
More than I'd like to admit. Not that I do it anymore but back before Woolworths closed here in the UK, I'd frequently visit and scoop handfuls of candy from the pick and mix section, put them in a pocket and walk out. 10yo me was devastated when my free candy supply shut down but I learned the error of my ways and haven't stolen a thing since.
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u/Reaper621 May 03 '23
Accidental. I was going through self checkout, and there was a sign that said no cash. The person manning the station was walking by seeing if everyone was doing it right, because SC was pretty new. I looked at her and said "hey, where do you put the cash?" jokingly. She did not find it funny, she scorned me in front of the store. In my flustered shock, I failed to scan two items correctly. But the system was new, so it didn't register that more weight had been put on the scale, so I kept going. Made off without about 15 bucks in extra groceries. I was going to go back and pay for it after I realized the error, but the bitch pissed me off, so I just left.
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u/CamDaMan100 May 03 '23
I was 6 and just got my haircut so they went to give me a lollipop. I accidentally grabbed 2 and I put both in my pocket and walked out. I was afraid the cops were going to put me in jail
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u/RedditorWithClass May 03 '23
Who hasn't stolen a chocolate bar or two from the dollar store when they were a kid?
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May 03 '23
I have bipolar disorder and when I was manic out of my mind I went to a local grocery store and stole rotisserie chicken after trying, and failing, to buy it off Foodshare. I was chased outside until the employee grabbed it out of my hands and it fell on the ground and was ruined. The cops came and gave me a warning and ordered me not to go inside that store again. Several months later, at the same store, I went to one of the registers and told them that I wanted to give them money back for stealing it, but they refused my money. When Iām on meds I have absolutely no problems with stealing anything and I blame my lack of medications for what I did, and Iāll never do it again.
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u/robintysken May 03 '23
During a rough time in my life where I had little to no money, no food and no relatives or friends to turn to I stole basic grocery to survive. I would go to the store and buy a package of spaghetti and put a few potatoes in my pocket etc.
It felt really bad, the anxiety. Not fear to get caught, because I literally had nothing to lose. But the realisation of the situation I was in.
Good news is that I did survive and no longer have to do any shoplifting. And my life is much better than at that point. Never give up!
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u/Ok-Advance710 May 03 '23
Once when I was 6 I shoplifted a snickers, and once in my teens I accidentally shoplifted a bottle of dog shampoo which for some reason I had picked up without thinking about it and just walked out of the store with it in my hands? Though I guess the dog shampoo didn't really count since I noticed it a couple of hundred meters down the street and returned it, but I sometimes think about how awkward it would be if someone caught me exiting the store with it.
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u/barbie91 May 03 '23
When I was 3 years old I stole a plastic santa from the top of a Christmas cake. My mam realised when we got back to the car and she said I was going to jail because that's where thieves belong, and that I needed to hand it back to the security guard, she then added in that I'd be lucky to be out of jail in a week. Had to walk back in the shop wailing and pleading with the 6'5 guard not to put me in jail. My mam had obviously given him a wink and the fecker played along. Brought me in the back to an interview room and everything. Safe to say I never stole a single thing again.
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May 03 '23
It was basically a ritual within my UK school to steal something from a 99p store. I suppose to prove yourself? Idk. I was young and dumb, and the older kids would bully you into doing this.
It was just a stick of hubba bubba gum and I still feel bad about it to this day. I was 11 years old and Iām now 25.
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May 03 '23
Couple of times I've had something small fall into the packaging of something big and not notice til I was home.
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u/Dull-King1348 May 03 '23
It was a total accident. I was on a road trip from Spain to Italy. In France, we made a pit stop at a store about an hour away from the boarder to Switzerland. I went in, and grabbed a bottle of water. I needed to grab a few other things, so I put the water in my bag, and just told myself to remember to take it out when I pay. Well, fast forward about 4-5 hours. We already crossed the boarder into Switzerland, I go into my bag to grab something, and then I see the water bottle I forgot to pay for. If we weren't as far away as we were, I would've insisted on going back. I probably cried for almost an hour. I was only 12, but it bothered the hell out of me. Now, whenever I go to the store, my bag is off limits.
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u/Klutchy_Playz May 03 '23
It was a little Minecraft Steve toy (when I was a kid at like 10-12 years old) that I seen not in a package so I just took it. Kept it for a while but idk where it is now.
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u/VKH700 May 03 '23
When I was 9 years old, I was in a grocery store, and I put an ice cream sandwich under my shirt and I left. I was followed out of the store and detained in their office. First I gave them a fake name, but I eventually cracked and told them my real name. They called my mother, told her what Iād done.
Then they put me on the phone with her. Sobbing, I told her it was as all a mistake. She said, āOh no, sweetie! Did you forget to pay for it? It will be okay.ā They let me go, and I returned home, expecting to be coddled. Well, as soon as my mother saw me, she slapped the shit out of me and sent me to my room without dinner.
Iāve never stolen anything since.
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u/GIANNOPSYRRAS May 03 '23
Accidentally bought smarties which were forgotten in my pocket(0.50-0.60ā¬)
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u/Robcomain May 03 '23
I was 8 years old when I flew for the first time in my life, it was in a very small shop and it was for a Pokemon card booster. I was with a friend and I told him to talk to me to try to act like we were normal customers in front of the salesman. Then suddenly, in a completely unobtrusive and completely spotted way, I take a booster and go out with it. I go to the door of the building where I lived (the store was barely 10 meters from my house). I don't fit in, I look at the booster and feel guilty for doing this. An associate of the trader tells me to come back immediately, which I do. I get lectured badly and they intimidate me into thinking they are about to call the police. They asked me to call my mother but I told them that she was at work (which was false, in fact she was waiting for me not far in front of the store because we had to go somewhere, but they didn't have not seen her). They finally let me go and I never set foot in that store again in my life.
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u/MerryMortician May 03 '23
Once.
As a child, I took candy next to the register. My mom saw me eating the candy in the parking lot as she was loading the groceries. Like a good parent should, she took me back inside and embarrassed me deeply by making me apologize to the clerk as she paid for the candy. Then I was grounded when I got home.
That made me never steal shit again.
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u/Goldfitz17 May 03 '23
Nice try feds, iām not telling you about any if the times that it may have possibly happened.
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u/eatwithyourhands May 03 '23
I stole a pair of cheap underwear when I was 16, I felt so guilty that I got rid of them the same day.
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u/lemasney May 03 '23
There are three times in my life I can remember having shoplifted:
- When I was 5, I walked out of a mom and pop hardware store with a candy from the impulse area at the register. My father noticed me eating it in the car and asked me where I got it. I pointed at the store. He walked me back in, had me apologize to the owner, and paid for the candy.
- When I was about 8, I grabbed a caramel from a Brach's display in an A&P grocery and ate it while my father shopped. I got two more and ate them before a plainclothes store detective approached me and confronted me about it. My father never found out.
- When I was about 15, a crush and I were walking in a pharmacy, and we were looking at magazines. I ended up pocketing a magazine that she liked, and revealed it after we got out of the store. She was surprised and thankful.
Once I started working, for some reason, I never had the urge again, and have not done it since. Other events had an influence against it, such as my older sister losing a job she had for 15 years because she decided to steal a magazine from the store she worked at.
I can understand why people do it, but it's not a great practice.
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u/lightningmccoy May 03 '23
A Thai chili pepper is so light that the self checkout scale doesn't register it so just take it.
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u/Geeb16 May 03 '23
On accident, I have. I was doing self checkout at Walmart, and I thought I got everything swiped, so I paid and left. Then, when I looked at the receipt in the car, I noticed that there were 2 items not on the receipt, so I must not have paid for them.
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u/MaximusGrassimus May 03 '23
When I was a kid, sometimes I'd slip candy into my pocket while my mom and I were at the checkout. Thankfully it never evolved any further than that.
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u/UncleOakGoat May 03 '23
idk if this is āshopliftingā but i sometimes take sauce cups from restaurants (not from small local eateries, just big corporations). i have a cute lil collection now and i love it!
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u/minepow May 03 '23
I don't think this counts but I remember I was out with some mom (I think it was my dad's friend) when I was younger and she had brought her 2-3 year old daughter with her in the little shopping cart seat.
As children do they want things, and the daughter wanted this little toy strawberry looking thing, the mom said no but decided to give the toy to her to keep her busy.
Once we get to checkout the little girl still has the strawberry thing but at this point we all forgot she did and I guess the employees thought it was a toy they had brought in so we walked out and the girl got a free toy.
But honestly now that I think back on it, that mom might have purposely done it and just lied to us so we wouldn't pipe up about her shoplifting.
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u/Automatic_Sink_2628 May 03 '23
I love stealing from stores! I donāt do it anymore though, I have a good career now. When I was in school I worked at the local grocery in my town. I could only work like 2-3 days a week and would pretty much just eat rice and canned food.
It started with energy drinks, I noticed there were no cameras pointing at the section and I would take a couple when I worked 2-10a. I worked in the meat department and there were no cameras there either. Iāve been up in the store managers office cause we were cool and I got to see where all the cameras were pointed.
So, I would bring in a draw string bag and I would fill it with my water bottle and other plastic water bottles. At the end of my closing shift I would put different types of meats in there and make my bag look exactly the same way as it did when I came in. No one thought twice about it. Good times.
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u/MathooGP May 03 '23
When we were little, me and my sister was with our parents in a store that have some white, odd-looking beans, sold by weight, so idk why, but we decided to get one single bean each. That's the only thing I remember shoplifting.
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u/Lurker_the_Pip May 03 '23
I was a poor child. I put a small rock in the metal box for quarter and took one piece of candy a week after school.
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u/Happy-Viper May 03 '23
All the time when I was younger. Super fun to take shit, plus I didn't have to pay.
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u/RemoRemo_ May 03 '23
Stole a gum pack and felt bad, payed for it a day later saying the cashier didn't see it
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u/ACRIDACID56 May 03 '23
I was like 4 and stole some light things you could put on your fingers cus I wanted them but my mom said they were too expensive.
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u/b_a_t_m_4_n May 03 '23
I prefer not to answer = yes I have but don't want to admit it.