Food theft...

[queenmab_roo]

Hey...

I've had a read through the thread shyboy made a couple of years ago regarding this, and whilst its been kinda helpful i've still more questions...

anyway so suprise surprise a girl in the house keeps stealing everyone's food.

At first we weren't too sure who it was, so nice notes were left just asking if it could stop cos we couldn't afford it.

Then it continued and got out of hand, so the notes got more warning like.

After one warning like note, which we put our names on, the girl who by now we'd all figured out did it came to our rooms, chucked money at us for what she owed and said not to embarass her.

We thought hooray maybe its finished

but no.

keeps escalating.

sooo obviously next step is verbal house meeting, confronting her etc.

Question is, if that doesnt work, what can we do?
We're in a private house, not halls, so there's no warden we can go to.
We can't prove to the police or anyone that it's her that is stealing it.
We could put locks on our cupboard, but lots of stuff from the fridge gets eaten too.

any ideas? we're just getting fed up!

[Skive]

Laxatives.

[RubberSkin]

Ipecacuanha, though i've no idea where you'd get it. Ordinarilly i wouldn't go for something so childish ( and fun :) ) but as she obvoiusly knows you all know it's her and she carries on she's a quite a shit for doing so, with no respect for privacy, personal belonings or the fact she's putting other people out of pocket.

BTW, if you didn't know, Ipecacuanha makes you VIOLENTLY sick.

[Knee High Stripy Socks]

If she said not to embarrass her, maybe a house meeting wouldn't be the best way to go about it - would you feel ok to have a word with just her, or would that really not work in this case?

[Whowhere]

I'd be careful deliberately poisoning your food. No doubt someone, somewhere will argue a breach of human rights or something and you'll all get sued.

I think you've got a good case to goto the landlord and quite probably the police. The fact that everyone in the house has confronted one person who has then paid up is quite damning evidence really.

[budda]

I'd be careful deliberately poisoning your food. No doubt someone, somewhere will argue a breach of human rights or something and you'll all get sued.

Its got nothing to do with human rights, I'd more assume it could be classed as an assault.

I'd talk to the landlord about getting her evicted, although its doubtful that they will do anything.

[Mist]

Basically depends if you want to keep her in the house or get her out. If the first, you should have a one to one about it. If the later, you should talk to the landlord (although of course the landlord's interests are not served by evicting her)

[Ballerina]

Make a statement of licking all your food infront of her....my germs....

[DancingHorse]

Make a statement of licking all your food infront of her....my germs....

Haha! That's exactly what I was thinking.
And make it clear to her that if everyone has to have their own mini fridge in their room then the leckie bills are gonna be MASSIVE!

[MrG]

If she doesnt want to be embarassed in front of people, then tell her to buy her own fucking food!

[kangoo]

Does she drink your drinks too? Lace them with eye drops :thumb:

What does that do?

[RubberSkin]

Kills you :) Lots of eye drops contain Atropine which 'i think' is simalr/comes from dartura (sp?).

Agatha Christie has used eye drops a few times in her books to poison people :)

[becks27]

I would hate someone who steals food ....for them to throw the money at you is an insult to your note. What is wrong with people taking things that do not belong to them? At the end of the day it is a theft but not sure if contacting the food police would do anything. You could maybe all get together to try and question her more. You say you live in private accommodation is that with a landlord? At the end of the day stealing is not acceptable at all. Hope you manage to find a way around this?

[Melian]

Really? I thought it just gave people the shits - only to be done if you have more than one toilet mind ;)

I also got told it just gave you the shits too.

[MrG]

If people want other people to shit lots, use laxatives, not eye drops!

[RubberSkin]

eye drops are more inconspicuous though ;)

Till they find the body :D

[twisted_trinity]

we've had exactly the same problem in our kitchen but we don't know who it is and the other side of the coridoor also have access.

we're been told that the halls management can't do anything about it and its up to us to sort it out...

we've had pots, pans, cutlery and plates go missing too! i've just had a whole pack of chicken go missing.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

i would just keep embarrassing her, keep confronting her and call her a thief

[Monserrat]

Next time she is caught stealing food, someone goes into her room, steal a small but valuable item such as phone or DS Player and hold it to ransom.

[Hellfire]

How about just buying some largeish food containers, drilling a couple of holes in and padlocking them for the fridge, could also do the same for the kitchen to safe you padlocking cupboards?

[queenmab_roo]

thanks guys, there are some really good suggestions here :D