Table Manners Article: "Stealing bar Glasses"

[FrankJBN]

I see this article linked on the Chowhound front page.

The author starts by asking "who hasn’t taken the odd souvenir from a bar/"

Apparently she doesn't not understand that a bar/restaurant's glassware, flatware, tableware, cloths lightbulbs etc are not souveniers.

If she is actually asking who hasn't stolen glassware from a bar, I can answer that I haven't. Her feeling is apparently most who read chow hound have stolen from bar/restaurants. Is she correct?

She categorizes the action of taking glassware that doesn't belong to you as "lame" and "petty". I would categorize it as theft.

The author mistakenly believes that logo pints are given to beer purveyors free of charge and states "If you take those, you are only stiffing the beer company.": There is so much wrong with this statement that I don't know where to start.

Actually the author's first words weren't the "who hasn't"question. The article opens by saying "Obviously we’re not going to tell you that you can steal stuff".

Later the article advises "just saunter out the door with your glass in hand. If a staff member catches you, all you need to do is say: “Wow, I must be drunker than I thought!"

Ah. She won't tell you to steal stuff, but she will tell you how to accomplish the theft.

For a bunch of people who take offense at the slightest of slights, I am surprised (or not) that this article condoning shop lifting is prominently posted and endorsed by Chowhound and chowhounds.

(The article was allegedly engendered by a questioner who was "saving for vacation" and therefore did not want to buy his/her own glassware. As you should guess, there was no recrimination.)

[swsidejim]

a book of matches - acceptable

a pint glass, or something else - stealing, and low class

When I am on vacation I like to bring home pint glasses that have the restaurants logos on them from places where I have bent an elbow, as souveneirs. I buy a glass from the establishment, never thought to steal one

[charlesbois]

The author of Table Manners column week after week shows what an idiot she truly is. This column was no exception. I wish chow would replace her column with something readable and pertinent.

I bleieve any bar at which I tried to pull the "gee, i must be drunker than I thought" while cavalierly pilfering bar ware would ask me to leave the premises and not come back, and with justification.

[ccbweb]

Its theft. If we need to go into more detail than that, society is further gone that I sometimes think.

[HillJ]

If your blood pressure boils easily, don't read Table Manners.

[Gio]

Boy do I ever second this statement!!

[smartie]

wow someone needs to tell those S Fl residents who think it's ok to steal teaspoons, sweet and low, sweet and low containers, sugar pots, coffee cups, mugs, salts and peppers, pepper grinders, napkins and anything else that isn't bolted down.

There was a deli in Boynton Beach that only brought 2 sweet and lows or sugar packets with the coffee per person as they got so fed up with having to replace the containers with the contents.