To Catch a Lunch Thief

tomomatic
tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
in Motivation and Support
My office has been hit by more lunch thievery and some of my coworkers are seriously considering a nanny cam.

Any ideas out there for how to foil this behavior? I have ideas but none of them are legal.
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Replies

  • curlygirly80
    curlygirly80 Posts: 176
    Wrap some ex-lax in saran wrap and leave it. The next person you see in and out of the bathroom is the culprit
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Put extra hot sauce in everything!
  • SmudgerSmithRhino
    SmudgerSmithRhino Posts: 96
    Get some red hot chili powder and sprinkle that in the sandwich and then they'll think twice. The hotter the better!! The one drinking gallons of water is the culprit!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Wrap some ex-lax in saran wrap and leave it. The next person you see in and out of the bathroom is the culprit

    unfortunately you can't do this, or poison it, or do anything to it that will purposefully bring another person bodily harm. You can put extra hot sauce in it, however. I don't think the nanny cam is a bad idea.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
    Put extra hot sauce in everything!

    Interesting. I got some of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" for Christmas a couple years ago. Maybe it's time that it made it's way into some baked goods. Boo yah.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Tape a 3x5 card on the fridge that says "smile! You're on camera"

    No actual camera needed. Problem solved.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    Hmm I'm thinking ghost pepper atomic buffalo chicken sandwich sounds good for lunch. The nanny cam would probably work.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    Put extra hot sauce in everything!

    Interesting. I got some of "Dave's Insanity Sauce" for Christmas a couple years ago. Maybe it's time that it made it's way into some baked goods. Boo yah.

    Be careful. Dave's is caustic. It's over the top in hotness.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    We suspected the cleaning people of raiding our breakroom. I set up spycams. This is what *I* got: http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg488/enigmati/Thieves/?action=view&current=Thieves.mp4

    They got: FIRED.
  • kit_katty
    kit_katty Posts: 992 Member
    I feel your pain. Hot sauce or something else that wont cause *much* physical discomfort would be a good thing. Oh and since you're doing it to your own sandwich lunch or whatnot, why would it be an issue if someone else has physical problems? Stealing lunches is still stealing, I wish more managers would realize this and do something about it. Do they really think the person isn't stealing from the office as well?
  • BalenciaLynn
    BalenciaLynn Posts: 411 Member
    We suspected the cleaning people of raiding our breakroom. I set up spycams. This is what *I* got: http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg488/enigmati/Thieves/?action=view&current=Thieves.mp4

    They got: FIRED.

    wow the things people do
  • tjs616
    tjs616 Posts: 51 Member
    As another posted mentioned, bodily harm (i.e. super hot sauce)is probably not the best way to go. Thankfully, I've never had this problem, but if I did I always envisioned that I would make sandwiches with prank powder in them.
    Something like this:
    Ultimate Unicorn Sprinkles is blue, but tastes like green apple. It's the atom bomb of this set - the "Ultimate": it is super sour, foams up, and stains your victim's mouth blue.

    You can get it here:

    http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/wacky-edibles/d799/?cpg=cj&ref=&CJURL=&CJID=2617611
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    Around here people just leave stupid notes on the refrigerator: "I know who you are." and then someone sent an email to the employees of this building (we have multiple facilities in PA) "Whoever took the milk with the name ### on it, put it back. It is not yours."

    This email was sent 3 or 4 times.... I have no idea what ever became of it...

    At another job the thief was eventually fired - but I don't think it was for lunch stealing (or any other stealing for that matter) - whenever a bunch of us that used to work there get together, the story is always retold about how many lunches went missing. There was rumor that someone even confronted the guy but no one ever validated that.

    Good luck!.
  • _Bob_
    _Bob_ Posts: 1,487 Member
    Special brownies with a sign that says do not touch, and then have a random drug test.
  • scruffykaz
    scruffykaz Posts: 317 Member
    I go with ex-lax idea...or dose it to the hilt with chilli powder and the hottest chillis, tobasco etc....that'll make them think twice!
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    Wrap some ex-lax in saran wrap and leave it. The next person you see in and out of the bathroom is the culprit

    unfortunately you can't do this, or poison it, or do anything to it that will purposefully bring another person bodily harm. You can put extra hot sauce in it, however. I don't think the nanny cam is a bad idea.

    I had a friend who did this. He got tired of having his lunch stolen and baked ex-lax into brownies. He found out who the culprit was.
  • Anaconda62
    Anaconda62 Posts: 181
    Put a note on the lunch that says that you have licked all of the meal inside the bag. Won't catch anyone, but you won't have it stolen.
  • shelbynicole32
    shelbynicole32 Posts: 179 Member
    Wrap some ex-lax in saran wrap and leave it. The next person you see in and out of the bathroom is the culprit

    unfortunately you can't do this, or poison it, or do anything to it that will purposefully bring another person bodily harm. You can put extra hot sauce in it, however. I don't think the nanny cam is a bad idea.

    ^ I would technically say that ex-lax is fair play. A little poo never hurt anyone.
    My vote is for jalapeno seeds hidden inside.
  • kzivic
    kzivic Posts: 326 Member
    We suspected the cleaning people of raiding our breakroom. I set up spycams. This is what *I* got: http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg488/enigmati/Thieves/?action=view&current=Thieves.mp4

    They got: FIRED.

    That video was awesome. My favorite part was towards the end when she tried to "rearrange" the chips so that it looked like none were missing.
  • Jellyphant
    Jellyphant Posts: 1,400 Member
    Bring a catfood sandwich. That's a big fat fawk you.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
    Poo sammich. Done.
  • plzlbsbegone
    plzlbsbegone Posts: 233
    I would just start bringing a lunch bag. Keep it with you. But, if all else fails....ex-lax brownies and cat food sandwiches all sound hilarious!
  • trishgrace
    trishgrace Posts: 279 Member
    Just because you put X-lax in something doesn't mean you are trying to harm someone, You need it for your own use and you can't help it that they stole your lunch. :wink:
  • hanna1210
    hanna1210 Posts: 286 Member
    Might not help catching the thief, but might help preventing it: http://www.thinkofthe.com/product.php?name=anti-theft-lunch-bags
  • NICOLED73
    NICOLED73 Posts: 183
    I have a coffee creamer thief in my office. They left my coffee creamer bottle EMPTY! Pissed me off.
    I bought a new bottle. It says on the top of it "this could be ex lax. are you sure you want to risk it?"
    No one has touched my coffee creamer.
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
    We suspected the cleaning people of raiding our breakroom. I set up spycams. This is what *I* got: http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg488/enigmati/Thieves/?action=view&current=Thieves.mp4

    They got: FIRED.
    Shaking some Cholula into the chip bag. Nobody knows their snack foods like Mexicans. :love:
  • MsBaby117
    MsBaby117 Posts: 201 Member
    We suspected the cleaning people of raiding our breakroom. I set up spycams. This is what *I* got: http://s1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg488/enigmati/Thieves/?action=view&current=Thieves.mp4

    They got: FIRED.

    Wow...I wonder if they asked themselves "was it worth it?"
  • Kenhabes
    Kenhabes Posts: 187 Member
    That happened to me a long time ago. I made them a special decoy sandwich that consisted of bread, bologna, and hidden red pepper flakes, HOT HOT sauce, cayenne pepper, etc.

    Later that day, I found one bite out of it in the trash. Never happened again!
  • amazing_shrinking_woman
    amazing_shrinking_woman Posts: 66 Member
    At my work we actually put a big sign on the refrigerator that said "Smile, You're on camera".
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    UV hand stain products. Like this

    http://www.blacklightworld.com/Anti_Theft_Powder.htm

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