Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Hope you get caught next time dirt bag, some of us have worked hard to pay for our stuff, and scum like you cost all of us more.

Wow, really disappointed with SE on this one. I wasn't aware breaking the law was something to brag about. And shame on you for giving this guy "screen time" thusly encouraging his avarice. Dreadfully disappointed by this.

Ick!

Even if the original article had been presented as an Onion-style joke, I wouldn't have been amused.

I'm chiming in in agreement with the above posters. I want to believe that The Gothamist piece is a joke. But I'm not certain. And, really, I think it was serious.

It's pathetic of SE to post this.

In my opinion even if this is a "satirical" piece (which I doubt) it is still grossly irresponsible and not the least bit funny.

Gee, Adam, glad you have the courage of your own appetites and all, but I agree with the other commenters: This was totally gratuitous.

"...It’s a job like any other job; it requires professionalism, requires effort, requires time. It’s not an easy thing. And there's a certain amount of risk, like any venture that you get into, any business you get into."

The same could be said of committing any crime for which you do not want to be caught. It hardly amounts to moral justification, as this guy seems to think.

I didn't find it fascinating; I just found it appalling.

This is a food-related story from the blog world. SE is a food website that covers food-related news. There is no editorializing that implies that SE is endorsing this person's actions.

Shoplifting is a huge consideration for all retailers, especially grocers, and given our currently worsening financial crisis, it will undoubtedly become more of a problem.

I think this piece is, as Adam says, an interesting look into the way a "professional" shoplifter views what he does and how he justifies his illegal activities to himself. The interviewer asks questions in such a way that are not condemnatory in order to gain the shoplifter's sympathy; the tone of the questions should not be interpreted as endorsement of shoplifting.

You may stand by your decision to post but this guy also obviously stands by his decision to shoplift. Just because you are steadfast in your opinion does not make it any less reprehensible or irresponsible. The fact that you find this fascinating is a poor excuse to post. You can easily appease your fascination by reading this in the privacy of your own computer instead of posting it for all to see, thereby increasing this guys popularity and visibility online.

Is CNN.com endorsing the criminals about whose crimes they report? SE is a food site. This is a food story, and it is relevant. The shoplifter has no increased "popularity or visibility" because he is interviewed anonymously! The reactionary responses to this piece are freaking me out.

geez, lighten up folks. also, i want to know what whole foods he is shopping in, because that seems like way more than $50 to me.

Well, I'm not upset in the least that it was posted here. Sure, the guy is foul and disgusting, but it really is fascinating as a character piece. It's not like the linking/reposting here was a message to everyone to emulate this guy, or a celebration of his shoplifting. I found it interesting - and while we can find the person - or even Gothamist's way of framing the article - repulsive, I don't see why it reflects poorly on SE or Adam.

while I find the interview pretty interesting (particularly the quoted section above) when Gothamist asks the guy for advice for aspiring shoplifters, it gets a little weird. thanks Adam for bringing it to my attention!

I admit I could have framed it better and given it some context; perhaps that would have helped.

In general I skip articles I'm not interested in or don't agree with. Its a useful skill to develop if you enjoy browsing the internet.

I thought it was kinda interesting. I wish they'd asked him why he shoplifts, though.

This is NOT a "food-related" story. It is a crime-related story and has no place on this blog.

I appreciate the fact that SE has posted this interview. It gives me more insight in the world of someone who shoplifts. It does not encourage me to go out and shoplift, however. Neither does playing a violent game make me want to go outside and start shooting people - far from it.
This interview is a source of information for shopkeepers who want to ensure the safety of their and other people's belongings and therefore I would like to thank SE for posting it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with highlighting this story. I think people are overreacting. But, I second a few comments above and say that perhaps it would have been more of value to your readers if the SE editors had added some of their own commentary or tried to start a discussion regarding the article instead of just posting an excerpt and seeing what happens.

"Life is short, but it is wide".....a quote from one of my favorite authors. I take that to mean that there are lots of perspectives that I don't understand but that doesn't mean that they don't exist. I think this story is meant to be tongue in cheek but I also know that there are those who may really feel that they have to do this type of thing to survive. It's about food , so is this website. Continue, Mr. Kuban.......

There is no promotion of shoplifting in the article. I found it interesting and appropiate for serious eats. I doubt there are many of you out there who have never shoplifted, so relax.

My favorite part of the article is this:

Do you remember the first thing you shoplifted?:
Of course, it was a sausage. It was a really expensive sausage that I put under my pants.

(We love you, Adam Kuban. Don't let the man get you down.)

My first reaction was identical to carriebwc's (seriously, total it up, next time you shop there), my second one, "THAT's interesting... next time I'm shopping at Whole Foods I'm going to be watching the other shoppers veeeeery sharply...".

And I bet many of you will be, too, which will hardly make shoplifters' efforts any easier.

I honestly don't think posting this was a poor choice, it was good one. Besides, if we're going to be purely objective about things, this IS interesting (and I have difficulty believing that some of the indignant respondents don't watch some of the programmes on TV that present all sorts of real-life unpleasantness, including things far more horrific than this), and, even if this does prompt a few others to attempt to shoplift (which to me sounds a bit questionable; most people are not so malleable that a single post can prompt them to be thieves, without any previous thoughts of it), there are also going to be a lot more of us out there... watching.

Adam, I don't know if it's just my computer, but clicking on that link gives a 404 message.