I reading in the Times about young people struggling in NYC, and this made me think of all the 'food theives' in communal settings...and also how some people steal food in general in a more conventional manner. I thought I never had stolen food, but then I remembered as a 19 year old camp counselor, working 7am-2am 7 days a week at an academic camp, I just couldn't take living on salad and cereal, because I found the tater tots and hot dogs the kids got served (and the teenage boy counselors lapped up) so horrid. There was a ballet camp that ate from a 'special sectioned off' part of the cafeteria with special food for their perfect little bodies... I realized that none of them were eating the bran muffings, raspberry vinagrette escarole salads, strawberries and yogurt and dainty little cold spreads of coleslaw and fruit, and chocolate cake, well, I hate to see good food go to waste...eventually I got 'busted' when too many of the other girl counselors didn't take my answer that I 'magically made the food appear' to be satisfactory.
Also once stole one serving of a housemate's milk when I was out, and it was sour--serves me right. Kinda funny, but has anyone ever stolen food, either in a funny way or for real--or had food stolen like a few fries from an over-zealous person 'sharing' with you? Any food thieves of a more serious sort in many shared apts., dorm rooms and I do know people who are now quite well off who had to dumpster dive or steal to survive.