Seriously, who does this!?

[Deanna]

Thankfully, we don't have this problem in my office - maybe because we're a small company. We have the opposite problem - people leave food in the fridge until it rots. Very gross. We once opened the "crisper" to find a spinach bag with nothing but liquid left in it.

[smilingcat]

rub the apple in the fridge down with a Habanero pepper... just bring an extra that is for YOU to eat. One bite and they'll stop stealing apples. If they rub their eyes which WILL water from eating a bite... well. That's what they get

At my last place of work, they ended up placing hidden camera in the ceiling. The guy was so blazen, he was appearently opening everyone's brown bag and if he didn't like what he saw he would put it back. Sometime he was tasting everyone's food. Then he would pick what he wanted. WHAT A PIIGGG!!!

But seriously, I like the habenero on apple. You wouldn't be expecting it. And oh my!!! on your eyes. ooo instead of candy coated apple. Replace the cinamon in the candy part with habanero oil. He would like that.

And oh yes the fridge always had rotten curdled milk. and abandoned tupper wear with extra-terrestrial creatures growing in it. hurl....

I've been tempted to put not so nice thing in the fridge like a week old chicken left over...

And yes at my office we have a vacume-cleaner/garbage-disposal/bottomless pit/see-it-eat-it-diet guy.

The guy has no manners and no social grace. comments I've experienced from him, "Aren't you going to eat it?" as his fork is ready to stab a piece of food on my plate during company luncheon. Maybe this is why he doesn't have a GF ever. And I think he is in his forties. NO REDEEMING QUALITY!! Any leftover from company luncheon, he grabs. He's been warned but to no avail. I work in an engineering company. Engineers are CHEAP and lacks manners.

No, I bring my food in a small collapsable cooler (fabric with plastic liner and some sort of thermal layer woven in).

Shawn

[Offthegrid]

I feel so lucky. I've never had my food stolen on me at work. (Heaven knows what I'd do if someone took a piece of my $4.49/loaf slice of gluten-free bread.) I, on the other hand, am guilty of leaving food in there to rot only to find it during the quarterly fridge cleanouts. Oopsies.

[CyclChyk]

When this has happened to me, I sent an email out to all the people in the office explaining "fridge ettiquette" and noted what was "swiped" of mine. To this day, I have never had anything else taken unless the person wanting it has asked me for it. I think making the person aware that YOU are aware, even if you don't single anyone out, makes them more considerate of their actions.

It worked for me anyway.

[susiej]

Engineers are CHEAP and lacks manners.

Nah, they just can't be bothered spending money on anything but their "toys" (unless you get a foodie one, then they drink $100 bottles of scotch and will drop $100 and up per person for dinner). And they are very direct and look at niceties as a waste of time, rather than the grease that keeps society running. He probably finds you as incomprehensible as you find him. (Isn't that what they say about wild animals?)

I should know, my father was an engineer who loved his 20-year-old polyester and I write code for a living.

[chickwhorips]

see if this link works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRkiouh5NEI

it should be for the office linebacker. i can't see it because i'm at work and the "man" blocks youtube, but hopefully everyone else can enjoy the little show. it will make you all feel better!

[FreshNewbie]

Hmm I have a different problem. I brought in some really good natural peanut butter along with some bread and put a sticker on it "do not throw out". Guess what next day it's not there. Don't think someone would eat it, my guess they threw it out anyway. What a dissapointment to sit at work and crave P&J sandwich and find that you have none in the fridge.

GRRRr

[CyclChyk]

I had to do that once. Once. Being a security guard I was getting *real* sick of having all my stuff stolen out of the break room, but we can't have cameras on the fridge etc... so I packed a lunch with meat that had been in the fridge awhile (where the color was a little off) and had dbl chocolate chip cookies w/ exlax. It became a bigger issue than I'd intended,

*sigh* KIT - you are my hero

[TxRider]

Reading about this got me thinking about an incident that happened to my father years ago - same idea, someone kept stealing the snacks he brought in his lunch on a daily basis.

Well, he and another guy at work had gotten tired of it, so they took a Snickers bar, opened it really carefully along the seam so you couldn't tell it had been messed with. They took a knife and cut the candy bar in half & then filled it with jalapeno seeds, put it back together, put it back in the wrapper & into the refrigerator.

Later that day, the guilty party walked into the room & opened a Snickers bar ... needless to say, it wasn't long before he ran to the other room for a glass of something to wash it down! The seeds are the hottest part of the jalapeno & this guy, of course, wasn't expecting it!

My dad never had to worry about losing his food anymore!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Just my own thing I guess, but I can't get into the idea of putting bad stuff into food purposely to make someone feel ill or physically distressed, even if they are swiping the food. And what if that food was swiped and taken home from work and given to an innocent old person or a child?
Isn't it better to just put a note or have a general office meeting or start a rumor about a tiny hidden camera being installed if it doesn't stop? If that doesn't work just keep your food in an insulated pouch in your desk or something.

[Haudlady]

I have a job interview on Friday, and I'm trying to figure out how to ask if they have a lunch thief!!!

I would have to increase my requested starting salary to make up for the effective loss in income due to an inflated grocery bill!

[Deanna]

One of my least favorite questions in interviews is "Do you have any questions for us?". This may be your opening! Asking "What about refrigerator security" in a serious voice would make you memorable