EXTRA SPECIAL SAUCE
Maybe your favorite fast-food restaurant has a particular item you just love. Is it wrong to pocket a few for the future? Andrew Selepak, PhD, a professor in the department of telecommunication at the University of Florida, says absolutely not. ‘I have never been one to steal, but I used to make an exception when it came to Taco Bell Mild Sauce packets,’ he says. ‘I’d grab a couple extra of so I could add it to turkey sandwiches instead of using mayo.’ All this ended when the sauce started being sold at Selepak’s local grocery store. ‘I feel like buying a bottle here and there is a nice way to make it up to the Pepsi Company for all the packets I took over the years.’
SUPERMARKET SAMPLES
Why is it that supermarket sample stands are generally mobbed by shoppers who may not even like the food being served? It’s just human nature, according to Stacy Harris, a media critic. ‘Supermarket samples are generally offered with the understanding of one per customer,’ she says. ‘But when I am offered a choice of two or three flavors or other varieties of the same item, I request one of each if I can’t make up my mind.’ This isn’t exactly stealing, but it definitely would be a little uncomfortable if you took those samples and loaded them into your shopping bag.
