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Agreed. The title made me hope this post was going to be about some new unbelievable quantum breakthrough.

Instead....he stole from a tip jar???!

That is one of the most despicable crimes one can commit. I am surprised the police didn't use more force. Generally if you steal from a tip jar and the staff sees you, you should pray the police show up to protect you.

I have also never in my life heard of someone accidentally stealing from a tip jar. That is bad luck for him. My opinion is he should change this story from a melodrama to a lighthearted comedy and count his blessings he still has all his teeth.




I don't understand this attitude. You really believe that a person causing another person bodily injury over the loss of a few dollars is justifiable? I find that absurd. And it's particularly absurd in a world where investment bankers cause billions of dollars of damage to the economy in various white collar crimes without facing almost any penalties.


I would say that he "took money" from a tip jar, rather than "stole" from a tip jar, since by his account there was no intent to take what was not his.

"One of the most despicable crimes one can commit."? I do not respect persons who steal tips, but on a scale of criminality, it strikes me as a long way from the top of the despicability index.


YMMV but my despicable ranking puts the crime of stealing from hard working low-income workers at about a 9/10. That's why this story could be so great as comedy, since he committed a rare and evil crime accidentally. But the way it's told now I think is very off-putting.


Are you kidding? I've accidentally (almost) taken money from a tip jar. I've accidentally (almost) left without paying for something. Many times.

Maybe you never get absentminded, but, well, what can I tell you? Other people do.

And in none of those times was violence close to being an option - I was usually just made aware of what I'd almost done, and fixed it.


Well I'm not necessarily serious about losing teeth. It could be a torn collar or a bloody nose. My point is OP got off lucky and I'd advocate for a little more contrition in this post.

The explanation also loses sympathy with me when I pay close attention to his words: how many times have you seen a tip "tray" and a change "cup"? I've had thousands of restaurants experiences and have seen that zero times. It's change tray, tip jar/cup. They never vary. He's trying to make it sounds like it was an easy mistake to make instead of just owning up to extreme absentmindedness.

Anyway, I think this has potential as a hilarious tale, but in its current form is tone-deaf.


> count his blessings he still has all his teeth.

It was $4. Is that really worth physical violence?


Probably not for $4--except maybe if you weigh deterrence--but whether or not it's worth it's the natural reaction I'd expect (depending on where you live, IME two decades ago in Boston, anyway).




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