Stealing from colleagues

[banana]

Any idea how to deal with someone who steals food from colleagues?

We have several communal fridges dotted around the building for keeping milk/lunches etc in. Often someone will find that their food/milk has gone and they are left with nothing for lunch or to put in their tea.

It was my turn today and Im so annoyed that some lowlife just took my stuff that I want (legal) revenge.

Any ideas how best to get revenge? Im thinking milk doctored with copious amounts of salt or something equally nasty to taste but not harmful. I want them to learn a lesson -and even better expose themselves through their reaction to the taste.
Can you suggest something that has worked?

[saxy_jag]

- Chilli peppers in the sandwiches might work - lots of really hot chilli peppers.

- Or you could get one of those fake blood capsules from a joke shop and put that in.

- Raw liver?

- If you can afford it, caviar (you can get cheaper varieties) usually leaves its mark around the lips and teeth, and it has a rather 'acquired' taste.

- Dog food, either in a sandwich or in a packet disguised as pate.

- Instead of milk, try making up some powdered baby formula, a little weaker than it should be, because it tastes foul enough anyway - weaker is fouler. Then leave it in a milk container.

[radiogaga]

hmmm easy pickings, im thinking if they are helping themselves to food in the communal fridge they wont be long in helping themselves to things of value, money, mobiles etc.
i think the chillie idea is fab, dog/cat food on sandwiches hidden under lettuce/ tomatoes. good luck, let us know hoe you get on.

[EngTeach]

I had the same problem with another teacher in my school. I suspected who it was and was equally rude and looked in her lunch sack. Sure enough, there was my drink in my bottle from my own kitchen!!!! She knew I went in her bag, someone told her, but wjhat couls she say? I started carrying my own little cooler bag and keeping it in my classroom to avoid this. (My students were dying to know who it was, but I promised to tell them after graduation. They remembered and asked me. None were suprised as she often told them about pilfering the fridge.)
She is an older woman, so I wouldn't engage her in a confrontation. Stealing among the staff is common in my school.
I like the revenge ideas. Will keep in mind for future reference!!!! Tracy

[CheekyChops]

I completely understand why you would want to do it, but what if they didn't pick your sandwiches that day? Would you be left with chilli pepper sandwiches?

Assuming that you took something else for lunch as a standby, it could cost you an awful amount of money in chillis and bread before they ate yours!

Take your own little cool bag and keep your own lunch in your drawers!

[society]

Add Epsom salts in the milk

[banana]

Saxy Jag - you are just plain evil ; )...and I love it.

Chilli pepper sarnies sound good .They can come and go every day for about a week (different wrappings maybe?)before they get too stale for even a thief to eat.

I dint have access to baby milk -but powdered milk is ordinarily lookalike enough to pass muster I think.
What would epsom salts do do you think?

Im determined to do something about this as it has been going on for ages - on different floors and from different fridges in the building. And yes, it has extended to stealing from drawers and bags. What makes it seem worse is that its a government building and everyone has been security checked (yeah -I know, it doesn't cover petty thieving but you know what I mean) .

Any more ideas gratefully received

[Goodsoulette]

Apparently Jeffrey Dhamar (is that his name?) used to take skin sandwiches to work. I pity the man that stole his sandwiches when his horrid life was exposed.

[society]

Epsom salts would have them living in the loo.

[raysparx1]

LOL at cheeky, keep your lunch in your drawers.

I would definitely doctor the sarnies, either with the chilli or some meat that was on the turn covered in loas of pepper or ketchup, Hope you sort something banana, Ray

[society]

Cheeky her drawers may not be large enough to hold a cooler lol

[WaldoMcFroog]

You can make all sorts of cakes with a lovely Ex-Lax topping...