Stealing From Hotels: Harmless Thrill or Deeper Problems?

[Prunepicker]

From ABC News
Anand, a 24-year-old public relations professional, keeps a dirty little
secret -- his parents proudly fill their house with mementos from
hotels and restaurants around the world. Though they are well-off
financially, they rely on the five-finger discount.

"My mom has to do things the right way, but she enjoys what falls
into the suitcase after they go on a trip," said Anand, who lives in
Boston, but is too embarrassed to disclose his parent's home.

They started small: a few hotel shampoos and lotions, but it
escalated. From there they moved on to corkscrews with insignia
and expensive sandals.

<snip>

Ethicist Kaminer said people justify theft by assuming the hotel "can
afford it," but those costs are passed on to the traveler. She also
dismisses the idea that stealing is a way to stick-it-to-the-man.

"If you are upset about the political clout of the modern corporation,
stealing a bathrobe is not the effective way to address that,
especially if you give that bathrobe to yourself."

Still, she concedes, "there are different moral stakes for taking an
ashtray than snatching some sweet granny's purse."

[ljbab728]

From ABC News They started small: a few hotel shampoos and lotions, but it
escalated.

Taking hotel shampoos and lotions with you from your room is not stealing. Those are put in the room to be consumed by whoever rents the room. You are paying for those since they are figured into the price of the room. The same thing would be true of other consumable products like coffee or bottled water that are not in a minibar with stated charges.

Obviously things like towels, ash trays, etc. are much different.

[rcjunkie]

Taking hotel shampoos and lotions with you from your room is not stealing. Those are put in the room to be consumed by whoever rents the room. You are paying for those since they are figured into the price of the room. The same thing would be true of other consumable products like coffee or bottled water that are not in a minibar with stated charges.

Obviously things like towels, ash trays, etc. are much different.

Much different, and keep adding to the ever increasing cost per night.

[Midtowner]

Much different, and keep adding to the ever increasing cost per night.

I imagine the rate of hotel thefts has remained a constant.

[BBatesokc]

Taking hotel shampoos and lotions with you from your room is not stealing. Those are put in the room to be consumed by whoever rents the room. You are paying for those since they are figured into the price of the room. The same thing would be true of other consumable products like coffee or bottled water that are not in a minibar with stated charges.

Obviously things like towels, ash trays, etc. are much different.

My thoughts exactly.

[HewenttoJared]

That's a pretty awful thing to teach your kids.

[RadicalModerate]

Taking hotel shampoos and lotions with you from your room is not stealing.
Obviously things like towels, ash trays, etc. are much different.

I find it hard to believe that hotels still provide ashtrays for your stealing convenience.

(On the other hand, the last time I tried to wash my hair with an ashtray the results were less than satisfying . . . and I guess one of the primary differences lies therein.)

[SoonerDave]

I darned sure HOPE the previous person takes the consumable toiletries. I'm not one of these folks who rents soap.

[RadicalModerate]

I darned sure HOPE the previous person takes the consumable toiletries. I'm not one of these folks who rents soap.

+1 . . . or even +2! adjusted for inflation. =)

Maybe someone needs to start an "Occupy Fairfield Inn" or "Occupy La Quinta" or "Occupy Holiday Inn Express" movement.

Oh. Wait . . . I think I saw that advertised.
(How quickly The Movement is co-opted these days) . . .

[MikeLucky]

When I stay at a hotel I take ONE hand towel... They are great as sweat towels during the summer when I'm doing anything outside...

I'm not particularly proud of it, but I justify it anyway. lol

[Bellaboo]

RM,

You're a different cat. You keep this board interesting.

[Prunepicker]

When I stay at a hotel I take ONE hand towel... They are great as
sweat towels during the summer when I'm doing anything outside...

I knew a guy who always stayed at a Holiday Inn when he was on
tour. He liked the size of the towels for his instrument, euphonium.
He talked a manager into selling him one. Every time he'd stay at a
Holiday Inn he'd leave the towel and take another. He bragged that
they'd been doing his laundry for free for years.

[Tritone]

I knew a guy who always stayed at a Holiday Inn when he was on
tour. He liked the size of the towels for his instrument, euphonium.
He talked a manager into selling him one. Every time he'd stay at a
Holiday Inn he'd leave the towel and take another. He bragged that
they'd been doing his laundry for free for years.

Inititals RM by any chance?

[Prunepicker]

Inititals RM by any chance?

Yes! A great player.

[PennyQuilts]

I knew a guy who always stayed at a Holiday Inn when he was on
tour. He liked the size of the towels for his instrument, euphonium.

Okay, at the risk of sounding a bit creepy, not being a music person, that sentence made my eyebrows go up. I didn't expect Prunie to write something off color so I looked up euphonuim. I was happy to see it was a musical instrument rather than a proper name or something. The fact that it wasn't capitalized should have tipped me off.

[Prunepicker]

Okay, at the risk of sounding a bit creepy, not being a music person,
that sentence made my eyebrows go up. I didn't expect Prunie to
write something off color so I looked up euphonuim. I was happy to
see it was a musical instrument rather than a proper name or
something. The fact that it wasn't capitalized should have tipped me
off.

It's very similar to a baritone but it has a larger conical bore.
Sounds similar to a trombone.

[PennyQuilts]

It's very similar to a baritone but it has a larger conical bore.
Sounds similar to a trombone.

You're such an geek, Prunie!! : ) (I say that with affection)

[rcjunkie]

When I stay at a hotel I take ONE hand towel... They are great as sweat towels during the summer when I'm doing anything outside...

I'm not particularly proud of it, but I justify it anyway. lol

One towel, one wash cloth, it's stealing no matter how you try to justify it.

[Roadhawg]

One towel, one wash cloth, it's stealing no matter how you try to justify it.

[Larry OKC]

When I stay at a hotel I take ONE hand towel... They are great as sweat towels during the summer when I'm doing anything outside...

I'm not particularly proud of it, but I justify it anyway. lol

Depending on the hotel of course, but with most requiring credit card info on file, I would check your C.C. statement when the hotel charge comes up and make sure you didn't get charged for that "free" towel. the last few hotels i have stayed at have a printed list of the amount charged for various items if found missing from the room. Usually much higher than retail and we aren't talking about used generic (non-logo) type items. Also depends on the items. As others have mentioned, consumables like toiletries are already paid for in the cost of the room and old ones are thrown out and replaced with new ones for the next guest. Some logo items (like ashtrays) may or may not be intended for the taking. When I worked for Wendy's, we expected the logo ashtrays to disappear. It was part of the stores advertising budget.

[TaoMaas]

Everything we do is like throwing a pebble into a pond. There are ripples of consequences that we often don't notice. We sit here and debate the morals of stealing a wash rag or hand towel, but even taking the remnants of the bar soap we used in the shower has deeper effects. Many hotels are donating their used soap to causes which recycle the soap and distribute it to less fortunate countries. http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/17/world/...-10/index.html

[RadicalModerate]

Everything we do is like throwing a pebble into a pond. There are ripples of consequences that we often don't notice. We sit here and debate the morals of stealing a wash rag or hand towel, but even taking the remnants of the bar soap we used in the shower has deeper effects. Many hotels are donating their used soap to causes which recycle the soap and distribute it to less fortunate countries. http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/17/world/...-10/index.html

Let us pause now . . .
In appreciation of the values of ripples . . .
And donated, re-cycled soap.

[PennyQuilts]

Depending on the hotel of course, but with most requiring credit card info on file, I would check your C.C. statement when the hotel charge comes up and make sure you didn't get charged for that "free" towel. the last few hotels i have stayed at have a printed list of the amount charged for various items if found missing from the room. Usually much higher than retail and we aren't talking about used generic (non-logo) type items. Also depends on the items.

Seems appropriate!!

[MikeLucky]

Depending on the hotel of course, but with most requiring credit card info on file, I would check your C.C. statement when the hotel charge comes up and make sure you didn't get charged for that "free" towel. the last few hotels i have stayed at have a printed list of the amount charged for various items if found missing from the room. Usually much higher than retail and we aren't talking about used generic (non-logo) type items. Also depends on the items. As others have mentioned, consumables like toiletries are already paid for in the cost of the room and old ones are thrown out and replaced with new ones for the next guest. Some logo items (like ashtrays) may or may not be intended for the taking. When I worked for Wendy's, we expected the logo ashtrays to disappear. It was part of the stores advertising budget.

Yeah, I would have no problem with them charging me for the towel. In fact, when I started doing it, I kind of expected to be charged for them.

[ljbab728]

Yeah, I would have no problem with them charging me for the towel. In fact, when I started doing it, I kind of expected to be charged for them.

So if you walked out of Walmart with some towels without paying do you think it would be OK as long as they charged you for them later?