The Sandwich Bandit

We have a new issue at work. In fact, when I discovered this my mouth hung open wide enough to let all the flies congregating at the local horse barn to fly in and set up residence.

Someone in my workplace has been stealing sandwiches.

At first, it was thought that this was a practical joke (and in poor taste) on one particular fellow, as he would go to the kitchen to get his lunch from the fridge and discover a bite taken from one half of the sandwich.

But we've since discovered that this is happening to others, as well. Someone has the gall to steal other people's lunches. And not only that, they taste test them first. If the bandit likes the sandwich, half the sandwich will disappear entirely. And if the bandit doesn't agree with your culinary selection, he will take a single bite and then return the sandwich half to the Ziploc bag and the Ziploc bag to the lunch bag.

Seriously, who does something like this?

I am quite disturbed on a number of levels.

First of all, we can have no food at our desks (more on the issues behind this in another post), so we can't protect our lunches by keeping them with us.

Second, someone thinks it's OK to steal from coworkers. And not that I really understand, but I sort of understand the attraction to stealing purses and the like, but stealing people's food? What on earth has to go through someone's mind to think it's OK to steal food? That's somehow even more personal than a purse.

Third, who tries out the sandwich and puts it back if they don't like it? The sandwich is ruined anyway -- at least it is for me. There's no way I'd be able to eat any of my lunch knowing that some unknown person has been pawing through it. But to put it back? Dude, if you don't like it, just toss it. Seriously.

Lucky for me, I pack leftovers that aren't easily stolen. I bring in my extra chicken briyani or homemade chicken noodle soup or lasagne or whatever I've eaten the night before. It's not really in the Sandwich Bandit's wheelhouse. Unless they're using a spoon to try it and then not taking the rest of it. Now I'm grossed out.

Next time I go in, I'm putting on my Sherlock Holmes hat and staking out the kitchen area.