It may sound like an old urban legend or a plot from a comedy film, but have you ever heard about people stealing food from other people? And not just their food but their lunch, the one they worked hard to make before some to work? Well, that actually happens and apparently, some people really have no shame.
Although, as this one person shared in her post , even when they do feel ashamed, they usually don’t repent until they get caught. And after they get caught, they still try to defend themselves. Or rather, they ask others to defend them…
RELATED STORIES
This is a story shared by Redditor u/steelsnapdragon with almost 29k upvotes and around 4.6k different comments as of today. It’s a story about how one woman confronted a lunch thief at work.
Was this office justice or was it too much?
A new worker confronts a lunch thief in the office, leaving many asking if it was the right thing to do
Office scuffle! A woman’s lunch was stolen and she embarrassed the thief in front of the office.
What would you do if you caught someone stealing your food?
A woman discovers a lunch thief and delivers a witty comeback!
A woman finds a lunch thief in her office and gives him a ‘b*tchy’ response.
The silent watchers said she was rude, but she refused to let her food be taken without a fight!
After embarrassing a ‘lunch thief’ in the office, this woman seeks advice from Reddit – Is she the asshole?
When a lunch thief tried to steal her meal, this woman took action and confronted him in front of his colleagues.
Edit: OP reflects on her actions after her explosive response to the lunch thief.
Should I report a lunch thief in the office or was reacting enough?
Surprise! Office lunch thief has struck before.
coworkers weren’t pleased with the thief and gave her a metaphorical pat on the back
She faced a thief in heels and a blouse, but only after warming up to the office
A happy ending, with thanks to the Reddit community: theft solved and all’s well!
Embarrassing the lunch thief: worth it?
A recent employee at a small studio experienced the shock of seeing her own food on someone else’s plate. In a bold move, she snatched the plate away and embarrassed the thief in front of others. Her colleagues consider her reaction to be too rash and b*tchy. However, her new friend at work has revealed that the thief has been stealing lunch items before.
Now the woman wonders if she was wrong for embarrassing the thief, or if it was the appropriate reaction. To get a better idea of the situation, let’s look at how Reddit users have reacted to the incident.
Lunch hero alert!
The comment praised the woman for embarrassing a lunch thief in the office, saying that people who steal others’ food don’t deserve courtesy.
Don’t mess with !
NTA (not the a**hole). The comment advises others to not mess with other people’s food as it is wrong and embarrassing.
A lunch thief in the office
The commenter believes the person who posted this story is NTA for confronting the thief as stealing is wrong.
NTA: For Embarrassing Lunch Thief
The commenter believes that the woman was justified in embarrassing the lunch thief in the office as they deserved it. They applaud her for not containing their laughter, would have high fived her, and cheered if they were present.
Can’t fathom the nerve
The comment expresses disbelief at someone stealing food from the workplace, acknowledging that it is tolerated in certain households.
NTA: Bossing up on the lunch thief!
OP was “NTA” (not the a**hole) for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office. The commenter praised OP’s approach and suggested to f–k off with anyone talking s**t.
Sometimes it’s ok to stand up for yourself
The commenter thinks that the woman could have handled the lunch thief better considering it was a professional environment, but still believes that she was not the a**hole for speaking up.
Not the a**hole, but…
The comment suggests NTA, as the lunch thief tried ‘playing the “can I steal food game” and won a heap of humble pie.’
A special case of ⚖️
The comment suggests that the woman in the article might be wrong for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office, as she is considered to be “special”.
Woman confronts a lunch thief – NTA
The commenter applauded the woman, labeling her ‘NTA’ (not the a**hole) for confronting a lunch thief in her office.
♀️ NTA: No exceptions for lunch theft
The commenter was clear: stealing lunch is not different from stealing money or property and the thief should consider himself lucky he wasn’t fired.
No a-hole here!
The commenter declared the woman was not the a-hole in embarrassing the lunch thief in the office.
NTA: No sympathy for lunch thieves!
The commenter declared that the woman was Not The A-hole for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office and that there is no need for sympathy for thieves.
Mental Geller catches lunch thief ⚡
OP channels “Mental Geller” and is regarded as NTA for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office.
NTA: Don’t steal food ☹️
![Image credit: [deleted] | [deleted]](https://static.diply.com/84231c1d-1d1c-45e4-9b33-6d3b7d2d2e28.png)
The commenter argued that OP was not the a**hole for embarrassing the lunch thief as no one should steal food in the first place.
OP handles food thief
The commenter found OP’s actions to be the best way to handle a food thief and thought OP deserved to be embarrassed. They said it was unfair for others to say OP could’ve been nicer, as the problem could’ve been avoided if the thief didn’t steal the food.
Standing up to lunch thieves
The OP stood up for themselves and confronted the lunch thief in the office, sending a strong message to not touch anyone’s food without permission. The commenter suggested warning others with a sign in the fridge to not touch others’ food.
Theft & food poisoning!
A lunch thief at the office was caught red-handed when their victim realized that their lunch sandwich was made out of spoiled chicken. The thief became very sick after eating the sandwich, and the victim joked that it was lucky they didn’t get to a**hole the sandwich themselves.
NTA –
The commenter showed their support for the woman’s handling of the situation and commended her for her actions.
NTA: ✋ Don’t judge!
The comment states that the poster is not the a**hole (NTA) and that the woman’s reaction was perfect, suggesting that one shouldn’t judge others without considering the context.
The woman embarrasses the lunch thief. NTA!
The commenter declared that the woman was not the a**hole (NTA) for embarrassing a lunch thief in her office.
Lunch Thieves Beware!
The comment argued that the woman was NTA for embarrassing the lunch thief at the office because the thief had no right to take someone else’s food. The comment also expressed strong anger at the thief and his friends.
NTA: Totally justified!
The commenter thought the woman was ‘not the a**hole’ and was justified in embarrassing the lunch thief in the office.
Is the lunch thief aware?
The comment suggests that the thief may have been aware the lunch belonged to the woman and was attempting to finish their meal before lunchtime, when it would be discovered missing.
NTA
The commenter states ‘NTA’ — not the a**hole — regarding the woman’s actions, suggesting that the other commenters would likely be more supportive if it was their lunch being stolen.
No a**hole here!
The commenter believes that the woman was not in the wrong for embarrassing the thief, as they were the one who made the wrong decision to steal.
Meal-stealing coworker caught!
The commenter was ‘shocked’ that someone was stealing food from the workplace refrigerator and asked why ‘people just take food that isn’t theirs’.
Does this lunch thief deserve a break?
The commenter thinks it was ‘NTA’ (not the a**hole) for the woman to be embarrassed by the lunch thief, as he had a job and could buy his own food.
NTA or NAH?
The commenter said the OP was ‘Not The A-hole’ for confronting a lunch thief, but may have taken it a little too far.
NTA: Fear The Lunch Thief!
The commenter believes that the woman was not the a**hole for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office and that her actions have scared others off from stealing.
Putting a stop to lunch theft!
The commenter thinks the woman was in the right for calling out the lunch thief, and will never understand why someone would take food that doesn’t belong to them.
A lunchtime thief story
The comment says NTA (Not The A**hole) – stealing food, especially a stranger’s, is unacceptable and the commenter is commending the original poster for embarrassing the thief.
♀️ Lunch thief gets caught!
NTA lmao he got exactly what he deserved. The commenter argued that it didn’t matter if the thief didn’t know the food was someone else’s – lunch thieves deserve humiliation.
NTA or Not The A**hole?
The commenter exclaimed NTA, or Not The A**hole, in response to the office lunch thief situation, indicating that the woman was in the right for embarrassing the thief.
A feel-good story!
The commenter declared the story ‘NTA’ (not the a**hole) and praised it as the best story they’ve read all week.
Should we feel bad for the thief?
The commenter suggests the thief might have been stealing out of necessity and suggests that the original poster was not the a-hole.
Is lunch stealing a US thing?
The commenter wonders if lunch stealing is only common in the US, and if so, why.
Confronting a lunch thief
The comment argued that the woman was ‘NTA’ (not the a**hole) for confronting the lunch thief, but admitted that it seemed like an escalation, even though the woman was in the right. They questioned if the colleagues would have reacted as harshly if the woman had asked ‘Why are you eating my lunch?’ instead of grabbing it.
Don’t mess with lunch thieves
According to the comment, the woman should not be held accountable for embarrassing a lunch thief in the office. The comment goes on to state that lunch thieves should be “kicked” and fired for stealing lunches, and asks if anything else is being stolen.”
Thief caught stealing
The commenter believed the woman was NTA (not the a**hole) for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office. Stealing food from someone’s lunch box is wrong and should not be tolerated. The commenter supported her decision to embarrass the thief and highlighted that it will help prevent future incidents.
A lunch thief in the office?
The comment questions why someone would steal food from a shared area and suggests that the woman was not the a-hole for embarrassing the thief.
No a**hole here!
The commenter declared NTA (not the a**hole) to the poster, claiming that their coworkers are unfairly directing their feelings of discomfort towards them because they rocked the boat.
Proud of you!
Commenter praises the woman for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office and declares that she’s Not The A**hole (NTA).
Shaming a thief
The commenter declared that the person who stole lunch was in the wrong as they deserved to be shamed for their actions. NTA!
Is it a power move to steal lunches?
The comment author thinks that OP is not the a**hole’s for embarrassing the lunch thief. They suggest that if they had stolen someone’s lunch, they would have taken it back to their office to eat and feel guilty about it. The comment author is also surprised that the thief was eating the lunch in the same spot it was taken from.
Stolen office food?
The commenter decalres the OP is Not The A**hole (NTA) in this situation, they had to go through the struggle of their food getting stolen from the office fridge and had limited options since the cafeteria closed at 2 pm.
NTA for embarrassing thief
The commenter believes it was not the a**hole move to embarrass the thief who stole someone’s lunch in the office.
NTA: A legend catches the lunch thief!
The commenter praised the woman for her ‘brilliant’ execution in catching the lunch thief and declared them ‘NTA’ (not the a**hole).
Not the a**hole ♀️
NTA: The commenter states that the woman was not the a-hole in the situation, as the thief was in the wrong for stealing someone else’s property – even if she embarrassed them. They also mention that the woman could have been more gentle but also suggest that she was simply hangry.
The audacity of lunch stealing
The commenter applauds the original poster for embarrassing a lunch thief in the office, wishing they were there for it. They even suggest a funny retort if someone gives them a look or says something. It’s clear that the commenter is saying the original poster is NTA (Not The A**hole).
NTA: A plate of to go with those cajones!
The commenter thought the woman deserved praise for standing up to the lunch thief and suggested she deserved a plate of nachos for her courage.
Standing up for lunch thieves!
The comment applauds the woman for ’embarrassing a lunch thief’ in the office. It argues that stealing lunch from the workplace can have serious consequences for the person **a-hole**, if they have no money on them or no other means to get something to eat.
Women embarrassed by a lunch thief?
The commenter immediately passes judgment on the situation and states that the woman in the article isn’t the a**hole.
NTA: did the lunch thief get what he deserved?
The commenter said NTA (not the a**hole) and regarded the lunch thief’s audacity as outrageous, expressing shock.
NTA!
The comment praises the woman for her decision to embarrass the lunch thief and encourages her that she was not the a**hole in this situation.
♀️NTA: Embarrassing a lunch thief in public may have been the only way.
The commenter acknowledges they are not the OP is not a**hole and asserts that it was necessary to embarrass the thief publicly to make them stop. The commenter then criticizes the expectation to be nice to the actual a-hole and recommends that when people have an issue with it, they should pack extra food for their best friend and leave them alone.
NTA: He learned a lesson!
The commenter believes the woman was justified in embarrassing the lunch thief and labeled her “hero of the week”. They also stated that the thief had learned a lesson: “don’t f–k with other people’s food”.
NTA – *a-hole* got taught a lesson
The comment states that the lunch thief was not the a**hole for taking something that wasn’t his, and deserved to be called out on it.
When *hangry* strikes!
The poster thought they acted appropriately in embarrassing the lunch thief, but conceded it might have been a bit aggressive.
NTA: woman teaches lunch thief a lesson
The woman was “not the a-hole” in this scenario, teaching the lunch thief a lesson without being mean-spirited.
No sharing food
Commenter says they’re NTA (not the a**hole) for not sharing food they made.
NTA: Reminding lunch thief of their wrongdoings
The commenter approves of the story and offers advice for action against similar situations: reminding the lunch thief of their wrongdoings. Their own sister had done it before, but the tactic didn’t work. However, in this case, the lunch thief finally understood their wrongdoings and the story has a happy ending.
Lunch theft ⁉️
The original poster is not the a**hole (NTA) for embarrassing the lunch thief, but the thief is definitely the a**hole (TA).
NTA. ✋️ Not ok to steal!
The commenter, who believes the thief is the a**hole in this situation, suggests that the only people who might talk sh** about the original poster are the thief’s friends — feeling that their opinion is irrelevant.
NTA: Thief stole
The comment states that the woman was not wrong for embarrassing the lunch thief as the thief had stolen her food.
️ Is lunch-stealing a -worthy offense?
The commenter suggests NTA (not the a**hole) when someone gets fired for stealing lunches, suggesting that lunch stealing is inappropriate.
NTA: ♀️ He stole her food!
The commenter believes that the thief, a grown man, deserved to be embarrassed for stealing food from the office, and there is no a-hole here. The commenter believes the thief had no right to touch the food, as it was not his.
NTA for an epic stand
The commenter applauds the woman for standing up to the lunch thief and NTA’s her for her courage and “magnificent set of brass balls.”
Turns out, lunch theft
The poster comments in outrage and expresses their opinion that the lunch thief deserved the embarrassment they received, ultimately concluding that the poster is NTA (not the a**hole).
NTA: Lunch stealing Alpha-ed!
The comment states that the original poster (OP) is ‘not the a-hole’ and had the right to embarrass a lunch thief in the office and that the OP can start taking the thief’s lunch without a worry.
Respect for OP!
The commentator praised the OP, expressing their respect for their actions in the situation.
NTA and Bravo!
The commenter called out a colleague for stealing lunch in the office during COVID but still felt the action was NTA (Not the A**hole). The commenter then gave the colleague a thumbs up for their courageous act.
Applauding the lunch thief’s embarrassment
The commenter believes NTA and applauds the woman for embarrassing the lunch thief in the office.
Confronting lunch thief
The commenter applauds the action of the woman for confronting the person who stole her lunch and encourages her to ignore any criticism from others.
Lunch thieves during Covid?
The section comment questioned whether the same situation would have more credibility outside of the Covid era, when people may not be as cautious when it comes to sharing cutlery and dishes with others.
Good on OP ♀️ NTA!
The commenter laughed at the situation and applauded the original poster (OP) for embarrassing the lunch thief. They stated that the thief would have kept stealing lunch until someone took action, making the OP not the a**hole in the situation.
NTA: Taking on the lunch thief
The commenter praised the person for taking the lunch thief head-on and deemed the situation to be Not The A**hole (NTA).
Boss move
The commenter agreed with the poster, saying they were ‘Not The A**hole’ and giving them an appreciation for their actions.
**NTA** – No excuse for lunch theft
The commenter is in agreement with the original poster (OP) that they are **N-T-A** (not the a**hole) for standing up to the person who stole their lunch, who would have left the OP hungry if it hadn’t been caught. Replies express anger about the entitlement of the thief and agreement with the OP that they had every right to sue them for it.
How to handle a lunch thief?
The original poster, who wonders if she was wrong, believes that shaming food thieves is the best solution – if done discreetly, the thief may be embarrassed enough to not take other people’s lunches. They suggest the others who watched can pack the thief a lunch if they feel they deserve it.
NTA: Eating someone’s lunch is inexcusable!
The comment states “NTA. There is ZERO excuse to eat someone else’s lunch”, indicating their opinion that the woman was Not The A**hole (NTA) and that it is inexcusable to eat someone else’s lunch.
Called Out:
The commenter expressed that they weren’t the a**hole for embarrassing the lunch thief, claiming that many people wished they had the courage to do so.
Adults stealing lunch?
The commenter expresses their bafflement at the idea of adults stealing meals from other adults and questions such behavior. The commentator’s opinion is that it’s ‘not the a**hole’ in this case.
NTA: Forceful instead of rude?
OP was criticized for defending her property from a lunch thief in the office. OP asked if the criticism would be different if she were a man. The comment saw that being called “rude” was unfair and proposed the alternative of “forceful” instead.
Was clapping appropriate?
The commenter asked if everyone stood up and clapped for the woman after she embarrassed a lunch thief in the office.
