Call it ‘mean’ but I love stealing things from the pub — isn’t it just a rite of passage?

Lock me up! (Picture: Getty/ Metro) Do you remember the adrenaline rush of stealing your first pint glass from the pub? I was just 18 when I committed my first offence. A young fresher, eager to please her new housemates, I swiped a glass from our local. For the next three years, it travelled everywhere with me: across three different student homes in Cardiff, back to my parent’s house in Kent, and eventually, all the way up to London. Since then, I’ve collected a lot more than just a beer glass (allegedly, of course). And I’m not alone, there’s an entire swarm of thieves among us. We play fair, of course, never targeting independent establishments. While most of us would never dream of stealing from a clothes shop, supermarket, or a homeware store (although shoplifting is on the up), when it comes to a pub or bar though, ethics go out the window. It’s a right of passage, I know I’m not the only one with that pint glass that reminds of their care-free student days. I’d never steal from a shop. But a pub? That’s a different story (Picture: Charlie Sawyer) Just two days ago, a woman was captured on CCTV seemingly stealing a small table lamp in a busy bar in Derbyshire. And on TikTok, @DalanieDiSabato has created an entire online brand out of a series she calls: ‘What I took home from the bar last night’. Back in 2019, research revealed that 17 million Brits had, at some point, nicked tableware items from a pub, bar, or restaurant. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Realistically, that means that most of us will have eaten a meal with a stolen fork, or stirred a cup of tea with a stolen teaspoon. And I know there are a a number of fellow thieves in my own social circle. A discussion on Insta revealed that my own friends have pinched all manor of items, from 12 pint glasses in one and a full bottle of Nando’s sauce, to a decorative drum, curtains and even a rug. Call me ‘mean’, ‘selfish’, or ‘inconsiderate’ — but I just figured that a lamp here, a hand soap there, couldn’t really cause that much harm. But am I wrong? As an independent owner, it makes me angry On average, 37 million Brits have stolen glasses in their home. Based on two glasses costing £5.00, this works out at a value of £186 million worth of stolen items in our homes. Another estimate from Bionic, a website which helps small businesses compare contracts for key utilities and services, suggests that glass theft is costing the industry more than £133 million. Now I’m starting to feel bad… On TikTok, users have deemed the tradition ‘mean’, begging: ‘Don’t do this! The owners have to replace it.’ Sean Kyne, owner of Alde Cafe in Suffolk, personally finds the entire concept of nicking items from a cafe, pub, or bar totally ‘astonishing’. Think twice before you nick a ketchup bottle from your local cafe (Picture: Sean Kyne) Thankfully, at his cafe, a beloved seaside institution, it’s not a regular occurrence. ‘When it does happen, my team feel responsible as it’s their role to look after everyone, which is sad,’ he tells Metro. ‘It’s not just about the financial cost. We all work hard to ensure our customers get the best quality food and service, and to be repaid by theft is beyond rude.’ Sean adds that, with such a young staff, it’s hard to teach ‘respect, communication skills, and a sense of responsibility’ when ‘so-called “grown ups” nick stuff from under your nose.’ While he’s never had a rug or bell swiped from the cafe, Sean has lost a number of sugar dispensers, milk bottles, tea spoons, espresso cups, and pepper grinders over the years. Have you ever stolen something from a pub or bar? He adds: ‘We’ve called out a couple of people but the potential for awkwardness and embarrassment is high. Those who want to pinch stuff get away with it it regardless.’ So, the next time you’re eyeing up a fork or two in your local boozer, or feel light-fingered over a bacon bap at your local greasy spoon, maybe thing twice. Resist the urge. Leave their HP sauce alone. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: Britain’s oldest pub has finally been found – and it’s 600 years old Arrow MORE: Pub urinal at the centre of Count Binface’s manifesto has been moved in ‘victory’ Arrow MORE: Man embarks on world’s longest pub crawl spending £336,000 across 25,000 venues