Why do people steal from vending machines? There are all sorts of reasons from just thinking it really isn't stealing to looking for an easy way to get their hands on some cash. While there is quite a difference between getting a soda for free and walking off with all the merchandise and money, both are forms of stealing from a vending machine. Both of them will end up costing the owner of it money in the long run.
This is a common problem in our society that goes back a very long way. Both children and adults seem to engage in it. How can you teach your child that stealing on any level isn't right if they see you doing it from a vending machine? This isn't one of those lessons where it is acceptable in some instances and then not in others. You need to send a consistent message that stealing is never the answer to any problem.
Just because there isn't a person around to make you responsible for your actions doesn't make it right. Many vending machine owners are tired of getting ripped off. You may be on a hidden surveillance camera and therefore someone is watching your actions. Too many people try to convince themselves that stealing from a vending machine is no big deal. Yet if you have to talk yourself into it that way you really need to walk away from the urge to do so.
Not everyone steals from a vending machine in the same way. It can something very subtle as using slugs that look and feel like real coins. It can be using real coins but with a mechanism that allows you to retrieve them after you get what you wanted from the vending machine. If you have ever lied and told the owner of such a machine that you got your money taken then you have stolen from a vending machine. They either gave you back money or an additional product you didn't pay for.
Unfortunately, not all types of stealing from a vending machine are on this type of small scale. Some people are out to get their hands on all of it. They will end up breaking into the vending machine and clearing it out all of the merchandise. They may just want what is inside of them for their own use. They may know where they can sell the items to make some cash too.
Of course generally they will also go as far as to steal the money that is in the vending machine as well. In many instances they will case it out for a while before they do so. They will learn the pattern of when the owner comes to refill it with supplies and to empty the money. They will then steal from it the day before when it should be at its fullest with dollars and coins inside of it.
Can you believe there are times when they go as far as to take the entire machine? That's right; they load it up and take off with it. They know that law enforcement may be looking for it so they will take what is inside and then sale the shell of it. If they have damaged it to get the contents though they may just leave it somewhere.
Theft from vending machines is a huge problem. If you see someone doing it you should report it. There are hard working individuals out there trying to make a living this way. They don't need to have their profits disappearing at the hands of others. If you engage in any of these types of theft from vending machines, it is time for you to stop and to evaluate your own behavior.