Japanese summers are notoriously hot and humid, and supermarkets often provide free ice to keep food cool until customers get home.
But now, an enterprising man from Ibaraki Prefecture has been arrested for “stealing” the “free” ice, after he crammed 12kg of it [approx. 26lbs] into a bag. And apparently that wasn’t the first time.
Netizens think the man went to far in his pursuit of the free ice (which is not meant for consumption), but at the same time they’re confused as to how someone can steal something that is technically free…
From Asahi.com:
Man Suspected Of Stealing Free Ice Without Buying Anything; 49 Year Old Man Arrested, Ibaraki
On July 29, the Ushiku division of Ibaraki Prefectural Police announced that a man of unknown occupation (49), of Ushiku city, Ibaraki Prefecture, had been arrested at the scene on suspicion of theft for having stolen ice for preserving food that customers can take home for free because he had not purchased anything from the store. The man denies the charges, saying, “I don’t think that it’s theft”.
According to police, at 10:20am on July 29, at the Arakawahongo branch of KASUMI supermarket, in Hongo san-chome, Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, the man placed 12kg of ice from the ice machine near the entrance of the store into a bag he was carrying. He is suspected of having stolen the ice.
Customers of the supermarket can take home two bags of ice for free, using the bags provided by the store. The man had taken ice home from the store numerous times before. On July 29, since the man did not respond despite being cautioned by the manager of the store (50) “please stop taking the ice, it is for customers’ use only”, the store reported it to the police.
Comments from 2ch.net:
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
12kg…
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
12kg is a considerable amount.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
Fools know no limits.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
Dude, at least make some ice yourself.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
You couldn’t miss someone taking 12kg of ice.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
If he’d only taken about a kilo it wouldn’t have been a problem.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
What the hell crime is it going to be if you take home something that’s free anyway?
Shoplifting? Huh?
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
Thing is, 12kg is the kind of amount that even if you had been shopping there you’d probably get told “Excuse me, but other customers will also use this…”
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
I don’t know what the hell he was going to use 12kgs for, but he doesn’t half have some nerve w
This is as cheeky as taking home entire rolls of carrier bags just because they’re free.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
It’d have been fine if he’d just bought something small at least.
But 12kgs of ice…the guy’s fridge must be broken or something.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
The store dealt with this in the right way.
But it’s pretty desolate that stealing a bit of ice makes the news.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
Well, that ice is only for keeping food cool so you can’t eat it.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
What’s he gonna do with 12kg of ice?
Is he keeping a polar bear as a pet or something?
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
Free To Steal.
Hmm, these words are contradictory.
名無しさん＠０新周年＠＼(^o^)／:
If he’d only done it was then it would have been over with a caution,
but to take it when the store had told him to stop, doesn’t matter what he was taking, then you’re liable for theft.
