2 ms·

> It provides evidence showing the profitability of the endeavor. Yes, so obviously an endeavor nobody would undertake without an eventual buyer. Nobody with

• mc32 5y ago
  But that's the whole point. These thefts aren't people going hungry feeding hungry needy starving mouths. You have some people wanting to believe it's only people who have no other recourse to dying --they have to steal. No, most destitute poor people do not steal. They do without, go live with relatives, friends, beg, sell blood, dumpster dive, etc., but they're not gravitating toward UP boxcars. Those are run of the mill opportunist criminals.
  • Lammy 5y ago
    The threat of the law and their own shame is enough of a theft deterrent for "most people" even when the law is visibly ineffective, but the thieves could not exist without buyers. Since we're picking on SF as the example, honestly lol if you think anybody buys the stuff off the street around 16th–24th/Mission without knowing exactly how it got there https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/New-S-F-proposal-would-try-to-crack-down-on-16664629.php https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/New-S-F-proposal-woul...
• Kalium 5y ago
  Like a lot of instances of food theft or counterfeiting, the fence sells the goods into the legitimate supply chain. The buyer winds up being a regular person who has no idea that this particular baby formula is stolen.