An important lesson for all:

“Hey everyone. I wanted to share a life lesson with everyone today. This happened in a mall in Savannah, GA with three other friends after hiking on Cumberland Island. The entire trip the four of us refused to pay for food or shelter. We hitchiked on our way back from the island. A friend on her way to florida dropped us off on the way down. We slept on the sides of roads a few hundred yards into the woods, or we slept in people's backyards. On our way back to Maryland we stopped in a Savannah mall for water. We had "borrowed" some food from a grocery store earlier that day. So we walk in with all of our gear. Packs, therma-rest strapped to our packs, dirty, smelly, bandannas, walking sticks, typical been hiking for a week and haven't been clean for that long. So we walk in and get astonished looks from everyone! Girls and guys all dressed up to go to the mall cleared paths for us and we're either staring in shock or from swooning at our rugged, provider-esque appearance :) Shortly after filling up our water containers, security shows us for some reason. They then escort us out of the mall and watch us leave the mall property as we get back onto the road.
I just thought it was funny that teenage girls and guys who get dressed up in fancy clothes would have us kicked out of a mall in our own fancy, albeit dirty, clothes. It's a fashion show in the mall, and it's taking place outside the stores! People get gussied up to go walk around a mall! Bah! Either way it was fun. I recommend it to everyone.
Thank you, that is all.
-ű”

“No unkempt bag people in the malls please...go back to the alleyways or gutters. :o)

I once walked my bicycle thru a Holiday Inn hallway...people and staff were giving me weird looks...but I think they thought I was a customer checking out.”

“......maybe they heard that you like to "borrow" things........”

“You mean you "stole" food from the grocery store and we're supposed to feel compassion for you.

You give backpacking a bad name!”

“The "rotten" smell they were picking up wasn't from the trail.”

“Actions like that (what "oooh" did by borrowing things) give bper's a bad name. Thanks, chump! Do us a favor and quit re-enforcing the stereotype.”

“Yeah, oooh, not cool at all you were stealing.. an essential skill to backpacking is being resourceful, and if you were just that maybe you wouldn't have to steal. Better be careful.”

“Malls suck they are full of dam Yuppies!!!!!!

8)”

“Do "dam" yuppies hang around beavers dens, wear polo shirts, and talk about their kids' private schools?”

“I have seen lots of hiking yuppies out on the trail.

And to answer your question they might.

8)”

“laqtis, Geezer and Artex beat me to it.

Maybe the lesson here is DON'T STEAL FOOD! And if you don't, perhaps the cops won't be studying you at the mall.

GEEZ, what a moron!!”

“Ok..so it's not like we stole cavier and fancy foods. We ate a few of those deli sandwhiches, and some snack foods..like we all shared a bag of famous amos cookies while walking around the supermarket. Geez...you make it sound like I'm stealing bikes, cars, steroes, and #&%!$. We ate some food while walking around and left. Oh, and we each drank some gatorade. It's not that big a deal. And no one knew we were backpackers! I hope this explains some of my actions...If not, oh well..
-ű”

“Live and learn dood. Use better judgement next time.”

“Stealing is stealing!”

“What gives you the right to steal property (food) and rights of other? Not in the constitution. I hope you got food poisoning!”

“I remember Mad magazine did a thing on this a few years ago.. on how to get fed for free.. :)”

“.'The entire trip the four of us refused to pay for food ... We had "borrowed" some food from a grocery store earlier that day.'
oooh

Stupid! With all the surveillance equipment installed these days, you were just plain lucky. Multiple cameras cover every inch of our store's shopping area. I see people arrested all the time. Some cry! The amount of money involved is inconsequential. Recently a man opened a can of peanuts and placed some in his pocket. He went to jail! (He was uncooperative.) You were all very stupid.”

“Bad Karma will get ya every time....”

“not that it matters any...
I used to work at a supermarket. We didn't see any cameras and I knew where to look for them. So, we were stupid for doing it, but not stupid while doing it...if that makes any sense...
ummm..i got nothing.
-oooh”

“I find it funny that everyone sees my food theft with friends as such a big deal. YOu focus on the negative, yet when I say that I'm going to provide some trail magic on the AT for thru-hikers and I needed to know where they might be at that point, only one person responds with an answer. ANd only one other compliments me. I'm not looking for compliments, but instead of criticizing me for past mistakes..one's that happened a while ago, why not help me out in helping other backpackers! Help me Help you!
:)
-oooh”

“Oooh, you were 19 years old and with your friends while stealing food and not getting caught. You all thought it was very cool. Now you are involved in a community of people (TrailTalk) who think that this behavior is very uncool. You need to decide on your values and stick with them regardless of who you are hanging out with at the time. Providing trail magic to hikers is a very generous kind activity, and I do applaud this as good behavior. This thread's title is very applicable to you. Be a hiker: be honest, generous and kind.”

“If you feed them they grow.”

“CAMEL...

I think you nailed it, my friend.

And now, from the creators of UltraPacker, we bring you today's Robin Hood...."ooooooooooh!" He's pathetic and clueless, yes, but he's got a heart of gold...”

“LMFAO!!!!!!!!

8)”

“Oh sorry, I thought I was original with Robin Hood, just saw that on the other thread....didn't mean to plagiarize.”

“oooh reeks of a previous, unpopular troll (hi, gde, thebackpacker, et all).”

“At 17, 19 and 20, I hitch-hiked long distances (Boston-Atlanta-N.O.-Austin-LA and then back to Boston, Austin to San Fransisco, Boston to Boulder and back, respectively) with a backpack, tent and sleeping bag - but I never stole anything during any of these trips.

I'm not going to condemn you for teenage shoplifting, but I'm sure you are smart enough to know that people here aren't going to act like they approve of behavior they think is wrong.”