More Meat

Apparently meat is now the #1 item stolen from grocery stores. Not any old meat, mind you, but "premium" cuts of meat. Since I don't eat red meat I'm not a very good judge of what constitutes premium meat - obviously filet mignon but according to NPR also lamb chops. Here's the scenario that apparently causes this meat theft trend - people go to the meat section to buy cheap hamburger, but then decide that they "deserve" fancier meat. They then stick it under their jacket and take off, sometimes buying other grocery items. Women are apparently more likely than men to steal meat - men steal things they can resell.

So this makes me think

(1) are we all crazy? Who really needs meat that much? I'd understand more if people were desperate and stole the cheap cuts to feed their hungry children but they just really want prime rib.

(2) it's interesting that women, who generally don't get sterotyped as meat-devouring, are stealing more of it. Perhaps it's just because they do more of the grocery shopping?

(3) i can imagine few things more off-putting than sticking a dripping, bloody saran-wrapped package of animal flesh under my jacket. Yuck.