Hotel shampoo has topped a poll of items that people think it’s socially acceptable to steal, followed by unsecured internet access and office stationery.
Pick and mix sweets, pub beer glasses, colleagues’ tea and coffee and catalogue store pencils also feature in the top 10 of items people don’t feel guilty about stealing, along with flowers from municipal parks.
More than nine out of 10 people said that items from hotels were acceptable to steal, while unsecured internet came next with 88% saying they would happily access a neighbour’s network if it wasn’t password-protected.
Condiments from restaurants came third on the list with more than half of the 1,000 respondents saying they would happily pocket them without remorse.
Pub beer glasses came next with 37% saying they felt no guilt whatsoever in taking these home after a night out.
Stationery from work followed with 27% of those polled helping themselves to items such as pens, Post-it notes and envelopes from their employers. 22% of people also said they felt no guilt in helping themselves to colleagues’ tea and coffee supplies.
A sweet-toothed 17% confessed to helping themselves to the pick and mix counter without any guilt, while 11% of those polled said they helped themselves to fruit while doing the weekly shop.
Pens from retailers such as Ikea, Ladbrokes and Argos were named by 8% of those surveyed.
A spokesman for Paintballing.co.uk, which carried out the survey, said: “Everyone loves a freebie but it seems the lines between what is intended as a complimentary giveaway and what is someone else’s property isn’t always clear.
“It seems many of us believe we can help ourselves to all manner of things without a moment’s hesitation or guilt.”