Is leaving a restaurant after eating there without paying considered the same as shoplifting or stealing?
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Is leaving a restaurant after eating there without paying considered the same as shoplifting or stealing?
Yes. Most states classify it under theft/larceny ordinances. If any sort of physical confrontation ensues between the diner and the staff, it could be escalated to something more serious, such as a strongarm robbery, because now the element of force enters into the crime of "taking". Taking (larceny), with use of force, is robbery.