Comments on: Stealing Vegetables From Unmanned Produce Stands

By: jmadsen

jmadsen — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:00:54 +0000

two comments, from being from a rural area in the States, and a semi-rural area here in Japan.

1) In the US, in rural areas, it is quite common to put extra produce out front with a “pay what it’s worth” box. My experience has been that little if anything is stolen, although they are rarely big stands, more like a basket of corn and tomatoes.

2) Rural Japan – not the same as the markets, but a huge problem with people from the new developments driving by, stopping their cars and just “harvesting” what they want from the persimmon trees, etc. Non-rural folks new to the area seem to not be able to distinguish “wild fruit” from the tree in our back yard.

It doesn’t feel to me like they think it’s stealing, they just don’t seem to understand that those mushrooms, persimmons, strawberries, etc. are on our farmland.

But I wonder if I’m wrong, and they DO understand perfectly well?

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By: David

David — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:17:41 +0000

Only take in 80-90% of the amount they should? Even after leaving it unmanned for hours while they watch TV, go to the doctor, or go play gateball?

Sounds like a good business to me. Much better than the Nokyo which pays a small fraction of the actual selling price.

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By: Claytonian

Claytonian — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:03:24 +0000

Oddly absent in my town (maybe they all go to the factories as our produce is our meibutsu).

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By: D-san

D-san — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:57:46 +0000

Good to see some people still have faith in humanity, as you can tell from my blog, I don’t.

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By: morningstar

morningstar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:21:07 +0000

This is a different generation. In society many people in this generation don’t think stealing is a crime.

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By: News » Honor payment system problems at unmanned produce stands in Japan

News » Honor payment system problems at unmanned produce stands in Japan — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:09:59 +0000

[...] Link (via Japan Probe) [...]

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By: Neil Duckett

Neil Duckett — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:16:35 +0000

Things must be tough out in the burbs having to steal like that.

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By: green

green — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:41:50 +0000

I used to see these stands in my neighborhoods in Japan. They sold veggies and pickles. I probably bought daikon there once or twice.
There are also a couple unmanned vegetable stands in my town now (in the US.) I don’t find the idea that odd, nor particularly Japanese. It’s just rural.

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By: msft » Untitled 14

msft » Untitled 14 — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:00:46 +0000

[...] Link (via Japan Probe) [...]

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By: Just wonderful things » Honor payment system problems at unmanned produce stands in Japan

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:11:26 +0000

[...] Link (via Japan Probe) [...]

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By: LondonGaijin

LondonGaijin — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:05:10 +0000

Only in an ideal world

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By: Code

Code — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:53:07 +0000

Totally agree. It’s real pathetic we need some sort of moderator to prevent people from stealing vegetables….

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By: shazzb0t

shazzb0t — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:43:09 +0000

A shame really.

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By: koy

koy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:51:32 +0000

I didn’t know about those stands. surprised that they make money at all that way, but then again, it’s Japan.

In other countries the whole stand would be stolen the minute the farmers leaves it.

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