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It’s Like 10000 Forks and Spoons When All You Need Is a Life

Not sure what to make of this Daily letter about a young woman who demonstrated the outsize sense of student “entitlement” by taking too many plastic forks and spoons at the Michigan League? Maybe seeing it a second time in the News will help you make up your mind. Of course, the Daily wins the headline contest by going for the specific; their “Students [sic] entitlement on display in theft of plastic-ware” puts you right into the scene, while the News’ competing “Entitlement alive at campus eatery” falls flat.

16 Responses to “It’s Like 10000 Forks and Spoons When All You Need Is a Life”


  1. How many women of this name can there be in this immediate area? Googling the name gives evidence that she’s had larger cases of entitlement than taking unnecessary forks and spoons. Let he who is without sin, etc.

    I’ve been trying to teach my kids that everything has a cost and ultimately they’ll pay it, even if it is “just” wasted plasticware, but sending the same letter to the editor to the Daily and the News? Will we see it in the Observer, too, next week?

    posted by Chris on January 25th, 2007 at 12:25 pm

  2. It is an OUTRAGE, I tell you, an OUTRAGE!

    posted by Anna on January 25th, 2007 at 12:27 pm

  3. “Fork you!”

    Saith spoiled students.

    posted by David Boyle on January 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm

  4. REminds me of the woman in Airplane who watches the guy drinking the Scotch and seething then he offers her a drink and she says, “Why I never…” before she snorts some cocaine.

    Of all the outrages in the world, she has to write about this one. Sheesh.

    posted by Kozzie_13 on January 25th, 2007 at 2:20 pm

  5. I have to laugh as today on Craigs list missed connections there is an ad from a guy describing his MC as the woman of whom he says “I saw you stealing all the Splenda packets from the Amer’s on State Street”.

    I’m betting later he’ll be ranting about what a selfish, amoral, cheatin’, psycho his ex was.

    posted by Stella on January 25th, 2007 at 3:21 pm

  6. She would have made a much better case (well, maybe not) had she not used her real name (re: Chris’s top post).

    Better to sign her letter,

    “Been there, big time and now I need to expose ANYTHING and ANYONE that will somehow make me feel better…justified…”

    posted by Annie Jay on January 25th, 2007 at 6:40 pm

  7. Oh christ, next thing you know some asshole is going to call me out for grabbing buckets of ice out of Zingerman’s for my scotch.

    posted by OFWinsurgent on January 26th, 2007 at 12:12 am

  8. This seems to have wasted as much print in the sources listed as the original “theft” might have cost anyone.

    posted by toasty on January 26th, 2007 at 1:39 am

  9. I steal sporks, ’cause they’re the utensil of the future. But common plasticware is beneath me.

    posted by Nitro on January 26th, 2007 at 8:11 am

  10. Marry me, Nitro!

    posted by Chris on January 26th, 2007 at 9:23 am

  11. plastic is petroleum, so this is a national security incident. the woman may in fact be a terrorist…

    posted by myproxy on January 30th, 2007 at 2:37 pm

  12. Heh… the OWS newsletter “is being distributed” — no longer available online. Wonder if that has something to do with porch couches.

    posted by Anna on January 30th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

  13. have you idiots heard of sarcasm?

    posted by josey on February 24th, 2007 at 12:20 am

  14. I believe some of the idiots here have devoted their lives to reaching the very pinnacle of sarcasm. You thought that letter was supposed to be sarcastic??

    posted by Chris on February 24th, 2007 at 8:30 am

  15. New to annarborisoverrated.com, I’ll defend myself.
    The letters I wrote were sarcastic, unfortunately, there’s really no reliable way to indicate sarcasm in written English, and to save a few of you some time, I’ll be the first to say my writing style needs improvement. Luckily for you, I’m returning to school.
    On a fluke, I sent letters to both papers, thinking neither would get printed. I didn’t know this was a no-no. Perhaps writing, ‘”…the young woman answered, “I don’t care, I’m paying 40 grand here…blah, blah, blah”, as she stuffed her bag with forks and spoons”‘ would have been clearer. My whole point was by paying out of state tuition this student gets to steal. It’s the principle, people. If you’ve ever worked in restaurants, you see it all: plastic spoons, silverware, plates, bar glasses, etal, stolen almost always by students, rich or not. Whatever.
    Googling my name was clever. However, to accuse me of having larger cases of entitlement (stealing?) and indicating I’ve “been there, big time and now I need to expose ANYTHING and ANYONE that will somehow make me feel better…justified” is crap. If you actually read what the entry said perhaps you wouldn’t assume thievery and worse took place. I bet tarnishing me made Chris and Annie Jay feel better, no?

    posted by harriet on February 24th, 2007 at 1:37 pm

  16. I read the entry, I didn’t read it as thievery. I didn’t tarnish your name — you did.

    posted by Chris on February 24th, 2007 at 2:07 pm

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