Ich Bin Ein Honest Thief

My mom, my siblings, and I are on the way to visit a relative in Germany, and on the way there, we stop at a gas station for lunch and refueling. I initially take a bottle of water and a snack, while my family takes sandwiches, but while we’re walking out, my eldest brother’s sandwich slips out and falls, splattering on the cement untouched.

I decide to go back and buy him a new sandwich, but as I try to pay the cashier, he points at me, saying something in German I can’t understand.

Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t really speak German.”

The only words he could say in response were “water no paid” and “police”. I made a valiant effort to prove I had already paid for that bottle of water once, but to no avail. The cashier was clearly losing his temper, so I went out and asked my brother for the receipt for the meal… only to find out it had been thrown away already.

With the cashier screaming at me, and only holding my lunch and the water bottle, I rushed back and begrudgingly paid for the bottle twice.

I do understand his point of view, but I have never seen shoplifters going right back in with the stolen merchandise, or indeed go to legitimately pay for anything!