Kate Hawkesby: What sort of person steals from an honesty box system?

Casual private sales of fruit and vege seem to be booming, but some people don't pay when it requires an honesty box system.

COMMENT: Having had a long weekend recently and hit the road like lots of Kiwis I noticed the prevalence of roadside stalls.

Casual private sales of fruit and vege seem to be booming.

Either I haven't been paying enough attention before, or there are more people pimping their wares roadside, but either way, it's awesome.

Cheap, fresh produce, and supporting local farmers and growers - what could be better than that? We stopped for grapes, avocado, strawberries, lemons, even olive oil.

Many of these stalls are just back or front yard sellers, manned by kids or the local farmer. Some though,are the old wooden shed with an honesty box. Just a casual handwritten sign asking for either a donation or a gold coin in return for the produce.

I wondered how many people would rip this system off. How many punters would cheat an honesty box by being dishonest.

Turns out, quite a few.

One stallholder said she'd had to install security cameras at her fruit and vege stand due to the amount of dishonesty with the honesty box.

She found she was emptying the box at the end of the day and instead of finding coins she was getting old buttons, monopoly money, or people's rubbish.

Many items were just being brazenly stolen. She's not the only one. Others have noticed the trend too.

I appreciate that for those who genuinely can't pay, the lure of fresh fruit and veges may be too appealing to bypass, but for the people who should know better, those who're going to the trouble of putting old buttons or rubbish into an honesty box, seriously?

That's very clearly taking the mick.

It's deceitful and it runs the risk of ruining it for the rest of us.
How many people will bother bagging up their fruit to sell at decent prices roadside, if they're just going to get ripped off?

As we edge ever closer to summer, I assume there'll be even more of these stalls along our roads and in our small towns.

And the proprietors shouldn't have to be going out and spending money on security cameras.

I'd like to think we can support our local farmers and growers by doing the right and decent thing, rather than ripping them off.