The Considerate Thief

July 2nd, 2013 · 42 comments

Chelsea in Canada was biking past her neighbo(u)r’s lawn when she saw this sign, and the sheer Canadian-ness of it made her laugh so hard she nearly fell off her bike. (Chelsea then apologized to her handlebars, the asphalt, and the world in general before snapping this photo and continuing, politely, on her way.)

Happy Belated Canada Day, everyone!

If you steal our rhubarb, pull the root out with the stem. When you chop the stem at the base, the rhubarb doesn't grow back. Please be a considerate thief.

related: Canadian is Angry; Still Says “Thank You”

 

FILED UNDER: Canada · flowers, trees, houseplants & gardens · most popular notes of 2013 · painfully polite · stealing


42 responses so far ↓

  • #1   Heather

    It does so grow back if you cut it off at the base! Maybe if enough thieves steal their rhubarb, root and all, they won’t need to worry about it being stolen anymore because they won’t have any anymore.

    Jul 2, 2013 at 5:55 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #1.1   jenewaz

      I am so glad you said this! I thought I had been transported to a parallel dimension where rhubarb didn’t grow back if you cut it at the base. Tell that to the one in my parents yard that lived for 30 years.

      Jul 2, 2013 at 6:00 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #1.2   Iwill FindU

      If I was going to steal their rhubarb, root and all it would be to add it to my own garden. So that I wouldn’t have try and be sneaky

      Jul 3, 2013 at 1:01 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #2   Herne Hill Dave

    Oh, come on.The least you can do is threaten to shoot their dumb ass. Or not send them a Christmas card.

    Jul 2, 2013 at 5:56 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #3   diogenes bang

    If it doesn’t grow back, it was never meant to be…

    Jul 2, 2013 at 6:00 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #4   bob loblaw

    Should have told the stealer to eat the leaves as they are quite toxic and can leave the eater with a fine case of the trots if not death.

    Jul 2, 2013 at 6:13 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #5   Jean

    Who steals rhubarb???

    Jul 2, 2013 at 6:13 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #5.1   CupKat

      There are some extra-entitled nitwits out there who seem to think that if it’s growing in a front garden and visible from the street, it’s fair game for taking.

      Jul 2, 2013 at 9:47 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #5.2   spoko bang

      I used to, when I was a kid. My brothers & I considered it a rite of passage to take it from the neighbors around the block and eat it raw.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 10:33 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #5.3   redheadwglasses

      I know! All you need to do is find one person you know who has rhubarb and they generally have plenty to share!

      Jul 3, 2013 at 11:57 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #6   Kelly

    If you pulled it out, roots & all, how would it grow back?

    Jul 2, 2013 at 6:22 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #6.1   Nunavut Guy

      Nose hair seems to.

      Jul 2, 2013 at 7:08 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #7   LI

    I love this sign’s sentiment. The sign-writer is trying to educate folks on how to properly harvest rhubarb… even if they got some of the details incorrect. You should pull the stalks from the base (by wiggling them) rather than cutting them. You don’t actually pull out the roots of the plant, though. By wiggling the stalks loose, you encourage better plant growth than if you just use a knife, and the stalks will stay fresher longer, especially if you twist off the leaves just above the top of the stalk rather than using a knife and cutting the stalk short to get rid of the leaf. Trim before use, and you’re set.

    Jul 2, 2013 at 6:35 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #7.1   TRT

      Desperate folk; they see the world crumbling around them.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 7:04 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #8   Wench

    That rhubarb was fucking delicious…..

    sorry guys, SOMEONE had to say it…….

    Jul 2, 2013 at 7:46 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #8.1   Who passed out the Haterade?

      I think I finally know what to vote for in the “item that’s been around waaay past its expiration date” contest.

      Jul 2, 2013 at 10:54 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #8.2   Iwill FindU

      It really is. In say a nice rhubarb-strawberry pie, or a rhubarb-cherry crumble. Or just dip it in sugar and eat it, it has such a nice tartness to it that can add just the right kick. Oh goodness I want some rhubarb now.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 12:58 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #9   tch tch

    We dug out our rhubarb last year as the stems always stayed green and tasted bluuurky. It’s back happy as Larry this year. Might be time for a Roundup Smoothie ;)

    Jul 2, 2013 at 7:53 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #9.1   Snicklefritz

      Who is Larry, and why is he so happy?
      Cause I have to admit – I know no happy Larry’s.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 3:18 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #9.2   tch tch

      Sorry, it’s Aussie slang for “Larrikin”.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 7:39 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #9.3   FeRD bang

      Well… that helped not at all. :-)

      Jul 3, 2013 at 11:14 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #9.4   park rose

      Happy as Larry.

      Jul 9, 2013 at 8:55 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #10   The Elf

    Have we learned nothing from Batman? Never rub another man’s rhubarb!

    Jul 3, 2013 at 6:38 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #11   Dane Zeller

    Oh. I thought it was celery.

    Jul 3, 2013 at 8:08 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #12   Rainlight

    This post is extra funny for me since I had to harvest the rhubarb in our backyard just recently. The third such harvest so far this year, even with the garden mostly filled with weeds.

    The leaves were HUGH.

    Jul 3, 2013 at 10:52 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #12.1   H for Toy

      Jackman or Hefner?

      Jul 3, 2013 at 11:44 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #12.2   Rainlight

      Jackman, I’d prefer. Gah, who learned me to spoke English.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 2:34 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #12.3   H for Toy

      :) yeah, me too. That’s the problem with spellcheck. If you spell something that’s a word, but not necessarily the word you want, it doesn’t alert you with a red, squiggly line, and you end up talking about good-looking men, instead of vegetables.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 2:40 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #12.4   Rainlight

      Too true, H for Toy. All too true.

      On another note, my mom was telling me about making bonnets out of giant rhubarb leaves when she was a little girl.

      Jul 3, 2013 at 2:45 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #12.5   H for Toy

      That sounds like fun! My kids like to wear flowers and leaves anyway, so they’d love that. I wish I had rhubarb to eat!

      Jul 3, 2013 at 4:39 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #12.6   park rose

      No Laurie? Happy as Laurie? Now there’s an ask. Doctor in the house? Carry on.

      Jul 9, 2013 at 8:58 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #13   The Elf

    I’ve played Skyrim too much. I thought of the rhubarb growing in the front yard and figured I could harvest it for poison.

    Jul 3, 2013 at 11:50 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #13.1   redheadwglasses

      HA! I have skyrim but have had trouble getting going in the game (I couldn’t figure out how to escape the town after the dragon comes to interrupt my beheading). So I get lazy and go back to WoW. But this weekend, I intend to devote a few hours to SKyrim!

      Jul 3, 2013 at 11:58 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #13.2   Raichu

      I just bought that game – I’m starting it today :D

      Jul 7, 2013 at 3:50 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #13.3   The Elf

      So we won’t be seeing you for a few months.

      Jul 7, 2013 at 5:07 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #14   Lisa S.

    My suspicion is that in their haste & anger to write a note they reversed it in their brain; the thief was pulling out the whole thing and they’re asking for him or her to cut instead, but got it flipped.

    Jul 3, 2013 at 7:49 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

    • #14.1   jUstPunkin

      The “correct” way to harvest rhubarb is to grab the stem at the base and twist as you pull it (according to my farming friends)

      I just don’t grow it. I don’t have to worry about it being stolen or harvested wrong. NW could take a lesson from me!

      Jul 8, 2013 at 11:18 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
    • #14.2   park rose

      In their anger and their shame, they were grieving, they were grieving . . . and the rube was left in pain.

      Jul 9, 2013 at 9:03 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

       
     
  • #15   OurHero

    My crazy ex girlfriend once got angry and threatened to cut off my rhubarb from its base. I squeezed her melons and now we’re fine.

    Jul 4, 2013 at 8:59 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #16   redheadwglasses

    Could note writer be even more considerate and leave behind washed, cut rhubarb? That’d be ever so more convenient.

    Jul 5, 2013 at 8:49 am   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #17   Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff

    Well my rhubarb always grows back when I chop it at the base of the stem.

    Jul 27, 2013 at 11:54 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     
  • #18   Erica

    When stealing rhubarb goes wrong…..

    http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhTQ31Fqnw86S6wDyH

    Aug 2, 2013 at 4:18 pm   rating: 90  small thumbs up

     

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