I got an email the other day which has been circulating since the end of 2007. I’m sure you’ve gotten it at some point – it’s about a seagull that likes to steal chips.
I’m sharing it with you tonight because it’s a great example of how stories can change as they are circulated around the internet. I assure you that the video is real but the story behind it has gotten a bit tweaked.
Here’s the email I got…..
A seagull in Marinette, WI has developed the habit of stealing Doritos from a neighborhood convenience store.
The seagull waits until the Manager isn’t looking, and then walks into the store and grabs a snack-size bag of cheese Doritos.
Once outside, the bag gets ripped open and shared by other birds.
The seagull’s shoplifting started early this month when he first swooped into the store in Marinette, WI and helped himself to a bag of Doritos. Since then, he’s become a regular. He always takes the same type of chips.
The Manager thinks it’s great because people are coming to watch the feathered thief make the daily grab and run, and that’s good for business, and especially since customers have begun paying for the seagull’s stolen bags of Doritos because they think it’s so funny. However, the Manager did say, ‘This is Wisconsin, and if that seagull starts to grab a 6-pack to go along with the Doritos, I may have to put a stop to it.’
Here’s the funny part…..the chip stealing seagull isn’t in Wisconsin – it’s not even in America! So that last line, the quote from the Manager about the seagull stealing beer is a total LIE. Oh, and the email also leaves out that the seagull has affectionately been named Sam by his Scottish neighbors (you know, ‘cause Sam is from Scotland, not Wisconsin).
More from Snopes.com HERE