Found at Electric Venom. Kate got it from Inoperable Terran

'Takin Two' Talk of Town

RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- A Rio Rancho teen was slapped with an in-school suspension for taking both sodas that came out of a vending machine, when he had only paid for one.

On Monday, Rio Rancho student Mason Kisner, 12, said he bought a can of pop at a school vending machine, and instead of getting one can, he received two.

Kisner said he spread the word, and other students tried to get in on the deal. A teacher who saw Kisner getting the two sodas on Monday told him not to do it again. But Kisner said the teacher saw him get another two sodas for the price of one on Tuesday.

The boy said the teacher called him a thief and accused him of trying to teach other students how to steal. He was written up, given a two-day in-school suspension and the incident will appear on his permanent school record.

First things first. Isn't this entrapment? The teacher knows that the machine is malfunctioning. Instead of disabling the machine, he/she decided to just keep an eye on it. How is this different from putting a $5 bill on your desk and hiding in the closet? He/she created a situation designed to tempt people into an act that he/she viewed as illegal.

Second things second. How exactly do you not take the second soda? None of the vending machines here in Georgia have a return slot in case an extra soda pops out. Are the machines different in New Mexico? Should he have brought the extra soda to the principal's office maybe? Does anybody believe that whatever authority figure he surrendered it to would then contact the vendor to return the can? Or that the vendor would drive on down to collect it? How many people would go out of their way to return an extra soda from a vending machine in any case? According to the poll posted with that news article a whopping 5% would do so.

Last things last. Kisner shouldn't have gone back to the machine after having been warned by the teacher. He messed up when he did. The teacher should have handled the machine problem. He/she messed up when he/she didn't. Shouldn't the teacher be subjected to a similar punishment? Suspension for a week and a permanent record statement along the lines of "contributed to the delinquency of a minor".