Home Depot lifts ban for pencil thief
A Home Depot in Metheun has decided not to ban a customer for walking out with a pencil.
Michael Panorelli, a regular Home Depot customer, walked out of a Home Depot with a store pencil in his pocket.
After being stopped by security Panorelli was instructed to sign a document that would ban him from the Home Depot store. He was informed that lawyers would be contacting him within 2 months about the possibility of civil charges.
While in the store to purchase supplies to repair a client’s window, Panorelli asked a worker to borrow a pencil to jot down some notes. He was handed a sharpened carpenter pencil. Panorelli placed the pencil in his pocket without thinking about it.
But store security thought about it. They saw the pencil placed in the pocket and put a tail on Panorelli as he proceeded to buy $117 worth of lumber. Upon walking out, Panorelli was stopped by store security.
After an apologetic statement Panorelli replied, “that apology doesn’t mean much to me. I’m not happy with the way I was treated. I didn’t deserve to have a security guard asking me why I needed a pencil so bad I had to steal one.” The statement did indicate that the Home Depot store will “not be pursuing any claims against Mr. Panorelli.”
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