Be honest. Have you ever taken a cup for water from a fast food restaurant, but instead filled it with Sprite, lemonade, or some other sugary drink from the soda dispenser? If so, while you knew it was wrong to do, you probably didn’t think you were committing a crime. However, people have actually been arrested for doing just that.

In the latest water cup related incident, a 48-year-old Montana man allegedly tried to fill his water cup with soda at a fast food restaurant. When he was approached by an employee who tried to tell him he had to pay up, the man refused and turned to leave. But when the employee persisted and told him he was unwelcome to ever return, the man reportedly tried to kick the employee before leaving.

Police officers were called and eventually confronted the man (who had taken refuge in another restaurant’s bathroom). However, the man refused to cooperate, allegedly became violent, and eventually had to be tased in order to comply with the officers’ instructions.

The man is now facing a laundry list of charges including a felony robbery charge on top of four misdemeanors (criminal trespass, disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest). He faced an initial bail of $50,000 — and all over a $2 soda.

Now granted, most people who covertly fill their water cup with soda do not get violent with restaurant employees or law enforcement officers, but it is pretty wild that this situation escalated so quickly and seriously. And if you think this is a standalone incident, a teen in Arkansas was arrested for “stealing soda” just a couple of years ago:

In Florida several years ago, a man was convicted of a felony for stealing McDonald’s soda with a water cup. The man, who had previous convictions, faced up to 5 years in jail for the crime:

So tell us your thoughts on the subject. Should taking soda with a water cup be considered a crime?