Office Theft: Can I Take Supplies for Personal Use?

Dear CC: I frequently take notepads and pens home for personal use. I'm not a thief, am I? How much of this is expected?

CC seems to recall an old M*A*S*H episode where Radar surreptitiously ships a Jeep back to Iowa, piece by piece. Of course companies expect petty theft. Why do you think they've discovered computerized ordering systems, efficiency consultants, and locked supply closets? Keep it to a minimum. A former assistant of CC's swiped an entire book of late-night car vouchers when she left the company. She may have taken everyone for a brief ride, but her chances of ever returning completely crashed and burned.