Yes, obviously my posts were being sarcastic. And obviously I don't go around slamming doors on little old ladies or handing kids hot-pepper lollipops.
BUT...
These keg threads blow my mind. And I feel compelled to comment on them. Unfortunately, this one just happened to harp more on the moral issues so I guess that makes me sound like a nihilist for disagreeing.
There was a VERY long thread about this topic that actually delved into the legal aspects of keg transfers. It actually caused me to go to work and actually research
in the law books and with other trained law enforcement professionals, what the keg transfer laws in NY actually are.
Here, when a distributor sells you a keg, they are selling you everything you walk out the door with. You can keep it all - beer, keg, and pump - and not face any criminal charge whatsoever. Everyone involved knows this (including the microbreweries), so they charge you a deposit hoping it will compel you to return the keg and pump. If you don't, you aren't being an immoral person - you are availing yourself of a perfectly legal transfer of property. Personally, I never have, I don't need keggles. But two of my brewing buddies went out and bought kegs this way once I told them it was 100% legal. and that doesn't make me feel bad.
The only stipulation is if you sign a contract stating you will return the keg and pump
no matter what. Specifically, if it says you forfeit the deposit only, that means nothing legally. The contract must specifically state that the keg and pump must be returned. In that case, the distributor can sue you in Small Claims Court.
Secondly, I find it VERY hypocritical that these threads inevitably contain at least 1-2 posts stating that its okay, as long as it is BMC. So apparently, with a good portion of the "keeping a keg is stealing" people, BMC doesn't count.
I've never read a property law that only applies to "small" (you know, 'cause places like New Belgium, Surly, Sierra Nevada are SO small) businesses retaining legal possession of their property.
So I apologize for coming off like a brute, I'm not. But, due to my line of work and wanting to keep my job, I am used to making decisions based on fact and ever since researching the FACTS of this topic, it just bugs me to read some of the comments in these threads.
To those for whom this is purely a moral issue - even if they knew it was perfectly legal - I ask if you really think the craft brewers hold these same high morals on their side of the transaction involving beer flowing from them to you.
And lastly - if you fish ANYTHING out of a river other than a dead body, a boat, or an out-of-season wild species, odds are you can keep it. Return a keg from a river? This reads like some kind of Hallmark Movie plot.