My toaster got confiscated....

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A couple of days ago, I brought my toaster into school so that members of my form (including myself) could have breakfast in the morning. Everything was great until yesterday it was confiscated. No reason was given for this and I cannot think what was wrong with my bringing a toaster into school - It was not used in lessons, all mess was cleared up, I provided all bread and jam, we only used it for making toast and there is nothing against it in the school rules.

Can anyone tell me why the school might have taken it? The major theory among my form is that the teachers got jealous and wanted toast, but had they asked they could have had some and I believe they have a toaster in their top secret staff room anyway.

Great plan bringing a toaster.

But the official reason is probably 'fire hazard'. In a lot of rules bringing your own electrical equipment is not permitted to avoid faulty equipment.

(real reason is probably most facilities people want to exert power)

Interesting, They may have been trying to stop food from outside the cafeteria. The whole confinscation deal sounds hinky, Have you talked to your parents? This is presumably a school and not a college or university, am I right? The best you can do is talk to a school administrator, but i'm sure others here might have some suggestions.

The potential for a fire hazard sounds like a good reason. Who would be at fault,if your toaster caught on fire or caused a electrical fault or shocked someone because they stick their fingers in instead of the toast. Want if the jam or butter you used was moldy and caused someone to get sick, who would be at fault? The school would be at fault for allowing a untested and unsafe electrical appliance to be used along with food that could be contaminated. No cover up or hidden reason. It is easier to control the safety of everyone else at the school if the food and electrical appliances come from one source like the cafeteria.

I understand you are just doing a good thing by providing breakfast and it is still possible to do it. Talk to the school administrator and see what they would do allow you to continue. Maybe if your toaster was inspected to make sure it is safe to use by the school staff and all food (bread, butter and jam) comes from the cafeteria then they might allow you to keep doing it. You are doing what you can do satisfy the administrator concerns and still providing breakfast. Everybody wins and is happy.

Could be the case that your are being punished for something or they just do not like you to do it. Even if that is the case, you will not know the true reason until you talk to the school staff anyway. So go talk to them in a calm manner and see what you can work out if it means that much to you.

If there is no rule against what you did, they had no reason to confiscate your toaster. They certainly have no right to keep it....it should have been returned to you after school with instruction to not bring it back to school.

Your parents should address this with the school administration. I'm presuming you are in high school.

Yes, them keeping your toaster is called "stealing" as only the police have the authority to truly confiscate an item, and then only if there's a legitimate reason for the confiscation in the first place. In that regard, the proper procedure would be to inform you of why you can't bring the toaster to school and give it back to you at the end of the day, or have one of your parents pick it up.

the potential for a fire hazard sounds hokey by itself, as it is quite unlikely that a toaster (especially a modern one) or any other electrical appliance would burst into flames. There's a reason circuit breakers and relays are installed in any building. Only way it could be a fire hazard would be if it's one of those flat toasters and not one where you stick your bread into, as 99% of those have a timer mechanism.

In any case, if the reason is invalid (ie. not because of school or building rules), you can demand to get the toaster back. In any case, if they refuse to give it back to you or your parents, then it's a felony on their part. Also if they have "misplaced" or "lost" the unit, they have to pay you back.
In any case of refusal, threatening them with legal force will surely get them going

Come on, do not make a too big fuzz out of this. Threatening generally does not help with these kind of things. Just ask nicely to get your toaster back. Making a big problem of it does not help you in the future.

hmm... well that gives me something to think about. thanks for replying , i think i will have a polite conversation with the school administrators. foxx, i very much like your idea of getting the police involved, but i suppose Asterisp is right - I dont want to make this too big a thing.
Thanks again people

As said above, it could have been for safety reasons or in fear that students are trying to compete against the cafeteria food, but it could be for another reason.

Bringing a toaster to school is unconventional, socially unpalatable, and teachers want uniformity.