Tide Laundry Detergent Hot on the Black Market

Last Friday I posted on my personal Facebook page:

It's the weekend and the only exciting get out of the house plans I have are to go with Becky Hopper and her son to the laundromat tomorrow. Watch out kids, we're wild ones!

To which one of my friends wrote:

I'm sure it will be an adventure with you. Knowing you, you will get in the dryer and an make fish lips out the front glass.

I saw this as a dare, so I did it. Now the picture up above of me making fish lips through the glass all makes sense, doesn't it?

So anyway, after putting my clothes in the washing machine I left my basket and detergent in front of the machine and sat down.  My friend Becky freaked out a little and told me I couldn't leave my Tide in the basket, that I had to take it with me and guard it.  I thought she was being a little over the top until she explained that because Tide is so expensive, it's often stolen.

And then this morning I read an article that brought it all into perspective.  Apparently Tide is hot on the black market.  Say what?  Yes, it's true.  Police have finally discovered why Tide is fast becoming one of the most stolen items from shops and grocery stores.  Drug addicts are selling it or exchanging it to buy crack.  As in cocaine.  Tide is really expensive and is known as "liquid gold" on the streets, with a 150-ounce bottle of Tide going for either $5 cash or $10 worth of marijuana or crack cocaine.  In grocery, it sells at upward of $20 per 150-ounce bottle, about 50% more than the average liquid detergent.

How about that?