Another thread about forgetting to pay for something at the grocery store

[ThatCyndiGirl]

After reading that I am going to say the parents are at fault. Since when is it okay to eat food prior to paying for it in stores? There are registers everywhere, at least in all the grocery stores I worked in. They could have easily paid for the sandwhiches at the deli section. If she was feeling ill than she wiould have sat down for a bit not just keep on walking and eating. Okay so maybe arresting both parents and taking the child away was a bit overloaded but we don't know the whole story. We just hear the woe is me family story. Maybe this particular store has a problem with people eating in the store and not paying and this family just happen to be the time that the manager is just fed up and decided to involve the law.

 

 

Actually, we are also hearing from Safeway that they ADMITTED THAT THEY HANDLED IT WRONG. I don't recall reading a quote from the family. I didn't get a "woe is me" feeling from the article. :001_huh:

[Scarlett]

Actually, we are also hearing from Safeway that they ADMITTED THAT THEY HANDLED IT WRONG. I don't recall reading a quote from the family. I didn't get a "woe is me" feeling from the article. :001_huh:

 

Well, I didn't even read the article! :tongue_smilie: I just jumped in with my opinon like I knew what all was going on.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Well, I didn't even read the article! :tongue_smilie: I just jumped in with my opinon like I knew what all was going on.

 

You totally should have read the article! It was about a family of bears and it wasn't a sandwhich they took, it was two bowls of porridge! :lol:

[Jean in Newcastle]

Well, I didn't even read the article! :tongue_smilie: I just jumped in with my opinon like I knew what all was going on.

 

I read it. But I figured that Safeway could just have easily been saying that either they hadn't expected the police to handle it the way they did or that they regretted the negative press it was getting.

 

Having been very vocal in my own opinion, however, I don't ever notice if any other mom or child is eating in the grocery store and if it is grocery store merchandise or not. That's not on my radar at all.

 

I did see a man (in Safeway, of all places!) putting clearance steak down his pants. I reported it to Steve, our manager and he said, "If he's so desperate that he's taking old meat, then we'll let him." So not all Safeway managers are without compassion;)

[Scarlett]

 

I did see a man (in Safeway, of all places!) putting clearance steak down his pants. I reported it to Steve, our manager and he said, "If he's so desperate that he's taking old meat, then we'll let him." So not all Safeway managers are without compassion;)

 

:001_huh: Oh my.

[cin]

The mom posted on a mom's website that they tried to pay for the sandwiches at the deli but nobody was there to take the money. They had walked to the grocery store and she was feeling a bit dizzy and faint. The wrappers were in the cart. They had intended to pay for them. Yes that's just their story, but really. Pay for $50 and try to steal $5? seriously, if I were going to steal something, it would be something other than 2 deli sandwiches.

 

 

Here is the original post that started all this, I believe. Or at least where the link leads too.

Edited October 30, 2011 by cin

[Ritsumei]

While this may have been an overreaction, I do think it's ridiculous that people will eat (or allow their children to eat) food in the grocery store that they haven't paid for yet. Usually you can pay for sandwiches in Safeway at the deli counter or in the regular checkout line. If it were me, I would have paid for the sandwiches prior to eating them and then paid for the groceries separately.

 

:iagree: One of the grocery stores I shop at has signs placed around that remind costumers that "consume and conceal" is shoplifting, and will be prosecuted as such. To me, allowing my children to eat while we are in the store is letting them use up something that isn't mine to give. They wait. End of story. It's not that hard to go through the checkout line and buy the sandwiches if you're feeling that faint. For that matter, planning your trip so that you're not hungry while shopping is a pretty good idea for a number of reasons - including that 2x as much crap food will land in the cart if you're hungry! Sadly, apparently it's also a safety of the family issue.

[Guest submarines]

The mom posted on a mom's website that they tried to pay for the sandwiches at the deli but nobody was there to take the money. They had walked to the grocery store and she was feeling a bit dizzy and faint. The wrappers were in the cart. They had intended to pay for them. Yes that's just their story, but really. Pay for $50 and try to steal $5? seriously, if I were going to steal something, it would be something other than 2 deli sandwiches.

 

 

Here is the original post that started all this, I believe. Or at least where the link leads too.

 

Her story is even worse than I imagined. New in town, no friends or relatives, so many adjustments after the relocation. My heart breaks for that child. I can't imagine a forceful separation from my 3 yo for so long.

 

I hope the family gets compensated for their suffering. The store manager seems vindictive, if even the police tried to persuade him/ her not to press charges.

 

I wonder whether the family was treated this way because of their WIC coupons.

[kitten18]

There are no registers at the deli at my local stores so I cannot pay when I order. The people that work the deli have always made references to the fact that my kids will be eating the food as I shop and I see many other children doing just the same. Maybe this is where we differ on this forum? Some have registers throughout the store and some only have them upon exiting (like mine).

:iagree:

Do you have Safeway? Every single Safeway I've been in has had registers in the deli section. In fact, our Safeway has two registers in the deli section. They rarely have more than one or two people waiting at them too.

We have stores that are owned by Safeway and stores that are owned by Kroger. NONE of the grocery stores here have cash registers at the deli, the only registers are at the front of the store.

[Jean in Newcastle]

:iagree:

 

We have stores that are owned by Safeway and stores that are owned by Kroger. NONE of the grocery stores here have cash registers at the deli, the only registers are at the front of the store.

 

Wow, it really must vary by location then because we have a QFC (owned by Kroger) right across the street from our Safeway and they have a deli cash register too! I have no idea if their interior design is determined by the head company though.

[Scarlett]

Wow, it really must vary by location then because we have a QFC (owned by Kroger) right across the street from our Safeway and they have a deli cash register too! I have no idea if their interior design is determined by the head company though.

 

I can't wait to go to WM and see if they have a register at the deli! I just cant remember! That has never been my reason to not pay for it there...I just don't want the hassle of two check outs.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I can't wait to go to WM and see if they have a register at the deli! I just cant remember! That has never been my reason to not pay for it there...I just don't want the hassle of two check outs.

 

I use the deli checkout if I've stopped by the deli to grab lunch or dinner for the family but don't need other groceries. They don't have a conveyer belt and can't really handle the larger volume of a whole cart of groceries. In fact, I sort of doubt they would let you buy a whole cartload there. But I tend to use a credit card at the grocery store and it wouldn't phase me to run a snack through the deli, eat it and then continue shopping.

[LAS in LA]

Nevermind whether the store thinks it's okay or not, eating in a store is Gross! Think of the germs on your hands, dc's hands, the hands of the person who touched the cart (or items in your cart) before you!!! So relieved to hear about the employee offering to wash the blueberries before the child ate them!

 

[DH says, "What about, like, a Coke?" Okay, I guess that's not as bad.]

 

And wearing clothing out of a store!?! Any idea how many sizing chemicals are on that (insert item here) before you wash it???!

 

[Yes, it's late and I'm prone to use a lot of exclamation points. Still . . . And BTW, our house is far from pristine, but they're MY germs, not somebody else's!]

 

Thanks for the interesting discussion everyone!

[Joanne]

Actually, we are also hearing from Safeway that they ADMITTED THAT THEY HANDLED IT WRONG. I don't recall reading a quote from the family. I didn't get a "woe is me" feeling from the article. :001_huh:

 

It could also be a PR response, given the context and content of the event. It was worth more to Kroger to issue that statement than to stand firm on the theft issue.

[Joanne]

No. I haven't been to a Safeway since I was little and living in a different state.

 

Our Whole Foods has a register where I purchase gelato but they don't ever push me to pay for it there (which is why I forgot once). I still don't pay for it there and haven't forgotten since the first time to pay at the regular checkout. I have no idea what was going on with the couple in the article. I was mostly responding to the idea that it's stealing to eat while shopping. I just don't see it that way.

 

But walking outside to your car without paying IS.

[angela in ohio]

I read it. But I figured that Safeway could just have easily been saying that either they hadn't expected the police to handle it the way they did or that they regretted the negative press it was getting.

 

Exactly. We are still only getting one side of the story, and that's likely all we will get.

[unsinkable]

Pay for $50 and try to steal $5? seriously, if I were going to steal something, it would be something other than 2 deli sandwiches./QUOTE]

 

 

But I DO think there are people who think like this! It's buried but I posted about a woman who walked thru Wegman's eating 2 eggrolls w/o paying for them...and you pay by the pound so there is no way she COULD have paid...or the woman who refused to pay for her salad toppings.

 

People think they DESERVE a freebie b/c groceries of so expensive.

 

Or they get a THRILL out of stealing something.

 

Or they know concealment techniques. That is why the clerks check shoeboxes when you check out of department stores. You could easily say, "Why pay for a $50 pair of shoes and steal a $5 pair of underwear?" but people try ALL THE TIME.

[Aubrey]

 

So, then is it considered ok if one has the cash on them? I always have at least $20 cash on me. My dds can eat their gelato, popcorn chicken, or drink their drink and I know I can cover it. Does it make it ok to those saying it's still theft if I know I have the cash to cover at least what they've eaten?

 

If I knew I had the cash, I'd still think it was an embarrassing habit, but I wouldn't be worried about not being able to pay. My point is that I'm unique (in my circles) for even *thinking* of the possibility of not being able to pay. I guess I embarrass more easily than others?

 

As far as whether it's "stealing," I think that's...a cultural pov. Imp is somewhere in Canada, & she was *taught* to think that way. She'd be embarrassed to shop w/ some of the people I know, lol. But the most refined & sophisticated of people in my area wouldn't bat an eye at the practice, & they'd certainly never STEAL.

 

Obviously, there's going to be a more accurate legal distinction, but as far as "what people think" --I think that's going to vary from area to area. *I* have never thought of it as stealing, so I'm consistent w/ my region. Lord help us if we move, though. Maybe that's what happened to this couple... :lol:

[tadbhoward]

The reaction is overblown.

 

However, I used to work overnight at a 24hour Walmart. Each night I would have to deal with dozens of half eaten or eaten products. People were forever grabbing candy bars, pastries, snacks, drinks, and chips to graze on while shopping. If they were asked, they would pay. If they weren't noticed they would just chuck the empty or half empty wrapper/package on the shelf and move on. "Grazing" is illegal here and in fact, as an employee, you could be fired immediately for doing it.

[Murphy101]

I do think the store and the cops were overblown about this.

 

Unless this couple has a habit of "forgetting" to pay that hasn't been disclosed.

 

Otherwise, they ended up with their money for the item, so get over it already.

 

But yeah, it is a problem. Stores loose between hundreds and thousands of dollars every month on this problem.

 

And I don't agree that not making the effort to confront every gazing customer means they are okay with it. More likely it just means they accept they have to endure it until it is obvious they are walking out without paying. Because though they might be all polite to the customer about it, I have never seen a store that wouldn't promptly fire an employee for doing it. They can take it right out of their paycheck, so there isn't much concern of not being paid. They fire the employee bc it's viewed as theft that they didn't buy it FIRST and they had a zero tolerance policy against employee theft. The mom and pop grocery store, large chain grocery store, and Walmart all had those policies when I worked at them. And as cashiers we were told not to confront customers. Ever. We were told to leave it to security and management.

[Wendi]

I read her blog post. She says when they were approached by security about the sandwiches, they found the wrappers "down at the bottom" and "under my daughter's seat". So it may have appeared to the security people that the wrappers were hidden there, and the couple had no intention of paying.

 

Wendi

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Whether they were stealing or not, why arrest both parents and have a 3 yr. old taken into protective custody? Wouldn't it have proved the point by just arresting one of the parents and letting the child remain at home? I don't get it.

[angela in ohio]

article with video

[silliness7]

But see, I wouldn't put that on Safeway. Safeway reported it to the police like they are supposed to do. The police chose to take them into custody etc. I don't know what the law is there (apparently it varies from place to place). I looked up the laws here where I live. Here shoplifting is considered 3rd degree theft and carries a sentence usually of community service and a fine that can go up to $5000 (but usually less). But don't you have to be taken into custody and booked first? I would assume that would be when the toddler was taken away.

 

Well I'm angry that someone's kid was taken away because they stole 2 $5 sandwiches. If Safeway felt they had good reason to report the $10 theft to authorities because they'd had enough or they've had their eye on these people. Fine. But a system that takes children away so they can process a $5 criminal. Where is the sense in that? You stole $5 worth of stuff while your kid was with you and we're going to put her in foster care for 18 hours while we process you for your $5 crime. I wonder if these people were given the opportunity to arrange for a friend or relative to come pick up their child.

[Mommy22alyns]

Her story is even worse than I imagined. New in town, no friends or relatives, so many adjustments after the relocation. My heart breaks for that child. I can't imagine a forceful separation from my 3 yo for so long.

 

I hope the family gets compensated for their suffering. The store manager seems vindictive, if even the police tried to persuade him/ her not to press charges.

 

I wonder whether the family was treated this way because of their WIC coupons.

 

 

Hmm, that makes me wonder too.

 

I just can't believe it - they OFFERED to pay!

[silliness7]

:iagree: One of the grocery stores I shop at has signs placed around that remind costumers that "consume and conceal" is shoplifting, and will be prosecuted as such. To me, allowing my children to eat while we are in the store is letting them use up something that isn't mine to give. They wait. End of story. It's not that hard to go through the checkout line and buy the sandwiches if you're feeling that faint. For that matter, planning your trip so that you're not hungry while shopping is a pretty good idea for a number of reasons - including that 2x as much crap food will land in the cart if you're hungry! Sadly, apparently it's also a safety of the family issue.

 

Can we assume then that consuming in and of itself apart from also concealing is NOT shoplifting? I would not interpret the sign in the same way that you have. "Consuming before paying is shoplifting" would be the sign I'd expect to see given your interpretation.

 

I love the employee that offered to wash a pp's blueberries. :D

 

ETA: There have been many anecdotes on here of people being encouraged or given outright permission to consume before paying at the grocery store. I wonder if anyone has the opposite story. Has anyone been reprimanded by a store employee for eating store food in the store before paying for it. Has anyone asked for permission to do this and been denied? Anyone?

[Guest submarines]

Well I'm angry that someone's kid was taken away because they stole 2 $5 sandwiches. If Safeway felt they had good reason to report the $10 theft to authorities because they'd had enough or they've had their eye on these people. Fine. But a system that takes children away so they can process a $5 criminal. Where is the sense in that? You stole $5 worth of stuff while your kid was with you and we're going to put her in foster care for 18 hours while we process you for your $5 crime. I wonder if these people were given the opportunity to arrange for a friend or relative to come pick up their child.

 

It seems like they just moved to Hawaii and had no friends or relatives there.

[Murphy101]

Whether they were stealing or not, why arrest both parents and have a 3 yr. old taken into protective custody? Wouldn't it have proved the point by just arresting one of the parents and letting the child remain at home? I don't get it.

 

:001_huh: because it would appear the parents were both stealing? It is common for a couple to steal together. For that matter, it is common for a couple to encourage their kids to steal for them.:glare:

 

I suppose one could argue that apparent can be a thief and still be a good parent, but it's not a good argument.

 

Are some saying the proper reaction to a charge of stealing should be to tell the couple one of them has to throw the other under the bus so that one of them can be home with the child? Hmmm.. In which case maybe the mother would choose to go to garner more sympathy or so dh doesn't have to miss much needed work.

 

Well I'm angry that someone's kid was taken away because they stole 2 $5 sandwiches. If Safeway felt they had good reason to report the $10 theft to authorities because they'd had enough or they've had their eye on these people. Fine. But a system that takes children away so they can process a $5 criminal. Where is the sense in that? You stole $5 worth of stuff while your kid was with you and we're going to put her in foster care for 18 hours while we process you for your $5 crime. I wonder if these people were given the opportunity to arrange for a friend or relative to come pick up their child.

 

:001_huh: I'm of the opinion that a parent who truly cares that much should consider not committing crimes that might send them to jail.

 

IF someone steals, that is a crime and criminals usually don't get much say in what happens to their kids. Are you saying police shouldn't enforce laws against petty crime? I can assure you MANY criminals know exactly how much they can do before it bumps the it to a higher level of crime. So they plan to only commit many acts of a lesser degree so they don't get charged with a whopper if caught.

 

Idk. I feel horrible for the kid, but I don't see law enforcement standing around waiting for daycare to show up before enforcing laws either.

 

They should if at all possible bc i agree that would be best for the child, but I don't know if it is realistic.

 

 

I don't think it matters...how would that be any differant than being in a restaurant, eating a full meal and your debit card being rejected? Those things can happen.

 

Yes they do and it is treated like theft. I wouldn't fault a restaurant for calling the cops on that either. Usually they make you leave your drivers license or the other member of your party stay while you go get cash to pay. If you just get up and leave - yeah they are right to call the cops.

 

Same thing happened when people would fill up their vehicle at the gas pump and then not have the money for whatever reason. If they came in to fess up, we held their license as collateral while they ran home for cash, wallet or whatever. However, once they pulled away from the pump, we got their vehicle description and tag if possible and reported it as theft. And no, saying they forgot didn't remove the charge. They filled their vehicle up and left without paying. It was theft. When caught they almost always offered to pay, but MANY of them were on the books for doing it multiple times. They would offer to pay for the one time hoping no one knew they had gotten away with it many times before.

[silliness7]

Overstaying your welcome when your meter runs out is stealing. But do they handcuff you and take you to jail for 18 hours? No. You get a ticket. Maybe you get a court date if you have gobs of unpaid tickets. You don't get your children taken into custody for being a lousy no-good parking place thief.

 

I'm not saying don't prosecute petty thieves. I'm saying let the punishment fit the crime. A little common sense would go a long way.

[Murphy101]

Overstaying your welcome when your meter runs out is stealing. But do they handcuff you and take you to jail for 18 hours? No. You get a ticket. Maybe you get a court date if you have gobs of unpaid tickets. You don't get your children taken into custody for being a lousy no-good parking place thief.

 

I'm not saying don't prosecute petty thieves. I'm saying let the punishment fit the crime. A little common sense would go a long way.

 

Actually that isn't considered stealing legally.

 

ETA: Occupying public space is usually not considered theft. Trespass maybe, but not theft.

 

And it really depends on the parking location. If on private property, you don't get a ticket. You get towed. Which can cost a LOT more than a ticket. Private citizens and business owners cannot issue tickets.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Martha

[Audrey]

They were willing to pay for the sandwich right then and there. I think the entire thing is ridiculous.

 

:iagree: Stories like this have firmly convinced me that we will never eat "walk-around food" in the grocery store.

[LAS in LA]

Sorry about my interruption last night, everyone. That comment really belonged in a separate thread. :blush:

[Laura Corin]

If you know you have low blood sugar, etc, and are planning a shopping trip, I honestly don't understand why you wouldn't either pack a snack for yourself (and your kids) in preparation, or buy something before you start shopping to snack on while you're there.

 

When I was pregnant I carried snacks and water. When I had small children I always had snacks and water in the nappy bag.

 

The situation was handled badly however. There was fault on both sides.

 

Laura

Edited October 30, 2011 by Laura Corin

[akmommy]

See, our walmart has their deli right inside the front door and there is no cash register there. That leads me to believe they are encouraging people to stop and grab some popcorn chicken (or whatever) to munch while shopping. I've also walked past many store managers and various other employees while munching and have never once had anyone say anything.

 

Yes, I have seen emptied pop bottles and what not sitting on shelves and I let my kids how disgustingly wrong it is.

[QueenCat]

See, our walmart has their deli right inside the front door and there is no cash register there. That leads me to believe they are encouraging people to stop and grab some popcorn chicken (or whatever) to munch while shopping. I've also walked past many store managers and various other employees while munching and have never once had anyone say anything.

 

It never occurred to me to eat the popcorn chicken sold at the front of Walmart while I was still in Walmart. More because I personally wouldn't want to grab food off the shelves with food on my hands.The few times I've bought it were nights I needed something to serve as soon as I got home, and wasn't prepared (kind of rare, but it happens sometimes). I've never seen anyone eating things from the Walmart deli while walking through the store. I've always assumed the pre-made sandwiches were for people who were picking up their lunch on the way to work (or something similar). Again, would never occur to me to eat there. I have seen people open boxes of cookies/crackers and eat those while they shop but that is very rare. When my kids were little, I brought simple things in ziplocs if I thought we'd be out a long time but normally fed them those things in the car.

Edited October 30, 2011 by CathieC

[mommaduck]

Once again, consuming food without paying is real theft. It may not be hundreds of dollars worth, but it is still stealing!

 

Just b/c its awkward to pay for something in the midst of a shopping trip does not make it any less stealing.

 

If you know you have low blood sugar, etc, and are planning a shopping trip, I honestly don't understand why you wouldn't either pack a snack for yourself (and your kids) in preparation, or buy something before you start shopping to snack on while you're there.

Because we were taught to not bring anything into a store that that store might potentially sell in case you get accused of stealing when you didn't. I'd rather eat something, hold the wrapper (always keep it in hand in case questioned) than to be falsely accused and have to pay for something twice.

 

Recently, a bottle I was buying rolled under the baby bucket in the basket of the buggy (talk about alliteration!) and I didn't realise it till I got to the car and loaded up the baby. I had my oldest girl babysit while I ran back in to pay for the bottle. 97cents, but I still walked back into the store with it in plain sight in my hand and went to the cashier that had just checked me out.

Edited October 31, 2011 by mommaduck

[mothergooseof4]

The grocery stores here only have checkouts at the front and it is a LONG way from the deli to the checkout. The deli also gives out condiments and plastic forks/spoons. They expect that you will eat while you shop. I also often get a drink from the cooler or open a box of protein bars and snack while shopping. This is not considered stealing here and is very common. I know my ds threw away a container once and I told the cashier to ring me up for that item. They looked at me like I was crazy.

 

My late dh used to work in management for the chain that I shop at most often. I asked him once about this practice and he said that it is not theft until you leave the store without paying. I told him that I often see the empty containers for these items stuffed on shelves and that bothered me because while I always stick the container in my buggy and pay, others are intentially stealing. He said they expect it and count it as one of the many costs of doing business.

 

What I really get fumed over is that I have seen people hiding things in their clothing a few times. You can go tell management and they really can't do a thing unless a manager or loss prevention employee actually saw the action. Really irritating to see people get away with intentional stealing!

[ktgrok]

For those saying that people forgetting to pay adds up, that is true. However, if once I forget to pay and the store loses $3, it is totally outweighed by the fact that all the other times I stayed longer and bought hundreds of dollars more because my toddler was kept quiet by snacking on a box of animal crackers. Trust me, it is in the store's best interest to allow snacking while shopping. Before I started doing that my daughter would start crying (at say, 10 months old) and I'd leave right away. Bringing snacks from home doesn't entertain her as much as a new snack. Now we get one of those squeezable baby foods, or something else different than her normal food, and she hold onto it and snacks and I get a whole cart's worth, instead of leaving half way through.

 

My grocery store also gives free cookies to kids at the bakery, to keep them happy longer!

[vonfirmath]

:iagree:

And again, eating unpaid for food IS stealing! There's no earthly reason that they couldn't have paid for the sandwiches, and then eaten them while they continued to shop.

 

This is what we do. If my kid is starving when we enter the store, I grab food, go pay for it (keep the receipt in my pocket/easily accessible) and let the kid eat while we shop. We've done this a few times to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing. (or my kid thinking he can take something off the shelf and just start chowing down)

 

PS and we went ALL the way to the back of the store to buy one of those refrigerated "meat, cheese, crackers" things. then ALL the way to the front to pay for it before continuing on to shop.

[Julie Smith]

My grocery store also gives free cookies to kids at the bakery, to keep them happy longer!

 

My store has this offer, and I suppose you could say I abuse it. :) We live near the grocery store and sometimes do three trips a week since we are walking past it anyway.

 

The sign doesn't say you have to buy something, but I almost always do so anyway since after all I am in the store.

[JeneralMom]

I have never, nor will I ever, eat food in a grocery store that has not been paid for. I do have sever hypoglycemia, have been pregnant, etc. It has never crossed my mind to do it, possibly because when I was little I vividly remember a little boy taking a candy out of the open candy bin (with his mum's permission) and eating it in the store and then the store management came down on them really hard about stealing.

 

I was in the grocery store the other day and a woman was eating a jelly donut. She tossed the jelly gooped donut wrapper down on the belt and her magazine too. It was so gross and I felt bad for the cashier who had to pick it up off the belt to throw away and then stop the belt, clean it off, etc. I also see lots of empty containers/bags stashed on shelves so I know people are eating and not paying.

[mommaduck]

I have never, nor will I ever, eat food in a grocery store that has not been paid for. I do have sever hypoglycemia, have been pregnant, etc. It has never crossed my mind to do it, possibly because when I was little I vividly remember a little boy taking a candy out of the open candy bin (with his mum's permission) and eating it in the store and then the store management came down on them really hard about stealing.

 

I was in the grocery store the other day and a woman was eating a jelly donut. She tossed the jelly gooped donut wrapper down on the belt and her magazine too. It was so gross and I felt bad for the cashier who had to pick it up off the belt to throw away and then stop the belt, clean it off, etc. I also see lots of empty containers/bags stashed on shelves so I know people are eating and not paying.

Then I'm just guessing that you have never nearly passed out in the middle of the store nor lost your cookies in the middle of shopping. I've actually had cashiers babysitting my kids while I barely made it to the bathroom (I was a regular customer and knew the employees pretty well).

[LeslieAnneLevine]

I vote that it's ridiculous.

I'm not one to eat stuff in the grocery store, but I've certainly let my son do so when he was younger. I would still do it now if he were really hungry, but he usually stays home. Many a baguette has been started before we've paid for it.

 

I've also opened kleenex pacakges before when I needed one and taken one of the small packs out. The rest of the package went into my cart and was paid for. I have also grabbed a drink of something out of desperation (no drinking fountains were available) and let my son do the same. Then the bottles go into the cart to be paid for. I don't see the problem. Yes, we could have an emergency and have to leave our cart behind but how likely is that? It's never happened to us yet. The store benefits from us being able to spend more time in it.

 

I agree with people who are disgusted by someone eating but not buying (purposely). I saw it in the huge grocery stores in the south of France a lot. One time, packs of hard cider came with a free glass and someone had opened two packs, taken out the glasses, filled them with the cider and opened a pack of chips! They paid for none of it, of course. I used to see bags and boxes of stuff opened and just imagined people grabbing a fistful and stuffing it in their mouth and resuming their shopping with eyes darting about and jaws working furiously.

[Ritsumei]

Can we assume then that consuming in and of itself apart from also concealing is NOT shoplifting? I would not interpret the sign in the same way that you have. "Consuming before paying is shoplifting" would be the sign I'd expect to see given your interpretation.

 

I love the employee that offered to wash a pp's blueberries. :D

 

ETA: There have been many anecdotes on here of people being encouraged or given outright permission to consume before paying at the grocery store. I wonder if anyone has the opposite story. Has anyone been reprimanded by a store employee for eating store food in the store before paying for it. Has anyone asked for permission to do this and been denied? Anyone?

 

Whether it's the store policy or not, it's my feeling on the matter and what my kids get to live with. ;)

 

I can see how others differ, and I can understand how there are those who can eat in the store, before it's paid for and feel OK about it. I can't. And I know myself well enough to know that I'd mess up and end up stealing at least once. This is a relatively simple precaution that keeps my honesty in one piece, and apparently it's also safer for my family, since a $5 crime seems to be grounds for CPS stealing children these days. For that reason alone, I feel justified in the "we always wait" rule.

[Amy in NH]

To go stand in line to pay for it first would take entirely too much time when pregnant and/or with a toddler.

 

I disagree. When I had toddlers (and was pregnant too), I would frequently snap a couple of bananas off a bunch and bring them through the checkout before opening them to eat with my child while shopping.

[HistoryMom]

Same thing happened when people would fill up their vehicle at the gas pump and then not have the money for whatever reason. If they came in to fess up, we held their license as collateral while they ran home for cash, wallet or whatever. However, once they pulled away from the pump, we got their vehicle description and tag if possible and reported it as theft. And no, saying they forgot didn't remove the charge. They filled their vehicle up and left without paying. It was theft. When caught they almost always offered to pay, but MANY of them were on the books for doing it multiple times. They would offer to pay for the one time hoping no one knew they had gotten away with it many times before.

 

I did that once. Very pregnant, crying baby in the back seat, totally frazzled. When the cops came to our house at 11pm that night, when I was in bed, I was sure I'd paid.

 

Me: "But I KNOW I paid at the pump! I have the receipt here somewhere."

 

Cop, on the phone with the gas station: "She says she paid at the pump." Pause, and then back to me: "They don't have pay at the pump."

 

Me: "Ooohhh."

 

I'd initially thought the gas station had pay-at-the-pump but when I pulled out my debit card, I saw they didn't. I put the card back in my pocket, planning to get the baby out and pay after I'd filled up, filled up the car, and promptly drove off.

 

If pressed, I hope I could have relied on the security camera showing that I'd pulled out my card and looked seriously confused for a minute because I couldn't figure out how to pay. They were nice about it and let DH come and pay for it, but I could see it going the other way.

[ktgrok]

This is what we do. If my kid is starving when we enter the store, I grab food, go pay for it (keep the receipt in my pocket/easily accessible) and let the kid eat while we shop. We've done this a few times to avoid even the appearance of wrongdoing. (or my kid thinking he can take something off the shelf and just start chowing down)

 

PS and we went ALL the way to the back of the store to buy one of those refrigerated "meat, cheese, crackers" things. then ALL the way to the front to pay for it before continuing on to shop.

 

I'm wondering how long this takes? If my baby is screaming, I want to quiet her then, not let her continue to cry or fuss or whatnot for the 10 minutes it would take to get to the front and pay. I can't imagine doing that, I would just leave instead, rather than subject the store to my child fussing/crying. But maybe you don't have such long lines at your grocery stores. Here it takes quite a while to check out.

[JessicaLady]

I don't think that just because she said she'd pay once she was caught, and I DO think she was 'caught' shows her innocence. It seems to me more of a "uh oh, they caught me. How can I make this look better?" kind of situation.

 

The last I checked there wasn't a footnote on stealing that said "if theft is less than $10 it's not theft". There's clarification for misdemeanor and felony but it's all stealing in the end.

[Scarlett]

I did that once. Very pregnant, crying baby in the back seat, totally frazzled. When the cops came to our house at 11pm that night, when I was in bed, I was sure I'd paid.

 

Me: "But I KNOW I paid at the pump! I have the receipt here somewhere."

 

Cop, on the phone with the gas station: "She says she paid at the pump." Pause, and then back to me: "They don't have pay at the pump."

 

Me: "Ooohhh."

 

I'd initially thought the gas station had pay-at-the-pump but when I pulled out my debit card, I saw they didn't. I put the card back in my pocket, planning to get the baby out and pay after I'd filled up, filled up the car, and promptly drove off.

 

If pressed, I hope I could have relied on the security camera showing that I'd pulled out my card and looked seriously confused for a minute because I couldn't figure out how to pay. They were nice about it and let DH come and pay for it, but I could see it going the other way.

 

Oh, wow. See how these things go? Wow.

 

Once I pumped gas and realized I had no checkbook (pre debit/credit card days) I went in and pled my case. The cashier just grinned and winked and sent me home to get my checkbook. This was a RX/gas station type set up and turns out he was the owners son. Years later this son was out of RX school and built a new store...he and I stayed on good terms always.

[Julie Smith]

Oh, wow. See how these things go? Wow.

 

Once I pumped gas and realized I had no checkbook (pre debit/credit card days) I went in and pled my case. The cashier just grinned and winked and sent me home to get my checkbook. This was a RX/gas station type set up and turns out he was the owners son. Years later this son was out of RX school and built a new store...he and I stayed on good terms always.

 

Once on a long trip out of town my Mom stopped at a gas station and realized she forgot her purse. So she left me at the gas station as collateral when she went home for her purse. I was at the station for about 1 hour. :p (I did get fries from the chip truck next door). I did have to assure one person that yes I was sure my Mom was coming back to get me.