Does it bother you when people eat food in their carts before it's paid for?
By 66jerseygirl
@66jerseygirl (3877)
United States
April 15, 2007 10:05pm CST
I really hate going to the grocery store and seeing people eating grapes or opening up packages of food to chomp on. That food isn't the customers til it's paid for and actually it is stealing. What I hate even more is when I see someone eating something then put the rest back.I mainly see this in the produce section section with the smaller fruit like grapes or cherries,etc. I do not put up with that and have told people off about it. That is so unsanitary .
16 people like this
35 responses
@kodie420 (872)
• Canada
16 Apr 07
Although I have seen people do this I have never nor would I ever do that myself but it really doesnt bother me unless like you said they put it back then Id say something. I think its kind of pathetic that people cant wait or choose not to, wait to eat until they have paid for it or gotten it home. Also for the being unsanitary I highly agree and people should refrain from this kind of behaviour when shopping in public food places.
3 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
I am glad you agree. It's pretty disgusting eating something then putting it back.I don't know what goes through people's heads nowadays
1 person likes this
@Indiffer (287)
• Norway
16 Apr 07
Dear my!
I must say i have seldom experienced it. A few times i have come across mother who give their child a bun to keep them occupied while shopping (children in the stroller age, baby until maybe three years old.) I see nothing wrong in that actually. But grown ups eating of something then putting it back - that sounds disgusting!
Its good you tell them. I will do too if i ever see it.
3 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
It is digusting.You never know what kind of sickness these people have.
2 people like this
@ColonelConclusive (316)
• United States
16 Apr 07
Actually, I'm guilty of this. I totally take my time in the store, carefully perusing each aisle for whatever my tastebuds fancy at that particular moment. I guess I can understand people's frustration with this...only if they don't pay for it. I usually munch on some pretzels or raisinets while drinking a gatorade or chocolate milk (nope, you're never too old to drink chocolate milk). I, however, always pay for whatever I eat during the trip, even if I kill it off before I finish shopping.
I've never had anybody question me on it, not fellow customers and not store employees; so, I never really considered it wrong. But, I will tell you this, if I'm confronted by a fellow shopper while engaging in this act, I probably wouldn't be able to hold my tongue, and I'd tell them to worry about what's in their cart and put into their mouth, not mine. If questioned by an employee, I'd simply assure them the items will be paid for.
2 people like this
@ColonelConclusive (316)
• United States
16 Apr 07
Wow, a girl that young said that to you? It's crazy how innocence dissolves so quickly for young children these days. I wouldn't have let her get away with that because then she would have thought it was ok to treat everybody like that. I'm not sure how I would have handled that, although like I said, I'm quite sure I wouldn't be able to let it go. My gatorade or chocolate milk may have ended up over the child's head, which of course would have been followed with a tongue out or devilish smile, coupled with a comment such as, "Who's f##ked now?"
3 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
well, at least I had my laugh for the day.I can't get the image of that little girl drenched in milk out of my head.I hear little kids her age using vulgar language all the time. No,I did take it either. She got told . I haven't been able to buy cookies from the bakery section since.I keep thinking of her wiping her nose with her hand then picking through the cookies. yuck!
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
I may not like it when soemone eats before it's paid but the biggest issue I have is for people who open a package or eat fruit then move on. The last time I saw this was right before christmas.I was heading for deli and saw a little girl about 6 or 7 wiping her nose with her hand then she poked a hole in the cooki tray and took out a cookie and started eating it. When I told her she could get other poeple sick,she told me to f##k off so I went and told the woman in the bakery.Hopefully she had enough sense to remove that tray so other people wouldn't get her germs.of course her parents were no where around when this happened
2 people like this
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
16 Apr 07
I don't think it is honest or right to do that. But then, you know that most people are not honest, right? Not much we can do, except say something to them or turn them in. I gave you a + rating again, fine post dear.
3 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
Thank you for the + rating.Oh, i wanted to congratulate you on reaching 15,000! Good going!
2 people like this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
18 Apr 07
ok..putting it back???? Gross.
I have been guilty of opening a box of vanilla wafers and giving them to my children when they were little. I always paid for the entire box. I've always gotten a soda from the cooler and gotten a drink while I was waiting in line. I pay for this as well.
I've never eaten grapes or cherries, since these are paid for by the pound.
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
Putting it back is gross. One of my responders reminded me of the loose candy display. i see people snatching from that all the time.
1 person likes this
@carpenter5 (6782)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I remember when I was a little girl, I never could understand why my mom wouldn't let me eat just one piece of that bulk candy, even though we were purchasing a bag of it. I got to put a scoop of whatever I wanted into the bag, and then she would weigh it. I always thought that once she weighed it, we could eat it.
@Aliciay (72)
• United States
16 Apr 07
It doesn't bother me so much as gross me out. I don't even think of putting any produce in my mouth until I get home and wash it and then think of all the germs and other crap on your hands from everything you have touched during your shopping. belck.
@chertsy (3798)
• United States
17 Apr 07
I agree, so many hands touch the produce a day. Don't forget the chemicals that could still be on it. One time I was at the grocery store, they where doing some remodeling and the dust from the ceiling kept falling down all over the fruits and veggies. My husband is a cook and he always soaks his produce in water with a teaspoon of salt, he says it kills anything that's been left on them. Then washes them again before using them. Mostly all the fruits I buy are apples, oranges, bannanas. The fruits you have to peel before you eat them. Yes, I peel the apples for my kids. I will wash them, then peel and wash again. Same goes for the other fruits as well. Every once in awhile I will buy grapes when they are on sale. Then they are washed really good, then put in a container of there own. Just the thought of someone putting a grape in there mouth at a store, eww. They basically ate whatever was on other peoples hands that touched those grapes. It's just so disgusting.
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Yes,it is gross. Thanks chertzy for the 411 on the water and salt.I will be sure to try it
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
17 Apr 07
yes, of course it does bother me a lot... especially when people just eat half of the stuffs and leave the rest... and you are right... it is so unhygienic and it is called stealing... unfortunately, i never told anyone off before for doing that... i only stare at those people in disgust... i usually just mind my own business and carry on with my shopping... but i never done those things myself before...
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I could never do those things either. My mom caught me once when I was little and when she got done with me,I never did it again!Not only did my butt get warmed but she took me back and had me aologize to the manager.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
16 Apr 07
I've opened a packaged food or drink while walking through the grocery store numerous times...I always pay for it though...now if i tried to walk out without paying for it then I'd consider it stealing but otherwise I dont...and on many occasions an employee will see me do it and not say anything....of course I dont look shadey and its obvious I'm doin my shopping so they must not figure its a big deal...plus I'm a regular customer
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
At least y ou pay for it .Thereare people that will eat something then put it back without paying.I do consider it stealing .
2 people like this
@cjthedog64 (1552)
• United States
17 Apr 07
I certainly wouldn't do it with something that was paid for by the weight, because then it would weigh less. But I've had the need to open a bottle of pop because of coughing while I was in line. I just give the cashier the half full bottle. Once at Christmastime, I had to wait in a huge line at the store with DS (1) and opened a package of little applesauce cups because he was so hungry. But definately not that fruit!
What I hate is seeing someone pick something up and munch on it as they walk around the store (like a box of cookies) and then put the half empty box on a shelf and leave. That's definatley wrong!
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
It sure is wrong and it helps push the price the honest ones have to pay which irks me even more
@elisa812 (3026)
• United States
19 Apr 07
Ick! Well, fortunately I haven't really seen people do that at the grocery where we shop, although that doesn't mean that it never happens there just cause I don't see it! I was actually shocked when I read your post cause I didn't know that people actually did stuff like that! lol Wow, I can only imagine what kind of trouble I would have been in if I had done that when I was little. Heck, my mom would probably still yell at me if she saw me doing something like that now that I'm an adult! haha
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Ick is right lol! It doesn't happen everytime i go to the store but it does happen. One of the members in the beginning of this discussions says she notices it a lot with oreo cookies. I don't know what makes some people tick
@vokey9472 (1486)
• United States
16 Apr 07
Oh, grazers (that is what we called them when I worked at a grocery store) really make me mad. Most grazers eat fruit that is sold by the pound so if they grab two pounds of grapes but eat 1 pound before checking out, they only pay for 1 pound and have stolen 1 pound, but the grazers dont see it that way. They think if they pay for the bag, then it was ok.
The worst is when you go shopping and you see the last package of something you were looking for, in this case dinosaur fruit snacks for my son's lunches, and you pick up the box and it is open and half empty. You would think that it was kids, but I have actually seen (and reported) the parents open the box, take out the treat, hand it to their child and then put the box back on the shelf. In the old days, managers didn't allow that type of stuff to happen and you got in trouble for shoplifting. Today, the managers just say oh well, write it off as loss and raist the price for everyone else.
2 people like this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
We used to call them pickers. I know it's not just kids -adults are just as bad .REal nice thing to be teaching their kids. I have seen opened boxes of cereal ,cookies,candy ,you name it.I have seen people sneaking cherries,grapes,etc. I dont' have as big a problem with pickers if they are gonna pay for it but it really annoys me to know end when they sneak the food and don't pay.
1 person likes this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
16 Apr 07
Haha... they must be really hungry. I do that sometimes but only for drinks that are already "opened". Like if I feel the drink from a dispenser and it is uncapped, I might probably sip it on the way. But even if I have drunk half a cup, I will still pay the full price. :P
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
16 Apr 07
yes.locust children.
i have seen them do this in the store,and the parents see it and do nothing.
if i ever tried that,my dad would have warmed my butt for me.it probably would have been the last time i went to the store,also.
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
16 Apr 07
I go tmy butt warmed real good when I was little for taking a piece of gum and chomping on it before I paid for it. Never did it again,lol! That's probably why I get so irked when I see it happen. I get mad the most when I see someone eating something then leaving the rest.that is really unsanitary
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
16 Apr 07
it always seems to be oreo cookies too.
there's always several half eaten ones at the store.
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I guess they don't have any shame.Not only is steatling but they are passing their germs onto others
@kgwat70 (13388)
• United States
17 Apr 07
It would bother me very much if they started eating the items in their cart and then put them back on the shelf. I think that is terrible and disgusting. As long as they pay for the item, it does not bother me too much. They should not be eating the items til they have paid for it, though I know the temptation may be difficult. :-) I have not seen too many people doing this where I live.
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I am glad you haven't had to see it too often.Really makes my blood boil to see empty containers or packages with contests partially gone.One of my responders says she sees it alot with oreo cookies.
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I know what you mean. I know if other customers can see it,the store must know but yet it doesn't do anything.Just ups the price to make up for all the thefts
@gemini1960 (1161)
• Philippines
17 Apr 07
as far as i know that was against the rules of the groceries store owner..yes it is true very unsanitary and agains the rules..let the checkers do their thing about it..try telling one of course..or maybe try writing one in the suggestion box.
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
18 Apr 07
wish more grocery stores would have suggestion boxes. they would certainly be hearing from me about this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
17 Apr 07
I know what you mean. When I came to Canada it was one of the first things that caught my attention and surprised me to no end.
How could people - as I saw - just stay there opening bags and eating this and that and worse yet, many times putting the rest back on the shelf, or just throwing bags or containers out.
It doesn't make sense to me and I've never seen that before anywhere else.
Now although I understand something does not belong to the person until it's paid, I don't have a problem with a person that opens something, eats it, and keeps the package to take to the cashier with the rest of the purchases.
I've done that before myself. Sometimes it takes quite a while to finish all the shopping and I've found myself in the middle of the supermarket with half shopping done and a huge headache because I didn't eat. At those times sometimes I get a yop yogurt, drink it and take the bottle to pay for it with the rest of the groceries.
@dream2night (624)
• Latvia
19 Apr 07
I don't blame them. If shopping takes long time, or there is no time or person is thursty. It is better than eat while driving. But I don't think someone have to take fruits and other things unpacked - that would be stealing...
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Yes,it would and i'm glad you agree. It's not fair to us honest ones either as we have to end up paying for it
@Lady_Justice (969)
• United States
19 Apr 07
I have actually asked a store employee if it would be all right to open a package because I needed to eat something immediately since I'm hypoglycemic. I've even opened stuff without permission, if I needed to elevate my blood sugar, but never something like grapes or anything that is sold by weight. Plus, I always purchase whatever I might have opened. Doing it just to do it or not paying for it, I agree is wrong.
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
19 Apr 07
Thank you,LJ.I don't know how people can even think abuot not paying for something they ate. They are dishonest yet us honest ones are the ones that have to pay for it
