Who's done this?

[katfco]

Jul 16, 2013 17:25:19 GMT -5 AndyCohen said:

Jul 16, 2013 17:17:07 GMT -5 katfco said:

If I was the cashier, I would have demanded to see the book as well. How was he to know you didn't take something more expensive and were just pretending that was the real tag? You can't just walk out of the store with something you haven't paid for.

As for the opening things and eating them before paying, I think it's bad form, especially to do it regularly. It can also run you the risk of forgetting. A couple of years ago there was a couple who was arrested for theft because they forgot the woman had eaten a sandwich while shopping. It happens.

But if I was going to do that, why would I give a tag at all?

Not necessarily. People have a lot of tricks to try to get away with theft and claiming, "Oh, my mom took it out with my daughter" is a plausible enough excuse that someone might accept it without thought. And if someone was caught walking out with it, they could also argue, "Oh, they're paying for it over there; they have the tag."

[biblionerd]

Produce by the lb- yes it's stealing. Prepackaged stuff, no. I'm not a law enforcement person, but I've always thought it was only stealing once you leave the store? So if you forget to pay for it once eaten and leave then you've stolen it. I've worked retail and our LP always stopped people as they were leaving the store to prove theft, not just stopping some random person in the store.

[kkfeb04]

I once saw a woman open a can of coke and eat a bag of potato chips while shopping at BJs. I may have given her the stink eye. I just think it's bad. We always carry snacks for the kids and yes, while pregnant or whatever, I would need a drink or snack, I would pay for those items and get the paid sticker on it then consume because I think that is the proper way of doing it and that whole stores actually prefer you to buy the things before consumption.

[biblionerd]

and I've bought clothes in an emergency, put them on in the dressing room, and took the tags to the cashier. I walked out of the dressing room like a crazy person, practically holding the tags straight out in front of me so it was obvious lol. As an adult, I wouldn't eat food just because. But I would do it in an emergency for the kiddos. Rarely do I leave without a bag full of snacks though.

[devonpow]

Jul 16, 2013 17:07:20 GMT -5 charlielove said:

I think Claire's tendency for snacking during errands trained me well, and I always have a stock pile of snacks in my purse or diaper bag, so I've never had to do this.

This. I always have a crap load of snacks for both kids on me. I know that technically it is fine, but I don't like opening packages, etc in the store prior to paying. I always tell H we need to wait until we pay. 

[heyjojo]

I almost always have snacks on hand, but if I don't I wouldn't think twice to open a pouch and give it to him etc. I don't think it's stealing. Produce by the lb? Yeah, sure. I've opened chips or beverages while shopping and I've never had a cashier give me flack for it, usually they offer to throw away the trash for me.

[heyjojo]

Jul 16, 2013 18:06:50 GMT -5 heyjojo said:

I almost always have snacks on hand, but if I don't I wouldn't think twice to open a pouch and give it to him etc. I don't think it's stealing. Produce by the lb? Yeah, sure. I've opened chips or beverages while shopping and I've never had a cashier give me flack for it, usually they offer to throw away the trash for me.

Eta to clarify that I think eating produce by the lb is stealing

[katfco]

Just because a cashier doesn't say anything doesn't mean they're not thinking it.

What's so hard about taking 5 minutes to go through the express lane?

[monkeybabe]

Jul 16, 2013 18:11:05 GMT -5 katfco said:

Just because a cashier doesn't say anything doesn't mean they're not thinking it.

What's so hard about taking 5 minutes to go through the express lane?

Apparently, not. It just didn't occur to me, but now I've been properly schooled.

[sunshineluv]

I haven't but I would, no guilt either. You have to leave the store for it to stealing. Like if I were shopping and wanted to shove 50 CDs in my purse and walk around, they couldn't do anything to me until I tried to leave the store without paying. If they did, the charges wouldn't stick.

The lady who got arrested for stealing the sandwich left the store, she did say she intended to pay, but she left the store without paying.

[JuliaGulia]

I honestly don't see this as a big deal or stealing. You payed for it so what's the big deal. I have never had to do give her something in the store but I would if it meant she stayed quiet/happy while shopping.

[monkeybabe]

The store I was at did have self check out, but it's the only store of the three I go to that does. So, most of the time, that wouldn't actually be an option, anyways. I'm just going to make sure I have snacks with me at all times, now.

[bebeetmoi]

I do this all the time.

[SteelCity44]

I've done it, and am mortified every time. Actually, no. MH has done it when I'm with him. The first time, I was "responsible" and brought snacks. So I offered fussy McGee everything in my freaking purse, but when he saw that we were buying his ohmygoodness favorite snack, freeze dried fruit, he had a complete breakdown. The Walmart we were at has lines that are 4 miles long with no express lane. So MH opened them up, and kept the kid quiet. He ate the entire 5 serving bag while we shopped. I was terrified of getting yelled at.

I hoped that was a one and done situation, but then MH did it again at a different Walmart, and then once again at Giant Eagle that does have self scanners. I yelled at him for that, because Micah wasn't in meltdown form. I don't like to do it, and I wouldn't do produce. Though, I have considered getting a deli sample, and we should get a cookie card from Giant Eagle. That might make life easier.

[The Foozzler]

Jul 16, 2013 17:13:02 GMT -5 mala said:

It's stealing because at the time that LO is eating the product, it still belongs to the store. What if you loose the wrapper? What if you forget? What if a salesperson sees you and demands to see a receipt? The ownership of an item is not transferred until the point of sale. Your intention doesn't matter, you do not own the item, therefore it is stealing. Any store will have a case to prosecute you for shoplifting if they choose. Most stores won't bring charges for this, but it is still stealing.

I really don't think this is true. I worked at a grocery store for a long time and I was a front end manager. We were trained that it is not shoplifting until you pass the point of sale and leave the store without paying. Even if we saw someone steal something, we had to wait until they left the store to stop them. In those cases, I would position someone at the door to stop them, and if need be, have the police on call waiting if it was a big enough deal.

[katfco]

Jul 16, 2013 18:16:05 GMT -5 sunshineluv said:

I haven't but I would, no guilt either. You have to leave the store for it to stealing. Like if I were shopping and wanted to shove 50 CDs in my purse and walk around, they couldn't do anything to me until I tried to leave the store without paying. If they did, the charges wouldn't stick.

The lady who got arrested for stealing the sandwich left the store, she did say she intended to pay, but she left the store without paying.

To follow this metaphor, what if you opened a CD and started listening to it in the store? Would you side eye someone who just opened it in the middle of the aisle and stuck it in a CD player? Wouldn't you think just a little, "I wonder if I'm witnessing a shoplifter?"

To be honest, I'm not sure if it's legally stealing or not. I just think it's bad form.

[fusion]

I still will continue to do this, I don't consider it stealing, and I honestly don't care what anyone at a grocery store thinks of me. Plus since it is 99% pouches, I would worry that they WOULD think I was stealing if I whipped one from home out of my purse and gave it to them in the store. Any other homemade snack would make a huge mess and then the store employees really would have reason to side eye me as I left a cart full of crumbs and slobber for someone to clean up.

[meggabs]

Def not stealing.

[Beener]

I've done this with pouches and just recently, did it with grapes. When I went to the cashier, I told her to add a few ounces to the grapes since I was letting her eat them while I shopped. She looked at me like I was crazy and said, "it is so big deal!"

[monkeybabe]

Jul 16, 2013 18:46:06 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Some stores don't even HAVE express lanes!

I don't know why I changed express to self check out in my head, lol. The express lanes at my Fred Meyer (Kroger) are rarely open except during busy hours and 2:30 isn't particularly busy. I could have used self checkout, which would have been faster, though. My grocery stores that don't have self check out also don't have express lanes. Darn.

[charlielove]

I always put goldfish or Cheerios in a snack cup or baggie, so I doubt anyone thinks I'm stealing anything.

[thedahliharpa]

Jul 16, 2013 17:15:55 GMT -5 @starbound said:

Jul 16, 2013 17:07:20 GMT -5 charlielove said:

I think Claire's tendency for snacking during errands trained me well, and I always have a stock pile of snacks in my purse or diaper bag, so I've never had to do this.

Me too. I always have snacks when we go out.

I don't think it's stealing, but I think it's kind of bad manners do this. Some of my friends do it and I don't like it, personally.

I also want to teach my kids that you don't open something until you pay for it.  I feel this is an important thing for kids, esp. as my DS1 is 4 now.

Pretty much this but desperate times desperate measures and all that. 

On our big shopping trip each week a snack is built in with a sample of turkey from the deli, but we always purchase the turkey. They just hand you a piece to confirm the thickness before they slice your order.

[monkeybabe]

Can someone recommend a good snack catcher thing? I got one a long time ago, a munchkin one, and the first time we took it out with us, Zoe chucked it, the lid popped off, and there were puffs and yogurt melts all over the floor at the bagel joint. It sucked. I wish Zoe didn't have a tendency to throw her snacks on the floor, but if I bought her some bunnies, and saved those for going out, she'd probably happily eat them.

[unclejesse]

I'm just not comfortable with it. I know many do it. What if you honestly forget and they stop you on your way out? I say just avoid it by bringing your own snacks if your kid gets THAT hungry while you are out.

[browneyedhunni85]

I'm not comfortable with eating in the grocery store. I mentioned the other day at work that C makes a noise whenever I put fruit in the cart. He will have to wait until he is at home to eat fruit. A coworker said she gives her kid a banana sometimes and laughed it off like I was the one being crazy. Um, that's stealing because it's paid for by weight. I don't want C to think he gets a snack every time we are at the store. We weren't allowed to do it as child. If I saw someone eating in the grocery store I would assume they weren't intending to pay for it. I know someone who said their grandma use to let them eat a package of food each shopping trip and hide the wrapper. Not cool.

[DesertMoon]

I have never done it because I bring my own snacks, I would let him eat stuff while I'm in check out, but I'd' be afraid someone would approach me. In the store and be all he bitch your stealing those cookies!

[browneyedhunni85]

Jul 16, 2013 19:06:10 GMT -5 DesertMoon said:

I have never done it because I bring my own snacks, I would let him eat stuff while I'm in check out, but I'd' be afraid someone would approach me. In the store and be all he bitch your stealing those cookies!

I can just picture this happening and you getting all, "Ohhh no you didn't. Hold up, J hold mommas purse."

[DesertMoon]

Jul 16, 2013 19:12:43 GMT -5 browneyedhunni85 said:

Jul 16, 2013 19:06:10 GMT -5 DesertMoon said:

I have never done it because I bring my own snacks, I would let him eat stuff while I'm in check out, but I'd' be afraid someone would approach me. In the store and be all he bitch your stealing those cookies!

I can just picture this happening and you getting all, "Ohhh no you didn't. Hold up, J hold mommas purse."

I hate when I have to take off my hoop earrings and shoes to get gangster in the supermarket.

[spaghetticat]

Jul 16, 2013 18:56:50 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 16, 2013 18:55:09 GMT -5 unclejesse said:

I'm just not comfortable with it. I know many do it. What if you honestly forget and they stop you on your way out? I say just avoid it by bringing your own snacks if your kid gets THAT hungry while you are out.

I put the empty package in my cart, so I'm about as likely to forget to pay for it as I am for anything else. It's pretty simple, really.

All of this. I get it if you think it's tacky and don't want to do it but geez. If a cashier attacks you over a $1.25 pouch, I am almost positive that they would get in trouble. My bil works in retail and he said it is SO hard to actually prosecute someone for shoplifting and that's if they are actually stealing and it's for big ticket items.

I think comparing it to listening to a CD in the store is really stretching it.

[livinreality]

Jul 16, 2013 19:03:32 GMT -5 browneyedhunni85 said:

I'm not comfortable with eating in the grocery store. I mentioned the other day at work that C makes a noise whenever I put fruit in the cart. He will have to wait until he is at home to eat fruit. A coworker said she gives her kid a banana sometimes and laughed it off like I was the one being crazy. Um, that's stealing because it's paid for by weight. I don't want C to think he gets a snack every time we are at the store. We weren't allowed to do it as child. If I saw someone eating in the grocery store I would assume they weren't intending to pay for it. I know someone who said their grandma use to let them eat a package of food each shopping trip and hide the wrapper. Not cool.

This we just don't eat at the grocery store.  IF the boys are good they can pick a fruit/treat to eat in the car while I load groceries or at home (instead of candy).  Buying pouches is rough and DS does think he should have one.  

I would honestly be worried I would forget to pay, things get crazy at check out. But I don't judge anyone for doing differently... I am just glad we all have fridges with food.