I have never done it, I actually never thought about it because I figured it was illegal but who knows, it probably isn't but I won't eat or use something before I pay for it. I bring her snacks sometimes in a Tupperware.
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.
Why is it stretching it? Is it because of the price of the items? In both cases, you're opening and using an item before it's been paid for. The only difference is a CD has not been consumed, whereas the food has.
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.
Why is it stretching it? Is it because of the price of the items? In both cases, you're opening and using an item before it's been paid for. The only difference is a CD has not been consumed, whereas the food has.
Because I feel like a cashier can have a tiny bit of compassion for a parent that has a kid that is going to have a meltdown and can let it go and let you pay the dollar after she's already eaten it. It's not breaking out your Discman, opening the impossible plastic wrapper and jamming out to some tunes in the middle of the store for no reason at all.
I am not saying it is morally right. But I just feel like this thread is unnecessarily judgy when all she did was pay for a Clif bar slightly later than she should have. But now it's you should've brought your own snacks, you could've gotten arrested, the cashier thinks you're a loser, you tried to cheat the system.
ETA: By morally right, I just mean it's probably not the exact thing you are supposed to do. But on the scale of infractions, to ME it doesn't seem as dire as people are making it sound.
Why is it stretching it? Is it because of the price of the items? In both cases, you're opening and using an item before it's been paid for. The only difference is a CD has not been consumed, whereas the food has.
Because I feel like a cashier can have a tiny bit of compassion for a parent that has a kid that is going to have a meltdown and can let it go and let you pay the dollar after she's already eaten it. It's not breaking out your Discman, opening the impossible plastic wrapper and jamming out to some tunes in the middle of the store for no reason at all.
I am not saying it is morally right. But I just feel like this thread is unnecessarily judgy when all she did was pay for a Clif bar slightly later than she should have. But now it's you should've brought your own snacks, you could've gotten arrested, the cashier thinks you're a loser, you tried to cheat the system.
ETA: By morally right, I just mean it's probably not the exact thing you are supposed to do. But on the scale of infractions, to ME it doesn't seem as dire as people are making it sound.
I wasn't trying to be judgmental and I'm sorry if it came across that way. I think it's somewhere in between "there's nothing wrong with it whatsoever" and "it's stealing no matter what."
I brought up the idea that the cashier may not be saying what they're thinking because it seemed like people were using an argument similar to "No one ever told me I couldn't" as a reason why it was okay.
I didn't read the responses so no one flip out but we do this all the time. As long as u pay fornt it shouldn't be a big deal. If we give him a banana irrapea we pay for those than ear, we do this with banana or deli cheese a lot or pretzels.
I'm another who will just pack snacks for G in case he needs something while we are out. I don't necessarily think it's wrong to eat what has not yet been paid for, I just prefer not to do it.
I don't think it's stealing. Sometimes I am thirsty and grab something to drink while I shop then pay for it when I check out. The only time it has caused a problem is when I self-check out and it weighs less than it is supposed to per the computer.
I would be way more freaked out to take a pouch out of my bag! Usually what we do is I go and get her a pouch, then at some point I open a package of cheese sticks and give her one of those. These two things enable me to grocery shop with minimal ear splitting screeches. I would prefer to have her consume the pouch and cheese stick then run them through afterwards, than go through express and feel paranoid the whole time they thought I hadn't paid. Just like @tambcat said
I don't give her a banana to eat because that would be stealing/there wouldn't be a way to accurately pay for it afterward.
I feel absolutely zero worry/shame/remorse and will continue with these practices as they make the most sense to me.
I have done it before with Lydia, and I have even done produce. L used to eat plums at the store. I just asked the cashier to weigh a plum separately twice so it was paid for. I haven't done it much with C but we don't take her to the store that much.
I do bring snacks with, but sometimes that one thing in the cart is the only thing that will make them happy.
I think there was more to the sandwich lady story.
And I agree that this argument has been going around a long time on the bump.
This whole discussion is reminding me of a Chelsea Handler skit from her Girls Behaving Badly days. She randomly takes things out of others carts and starts eating them, claiming "they aren't your until you pay for them", various customer reactions ensue. CH
I don't give the boys bananas because they would choke on them in 2 seconds. They don't understand the concept of small bites. Its inhale everything possible, or throw all the food.
I carry snacks sometimes, but only non messy ones like Mmm mmms. I'm trying to get the boys on a 3 meals a day and one snack routine so I give a binky instead of food. My kids will be 7 tagging along on an errand with a damn binky.
I do go to the local small grocery store almost every evening. The employees know and love the boys. I buy a box of fiddlesticks or those baby rice cakes there practically every day and give some to the boys while I shop. I don't think twice about it. The box/bag stays in my basket. I won't forget to pay for it. I buy the same shit every day...organic milk,a bag of frozen veggies,a box of waffles, a water ( which i open sometimes and sip--gasp!)avocados and bananas. I think they could ring me up before I even get to the front of the line
I don't give the boys bananas because they would choke on them in 2 seconds. They don't understand the concept of small bites. Its inhale everything possible, or throw all the food.
I carry snacks sometimes, but only non messy ones like Mmm mmms. I'm trying to get the boys on a 3 meals a day and one snack routine so I give a binky instead of food. My kids will be 7 tagging along on an errand with a damn binky.
I do go to the local small grocery store almost every evening. The employees know and love the boys. I buy a box of fiddlesticks or those baby rice cakes there practically every day and give some to the boys while I shop. I don't think twice about it. The box/bag stays in my basket. I won't forget to pay for it. I buy the same shit every day...organic milk,a bag of frozen veggies,a box of waffles, a water ( which i open sometimes and sip--gasp!)avocados and bananas. I think they could ring me up before I even get to the front of the line
But but BUT it might slip through the mesh in the basket, never to be seen again! Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr AGAINNNNNNNNNN thief!
I don't give the boys bananas because they would choke on them in 2 seconds. They don't understand the concept of small bites. Its inhale everything possible, or throw all the food.
I carry snacks sometimes, but only non messy ones like Mmm mmms. I'm trying to get the boys on a 3 meals a day and one snack routine so I give a binky instead of food. My kids will be 7 tagging along on an errand with a damn binky.
I do go to the local small grocery store almost every evening. The employees know and love the boys. I buy a box of fiddlesticks or those baby rice cakes there practically every day and give some to the boys while I shop. I don't think twice about it. The box/bag stays in my basket. I won't forget to pay for it. I buy the same shit every day...organic milk,a bag of frozen veggies,a box of waffles, a water ( which i open sometimes and sip--gasp!)avocados and bananas. I think they could ring me up before I even get to the front of the line
But but BUT it might slip through the mesh in the basket, never to be seen again! Neverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr AGAINNNNNNNNNN thief!
What kind of crappy baskets are at the places you shop in? My store's are made of durable slip through resistant plastic.
Yesterday, I didn't grab a basket. I just put everything in my reusable grocery bag. I did think for a second that someone would think I was stealing stuff. But then I realized where I was and that no one who works there would think that. I just took everything out and put it back in after checkout.
Post by monkeybabe on Jul 16, 2013 20:55:19 GMT -5
Often times, when we walk to the store, I put the stuff I'm going to buy in the bottom of my stroller, then I get in line and take all that shit out and pay for it, then put it back in the bottom of the stroller. I wonder how many people think I'm stealing it. The employees at the grocery store see me all.the.time, though.
I'm dumbfounded that this thread is 3 pages long and that people take such issue with it. Like spaghetticat said- this is a mommy war drama and oh so silly. Toddlers are illogical. Despite the snacks, toys, books, and sippy I always have in my purse, the only thing in the world that will make my LO happy is an aminal cracker that she saw me throw in the cart. I'd like to think that the store manager would rather me feed my crazed child than irritate innocent bystanders with her tantrum. The container may be open, but it's IN the cart. I didn't forget. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not ripping the store off. I'm keeping the peace. And like the hippies- I vote for peace, not (mommy) war.
Often times, when we walk to the store, I put the stuff I'm going to buy in the bottom of my stroller, then I get in line and take all that shit out and pay for it, then put it back in the bottom of the stroller. I wonder how many people think I'm stealing it. The employees at the grocery store see me all.the.time, though.
I do the same thing. If Jason is asleep when we get there, it is easier to use the stroller. I see a lot of other people don't as well.
I'm dumbfounded that this thread is 3 pages long and that people take such issue with it. Like spaghetticat said- this is a mommy war drama and oh so silly. Toddlers are illogical. Despite the snacks, toys, books, and sippy I always have in my purse, the only thing in the world that will make my LO happy is an aminal cracker that she saw me throw in the cart. I'd like to think that the store manager would rather me feed my crazed child than irritate innocent bystanders with her tantrum. The container may be open, but it's IN the cart. I didn't forget. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not ripping the store off. I'm keeping the peace. And like the hippies- I vote for peace, not (mommy) war.
Word, sister. I think management would be much happier that my kid isn't bothering other customers and that I'm not wasting the checkout person's time by going through twice (no self or express lanes here). Plus, many of the checkout people in my stores don't speak much English, so I think explaining that I'm paying for item A now but not the other stuff in my cart, which will be paid for once I'm done shopping would cause way too much confusion.
Just read this thread and I'm shocked that this is an issue! It's not stealing if you pay for your item before you leave, which I always do. If you eat at a sit down restaurant are you stealing?? You don't pay the bill until the end. No, of course not. That's just silly!
I let V eat a banana in the market all the time. At the cashier I tell them to weigh one of the bananas twice to account for it. If someone wants to judge us for that, then I kind of have to laugh! I do care what people think of me but not in regards to a topic like this. Not at all!
When I worked as a teacher's aide, we took our kids out in the community for learning experiences. We had one girl who was severely autistic, non-verbal, and tourettes. She LOVED apples. LOVED THEM. When we went to Walmart, the only thing that would get us through thr trip was to get her an apple at the start and let her eat it in the store. We would always bring 2 to the register at the end of the trip (1 to cover the price, and 1 to cover the mess she made since one of her ticks was spitting) We always felt bad about it, but you gotta do what you gotta do. We even talked to the Walmart manager about it and he told us that sometimes you just have to do what's necessary to get through your day.
I have definitely opened bunnies to avoid a meltdown with A, but I try not to make a habit of it.
I have done it w pouches, and drinks for myself. I worked in retail as well and went through the training where they tell you you are not allowed to accuse anyone of shoplifting unless you see them put the item in a purse or something and do not take your eyes off of them at all until they leave the store. If you lose sight of them for even a second you're not allowed to accuse them of anything.
Post by Dorothy Zbornak on Jul 17, 2013 3:25:43 GMT -5
Oh, FFS, then we steal EVERY TIME we go to Aldi, because the kids always get a soft pretzel out of this bakery machine thing there. I ALWAYS take a bag and place it in the cart. When we go to the checkout, I ALWAYS tell the cashier that there was one or two pretzels in the bag. Usually they see my kid(s) still eating said STOLEN pretzel.
I'm dumbfounded that this thread is 3 pages long and that people take such issue with it. Like spaghetticat said- this is a mommy war drama and oh so silly. Toddlers are illogical. Despite the snacks, toys, books, and sippy I always have in my purse, the only thing in the world that will make my LO happy is an aminal cracker that she saw me throw in the cart. I'd like to think that the store manager would rather me feed my crazed child than irritate innocent bystanders with her tantrum. The container may be open, but it's IN the cart. I didn't forget. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not ripping the store off. I'm keeping the peace. And like the hippies- I vote for peace, not (mommy) war.
I cannot believe how ragey this thread is making me. Mommy war is the first thing I thought of, too.
Judge me all you want, ladies. *rips open blouse and swings boobs around*
Post by Dorothy Zbornak on Jul 17, 2013 4:47:39 GMT -5
Oooh! Here's a stealing story for you, though. Here in Germany, we have these machines in every supermarket where you put your empty deposit bottles in. Most drink bottles have some kind of deposit on them, and the amount depends on the material it's made of. Anyway, you shove them in the machine, then when you're done, a little coupon prints out, and you give it to the cashier when you check out. The amount is then subtracted from your total.
Soooo, when my husband was a kid, his mother used to let him (1) drink an entire bottle of whatever in the store while shopping, and then she (2) put the empty bottle in the deposit machine and got the deposit money back.
THAT, my friends, is stealing. Or double stealing, I guess.
Also, the of the word "Discman" here is cracking me up. Does anyone actually use one anymore?
This topic, and the "its stealing" comments really make me snort in derision. Its really one of the most ridiculous mommy wars things I've encountered because it doesn't even make any sense! I just do not get why anyone would give a shit whether my kid sucks down her overpriced pear and pea mush before of after I pay for it.
This topic, and the "its stealing" comments really make me snort in derision. Its really one of the most ridiculous mommy wars things I've encountered because it doesn't even make any sense! I just do not get why anyone would give a shit whether my kid sucks down her overpriced pear and pea mush before of after I pay for it.
If you happen to go to a store where this is frowned upon or forbidden and/or you worry you'll forget one or more of the things your child ate in the last twenty minutes while you shopped, then absolutely you probably SHOULD NOT engage in this practice.
If you happen to go to a store where they couldn't give two shits about it or even encourage this practice, and you are not worried you'll forget what your child ate, then it is obviously fine to do this.