Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Wtaf, there was someone walking around Sainsbury’s smoking a joint!

194 replies

goldfishbowl2025 · 29/07/2025 22:34

This is in a very naice area!! Literally this fella doing his shopping smoking a bloody joint, stinking the store out!! Skeleton staff.

i really wanted to say something but had the feeling he’d tell me to fuck off.

Does this happen in other areas?! Or this a first (am I being naive here?!).

I’ve seen plenty of grab and run shop lifters who literally take the train in - shop lift- then run back on to a train - it’s very close!

OP posts:
Original poster
goldfishbowl2025 · 30/07/2025 13:08

There is sometimes one security guard pottering about - I don’t know why they don’t have someone full time tbh. He is deffo not full time.

OP posts:
Original poster
goldfishbowl2025 · 30/07/2025 13:06

Can I say this isn’t a thread about smoking cannabis. If potheads out there want to smoke they can, it’s the fact this fella was smoking a joint walking around the supermarket.

In hindsight yes I should have told a member of staff. If he wasn’t on the way to till maybe I would have done, but I could see he was heading in that direction, I did look back and he’d gone otherwise I think yes I would have said something.

OP posts:
Velmy · 30/07/2025 13:01

goldfishbowl2025 · 29/07/2025 22:59

Well cos he looked suspiciously calm, I’m not fussed about people smoking joints! I used to live in NYC, but one of reasons I moved is I hate the smell of weed! So I was pretty shocked to see a fairly middle class looking male in a naice area smoking a joint, he looked sinister as he looked a bit dangerous!

it is not everyday normal @Needmorelego
fo be walking around a supermarket smoking a joint in England!!

Looking suspiciously calm is one of the key benefits of smoking weed to be fair.

Can't imagine what it must be like in Aldi these days, I expect they're doing meth in the middle isle.

This is why I stick to Waitrose for my big shop; worst you'll see in there is someone coming out of the loo with a bit of Peruvian flake around their nostrils, or the occasional bit of heroin.

HelpMeGetThrough · 30/07/2025 12:56

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 30/07/2025 12:43

Who does coke in Sainsbury's?

Show quote history

You never know these days.

Alondra · 30/07/2025 12:44

Smoking cannabis has always happened in Europe. In Spain, you could smoke a joint in front of a police station 40 years ago without a problem, In the Netherlands I was offered a joint in a train station without asking almost 30 years ago.

I understand the concern about smoking it inside a supermarket. It's not on, independently if it's a joint or a cigarette. Smoking inside a public space like a supermarket should have the security guards on you almost instantaneously, The problem is few supermarkets in the UK have security guards, and if they do, they do nothing about it.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 30/07/2025 12:43

suburberphobe · 29/07/2025 23:06

Oh do clutch your pearls love....

A joint?

Better than sniffing lines of coke.... 🙄

Inside, I agree though.

Who does coke in Sainsbury's?

the80sweregreat · 30/07/2025 12:30

No, I didn’t mean staff! I know it reads that way.
I Was making a point that by the time any police turned up they would be long gone etc.

StMarie4me · 30/07/2025 12:25

the80sweregreat · 30/07/2025 12:18

Our ‘ local ‘ Sainsbury’s is often targeted by shop lifters too. They are pretty blatant and can get out faster from the smaller stores. Absolute menace. I do feel sorry for retail staff and managers, it is just seen as ‘low level crime’ and they know they can get away with it as nobody to really police anything

How would you want them to police it, if staff were available? Tackle them? Risk their life?

in the Ops case I would have told a Manager so they could call the police, but they’ve been so defunded that no one would come. But I wouldn’t expect staff to do it.

Alondra · 30/07/2025 12:24

goldfishbowl2025 · 29/07/2025 23:17

I’m bizarrely very intuitive… normal looking people can look sinister - there are people who have a calm look to their face but inside you can see they are angry

Show quote history

You are beyond intuitive, you have a magical crystal bowl.

StMarie4me · 30/07/2025 12:22

Actually illegal to smoke indoors at all. I would have told staff.

robinibor · 30/07/2025 12:21

People are smoking cannabis everywhere now. I can't believe how prolific it has become. I am not a pearl clutcher I was a young adult in the 90s and people smoked pot but it was done behind closed doors or a park far away from other people. I hated it then and I do now.

Cannabis farms are everywhere. A disused bank down the road was just uncovered to house a massive cannabis farm and a house a couple of streets away burned to the ground another cannabis farm. Yes our country is pretty lawless atm.

the80sweregreat · 30/07/2025 12:18

Our ‘ local ‘ Sainsbury’s is often targeted by shop lifters too. They are pretty blatant and can get out faster from the smaller stores. Absolute menace. I do feel sorry for retail staff and managers, it is just seen as ‘low level crime’ and they know they can get away with it as nobody to really police anything

SerendipityJane · 30/07/2025 12:13

the80sweregreat · 30/07/2025 12:10

Are the dogs allowed inside guide dogs?
.. we have a small cafe near us that allows dogs of all kinds inside , but I’ve never seen any in a store or supermarket before.

To be fair, at our local Sainsburys, I haven't seen any non guide dogs. But then they'd be run over by kids on scooters or bikes.

JMSA · 30/07/2025 12:13

Scumbag.

the80sweregreat · 30/07/2025 12:10

Are the dogs allowed inside guide dogs?
.. we have a small cafe near us that allows dogs of all kinds inside , but I’ve never seen any in a store or supermarket before.

SerendipityJane · 30/07/2025 12:04

CalzoneOnLegs · 30/07/2025 11:45

our local sainsburys allows dogs in so I dont think they take hygiene seriously

You mean you weren't alerted by all the uncovered baked goods ?

SerendipityJane · 30/07/2025 12:04

Needmorelego · 30/07/2025 11:44

Round my way it would probably be a dog smoking a spliff.....

Show quote history

Now that is a poster waiting to be monetised. Forget dogs playing cards ...

CalzoneOnLegs · 30/07/2025 11:45

our local sainsburys allows dogs in so I dont think they take hygiene seriously

Needmorelego · 30/07/2025 11:44

SerendipityJane · 30/07/2025 11:21

All I could think when I saw the title was at least it wasn't a dog ...

Round my way it would probably be a dog smoking a spliff.....

SerendipityJane · 30/07/2025 11:21

All I could think when I saw the title was at least it wasn't a dog ...

captureitrememberit · 30/07/2025 11:09

I think you did the right thing ignoring it OP. You never know what could happen with people these days, and I wouldn’t expect the minimum wage staff to deal with it either.

Spaglasagneaise · 30/07/2025 10:38

Im not a fan, but i probably would have continued with my shopping as normal. It is their life if they want to get caught, and unlikely apprehended.

Justchilling07 · 30/07/2025 10:32

Shittyhouse · 30/07/2025 09:35

Do Sainsbury’s staff get paid to tell people to stop smoking in the shop?
If you think it's dangerous for you to say something, why isn't it dangerous for them?
I thought they were paid to do a different job.

By the way, years ago I worked at Sainsbury’s, and some teenagers were throwing tomatoes at each other. Stupidly, I told them off.
Guess who got in trouble? Me — for saying something. As punishment, I had to clean the floor in case someone slipped.
Fuck it.
It’s not safe for staff to deal with idiots like that.

As ‘punishment’ you had to clean the floor.Isn’t that just health and safety, someone would have needed to clean the floor.Sounds like you just wanted to do the bare minimum.

Needmorelego · 30/07/2025 10:26

Lincslady53 · 30/07/2025 07:28

Do not be taken in by the propaganda. Cannabis is a very dangerous drug that ruins lives of the users and their families. It wrecks the mental heath of thousands of people, causes severe long term psychosis, which can lead to random violence. The Nottingam attacker was a heavy user, and many other of these type of attacks have been carried out by cannabis abusers. We are being programmed ti believe it is normal and safe, when we should be doing all we can to protect our families from it.

Show quote history

I agree it's dangerous. As are regular cigarettes, vapes and alcohol - all of which ironically are sold in Sainsbury's.

RowanRed90 · 30/07/2025 10:22

ButteredRadish · 30/07/2025 10:10

I don’t see what it being a “naice area” has to do with it?!?!
Also, why on earth did you not tell a member of staff?!

"I don’t see what it being a “naice area” has to do with it?!?!"

You don't? I don't believe you