Be honest, zero judgment - how often do you steal from supermarket self-checkouts?

[Alwaysthelastone]

My theory is, “decent, up-standing” people do it a lot more than they’d ever admit. Let’s try to stop this thread descending into judgement and criticism of people who are just answering the question honestly. Otherwise they just won’t be honest. No judgement from me, as long as we’re talking large chain supermarkets only. I’ll admit that I sometimes forget to weigh fruit & veg, get to the till and can’t be bothered going back so don’t bother paying. Occasionally in the past when money’s been tight I haven’t paid for a few of the more expensive items like laundry detergent, nappies, the odd bottle of wine. But we’re talking 3 or 4 times I year. I’m not some sort of serial shoplifter and I consider myself a decent person (although I’m sure I’ll swiftly be told I’m not on here 🤣) anyway, would be interested to hear how often the mostly upstanding, middle-class MN population really does it…

But you are one of the wrong uns.

I assume it somehow makes you feel better to categorise honest people as "pearl clutchers", but I’m intrigued: do you teach your children stealing is wrong? If you discovered they had "sneaked out" a chocolate bar from a shop without paying, would you let them keep it? If so, does it not worry you that you are bringing them up to think stealing is fine? And if not, why not, when you do it yourself so presumably think there’s no problem with stealing?

I don't, but one of my daughters takes the bags for free to put her shopping in, because she thinks it's ridiculous to have to pay for a bag to leave the shop. I've told her to pay for them, and I pay for them when I'm doing the shop. She is young and has more of an elastic morality. Never ever stolen an item myself, although I do occasionally use work printer paper to print something not work related, probably 20 pages a year!

Stealing from shops must happen all the time, though, so it is a mystery who these people are!

Never. I would feel like scum if I did (quite rightly so) so it wouldn't be worth it.

I once took a punnet of strawberries without paying and only realised when I got to the car. I was so annoyed at myself because I was in a hurry, but I went back, fuming all the way, to pay for it.

I've only read the first 12 pages😯but have seen a few where people are asking how you'd steal wine as you have to be ID'd? Surely if you didn't scan it then it wouldn't trigger staff to ask for ID?

I don't get how you can steal at self scan, unless you put stuff straight into your bag instead of on the weigh platform, but then surely the camera would see this? Not that I'm looking for tips, just don't understand how OP has done this (physically or morally!)

Honestly I don’t understand either but one woman did verbatim tell me it was for the thrill. I was a student at the time and I remember thinking “damn you should try doing drugs or something that way it’s not my problem” 😂. She was very apologetic and nice but she had lifted quiet a lot.

I really do not feel bad about stealing a banana. Not even the tiniest bit. In fact the stolen bananas always taste way better than the paid for ones! I actually suspected the thread would go like this (from what I’ve seen in the first few pages, haven’t had time to look at the following 20!) - it very much reflects the kind of place I think MN is -full of self-righteous, pearl clutchers who think in black and white. Never steal = good person, steal something even once and your fate is sealed as a bad person forevermore. No grey area, no nuance. Tbf I didn’t think this many people would say it would never even occur to them. But then, those are the ones who are going to comment and the people that do steal occasionally are clearly not going to admit it, despite me trying to make a judgement-free thread. They know how brutal MN can be and probably don’t want to get attacked. They exist though, it literally happens all the time. So the answers on this thread are really not a reflection of the reality

Never have.

I agree

But you keep doing it so how is it a grey area? It's very clear that you're a thief and a bit on the lax side with your standards. I can't believe it doesn't translate to other things and you're full of integrity otherwise.

Well that is the first time I’ve seen “Pearl clutching” as a description for people who disagree with stealing.

Twice. Both times by accident. First time was about 12 years ago and I had twin babies, and I hung a small coat on the handle of my trolley. Went through the checkout (normal not self serve) and didn’t notice until loading stuff into the car I hadnt out it through the checkout. Couldn’t be bothered going back in. Felt awful for ages though
other time was last year when dd wanted an expensive Easter egg which she was going to pay for herself. I was doing scan as you shop, so didn’t scan it (as she was paying for it) but then we forgot when going through the scan as you shop till. Didn’t notice until we were home. DD was shocked and mortified for days.
I have never deliberately not scanned stuff or put something through as cheaper item

Honestly never, it didn't occur to me that most people do

I pop over to reddit occasionally and while it's not something I do myself, I still agree it's far more common than this thread suggests, I'd be interested in the comparison if you do ask it on there!

I live well below the line and I use food banks. Im not middle class either. The issue is is that it's a criminal offence. Would you be as happy nicking a bottle of wine if you ended up under arrest?

Never. Not sure this post has gone the way you were expecting. Oh and you are welcome for the contribution towards your shopping that I and other responders to your post make.

Honestly, never.

I also think Mumsnet is an especially pearl clutchingly, moral righteous shouting part of the internet. If this question was asked on Reddit, I can guarantee the answers would be different

Oh look, someone didn't get the 'yeah, we all do it, fuck those multinationals and their profits, stick it to them, OP, you're such a free spirit showing capitalism where to get off' replies she was hoping for and has now resorted to insults.

I'd prefer to be called morally righteous than a thief, thanks. You want validation, off you pop to Reddit.

Yes, I can see that is the way you’d like to think, to comfort yourself. Abusing people because they are honest must make you feel better. (Though of course your "black/white" rant is ridiculous because you haven’t only stolen something once.)

Presumably you also bring your kids up to think that a chocolate bar they’ve stolen from a supermarket tastes better than one they’ve paid for. What wonderful members of society you and your family must be.

I genuinely don’t see the difference between you stealing a banana from a supermarket and me coming into your house and stealing something of yours. The supermarket have bought the banana and are inviting you in to buy it from them. There’s no cheeky win from stealing.

Ahhhh, the nuance of stealing.

Isn't MN awful for not stealing more.
Bloody do gooders, paying for stuff they use.
The People of the Real World wouldn't stand for this.
They steal all the time.

<sarcasm>

If you try and steal from a self service checkout -in Tesco your trolley wheel locks if you leave the area without paying for something. In Morrisons you don't get out of the self checkout area unless you pay and in Lidl you have to scan your receipt

Never.
I remeber once or twice my toddler putting something at the bottom of the buggy and i'd found out at home that we didnt pay for it. Didnt run back to pay and apologise.

But doing it deliberately. No. Its stealing. Wouldn't occur to me to do so.
If you do it deliberately and repeatedly, then you are a serial shoplifter.

Never stolen anything in my life!

Not stolen in self-checkout, but have given my toddler a banana to eat to calm him down around the banana isle (goes mad for them) and not paid for it... If that counts!

Never.
Decent people dont steal.
I also dont dodge paying fares on tbe bus/train, because that is also stealing.