to think that things in your supermarket trolley aren't yours until you have paid for them

[jandymaccomesback]

This morning in Tesco we kept passing a womanwith a child in a trolley. We first saw her in fruit and veg, as she peeled a banana and handed it to the child. Next time we saw her the child was eating from a packet of cheese strings. Finally we saw her opening a carton of juice. All of these things came off the shelf. DH was so enraged he wanted to tell the staff, but I persuaded him not to. To me this is wrong, even if you intend to pay,and definitely gives a message to the child that she can help herslf. AIBU?

We pay to park at our supermarket, I pay for one hour and get refunded £1 at the till. So I always get round in an hour or less, including going to the local butcher's or else I'd get a ticket. I couldn't last 2 hours in a supermarket, would lose the will to live before I'd got as far as the milk.

Anyway, why don't we all shop online to save arguing, then we could all agree to drink and munch while we shop.

My absolute rule is stuff that is weighed absolutely always has to be paid for first. Generally I don't give anything until we get to the checkout- a great incentive for the last few aisles. Bur there have been the odd couple if unintentionally long or poorly timed trips where I have taken a box of raisins from a multi pack. I see a new side to it here. Hadn't thought about card malfunction. But maybe a bit of give and take. Has anyone ever broken something in a shop and taken up the offer not to pay? And if something is a non weighed item, you will eventually pay for it.

Family of six, but hate shopping enough to just shoot round and get home before ice cream melts...

erm... I have been known to do this. I remember my mum doing too when I was a kid too although not to the extent you describe. My mum and I get quite shaky and dizzy when we've skipped a meal or our blood sugar drops a little too low. So if I am out shopping and start to feel like this then I have a small bottle of pop just for the sugar rush then pay for it as I'm leaving. However - when I have been hungry too I tend to buy it all first.

Doesn't bother me (work in a supermarket) but the ones who eat and then chuck the wrappers on the shelves or at the end of the till don't seem to give a shit.Then have the audacity to complain about been asked to pay for the item like they are 'common theives'. Well if the cap fits!

Does it really take longer to shop for six than for 4, I thought you'd just go for bigger pack sizes? Sorry if that's ignorant of me.

No of course he doesn't know what is seasonal or have a preference, it is just the first thing he sees. Maybe he will be learning what is seasonal, when he went to get a nectarine the other day it was all plums.

We actually do our big shop online, but before I go to my language class I take ds to the shop to get him a snack and drink for the creche. I also give him a ride in the machine. What the hell difference does it make if we eat it and then pay for it, if the end result is that we always pay for it?

The lady on the checkout always gives him a biscuit too.

I feed DS2 while we do the shopping. Never anything that has to be weighed.

Normal people don't give a stuff, I always have cash in my wallet so no danger of not being able to pay.

I just can't see the problem, so what if he expects to eat when we can to the supermarket? He can so it is a perfectly reasonably expectation for him to have.

The lady on the checkout always gives him a biscuit too.

Bollocks.

So is anyone brave/stupid enough to own up to feeding the little darlings stuff and NOT paying for it? Or is it the magic fairies who deposit the random crisp packs/juice cartons in amongst the custard creams? Cos none of the MN grazers would ever do that would they ?

Why - it may be a small shop???

If so, why on earth wouldn't it be possible to wait until after paying before eating what's been picked up?

Its not bollocks, we live in Switzerland, she does and she says 'en guete' to him for eating his fruit too.

It means 'bon appetit', not sure what the English is, maybe 'tuck in'.

So should I pay for my food first in a restaurant too then.?

Been done several times earlier in the thread, Ruby.

I don't mean to make him wait until I have paid, he knows it has to be weighed so that I can pay. I really don't see the problem. I pay for it.

And she does give him a biscuit and he says 'danke'.

But I don't let him play with the musical books by the checkout and wear out the batteries, because it's not fair on the people who end up buying them.

goodasgold

I'm gracious enough to apologise, so sorry for saying 'Bollocks'.

I took it that you were talking about a normal UK big supermarket trip and implying you got the same cashier every time.

This comes up quite a lot on MNs doesnt it?

I didnt think it was an issue till I joined.

I sometimes pick up a sarnie and a drink as I go in to eat on the way round. I wouldnt do it with something that had to be weighed before paying though.
I am always going to the supermarket without eating - terrible habit - and I am starving half way round and break into a multi pack of frazzles or something.

I never get so much as a batted eyelid at checkout.

Except when I was pregnant I filled a pick and mix with jelly beans and absent mindedly ate the whole lot on the way round
I was mortified when I realised. They were very kind.

So why are you all still arguing then!?

Well we're never all going to agree are we?