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?

incognito my apologies, I didn't think of that. I don't use credit (apart from the aforementioned electricity bill, phone bill, etc).

Maisie - you're laughing AT me? I didn't realise that before. I thought you had found my remarks amusing, and it did please me to know I had brought a little bit of sunshine into someone's life. However, if you feel that you have to deride people to make your life amusing, then please go ahead and do so. I wouldn't what to deprive you. Just try not to pass on your appalling lack of manners to your children, won't you? There's a dear.

I hope you never see shopping with a hangover then, I have to have a couple of pork pies just to get me round the aisles.

I don't even see it happening that often - if it bothers you, then it does but it will continue to happen until supermarkets ban it. They're not going to do that so, in best MN tradition: Suck it up.

Oh thank you Henrietta - I'm thrilled that you don't plan to deprive me of a good giggle. As for not passing on my appalling lack of manners to my offspring, well, I'll do my best - just for you. I'll also try to pass on my reluctance to label someone as 'common' simply for feeding their child in the supermarket - again, in your honour.

Am blushing in embarassment Maisie.

By the way, does the morningside part of your name refer to the Edinburgh Morningside? If so, you don't live too far away from me. Lovely part of Edinburgh.

No need to be embarrassed Henrietta. Yes, Edinburgh Morningside - you'll no doubt be familiar with the Aileen Paterson books too then.

I am all for manners. My children are drilled like poor little soldiers re please and thank yous, being polite and not interrupting etc.

Others dont count these things as important but I expect they think they are hot on manners too.

Because people have different priorities and standards.

I would not go into a little corner shop and snaffle a bag of crisps whilst waiting to pay for my Daily Mail (hahahaha). I would and do pick up a sarni and a drink to have whilst doing a mega shop round the warehouse that is Lea valley Tescos.

I dont eat when I am in the clothes section or soft furnishings etc.

I very rarely give my DCs stuff off the shelves and would resort to that only in an 'emergency'.

I dont feel any way about feeding myself though. If I thought eating in public was vulgar I would, but I dont really so I dont see the problem.

I wouldnt eat a grape or a banana because they have to be weighed.

I was in Sainburys the other week and a woman was opening packets of nappies to check the size then leaving the open packet on the shelf and picking up a fresh one to put in her trolley. Now that is taking the pee.

Apologies. I didn't realise this topic had already been done to death before. Probably time to put it to bed now.

OP I was being sarcastic ~obviously failed~

JandyMac - it doesn't matter if it's been done to death! It's always a good one to get the old bun flinging going

Technically you cannot pay for an eaten banana, you buy and pay by weight, no other banana is going to weigh the same/be the same, you cannot just hand over the skin and say I've to pay for that.

I've eaten whilst shopping, used to be mini pasties! Id always put the opened packet on the check out.

But bananas is a no no.

Ah, but you can buy a pack of bananas with a barcode, take one and then hand over the remainder. The missing banana will not affect the cost then.

jandy - I take it you are quite new around these parts?? This thread is done on a very regular basis - but it doesn't stop everyone arguing about it again and again. If no one ever did a thread on something that had been done before there'd be 6 threads on MN

Also, the OP never gets to say 'OK that's enough' this will rattle on until everyone has had enough and it will die its own death. You can hide it before then if you want to

if i put my pound in the trolley it is then officially mine becuase i paid for it
I now have 14 in the garden and upside down, they make a great BBq

Well the supermarket takes most of our disposible income and earns a huge profit so I will not feel bad about feeding my child the odd biscuit that I am paying for anyway, especially as it is keeping him quiet and still in his trolley seat. I wouldn't do this with anything that needed to be weighed first though. I usually go shopping when my cupboards are bare so packing a snack is not always an option! The staff at my local supermarket don't mind at all. My children are aware that everything they eat is getting paid for at the end of the shop. Your husband sounds a bit petty.

Seems to me that parents are setting up problems for themselves (and their kids) if they are using food to keep them quiet, stop them misbehaving etc

Where's the sense in that and what messages is it sending.

That if you make a noise, misbehave etc then you get treats?!

Madness!

Or if you are hungry you get something to eat?

Bloody mental!

No foods as rewards/bribes here.

We usually hit the supermarket after the gym, right at DS2's lunch time. It is more convenient for me to give him lunch while we are shopping.

Convenience! Crazy!

My DS gets a bread roll when we go to the supermarket. He doesn't get it for messing about, he just gets it and enjoys it and I know it will keep him occupied.
He gets to choose it, put in the bag using the little tongs etc. He looks forward to it. It's not a reward, it's not a bribe, it's just the way it is. No one in our family has food issues.

Lowering the tone a bit..

Chap I knew was a pharmacist in a large Boots, one day a customer came in, took a Vic inhaler off the shelf, unscrewed cap, stuck it up his nose, sniffed and... screwed it back up and put it back on the shelf again.

Makes nicking a bag of crisps in Tesco seem a bit tame.:)

OP - Go to Frothing Berserkers, it's nice there, you'll like it.

There was a powercut in my Sainsbury's on Saturday and the tills broke down.

The staff locked the doors and allowed everyone already inside to leave with their shopping. There'd have probably been a riot otherwise.

I'm thinking of going back next Saturday and loading up while DH is poised at the junction box with a power drill and rubber boots.

Nothing wrong with having a nibble as long as you pay at the end.