Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to give dd food before paying for it?

735 replies

cantsleep · 29/07/2013 22:20

Went to shops today with dcs. Dd was a bit tired and hungry and I wanted to get in and out quickly and home.

She was very hungry and has health issues and needed to eat that minute so I picked something up and let her have it. I have not done this before but couldn't have gone and paid then given it to her and continued shopping as she needed to eat straight away. Usually I have a snack in my bag for her but she had already had that one and I was going to buy more snack bits for her from the shops to replenish the ones I carry for her.

I noticed that a shop assistant was watching us intently and kept seeing her as we went round the shop.

When we got to the till I took the packet off dd for the man to scan and gave it back to her. As we were leaving the member of staff who had been watching approached us with a security guard and asked had we paid for what dd had eaten round the shop. I replied yes we had but she asked to check the receipt which obviously was fine.

She then told me that in future we HAD to pay for food before consuming it. I explained to her that it was a one off as I had run out of snacks I usually carry and dd needed to eat immediately but the security guard said food has to be paid for first.

It wasn't like I do this all the time and tbh as long as the food is paid for does it really matter?

WIBU to have let dd eat her snack before we had paid for it?

OP posts:
Emilythornesbff · 31/07/2013 20:39
Blush
Ilovemyself · 31/07/2013 20:44

Tabulahrasa. You have missed the point entirely. You seem to think everyone is advocating eating the food and not paying, which quite clearly they are not.

HarderToKidnap · 31/07/2013 20:44

Tabularahsa, it is only theft if you leave the shop without paying for it.

That's not what we're talking about here. It has never been what we've been talking about here.

I think you should stop pronouncing on what is and isn't a criminal act, to be honest. Your confident assertion that intent wasn't anything to do with the commission of criminal acts actually had me in stitches. I would respectfully say that your knowledge of criminal law is actually nil, so perhaps step away from defining what is and isn't theft?

Tweasels · 31/07/2013 20:59

I'm even thinking, if we could get near a power supply I could grab a George Forman Grill, couple of fillet steaks, make a real night of it.

Does cooking the food make it worse?

Do they do fondue sets?

Emilythornesbff · 31/07/2013 21:03

Extension cable. No problem.
Local tesco sells those little foil BBQs.
Just saying.

Emilythornesbff · 31/07/2013 21:03

But fondue and steak sounds more elegant I admit.

MrsKeithRichards · 31/07/2013 21:06

Plenty of deck chairs around the shops at this time of year. It's a real day out.

tabulahrasa · 31/07/2013 21:10

"Tabulahrasa. You have missed the point entirely. You seem to think everyone is advocating eating the food and not paying, which quite clearly they are not."

Nope, I'm saying intending to pay for it is not the same thing as actually having completed paying for it.

"Tabularahsa, it is only theft if you leave the shop without paying for it."

No, that's for goods that you could change your mind about buying, that the shop could have back. If you have eaten something it matters not at all where you then go or do not go - it's gone.

Praying4Beatrice · 31/07/2013 21:15

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

Tweasels · 31/07/2013 21:16

We wouldn't even have to pay to sit in the deck chairs. Or would we? Is it illegal to sit in a deck chair and then leave it, is it - no I don't think it is.

So, on that basis. Is trying out a deck chair and enjoying it's comfortable canvas cover and then leaving it in the store a crime? No it is not.

Yet, eating a couple of breadsticks that you will eventually pay for is crime of the century??

Ha, case closed, we win.

Anyone fancy joining me in the wine aisle at Asda to celebrate?

HarderToKidnap · 31/07/2013 21:19

Oh dear. Tabularahsa, you're just wrong, I'm sorry. You don't understand the definition of theft. This doesn't change depending on the situation. It's taking something with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of the benefit of it, I.e. the money they could earn, in this case.

tabulahrasa · 31/07/2013 21:46

A person appropriating property belonging to another without meaning the other permanently to lose the thing itself is nevertheless to be regarded as having the intention of permanently depriving the other of it if his intention is to treat the thing as his own to dispose of regardless of the other?s rights; and a borrowing or lending of it may amount to so treating it if, but only if, the borrowing or lending is for a period and in circumstances making it equivalent to an outright taking or disposal.

Eating it is disposing of it.

HarderToKidnap · 31/07/2013 21:47

Ok, love.

Alisvolatpropiis · 31/07/2013 21:51

tablu

It's only considered stealing in a supermarket if it's a weigh item or you "dispose" of the wrapper with the bar code on it.

Worked in a supermarket for years.

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 21:51

are we going to Asda now teas ?

will there be any T-rexing too?

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 21:53

ah, the penny's just dropped! that's why Adam was cuddling the basket by the fruit and veg! he was worried about grazer thieves!

yap, it all makes sense now

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 21:54

sorry, I meant tweas not teas

tittytittyhanghang · 31/07/2013 22:04

How does anyone know that grazing without paying is such a mahoosive problem?

This empty wrappers all over the place must be new thing because i worked in a large supermarket for years in my youth and it was never an issue. Plus I cant say that ive ever seen empty food packets discarded when ive been shopping. Im going to ask the Tesco cleaners tomorrow when i go shopping because im not convinced that eating food whilst in the shop and not paying is as prevalent as some are making out :D

And plus how can anyone possible make the concrete connection that empty wrappers = stolen food? Is it not equally possible that they bought the food in with them and are lazy bastards, or they bought the food first and are lazy bastards.

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 22:06

titty the op was never about not paying.

(groundhog day starts again)

Mitzyme · 31/07/2013 22:10

WTF I leave this thread for 5mins, when I come back I am a lazy, entitled, chav with an obese DGD with issuussess.

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 22:14

never mind mitzy

here's a Grazer Thief cocktail for you!Wink

tittytittyhanghang · 31/07/2013 22:17

yh i know, im on the side of the op, my ds expects his cookie on the way round the supermarket :D I just dont believe that eating food and not paying and shoving the empty food wrapper is as big a problem as some people are making out.

Mitzyme · 31/07/2013 22:20

Oh thanks very much. Cheers!

ZingWidge · 31/07/2013 22:26

I get you titty I'm with you as well

I've just made a new cocktail for you, it's called a Cookie Thief!
(same as the other, but crushed biscuits on top)

cheers!Wink

tittytittyhanghang · 31/07/2013 22:32

Yay as long as its alcoholic i dont mind.