to think eating products before you pay for them at the till is uncouth?

[lastfanjoinparis]

OH and I disagree. He thinks eating a packet of crisps then handing the empty packet over at checkout to scan is perfectly acceptable but I think this is a no-no.

Where do you guys sit on this matter?

Helping yourself to stuff off the shelf=shopping. Not paying for it and leaving the store=stealing.

Completely agree with the OP about the 'fuck you' attitude in this society. Eating beforehand or bringing food with you or buying the food at the supermarket before continuing with your shop don't seem three concepts that are hard to grasp .

I'm impressd at people eating crem cakes in supermarkets, how do you not end up covered in cream? I can hardly manage that sat at a table...

I was just waiting for someone to suggest that, Southeast You want me to pick up my packet of instant-gratification pies, queue at the checkout, open the pack after paying and re-enter the store to eat one while shopping?
Erm, that's logical.

Anyway, I'm casting my corsets to the wind now I've discovered what a transgressive, wild creature I am! Society will crumble before my crumbs!

Thinking about this again as an adult the only time I've opened something before getting to the checkout is if I need a tissue? Now other than being an abject failure for not having a hanky in my bag. Is this different? Should I have used my sleeve?

Plus gralick it would look like you were nicking it if you left it in the trolley when you paid

It would, Toby It's bad enough being re-charged for the carrier bag I brought with me, wouldn't want to muddy the issue any further.

Yabu.

What difference does it make if you're going to pay for it?!

None at all Wandering but people find it disgusting and offensive apparently.

But gralick regarding the instant gratification, I do find this to be a contributor to rising obesity levels.

You could also argue online shopping contributes to obesity as it uses up less calories.

Are you allowed to shop online and eat at the same time? Or are there new rules for that too?

Ds(11) picked up an open and 1/2 drunk bottle of yoghurt drink high on a shelf in a tesco crisp aisle yesterday (and somehow managed to tip it over himself in the process). Guess someone wasn't paying for that one.

A supermarket is not an appropriate place for casual eating, its messy and unhygienic for the eaters, and messy/unhygenic and inconsiderate to the non eaters.

Yes, true toby

ds, when he was a toddler, always chewed on the end of a baguette going round the supermarket, it was the only way to get round with him....I might have had a crumb or two

Well chuckling at people saying I have staff seriously man.. I don't find it offensive or disgusting but teaching your kids they can open and eat stuff while going around a supermarket is a shit thing to teach them.

Adults feeling the need to eat while going around simply boggles my brain ( unless it's a pisstake in the spirit of the thread) there are no excuses. Do you open the fridge each time you go in the kitchen as well?

Gosh - people really have nothing better to do than to judge other people for eating something they are going to pay for very shortly afterwards. How is eating something while walking around a supermarket 'disgusting'? Unless people are scoffing (with mouth open) a raw steak or raw mince straight out of the packet, I would hardly describe the completely normal function of eating 'disgusting' . You must have all have food issues.

I don't do this myself as I try to whip around as quickly as possible to get out of the hell hole that is my local Tesco but I have done it for years when with the DC and they were younger. I took my own snacks in a few times but was worried the store would think they were from there so stopped bothering.

Try doing a big shop with twin toddler boys (before the advent of internet shopping), the bread/cake aisle used to be half way through our store and a chocolate brioche or a croissant stuck in at that point, silenced them until we got to the checkout, then a packet of raisins wotsits shut them up while I was paying! For the stuff that had been eaten as well of course.

Honestly you lot need to find something REALLY offensive to get offended over . On who's behalf are you getting offended anyway, those lovely public spirited, blood sucking, billion pound profit conglomerates who pay their staff handsomely and never, ever rip off their customers or suppliers , .

bubblegirl, come on, this is mumsnet, home of the professionally offended

We need an updated all new for 2015 list of what to be offended by and give too much thought to IMO.

I've always thought it was cute to see little ones munching on the end of the french stick as they sit in the trolley...but apparently I am in the minority

I will sometimes open a drink and have a sip before I pay, but then I usually go to the automated checkout unless there's no option to do so, because I am anti-social and don't want to talk to anyone.

it isn't teaching them that gamer. My shopping isn't a mass of half eaten packets. Dd is definitely not allowed to open whatever she likes .

bubble that's a gross image btw

I should also imagine that the store would prefer you placate your child with an item of food/satisfy your own hunger as you are then more likely to stay longer in the store and add more to your trolley rather than rush out with just a few things, in addition other customers won't rush out due your screaming kid assaulting their eardrums . That's probably why they don't care much IME.

I love the word uncouth.

I live in France, and the one thing it is acceptable to eat in the checkout queue, is the end of a baguette. You see lots of people eating bits off their baguette while in the queue, or going round the shop.

In fact, this is probably the one thing it is acceptable to eat while out in public (walking down the street or whatever). It's very rare to see people munching on crisps or whatever, but breaking off the end of your just-bought, still-warm baguette and daintility nibbling it somehow is not only acceptable but quite chic.