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?

Not if it encourages uncouth people to eat in supernarkets, no.

Disregard for the wellbeing of those serving you is exceedingly uncouth. More so than eating in public. Surely everyone knows that?

Please weigh items for yourself, whatever views you hold on the altogether separate matter of eating in public. You are expecting already hardworking retail staff to do a job you're perfectly capable of, and holding up the queue and inconveniencing other shoppers, by knowingly refusing. Bad manners on both counts. And for what? To control the harmless behaviour of total strangers? Not pretty behaviour really, is it.

Its stealing.
In fact Tesco had a massive crackdown on it a few years back after a celebrity was caught eating something before it was paid for.
I myself was stopped after giving DS2 a sandwich to eat whilst shopping (smugly produced a receipt - I knew we'd be checked - I bought it at the quick tills before doing the big shop)
I haven't done it since then (although my kids are older now) and I don't think I would again. Its not worth it.

For the billionth time, is it not stealing until or unless they catch you trying to leave the shop having not paid for something.

If that happened to me in Tesco I'd have politely reminded them of this very basic point of law.

There's a clear class difference here. Restaurants and fancy hotels, lots of things that involve paying a lot of money - you get to use the service - and eat the food - before you have to pay.

Fast food outlets, self service cafes, supermarkets, cheaper hotels - these places will insist on payment upfront.

The reason being is that one is more suspected of being a potential thief in the latter case, whereas in the former case they are more confident of your ability to pay, and so are more willing to arrange things for your convenience.

I agree this isn't stealing. However, everyone seems to be studiously ignoring the question of how you pay for goods you have eaten when they are goods sold by weight, such as loose nuts and fruit. I'm increasingly driven to the suspicion that people are avoiding that question because the reality is that they don't pay for such goods, or at least not in full, and that unquestionably is theft. But if one of you would care to answer the question, I'll be happy to reconsider.

Can't help with that, Ici – I only ever eat something I can pay for in full. But I do occasionally try a grape or something before I buy a bunch, and there's nothing wrong with that IMO; a decent independent grocer or market stall would let a customer do that, let alone a massive supermarket chain.

Also, there's hardly anyone on here even mentioning things you pay for by weight except for you.

I'm the same, I usually buy bananas by weight but if I give one to DS, I make sure it's out of a priced pack and pay for that at the till. No dirty packaging involved that way either. He eats a banana very slowly and neatly. I wouldn't give him food which was going to leave a trail of mess behind us.

I am more comfortable doing this, than I am producing a banana from my bag. I've also occasionally given him the heel of the loaf, when I've timed my shopping spectacularly poorly.

Hi mentioned letting my toddler set a few grapes. I also mentioned that they aren't sold by weight where we buy our groceries. I wouldn't do it if they were.

Yanbu. It is a bit embarrassing unless the food-opener is a baby.

OnlyLovers but the food is not yours to eat or dispose of until you've paid for it. Items on display and your picking them up is an 'invitation to treat' and the shop can withdraw the offer. They can't if you've scoffed the item, can they?

Very basic premise of law, that.

It is vile. I was in Asda yesterday and there were a good half a dozen empty packages on shelves from random areas of the store. Just outright theft.

I don't really care whether other people feel they're entitled to do this, that's about them. I don't like it and don't think most people do.

RTFT, OnlyLovers, there have been a few people mentioning eating things like grapes and pick and mix nuts. And I asked ever so politely how they pay for them more than once, but got no reply.

I have read it, Ici, thanks. I didn't say no one had mentioned it; I said 'hardly anyone' (in a thread of over 700 messages) – or, in your words, 'a few'.

Lying, it's been said several times by various posters, but theft is defined as 'taking property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving them of it'. Which people eating eg a bag of crisps and then putting the bag in their trolley with the intention of putting it through the till at the end are not intending to do.

I can't comment on your local Asda, but from this thread I'd surmise that the general consensus among eaters is that they will take the packaging to the till and pay for it.

Blimey is this still going? It will be a week tomorrow.

I know . I left it and then got sucked back in.

It's the self-righteousness about mess and theft. It just winds me up.

It's a good job these important matters can be discussed on MN Maryz otherwise I would never ever get to hear about them. Imagine that.

Still not yours/theirs to take, OnlyLovers until it's paid for. Theft it may not be (although it often is). Still, the more people that do it, the better because it's likely to be completely stopped when the supermarkets get fed up of it.

I've not seen it in Waitrose, nor Morrisons, nor M&S. I shop in all of them as well as Tesco and Asda.

Never seen an important matter discussed on MN really, it's a chatboard. A jolly fine one but still a chatboard. Some interesting topics but not really what you'd call important.

Still not yours/theirs to take, OnlyLovers until it's paid for. Theft it may not be.

Do these two statements not cancel each other out? If it's not theft, how is it then not mine to take?

Lying I'm willing to bet you ten English pounds that the supermarkets don't put a stop to it in our lifetime :)
I think those who don't like it just have to suck it up
Those who do it - like me- have to carry the terrible burden that is some people thinking we're uncouth. As I said up thread I don't think uncouth is so bad, not in the grand scheme of things.

Be gone OnlyLovers!

Seriously, hide the thread! It's the path to madness.

We do indeed just suck it up. I don't say anything about it, I just don't like it. That's all.

Only... it's theft if you remove it from the store. Whilst you're still in there is still isn't yours to take and eat. (you're/yours in general terms, not specifically aimed at you).

I think this subject must be vv important indeed to warrant nearly a week's worth of posts.

Seriously I don't knew about you guys but this thread has been the second most exciting thing that's happened to me this week.
It's like a scab that I can't help coming back to pick at, which is probably another uncouth habit of mine