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Original poster

To think that the free fruit offer in tesco shouldn't be abused

215 replies

Frazzled50yrold · 27/07/2017 00:11

Was shopping in tesco about half hour before closing last Sunday. I noticed a 30 something yr old female filling a plastic bag with the oranges/apples/bananas which are provided free for children. Initially I wondered how she would pay for them as they were all mixed together then realised she wasn't going to as she went up to her husband at the self service till and walked out with him. I'd estimate she had at least 20 pieces of fruit, it made me so cross

OP posts:
AwaywiththePixies27 · 28/07/2017 06:53

*is not us.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 28/07/2017 07:09

Bring on the ASD for shit behaviour.

I can't see where the pp's child's behaviour was bad. She was merely explaining the strategies she used to prevent bad behaviour. This is surely good parenting regardless of whether a child has ASD order not.

Increasinglymiddleaged · 28/07/2017 07:11

And I should have said 'ensuring calm behaviour' rather than preventing bad, I am half asleep still sorry about that. If only MN had an edit function.

schoolgaterebel · 28/07/2017 07:33

I wish I could say I was surprised.

I work in the service industry and although the majority of people are great, there are always one or two who take complete advantage it's quite disheartening (especially when something is on offer for free)

It's usually the same people who arrive at closing time and expect to be served because they made it over the threshold as closing time struck.

MidniteScribbler · 28/07/2017 07:54

You really don't know the situation.

Every Sunday night I go to our local supermarket and they give me a box of the 'free' fruit to take. I'm a teacher and I put the box out in my classroom all week for the kids to help themselves. For some of my students, it is the only fresh fruit they ever get to eat, and many come with little or no lunch some days (no free lunches here in schools). I came to the arrangement with the store manager about a year ago and they donate the box of fruit to me. If you saw me walking out with it, you might think I was stealing the free fruit as well.

BabychamSocialist · 28/07/2017 16:51

Bingo! Bring on the ASD for shit behaviour. Dear of fucking dear.

Urgh. What a vile individual.

Katherine2626 · 28/07/2017 17:48

You know those trays of bagged sweets that are by the checkout in some DIY stores? (Possibly other shops too) They ask you for £1.00 and the money goes usually to the local air ambulance or similar. Woman at the front of the queue puts in £1.00 and then takes THREE bags of sweets . Woman behind her (huge fierce looking lady that I would NOT want to upset) says loudly 'Would you get three bags for £1.00 in shop? You're supposed to take one - they're for charity'. Shameless one scuttles out of shop (still holding her three bags of sweets) with large woman yelling 'I hope you b*dy family need the air ambulance and they haven't got enough money to come!'. How shameless can you get for a couple of bags of sweets?

falange · 28/07/2017 17:48

She is being unreasonable but that's what lots of people do when something is free, they just take the piss. I applaud Tesco for supplying free fruit but it should be for children only.

Shona52 · 28/07/2017 17:50

AnneGrommit - Tesco may pull the service which would be a shame for the children. My DS always looks for a banana when we go shopping and I would hate for it to stop just because of the selfishness of some people.

Hudson10 - please don't judge too quickly. My 5 year son is autistic and it's been a very long hard journey getting him comfortable enough to go round a supermarket with all the noise and bright lights. Giving him a piece of fruit helps settle him as chewing helps calm him down (something that his doctor and school unit has encouraged us to do)

OJZJ · 28/07/2017 18:01

That is effectively theft! People never cease to amaze me. Quite often our tesco free fruit box is empty but I would never take a piece off the shelf for son as I feel I would be stealing (although I am in there at least 3 times a week as live opposite and spend far more than i should) now I know why Grin

IFinishedTheBiscuits · 28/07/2017 18:08

Have never been so grateful to see the free fruit as yesterday when I got to Tesco with three ravenous children. (We had got held up while out.)
So I would have been quite annoyed to see someone walk off with the lot!

morningconstitutional2017 · 28/07/2017 18:15

Give some people an inch and they'll take a yard. I assume Tesco can afford this type of 'misuse' so their profits won't be affected by it.

MiaowTheCat · 28/07/2017 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chipscheeseandgravy · 28/07/2017 18:27

I'm sure Tesco's profits will cope.

38cody · 28/07/2017 19:28

Really ? Free fruit? Is it the old outbid date fruit? Never seen it in my Tesco. If it says free and no amount stated - then it's free. Perhaps she has 8 children to feed? Who cares? Not my fruit.

Photomummy16 · 28/07/2017 19:35

Why aren't Tesco nice people?
Anyway, maybe she asked permission to take the fruit since it was the end of the day?

Photomummy16 · 28/07/2017 19:36

@miaowthecat in our store they have plastic bags next to the fruit to put the rubbish into

BertieBotts · 28/07/2017 19:38

Sorry, I was just surprised. I would only let DS have about a max of 2 pieces of fruit a day, but that's because it's expensive, and because he doesn't eat normal food if I let him snack all the time.

jessebuni · 28/07/2017 21:48

Personally I think it's a bit wrong and cheeky. My kids only ever have one piece each. But I think Tesco does tend to use fruit nearing the end of it's shelf life anyway so maybe they're actually just saving waste 🤷‍♀️

AwaywiththePixies27 · 28/07/2017 22:17

Really ? Free fruit? Is it the old outbid date fruit? Never seen it in my Tesco

No. It's fresh. I'm friends with a Tesco Manager and worked closely with them when I volunteered at the foodbank. I can't remember the number but for everything people donate ti the foodbank, they add % on top for free. They also do great work with the local school children about teaching them their from farm to fork campaign and showing children exactly where they come from. The free fruit is part of their 5 a day drive. Surely it's better to encourage a child to eat a ffed piece of fruit than it is to nag mum / dad for the 3 for £1 sweets a couple of aisles down?

Tescos profits wont suffer too much. They've budgeted for the free fruit.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 28/07/2017 22:19

And I refuse to be the skanky bastard who dumps them somewhere stupid

You dont need to. There's a bin at the side of the fruit box to empty your peels or pips into. Confused

AnneGrommit · 28/07/2017 23:20

That's not much good when you're at the other side of the shop though is it.

scaryclown · 28/07/2017 23:34

There are trees for people like this

belmontian · 29/07/2017 00:09

Years ago we had something like this in work and a woman would come along with an empty lunchbox and fill it. Everyone talked about her, how rude/cheeky/shameless/entitled she was etc. Down the line one of her dc was in the same class in school as one of mine. Turns out she was taking this fruit for her dc's break as they loved fruit but she couldn't afford to buy it Sad

Hudson10 · 29/07/2017 02:05

My 5 year son is autistic and it's been a very long hard journey getting him comfortable enough to go round a supermarket with all the noise and bright lights. Giving him a piece of fruit helps settle him as chewing helps calm him down (something that his doctor and school unit has encouraged us to do)

If he seriously can't cope with supermarkets, why put him through that? Why not shop online and have your food delivered to you? There must be a supermarket that delivers to you? (Genuine question)