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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this was petty

240 replies

Givemeabreak88 · 14/10/2020 20:56

I was just at my local coop, I used the self service check out and selected one bag as I thought all my items would fit in one, as I put them in it wasn’t going to fit, I had already paid so just grabbed an extra bag as there was no option to pay for the extra bag as I would have to remove all my shopping and had nowhere to put it, yes I know I should have paid but I had just spent £30 in the shop so for the sake of an extra bag I didn’t see the big deal, anyway as I went to walk out the security shouted at me in front of everyone that I had taken two bags and paid for one! I was made to go back and empty out all my shopping. AIBU for thinking this was really petty? Considering how much I had just spent in the shop it all seemed a bit over the top

OP posts:
Qwom · 15/10/2020 06:58

Petty theft isn't pretty... Or is it? Hmm

Just kidding, theft is theft no matter how little the item being stolen costs! YABVVU

Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 07:00

@Givemeabreak88

I’m only telling people the reason why I didn’t go back and pay for it because there was already someone there as he waited till I left. There wasn’t really an option to pay as I would have to queue up again and he asked for the bag, he didn’t say pay.
If you had flagged to a staff member they would have either let you have the bag for free or put it through the till ahead of the queue.
Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 07:01

@BoomBoomsCousin

It seems a bit petty. Supermarkets don’t even want to charge for carrier bags, they’d rather give them away and have shoppers not feel like they need to be worried whether they have enough bags. The charge is a legal requirement, which they wouldn't have been prosecuted for failing to make if someone walked off with a bag.

I think OP’s attitude is poor, since it amounted to “I can’t be bothered and anyway they owe me since I bought so much shopping” but at the same time, security guard seems overzealous shouting at the OP rather than approaching and asking her to pay for the extra bag.

Is that why Tesco have increased the price of bags for life to 20p then?
Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 07:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sometimeswinning · 15/10/2020 07:05

I've done this before. I think you could have gotten away with scanning it through regardless of a queue. I also do not see it as being a huge deal (unless I missed the drip feed of it being a bag for life!)

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 15/10/2020 07:11

. But fine I get it, as if no one here has ever took a bag they didn’t pay for

Never taken a bag I didn’t pay for! OP you’re implying that the rest of us on MN are in the habit of stealing!

I DO commit the offence of paying and then packing as I use hessian and canvas bags which the scales simply won’t accept and the staff now just tell me to scan my shop, pay and then pack it. Mind you, the only time I go to a self checkout is early on my way to work and I’m often the only person at the bank of half a dozen checkouts so I don’t hold anyone up.

Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 07:21

The thing is, it’s annoying when you’re paying for your bag and you can see someone else a till not paying. It hasn’t happened often as usually I’m scanning my stuff but sometimes I’m waiting for assistant to fix till and see CF behaviour.

slashlover · 15/10/2020 07:25

This happened to me at self service, my fault as I thought 2 would do but ended up needing 3. Bag police started shouting over that they saw I only paid for 2 bla bla. Everyone gave her an eye roll, one person sarcastically saluted her (to be fair she was right over the top with it) and I explained that I had paid by card etc. I left 20p on the till and walked out.

Did everyone applaud?

Caroncanta · 15/10/2020 07:27

The thing is, it’s annoying when you’re paying for your bag and you can see someone else a till not paying

Is it really annoying? Really?? 🤣 I don't tend to keep an eye out to see if other shoppers haven paid for their bag personally. Each to their own. I think covid restrictions must be driving people to the edge of insanity with so much angst over a plastic bag.

dontdisturbmenow · 15/10/2020 07:35

You did wrong, end of. It's indeed no big deal, but you're still wrong, however you try to justify it.

Eckhart · 15/10/2020 07:45

The security guard was a jobsworth but you have to take it on the chin. You ran the risk of being caught and you got caught. You can't blame the security guard for that

I imagine that there's quite an issue with people walking out without paying for their bag(s), given that just on this thread there's a few who think that it's OK. Security guard might well have been told to make an example of a few people (poor old @BagThiefForLife got lucky)

I suspect that neither she nor anybody who saw this happen will nick a bag in that store again. So the security guard's 'jobsworth' attitude will be stopping theft, which is a job well done.

OP is absolutely the victim here, though... Hmm

Mittens030869 · 15/10/2020 07:54

It was a big mistake to post a thread about this on AIBU, OP. You must have known that you would get a kicking.

OlympicProcrastinator · 15/10/2020 08:00

MN is often so far removed from the real world.
This is one of those times.

Eckhart · 15/10/2020 08:04

@OlympicProcrastinator

Because us fools who say you shouldn't nick things from the shop actually think, IRL, that it's OK to nick things from the shop?

What are you talking about? OP asked if she was BU and lots of people have said yes, theft is wrong. Nobody has suggested she go to jail or be lynched.

BoomBoomsCousin · 15/10/2020 08:18

@Caroncanta

It's a direct quote from your 22:37:10 post.

They were quoting from another poster just shortly before.

Ahh. That was not at all obvious. Thanks Caronacanta

Sorry BLASTPROCESSING.

Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 08:25

@Caroncanta

The thing is, it’s annoying when you’re paying for your bag and you can see someone else a till not paying

Is it really annoying? Really?? 🤣 I don't tend to keep an eye out to see if other shoppers haven paid for their bag personally. Each to their own. I think covid restrictions must be driving people to the edge of insanity with so much angst over a plastic bag.

Nice selective quoting there Hmm As I said, I’ve only really noticed when I’m waiting for the assistant to come and fix the till.
MiddleClassProblem · 15/10/2020 08:28

@OlympicProcrastinator

MN is often so far removed from the real world. This is one of those times.
What a bizarre, extreme comment. I think in the real world there are people who accidentally don’t pay for bags, people who don’t pay for bags due to faff like OP, people who avoid paying for bags at all costs, people who pay for bags but not fussed about others, and people who pay for bags who get pissed off when others don’t.

Which one of those do you think is “so far removed”? Hmm

Billben · 15/10/2020 08:37

@OlympicProcrastinator

MN is often so far removed from the real world. This is one of those times.
So I’m guessing you’ve stolen a bag or two in your life then. Because I sure as hell haven’t.
Poulter · 15/10/2020 08:39

Tesco's has 79 million weekly shopping visits. If everyone stole one 10p bag per visit, Tesco's would lose over £400 million revenue annually, just on that. If they weren't strict on bag purchases, people would see it as not a big deal and just take them. YABU.

Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 08:44

@Poulter

Tesco's has 79 million weekly shopping visits. If everyone stole one 10p bag per visit, Tesco's would lose over £400 million revenue annually, just on that. If they weren't strict on bag purchases, people would see it as not a big deal and just take them. YABU.
Plus Tesco donates the money to charity (warning DM link) not sure about co-op.
Blueberriesonmyshreddies · 15/10/2020 08:48

I run the self checkout area in a supermarket. This happens a lot. If a customer needs another bag I stop the next person entering a free till scan the bag, customer pays (cash or card) while I stand by her already paid for shopping. She returns to her shopping, thanks me 😉packs and leaves.
All stolen bags are classed as unaccountable loss and will eventually be covered by price increases.
The only problem is if it is a card transaction the company will have to pay a bank charge on that so will lose that percentage of the cost.

Caroncanta · 15/10/2020 08:52

Nice selective quoting there hmm As I said, I’ve only really noticed when I’m waiting for the assistant to come and fix the till.

And on those occasions when you do notice, you find it annoying when you spot a plastic bag thief. Righty ho 😂

Howlooseisyourgoose · 15/10/2020 08:58

@Caroncanta

Nice selective quoting there hmm As I said, I’ve only really noticed when I’m waiting for the assistant to come and fix the till.

And on those occasions when you do notice, you find it annoying when you spot a plastic bag thief. Righty ho 😂

Yes, it’s natural to get annoyed when you see people stealing things that you yourself pay for.

And Blueberries just said ‘All stolen bags are classed as unaccountable loss and will eventually be covered by price increases.‘

mytimeonline · 15/10/2020 09:10

@Idontgiveagriffindamn

So you think you’re entitled to a free bag as you spent £30 in there? If you think about it in a different way does that mean you’re entitled to a chocolate bar or a carrot? You could pick one up on the way out.
🤣
mytimeonline · 15/10/2020 09:11

@Idontgiveagriffindamn

So you think you’re entitled to a free bag as you spent £30 in there? If you think about it in a different way does that mean you’re entitled to a chocolate bar or a carrot? You could pick one up on the way out.
... can I please ask for ...