Snacking on Food You Haven't Bought Yet at the Grocery Store: Awful or OK?

by The Big Question Posted 2013/01/18 01:43:26

Related Topics: Grocery Store, Store, Snacking, Awful, Food

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351 votes
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	Awful	205 votes	58%
	OK	146 votes	42%

+15

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Boudicea 2013/01/18 01:44:58

Awful

+8
it's just tacky - and typical of people who have no self-restraint
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La 2013/01/27 03:24:25

Awful

Awful...with the exception of grapes. Everyone knows that's ok.

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Dickens 2013/01/25 18:43:27

Awful

..but it depends...if it's something that's packaged I do, because I'll be paying full price for it when it's scanned, but not something like produce, which is stealing...(my only exception is grapes; I try just one, because the quality of grapes is so variable..)

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Kitty 2013/01/25 05:34:47

Awful

As long as it's paid for before you leave I guess it's okay. My job has me walking around in a grocery store all day and I see a lot of people eating the food. I don't know if they pay for it at the checkout but I wouldn't have the nerve to take a chance on having security take the wrong idea. Some of our grocery stores give out a free cookie to those who have children with them - I guess they think it helps to cut down on the shoplifting they do to keep their kids in line.

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foxy 2013/01/23 14:57:08

Awful

I used to work at a supermarket, and you would be surprised the amount of people thought it was ok to help themselves. When I was young I was tought if you have not payed you can not eat it. A friend of mine was given an empty banana skin, she got a banana and weighed it. The woman was very surprised, she thought as she had eaten it she did not need to pay!

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Masaca 2013/01/20 23:26:44

OK

+1
I never do it, but as long as the person who is snacking pays for it i don't see anything wrong with it.

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JimTheGeek 2013/01/19 21:05:26

Awful

It exhibits lack of self control, unless you're a diabetic and need a sugar fix.

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ibsteve2u 2013/01/19 16:26:00

OK

+2
A "conditional" OK: If you're snacking on a packaged or otherwise "pre-priced" food that you're actually going to buy, OK.

If you're snacking on produce (say, grapes or nuts), bulk candy, or something else that must be weighed at checkout before the price is determined, then you're stealing...what is already in your gut isn't going to get paid for.

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blissful 2013/01/19 07:12:36

OK

I think that I have a right to test the food before purchasing! Lol!

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MentalGopher 2013/01/19 06:15:10 (edited)

OK

+1
You mean I'm not supposed to do that? But then how do I know if it tastes good enough for me to actually buy?

Unfortunately, I can't do that with any of my dates. Do you know how much easier it'd be if I could just have a free quickie to determine if putting in the effort to get ready for an actual date is worth it?

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Marcus Clark 2013/01/19 05:53:48

Awful

+2
That is tacky at best, theft at worst. Many people have no self control or sense of propriety.
For those claiming health emergencies, did you not realize you were diabetic (or whatever other other condition) till you were in the middle of the store? For those claiming the need to satisfy their unruly kids, perhaps you need to exercise a little parental control and teach your kids a bit of discipline. Alternatively you could plan ahead and bring something for the kids or shop without them.

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mustangluver 2013/01/19 05:26:47

Awful

+2
It's stealing..

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ghostrider 2013/01/19 05:04:37

Awful

+2
Technically, it's stealing ... except for the poor PR, a store could prosecute such an individual.

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monkeyking908 2013/01/19 01:45:48

Awful

+1
as long as you pay for it its fin but i would never do it

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Centrist_Bill 2013/01/19 01:14:06

OK

I do it all the time with no problems.

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hermit57 2013/01/19 00:22:21

OK

+2
It's OK for me because I keep the package or wrapper, etc., in my cart and pay for it when I go through check out.

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Jessica 2013/01/18 22:44:27

OK

+1
Why wouldn't it be ok? I mean moms all over do it to keep their kid quite. If you are planing of paying for it go ahead. I'm not judging you.

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V~POTL~PWCM~JLA 2013/01/18 22:34:52

Awful

+2
Several decades ago, I worked at a large discount retailer. Among various duties, one of my tasks was to accompany the loss prevention officer in search of shoplifters. If there were any disputes about someone's behavior, I was a witness. Since we were both tall guys, nobody ever tried fighting their way out of a confrontation. I was old enough to work in a store, but not wise enough to appreciate the potential hazards of angry shoplifters. Fortunately, I was lucky.

One day there was a middle-aged guy shopping with his family. He picked up a bag of some kind of snack food and proceeded to eat it as he went through the store. Somewhere along the way he finished the bag and left it on a shelf. Later, he proceeds through checkout. The loss prevention officer confronts him in the parking lot about the food. He denies everything. The accusations and denials go back and forth for a while, getting louder as the wife starts to look nervous and the kids look puzzled. Ultimately, the loss prevention officer escorted the guy to the office in back of the store for processing as shoplifter. Considering the negligible value of a bag of chips, there was no need to summon the police. They let the guy go after he signed some sort of agreement to never visit the store again.

I...

Several decades ago, I worked at a large discount retailer. Among various duties, one of my tasks was to accompany the loss prevention officer in search of shoplifters. If there were any disputes about someone's behavior, I was a witness. Since we were both tall guys, nobody ever tried fighting their way out of a confrontation. I was old enough to work in a store, but not wise enough to appreciate the potential hazards of angry shoplifters. Fortunately, I was lucky.

One day there was a middle-aged guy shopping with his family. He picked up a bag of some kind of snack food and proceeded to eat it as he went through the store. Somewhere along the way he finished the bag and left it on a shelf. Later, he proceeds through checkout. The loss prevention officer confronts him in the parking lot about the food. He denies everything. The accusations and denials go back and forth for a while, getting louder as the wife starts to look nervous and the kids look puzzled. Ultimately, the loss prevention officer escorted the guy to the office in back of the store for processing as shoplifter. Considering the negligible value of a bag of chips, there was no need to summon the police. They let the guy go after he signed some sort of agreement to never visit the store again.

If the store decided to prosecute, I'm sure the idiot's defense would be that he intended to pay for the chips and simply lost the empty bag and forgot about it. The story would be total BS in this case, but shoplifters use all kinds of excuses when they get caught.

I would never start eating unpurchased food, due to the potential to forget about it and getting nabbed as a shoplifter.
(more)

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Haruko.Haruhara 2013/01/18 22:29:53

Awful

+2
Disgusting!, It isn't yours until you get a receipt back!

My dad's greedy girlfriend would do that and her dumb-ass worked at the store the supervisor caught her on the security camera and demanded her to pay for the food she ate!

Very very rude!!

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HPlover 2013/01/18 22:21:49

OK

+1
As long as it's paid for after!

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LOTR_HP~RWAC~CFM 2013/01/18 22:14:32

OK

+1
As long as it is paid for after.

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lum-the-oni 2013/01/18 22:13:03

OK

i dont think its a big deal as long as you pay for it or if your tasting ike a grape out of a bag to make your they dont taste gross

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Gary 2013/01/18 21:38:36

Awful

+3
I work in retail and if we ever see anyone eating something before paying for it we always get security to watch them to make sure they pay for it. Sure, the majority of people will pay for it, but there's always going to be people who aren't going to. These are the people that take the attitude of "It's not that much money, it doesn't matter" but theft is theft, no matter how you dress it up. If they do it every time they go into a store then it'll quickly add up to a lot of money.

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Wyveryx 2013/01/18 21:33:09

OK

+2
If you have the intentions on buying it, then why not?

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rereblue 2013/01/18 21:26:55

OK

+1
But only if the foods price isn't based on weight. If it has a set price, no big deal.

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Butch 2013/01/18 21:20:52

Awful

+3
Not awful, but wrong. Technically shoplifting.

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hermit57 to Butch 2013/01/19 00:26:48

+1
only if you leave the store without paying for it.

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yaaarrrggghhh 2013/01/18 21:20:42

OK

+4
As long as you pay for it before you leave. Some stores encourage getting a drink to sip on while you shop. I don't see any difference.

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foxy to yaaarrr... 2013/01/23 15:04:18

You should not drink if u have not paid. If I were dying of thirst I would pay first.

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yaaarrr... to foxy 2013/01/23 18:17:22

When you eat at a restaurant, do you pay first, or after?

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foxy to yaaarrr... 2013/01/23 19:04:33

+1
That is different , you are served or serve yourself, you can be seen by the staff. Have you been in a supermarket lately. Thereb are places where you can not be seen at all. It ts seen as stealing until u pay.

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srini 2013/01/18 21:14:13

Awful

+2
And quite unedifying.

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democoach 2013/01/18 21:08:01

Awful

+1
then you make it to the counter to find you have no money to pay for it

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hermit57 to democoach 2013/01/19 00:27:52

that's just stupid

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Reggie☮ 2013/01/18 21:06:42

OK

+4
My glucose level dropped a few times and yes I've had a snack at the store but it must be paid, if not you're just stealing.

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sjalan 2013/01/18 20:59:24

Awful

+3
It it is something that gets weighed, then it amounts to theft. If it is in a package be sure to have the empty package scanned or that is theft.

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The Madhatter 2013/01/18 20:58:44

OK

+4
Sure, if you pay for the product you're casually munching on.

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Anna 2013/01/18 20:54:59

Awful

+2
Well, it depends. If it's a drink and you're really thirsty but will pay for it afterward, go ahead.

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hermit57 to Anna 2013/01/19 00:31:41

And what if you're really hungry, or have low blood sugar but, you keep the empty package and pay for what you ate? Why is it o.k. if it's a drink?

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Anna to hermit57 2013/01/19 04:23:46

If it's food, you have to wait til you get outside or home.

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hermit57 to Anna 2013/01/22 22:56:55

Why is that? You didn't give a valid reason. I've never had any one come up to me in a store and tell me I can't be eating or drinking a product. So long as I have the package or bottle in my cart and, I have money in my pocket with full intention of paying for it, I consider it mine. I don't "sneak" around and hide empty packages in the store and leave without paying for what I ate. I shop in the same stores for over 30 years and never had any store security or, manager etc. ever tell me I can't eat in the store. I have seen people who have left the store without paying get stopped by security. But like I said, I have never been approached.

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