The Dogmother Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 You have a point Soapy. I don't even like to eat whilst walking down the street, let alone in a shop. I hate supermarkets with a vengeance, much prefer to shop online. If nothing else, it saves me having to haul the bags the length of the street when I get home to find there are no parking spaces in my road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 It is up for the shop to decide what the cost of the items eaten is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted March 6, 2014 Author Share Posted March 6, 2014 But how many people say "I've eaten 12 grapes on my way around" they don't say anything, showing dishonesty, and as such we are back to theft. I can understand eating one to check if they are sweet and not too sour (as having a sour grape is awful) but munching them whilst continuing with a shop is just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 People try to cheat the system all the time, & often it is the more affluent customers who are the worst. I have had a paper bag of expensive mushrooms with a topping of cheap ones , so the cashier thinks they are all cheap. One carrot has been weighed & a weight & price sticker put on, then the bag filled up with more carrots. People peel reduced stickers off of items & put them onto really expensive stuff too I even once had a mum stash a load of things in her babies pram & under her toddlers bum in the pushchair. Cashier distraction methods are high too, with couples trying to rob the till or tell you that you have short changed them. Just this week a chap pinched all of the J cloths we keep near the tills for spillages & a huge handful of my elastic bands that I use to put over egg boxes...apparently Waitrose can afford for him to do this, & he never buys his own! All these things are theft, but Fred is right, eating something you intend to pay for isn't, strictly speaking (although it is in my eyes) I have been truly shocked by some of the things people will try to get away with since I started this job (and don't even get me started on those darn green tokens!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Green tokens Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 As a trustee of a very small local charity providing free, confidential counselling to young people in crisis, and which has benefitted from the green tokens, I'm a supporter. It gave us much needed funds we wouldn't have had access to otherwise and was also very useful in publicising our services. I wish more supermarkets did it. But I completely agree about eating as you go. I've mostly seen Mum's giving bananas, crisps etc to youngster to keep them quiet. I can see that you can present an empty crisp packet and pay for it, but the fruit bemuses me - unless you weigh it first and present the empty bag. Not sure why adults should need to do it though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 As a trustee of a very small local charity providing free, confidential counselling to young people in crisis, and which has benefitted from the green tokens, I'm a supporter. It gave us much needed funds we wouldn't have had access to otherwise and was also very useful in publicising our services. I wish more supermarkets did it. Totally agree - it is a fantastic scheme, however people DO take advantage & try to swipe as many tokens as they can to support 'their' charity. They do get awfully cross when we point out that it is strictly one per transaction. I had a woman empty my entire pot into her handbag once! OK, so we give a family with several children a token each for the kids, but adults should know better - it isn't fair to take a handful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Has Prudence gone to hell in a handcart? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bramble Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I believe, technically, even with dishonest intent, eating food in a supermarket and not paying for it would actually be making off without payment, not theft (Theft Act, 1978, rather than earlier Theft Act 68) Same as eating a meal in a restaurant then scarpering without paying (or not paying for petrol you put in your car) Reason being you couldn't actually identify the property that's been stolen, after it's been eaten (still need the dishonest intent though) ... I'll shut up now ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 If you eat an apple (or whatever) in a supermarket and then leave with out making any attempt to pay for it, then you are making off without payment. If you take an apple and leave without paying for it, you have committed theft. If you fill a bag with expensive mushrooms, then top it off with cheaper ones (to fool the cashier that they are all cheaper ones), then you have also committed theft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 I am amazed by the sheer cheek of people but the reality is that their behaviour surely results in higher prices for the rest of us to cover costs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 My ES as a toddler would gnaw the end of the French stick in the trolley and yes I paid for the rest. One cashier said "whats happened to this" and I pointed to ES who was blond and angelic looking. But never gave him fruit as I didnt know how to be charged for it. So guilty as charged me'lud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapdragon Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 In all fairness, I think there is a clear line between presenting the cashier with something that has/had a barcode and can be paid for and chomping through an unweighable and therefore unpayable thing like fruit A mum has to do what a mum has to do I do like the token idea where you can 'vote' for you fave cause - it has made me more aware of what is going on in our area. We were also very fortunate, as a very small village primary school, to be the nominated cause a few months ago and had a cheque for about £50 something pounds for equipment which was fab as we had just had to spend on roof repairs which had eaten into the budget. Year 1/Reception now have some lovely musical instruments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 7, 2014 Share Posted March 7, 2014 I do like the token idea where you can 'vote' for you fave cause - it has made me more aware of what is going on in our area. We were also very fortunate, as a very small village primary school, to be the nominated cause a few months ago and had a cheque for about £50 something pounds for equipment which was fab as we had just had to spend on roof repairs which had eaten into the budget. Year 1/Reception now have some lovely musical instruments The best thing about the scheme is that all the charities get some money, it is just how much they get from the £1000 that is decided by the tokens Many people seem to think it is just the one with the most that gets it all. No one likes counting them up at the end of the month though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
