Disgusting supermarket habit

[stressedmama]

I have not really seen people eating from the candy bins, but I do see people now and then "sampling" from the produce. I have seen people eating a handful of grapes. Last time I looked grapes were $2.99 / lb. Those people probably just ate about 50 cents to a dollar's worth....same as a candy bar. I guess it's easier to justify eating a few grapes vs eating a whole candy bar. It's all stealing in my book.

[Exile]

I think you made a generalization. I never give my trash to the cashier. If I have something to throw away, I often look at the register behind me to see if there is a trash can. If so, I throw it away, if not, I hold onto it.

My OP is based on what I've seen from many years of shopping, eisor. If you personally discard your own trash, then more power to you, but surely you must have also witnessed the behavior of other customers who are not as considerate.

[peanutbutter8204]

That's Just wrong!!!!

[Greer]

That is foul and wrong.

[myrdale]

A thief is a thief, no matter how they try to rationallize it.

I wonder about the supermarkets thoughts on the matter. I would imagine they just ignore it, knowing it is going to happen no matter what.

[SoCalifrugal]

I did this as a kid because my mom did so. I didn't realize that it was wrong until I took more than she normally did and she called it stealing. I was like....oh. It is, even just one piece.

I don't buy candy. Whatever I get for free by other (legal) means is enough. I try to be healthy.

[SnoopyCool]

I saw something similiar this weekend. My wife and I went strawberry picking. They charge you $6.95 for a huge basket that you can fill yourself. It was a huge basket too. There were a few other customers who were picking strawberries. At least two of them ate a few strawberries whiole out in the field. That is stealing just like if you stole a single tootsie roll out of a bulk bin.

The "U Pick It" place I go to every year for blueberries openly states that we can eat as many blueberries as we want while we are picking them for our baskets. Do you think the strawberry place has a similar policy?

On a similar note as the original theme of this thread: one time my daughter pulled a jar of baby food off of the shelf and broke it. I hunted-down a clerk so I could get supplies to clean up the mess and pay for the jar. She told me that I needn't pay for it, as the store carried insurance for such things. Do you think that a certain amount of theft is grouped into this "insurance", as well?

[floridaharris]

Well that's the last time I buy anything from a bulk container! Yuck!