"Where I come from we PAY before we eat"

[Jester]

SC: "They are KIDS and they were HUNGRY....you want me to say NO to hungry children."

Well.....yes. Yes, we do. It might just teach them to have some patience, and that they can't always get what they want when they want it, and that things have to be paid for before they are eaten, and, the crazies concept of all, that you, the parent, are in charge, not them.

This may all sound revolutionary to some people, but these are the things I learned from my parents in the Seventies when I was growing up. I was hungry? Well, I could damn well wait for it. And if I decided I couldn't wait for it, my father would remind me why it was a good idea to listen to my mother when she told me to wait for it.

Sure, I was a thieving little shoplifter in my early teens. That didn't mean my parents didn't teach me those lessons. It meant that, as a selfish little shit, I knew that what I was doing was wrong, and did it anyway. Later, as an adult, I would take those lessons to heart, and I understood them more. Which I might never have done if they had not been taught to me in the first place.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

I'll admit to opening and using some tissues in the store before getting to cash, when my kid had a huge gooey sneeze all over his hands, face and the front of his shirt, while in the middle of an aisle. The store manager saw me, and gave me a 'you have to pay for things' in a pretty snotty tone too. His admonishment left me so intimidated about opening things before paying, I can't imagine having the nerve to eat products from the store I haven't paid for yet.

[Silent-Hunter]

I would have done the same thing. Plus, I think he was very rude to say that, how does he know you're not going to pay? Now if you tried to leave afterward, THEN he should say that.

[Raveni]

When I was at Grocery Store, I set up a code for my cashiers to use that was $5.00 "Food Eaten In Store".

[taxguykarl]

I can understand eating a candy bar and giving the wrapper to the cashier.......

If you are diabetic and have a sudden blood sugar crash.

I did that sort of thing back in the days of paper checks (i.e. 90's). I forgot a pen, so I took one out of the package to write out all the info except the amount. The cashier noted that the package was empty and I waved the pen. She said something along the lines of 'I see'.

[sstabeler]

I'll admit to opening and using some tissues in the store before getting to cash, when my kid had a huge gooey sneeze all over his hands, face and the front of his shirt, while in the middle of an aisle. The store manager saw me, and gave me a 'you have to pay for things' in a pretty snotty tone too. His admonishment left me so intimidated about opening things before paying, I can't imagine having the nerve to eat products from the store I haven't paid for yet.

it's less of a problem with stuff like tissues, which are a fixed price per pack- there, provided you let the cashier know to charge you for the pack, the store isn't out anything. the actual issue is with people who buy things charged by weight. There, it becomes impossible for the store to be sure they are charging you the full amount.

[MoonCat]

I hate people like this. Your children are not going to starve to death in the time it takes you to finish shopping. And hey! Here's an idea! Feed your spawn BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING.

[Sapphire Silk]

SC: "They are KIDS and they were HUNGRY....you want me to say NO to hungry children."

No. I want you to bring the fucking food to the register and PAY FOR IT before giving it to your little hellions.

SC: "SERIOUSLY...you are going to charge me FULL PRICE!?!? I want to speak to the manager...NOW!!"

Me: "Sure let me get her" I stand in place, extend my hand and introduce myself as the Customer Service Manager AND the manager of the day.

Pwned!

[XCashier]

And hey! Here's an idea! Feed your spawn BEFORE YOU GO SHOPPING.

That's what I always did when my kid was little. I made sure he was fed, clean and rested before taking him anywhere. As a result, he didn't demand anything, simply sat in his FloppySeat-covered trolley seat and happily enjoyed the ride. And I got a lot of compliments on how well-behaved he was.

[Anakah]

I worked in a family dollar once and I saw this lady who let her spawn suck on and eat TOOTHPASTE! I almost threw up AND I had to scan it.

[HawaiianShirts]

Got what she deserved, frankly. Yes, kids get hungry, but it's not going to kill them to wait 15 to 20 minutes while you shop and check out. Then they can enjoy a snack in the car

We have fruit-and-grain bars in the car exactly for this purpose, and we generally make sure to have dinner before going grocery shopping. I remember being a kid and getting hungry in the store. I didn't get to eat anything until I got back home afterward, or maybe a snack in the car if I was lucky.

This may all sound revolutionary to some people, but these are the things I learned from my parents in the Seventies when I was growing up. I was hungry? Well, I could damn well wait for it. And if I decided I couldn't wait for it, my father would remind me why it was a good idea to listen to my mother when she told me to wait for it.

Dang straight!

We have a deal with Little Shirts, an idea from a "Berenstain Bears" book. If he's cooperative and not whiny on our weekly shopping trips, he gets to pick out a whatever-he-wants up to about $2. Sometimes it's candy or chips; sometimes it's a toy; last week it was a water bottle that looked vaguely like a candy cane. If he whines or misbehaves, no treat. So far, it has worked perfectly.

And I always make sure to loudly point out to Little Shirts when I see other customers eating the produce before buying it or abandoning perishables on a random shelf. Now he points them out to me, too, and he's not shy about it.

[manybellsdown]

I got yelled at once in a grocery store because I told my kid to stop eating broccoli out of the bin. Not by the actual staff, mind you. By another parent. She was appalled that I would tell my child not to eat a vegetable. I believe her actual words were "If my child ate broccoli I'd never tell them to stop!"

She can have all the broccoli she wants after I PAY for it! You want your precious angelmuffin to eat unwashed stolen broccoli, that's your lookout, lady.

[veniteangeli]

I agree with others. If it has a barcode, it's going to scan how it's going to scan no matter how much is eaten. It's still kind of iffy, and you should still be teaching your kids to pay first, but I can forgive it if you bring me the barcode.

If it doesn't have a barcode you know damn well it has to be weighed, so if you're eating it or giving it to your children to eat before it's been weighed, you are a thief. Period. And shoplifters can and ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law IMHO.

[eltf177]

If it doesn't have a barcode you know damn well it has to be weighed, so if you're eating it or giving it to your children to eat before it's been weighed, you are a thief. Period. And shoplifters can and ought to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law IMHO.

But that's...that's poor customer service! Remember, the customer is ALWAYS right!

Seriously. If more stores would prosecute then this sort of crap would stop, or at least take a serious downturn...

[computeraide]

That aside, he did eat part of the wrapper, which freaked out the cashier, the poor girl. I just looked at her and said tiredly, "He didn't eat that much of it, so it'll come out alright in the end."

Well, that's just FIBER right there! haha