Bananarama

[BookBint]

Half an hour ago. Supermarket self checkout queue. BookBint is tired and carrying a very heavy basket. She watches in resigned irritation the following exchange.

EW: Woman who thinks rules don't apply
CG: Checkout girl
AW: Amazing woman in queue

EW: Excuse me. Excuuuuuse me!
CG: Yes, how can I help?
EW: This won't scan!
CG: There you go.
EW: Hmph. Takes a bite of the banana she's been eating while scanning with one hand, slowing everything down
CG: Excuse me, did you get the banana here?
EW: Yes.
CG: Well you'll have to weigh and pay for it.
EW: But it's half eaten! Germs from the scales might get on it!
AW: You should have thought of that before stealing from the shop...

Everybody giggled in a very British way. EW slammed the banana down and crossed her arms, waiting for CG to weigh it, which she did with eyebrows raised. Then EW stomped off. Faaaaail.

[EvilEmpryss]

I would have made sure to charge her double for that particular banana. She'd eaten half of it before it was weighed, so she got half of it for free.

[shadowpanda]

When I was younger (and to be very honest, I still do it occasionally, much to my boyfriends horror) I used to open a drink from the shop, drink it on my way round, then pay for it at the end. I only ever did it when doing a large shop where I was in there for upwards of an hour. I know it's not right, but I would never dream of doing on something that is valued by weight.

[Raveni]

When I worked as a grocery manager, we set up a PLU 1000 that rang up on the register (where the customers could see it) "FOOD EATEN IN STORE - $1.00". Told the cashiers to ring up that PLU instead of the banana peel or the half a bag of grapes that the customer was snacking on for the past 9 aisles. Eventually, it came natural enough that observant coworkers would just pipe up in a friendly way "Grapes! PLU 1000!" when they saw it, and the cashier would add it on.

This happened several times a day, but not a single customer complained. I guess that would be an expensive bananna...


Now, if the customer let us know up front, "hey I'm a diabetic and picked up 4 apples but had to eat one because I was feeling lightheaded, can you ring up one twice?" or anything else that made it sound like an honest attempt to pay we would work with them gladly. That would only happen about once a week.

[EvilEmpryss]

I have my kids trained: you want to eat something while shopping? Then take five flippin' minutes to go buy it *before* you do your shopping. Stick the receipt in your pocket so you can prove it later. We do not eat anything we haven't paid for.

I learned that lesson the hard way when I was about 14. I opened a pack of ding dongs on my way back to grab a pint of milk from the case in the back of the store. I was done with the ding dongs and really jonzing for that milk when I got to the register... Which is when I discovered I had a hole in the pocket of my pants and I had no money to pay for any of it.

I came *this close* to getting charged with shoplifting for eating that ding dong. My mom had to come to the store with the money to bail me out, so now I teach my kids that it's not worth the trouble.

[bainsidhe]

How about the woman who hands over a bag of grape stems and about ten grapes to the cashier and says she "changed her mind" and didn't want them. As if the store usually sells just grape stems and I didn't see you snacking in line.

When it comes to fruit, why is it always women? I'm a woman myself and I don't get it.

[Food Lady]

It's men, too--specifically my dad. And why would anyone eat it after other people have touched it?

[lupo pazzesco]

And eating it before taking it home and washing it?? Really?

Bleeeech. Not me. Not this Lupo. Nu uh. Everything gets washed before eaten, when applicable. I don't understand, at ALL.

[DeltaSierra]

Now, if the customer let us know up front, "hey I'm a diabetic and picked up 4 apples but had to eat one because I was feeling lightheaded, can you ring up one twice?" or anything else that made it sound like an honest attempt to pay we would work with them gladly. That would only happen about once a week.

I've actually had to do that on occasion - or an orange/grapes. I'd keep track of what I ate (count the grapes for instance) and have the cashier ring my grapes in then re-weigh say 10 grapes separately to cover what I ate. I've NEVER been given the stink-eye or been harassed by a cashier. Bless them.

[zombiequeen]

If I ever have to eat at a store, I grab a box of crackers or something that isn't weighed. Of course, the last time I had to do that was over three years ago...but I think the cashier was ok with it once I explained why they were open.

[blas]

I'm assuming then it's totally ok to put on lipstick and self tanning lotion and waltz around in the nightie I'm planning on buying soon, right?

[EvilEmpryss]

If you look like Angelina Jolie, then go right ahead.

[Mytical]

I'm assuming then it's totally ok to put on lipstick and self tanning lotion and waltz around in the nightie I'm planning on buying soon, right?

If I owned a store, not only could you..it would be encouraged... Of course MOST customers would be discouraged from doing so. What?

[blas]

I look nothing like Angelina Jolie, but I'm not afraid of that. I'd rather not

I just figured I'd be facetious since some people always seem to want to justify noshing before buying, or sampling when it's not a sample.

*Note that people who are diabetic I truly feel for and wouldn't judge for doing that, I work with a lady who always requires a soda pop nearby her and I understand the difference that can make.

[BeeMused]

I remember having a sneezing fit right in the middle of the supermarket, so I grabbed a near by box of kleenex, and used the content to prevent the results of said fit flying all over the place. *EWWW*
Of course I bought the opened box, explaining to the cashier that I had really needed a kleenex or ten.