Just Wow

[MelindaJoy77]

So I am ringing up customers yesterday as usual, it was a decent day overall, and then this lady comes through with her young son (perhaps 3 or 4 years old) who is "snacking" on a box of Mike & Ike candy. I'm ringing her groceries and suddenly come across an empty bottle of sprinkles. Ya know, the colored sugar you use to jazz up your cakes or cookies. It's empty but the plastic seal isn't even broken. Weird, I thought. I asked the lady if it was in her cart and she merrily says "Yes! He ate them!" with this "Oh kids!" kind of smile. I'm staring at it trying to figure out wtf possessed this lady to let her kid eat a bottle of sugar AND then give him a box of candy. I'm staring at it long enough that apparently she thought I didn't know what they were because the next thing she says, with that same smile and a bunch of laughter, "They're sprinkles!"

I've seen a new low, because the only thing I could think of is just wow. Wow. I was SO close to telling her off.....

[roxtar]

my parents always said "we can't eat that until we pay for it. it still belongs to the store".
made perfect sense to me... plus if you can't go half an hour without stuffing your face, you have a problem.

[wolfie]

Couple questions:

1) How the heck did the kid manage to eat the sprinkles without breaking the plastic seal?

2) How many empty containers are scattered around the store (kid ate contents before getting to cash registers)?

3) Kid is clearly going to be on a "sugar rush" - how bad will his behaviour at the next store be?

4) Will kid have any teeth left by the time his "permanent" ones are ready to erupt?

[Mondestrucken]

I once was in line at the drug store, and the woman in front of me broke open the package of medicine and started feeding one to her young child. "But, mommy! You haven't paid for it yet!"

"This is an emergency," the mother said. "They will understand." And she paid for the package.

THAT I had no problem with! I think it was some kind of winter flu remedy, but the child obviously understood the rules, and judging by the croaky voice and flushed appearance, I think the mother did the right thing.

Your example? Yuck.

[thehuckster]

My mother didn't give me much super sugary candy until I was about 7 or 8. When you're 3-4 your body is so small, a regular sized pack of candy is proportional to eating 4 or 5 in one sitting when you're an adult.

I never understood why some people enjoy sprinkles by themselves. Sugar all by itself really has little taste at all. It's better when it's sweetening something else that actually has taste and texture, much like how a little salt can enhance flavoring.

[MelindaJoy77]

My mother didn't give me much super sugary candy until I was about 7 or 8. When you're 3-4 your body is so small, a regular sized pack of candy is proportional to eating 4 or 5 in one sitting when you're an adult.

I never understood why some people enjoy sprinkles by themselves. Sugar all by itself really has little taste at all. It's better when it's sweetening something else that actually has taste and texture, much like how a little salt can enhance flavoring.

My mom was pretty much the same, although we did go trick-or-treating pretty young but she kept the candy in the pantry and didn't let us overindulge. Same with cookies like Oreos and such. We were taught that they are treats and I've raised my daughter the same way.

I don't get eating a bottle of sprinkles either, but I have a feeling it was more along the lines of this mom being one of those moms who just gives her kid whatever he points at and whines over. I just don't get it!

[MoonCat]

Ewww. I love sweet things, and I like to put sprinkles on ice cream or cakes occasionally, but eating a whole bottle full? OMG.

And she probably complains about high dentist bills...or she will be...

[bankworking]

I always hate how much candy the kids get from relatives. My seven year old is JUST to the age where we're okay with her having candy on a semi-regular basis. My two year old? No. Just no. They don't need candy every day or every week. They don't need a pile of candy for Thanksgiving. They aren't done with the portioned-out Halloween candy yet. Thanksgiving! Who gives candy for Thanksgiving? My in-laws, that's who.

As for stores, IF my seven year old remembers to bring her own quarters, we'll let her buy a single piece of candy from the coin machines after we're done shopping. That's MORE than enough sweets.

[Sapphire Silk]

So I am ringing up customers yesterday as usual, it was a decent day overall, and then this lady comes through with her young son (perhaps 3 or 4 years old) who is "snacking" on a box of Mike & Ike candy. I'm ringing her groceries and suddenly come across an empty bottle of sprinkles. Ya know, the colored sugar you use to jazz up your cakes or cookies. It's empty but the plastic seal isn't even broken. Weird, I thought. I asked the lady if it was in her cart and she merrily says "Yes! He ate them!" with this "Oh kids!" kind of smile.

Well, I think she's crazy to do it, but at least she paid for the stuff!

my parents always said "we can't eat that until we pay for it. it still belongs to the store".
made perfect sense to me... plus if you can't go half an hour without stuffing your face, you have a problem.

My parents were the same way. I did have a clerk get on me once; I was drinking a Gatorade as I stood in line to pay for it; she told me, "you know you don't own that until you pay for it; technically it's shoplifting."

I was offended at the time, but having been here awhile I now get it.

I once was in line at the drug store, and the woman in front of me broke open the package of medicine and started feeding one to her young child. "But, mommy! You haven't paid for it yet!"

"This is an emergency," the mother said. "They will understand." And she paid for the package.

THAT I had no problem with! I think it was some kind of winter flu remedy, but the child obviously understood the rules, and judging by the croaky voice and flushed appearance, I think the mother did the right thing.

I absolutely agree! It takes awhile for medicine to start working; the earlier you get it in you the better.

[bainsidhe]

2) How many empty containers are scattered around the store (kid SCs ate contents before getting to cash registers)?

Corrected that for you. And it happens all. the. time. The ones that always got me raging (internally, mind you. Heaven forbid I accuse a shoplifter) were the deli thieves. They'd get a little tub of tasty chicken wings/bits and gobble them down while in the checkout line. They would then put the empty container on the shelf behind them, while I watched. (Dude, that is NOT a trash can!) That, or they would actually hand me the empty container to throw away. I'd pleasantly ask if they'd like me to ring it up separately or add it to their current transaction, and they would tell me they already paid for it. Of course if that were true, they wouldn't have acted half-starved, waiting until the moment they were checking out to gobble their tasty treats. Because if you were that hungry, they'd already be gone while you finished shopping. And if you already paid for them, why go to a different register to wait in line to check out the rest of the groceries.

Also had a few people "change their mind" about buying grapes. The bag of stems that had only a few grapes left, I mean. How ballsy.

[JustaCashier]

Mondestrucken, on the surface, your example shows great parenting on the part of the Mother.

She (legitimately) justified, to her child, her reason for opening and giving the medicine to the child, instead of just brushing of the child's concern, and saying something like "...well don't you worry about that."

Plus, the fact that the child was concerned, implies that the child is being raised to understand that an item does not belong to them until it's actually paid for.

Consuming products before purchase has always bothered me as well.

Very technically, it IS stealing, since the item hasn't been paid for, and even if the person has every, sincere, intent to pay, what if there credit/debit card doesn't go through, due to some glitch with their account, and they have no other means to pay?

Several years ago, I DID open and use a (non-food) item before purchase, but, I cleared it with an employee after explaining my situation.

I needed to buy compression socks, and it been a few years since I had done so, so I didn't remember what size I needed, or even so, needed the proper size for how swollen my legs were at that time.

So, I grabbed one of those tape measures that is used in sewing, told the employee what I needed to do and that I would pay for that tape measure as well as at least one pair of socks, and then measured my legs.

The other option, would have been to buy the tape first, measure, then go back through the line to buy the socks.

Not something I wanted to hassle with, so soon after the hospitalization, and still in a weakened condition.

Mike

[Food Lady]

I ring up drinks and food people have consumed all the time and we have no problem with that. I guess it depends on management.

[KatherineB]

I always hate how much candy the kids get from relatives. My seven year old is JUST to the age where we're okay with her having candy on a semi-regular basis. My two year old? No. Just no. They don't need candy every day or every week. They don't need a pile of candy for Thanksgiving. They aren't done with the portioned-out Halloween candy yet. Thanksgiving! Who gives candy for Thanksgiving? My in-laws, that's who.

I must admit to leaning towards chocolates/candy for presents, but mostly for those people for whom I have no idea what to buy. Perhaps (if you haven't already) you can offer your in-laws a list of cheap alternatives for them to buy (toys, books, decorative jewellery, etc) that they can buy instead. Then again, you may already do this and they just go their own merry way.

[greek_jester]

Consuming products before purchase has always bothered me as well.

Very technically, it IS stealing, since the item hasn't been paid for, and even if the person has every, sincere, intent to pay, what if there credit/debit card doesn't go through, due to some glitch with their account, and they have no other means to pay?

I have, on occasion, eaten a Twix part-way round doing the weekly shop. This is because when my blood sugar drops (not diabetic (yet)) I get very woozy, and as I am the only driver in my house we're rather stuck. Since it takes a while for the sugar rush to kick in it's easier to eat the Twix part-way around so that I'm OK to drive once we check out.

In my defence, it's always in Asda with my sister (she works there so we get the staff discount) and I make sure to get the multi-pack so that I won't forget to put the empty packet through.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I ring up drinks and food people have consumed all the time and we have no problem with that. I guess it depends on management.

I remember that conundrum from my days at the checkout.

It's not a problem if the person hands over the empty packet/bottle/can right from the start. It is a problem if they try and hide the empty container, or if they consume weighed items.

For example, if your kid is getting peckish in the fruit and veg section, please grab a bag of apples and give him one of those. Do NOT grab an apple from the loose section, then try to hand me the chewed core to put in the bin, then get pissy cuz I insist that you still have to pay for it. And stand there huffing and puffing while I call a supervisor to get another apple for me to weigh to replace the one your kid ate. Oh, and she's also getting me some more grapes to weigh to replace that bag of stalks you handed me cuz you also felt peckish in the fruit and veg section.