Sampling Food in the Supermarket...Stealing?

Hiya Guys and Dolls,

I just recently read an article where a girl ate free samples in a supermarket and was arrested. The supermarket later apologized for the error once they realized they were free nibbles for the customer to try.

It got me to thinking how plenty of shoppers go into a grocery store and sample fruit, bins of candy etc that are not free. Have you ever done this and would you consider that stealing?

Lips

Yep,I use to taste the grapes ALL the time and no I didn't consider it stealing...I had to make sure thet were good...right??!!

Technically, I guess it's stealing if you haven't paid for it but I think there's some leniency on fruit, loose candy etc. If you were breaking open packages of cookies to "sample" that could be a problem. And hey, if the fruit isn't good then it's not fit for sale right? So it ain't stealing. 

That's what i am saying rose girl! Sometimes i have to eat a few just to make sure. Let's not forget about cherries too!

Lips

I have tasted grapes quite often, a cherry here and there, and no I don't think it is stealing. But in almost any produce department an employee is only too happy to cut up a peach, apple, or other fruit or veggie if you ask about them.

I went shopping with an uncle once as a kid and only once. He popped the tops on a few beers, leaving the cans here and there. Had a few pretzels and peanuts to go with them. A few other things called out to his appetite as he went and he ate those too, just as bold as you please without even a momentary hesitation. Now, that was stealing!

katt

I personally don't eat food on my way round the store however, I will ask to taste the cheese on the cheese counter and they are only too happy to give me a lump of that for free....yum!

If people open packs and eat the goods, I think that should be classed as stealing.

I was in the cafe in the local store the other day and a mother sent her son up to the counter to steal a couple of chocolate hedgehogs.  He was so bold about it too, he just walked right up and took them.  Outrageous.

blue

That is outrageous blue... for an adult to teach a child that sort of thing is beyond bad.

I was going to ask you what a chocolate hedgehog was, but decided I would search with google and lo and behold I found this picture of rosebud with a 24 pound choccy hedgehog!




katt

LOL Great pic.

These hedgehogs the child stole are about an inch wide by 1.5 inches long in a plastic see through packet.

Teaching their kids to steal, well... that's a bad parenting.

Of course it's not stealing if someone eats free samples. Anything else, I would consider that as stealing.

The free samples OFFERED as free samples is not theft.  But, all else is.  Taking something you did not pay for is THEFT.

guess i better stop sampling the grapes  no really i never saw it as stealing

rena.....lol,well you are far from being a hardened criminal!  But, talk to a grocery store manager sometime....lots of people "sample" quite a bit.

i guess if one out of every 10 people sample then it would put more cost on the store who then happily charge higher rates to us to make up the loss really does make u think huh 8'|