Pregnant woman arrested for eating sandwich @ store, not paying for it

[Andara Bledin]

Really? I could have sworn I've seen those security devices at other big box stores.

He didn't say they didn't use them. He said that they don't use them on every product, and they won't use them on 2/$5 sandwiches. They use them on high-shrink items like DVDS, booze, and similar, not the groceries.

As for the husband, there's not enough data to know what he was doing. For all we know, by the time they got to checkout, he could have been at the end of the checkout counter holding the little girl. There's just not enough data to do much more than speculate, and as we've seen, without the data, it's very easy to speculate the wrong thing and then treat it as if it were the way things actually happened.

^-.-^

[DrFaroohk]

There's just not enough data to do much more than speculate, and as we've seen, without the data, it's very easy to speculate the wrong thing and then treat it as if it were the way things actually happened.

^-.-^

Exactly. And the way things work, THEIR version is the one we'll be accepting until someone else proves otherwise. As it stands, they are right. It was an accident, no big deal, and mishandled by the store. When someone shows me proof to the contrary (and by proof, I mean, proof, not another half-baked theory about disrespecting the grocery store) I'll reconsider.

[MaggieTheCat]

That one article even mentions that the husband was helping another clerk retrieve a roll of quarters that she dropped.

So let's see. Quarters on the ground being gathered up. 2 year old daughter needs to be watched and we all know that all kids are great 100% of the time when they're out right? No chance she was being difficult or distracting? Groceries being rung up. And on top of that, they needed to figure out where they were going to go from there, since they were in a new city and didn't know their way around.

Yeah, I don't see how the husband could have possibly forgotten about a sandwich wrapper in the bottom of their cart. /sarcasm

They brain-farted. Everyone does from time to time. No one is perfect. I can see exactly how both of them forgot about those sandwiches in the rush.

[Nyoibo]

None of these extenuating circumstances however negate the simple fact that had they bought the damn sandwiches before they ate them there would have been no problem, a simple play by the rules and shit won't happen, while I may not agree with what happened they really brought it upon themselves.

[Andara Bledin]

Nobody has argued against that they could have avoided everything if they'd just paid first.

While they did bring extra scrutiny upon themselves, the full reaction of the store was far beyond the scope of their alleged crime. Since it can be shown that they were not acting with clear intent to steal the sandwiches, they did not legally commit larceny.

Nobody should be persecuted in such a manner for a simple lapse of sense that caused no damage and would have been easily rectified with but a moment's time. Considering that the store appears to have known, prior to checkout, that the couple had eaten the sandwiches, all it would have taken was for the clerk to go, "are those wrappers yours?" and they would have said "Oh, yeah, thanks for reminding us," paid and been on their way.

The couple's lapse of judgment may have led to the store's actions, but it in no way excuses them.

^-.-^

[Lace Neil Singer]

The shopping cart full of groceries?

Strange, I manage to shop and also remember to pay for everything. Guess I'm unique.

[Andara Bledin]

Strange, I manage to shop and also remember to pay for everything. Guess I'm unique.

There will come a day when you forget something like this.

If your fortunate, you won't be put through the sort of trial this couple was.

^-.-^

[Lace Neil Singer]

I doubt it, since I'm obsessed with remembering stuff. Not as much as I used to be, but still.

In any case, I never eat food I haven't paid for. I don't agree with it. While the punishment was over the top, the fact remains that the couple DID steal the sandwiches. Maybe next time they'll remember to pay before they eat.

[bainsidhe]

Was it an overreaction? Sure. And you better believe I'd be damn pissed and shouting from the rooftops if I were treated similarly. But I also wonder if things would've gone so far had it been two unopened and uneaten sandwiches they forgot to pay for. Or a case of water under the cart, or dog food, etc etc. The truth is we'll never know. Store LP & management seemed to be gunning for this couple.

Truthfully, eating before paying was a huge peeve of mine as a cashier, specifically because of the rampant theft I saw from my little register. I'd find already-opened snack containers hidden behind other merchandise, or SCs would quietly toss their now-empty chicken wing container before they checked out. Buying other groceries doesn't mean you get freebies. Doubly frustrating was how damn obvious people could be about it. For example, when someone says they "changed their mind" about getting a bunch of grapes, I expect there to be more than 3 grapes left on the mass of stems.

[HYHYBT]

The suggestion of sensor tags is an interesting one, seeing as to work they'd have had to be *inside* the sandwiches.

[Gravekeeper]

Exactly. And the way things work, THEIR version is the one we'll be accepting until someone else proves otherwise. As it stands, they are right. It was an accident, no big deal, and mishandled by the store. When someone shows me proof to the contrary (and by proof, I mean, proof, not another half-baked theory about disrespecting the grocery store) I'll reconsider.

In the absence of any evidence one way or another, all hypothesis are valid and we can only assume possible scenarios. Which we did. Until we finally got more evidence and the discussion evolved accordingly. Asking to see proof to the contrary after recieving proof of the contrary contrary is silly. There was also no half baked theory about disrepecting the grocery store, that was a seperate issue and simply an opinion of manners of which we all seem to differ. Which we are, oddly enough, permitted to do.

The suggestion of sensor tags is an interesting one, seeing as to work they'd have had to be *inside* the sandwiches.

Well....that would be pretty effective in identifying culprits. >.>

[draco664]

Safeway in Australia don't seem to be this anal about LP procedures.

I go shopping there all the time. Once, I put a pair of CR batteries in the trolley, the pack was about a quarter the size of a matchbox. I went up and paid, but the batteries were in the corner of the trolley and I missed paying for them.

Walked out with my groceries, loaded up the car. Noticed the batteries in the corner of the trolley and went back in with them. I told the customer service person that I'd accidentally walked out with then and hadn't paid, so could I pay for them now.

The response? Sure, no problem. Thanks for your honesty. Please come again soon.

The store in the story sounds like it's manned with morons who pick up on the 'accidental' shoplifters because it's so much easier than going after the ones that deliberately steal large quantities.

[Nyoibo]

Slightly different circumstance, most supermarkets in Australia also have a "no grazing" policy however with which they can and do use to kick you out of the store with.

[blas87]

I may be assholish, but I just don't understand why anyone feels entitled to grab food at the store and graze/snack before paying, with the only exception being those samples people hand out in the deli and whatnot.

I have done my grocery shopping with my stomach rumbling like the original Exorcist after a 12 hour shift and not eating since 10 pm the night before. I still didn't justify it as a reason to grab something, open it and eat it before I paid.

[Gravekeeper]

I may be assholish, but I just don't understand why anyone feels entitled to grab food at the store and graze/snack before paying, with the only exception being those samples people hand out in the deli and whatnot.

Ah, Costco <3