Is this stealing?

[Aliceacc]

Taking something from a store without paying for it is stealing.

One grape, one strawberry, one anything.

 

[kimmar067]

I watched in horror once as a woman sampled food from the buffet at a Wegmans. You know the buffet where you can make a plate for lunch/dinner, etc.? It's priced by weight. She went to each food, put a nice size portion in her hand and shoved it in her mouth.

I do consider it stealing, plus it's disgusting!

.....EWWWWW, that's just plain GROSS!

 

[kimmar067]

I sample ONE grape before purchasing them. We don't always have the freshest produce up here, and if I'm paying $5 a pound for grapes, I want to make sure they are not sour or "flabby."....

....I confess that I do this also, and 99% of the time, I purchase the bag of grapes that I've sampled. There may have been an instance or two where I tried a grape -not good- and picked another bag, but got the same result. I simply came to the conclusion that the entire 'batch' was not a good one....I didn't continue sampling every bag of grapes in the store.

[BTW, I don't sample cherries - I just buy a bag with the darkest ones.]

....and yes, STEALING.

 

[L&Lfan]

If you want to see legendary stealing in action, go to a casino buffet.

 

[kimmar067]

Taking something from a store without paying for it is stealing.

One grape, one strawberry, one anything.

....hmmm, never heard of sampling strawberries....

 

[kimmar067]

I can see small children doing this, but teenagers? I can understand "tasting" one, but I would not want to sit there and eat unwashed grapes/cherries. If they're doing it as teens I can't imagine when they first started doing it.

....what I don't get is that no store employees saw this happening?

 

[kimmar067]

If you want to see legendary stealing in action, go to a casino buffet.

...what are the odds?

 

[mi*vida*loca]

...

 

[DaisyJ]

Fresh Market in my town encourages its customers to sample all sorts of things. The chocolates, trail mix, nuts, dried fruit mixtures...anything you can shovel up and pop in your mouth. First time I ever got up the courage to do it, I felt like I was stealing. Kept looking over my shoulder to see if other shoppers were staring but none were. In fact, many put me to shame sampling. But to stand and eat grapes while talking...NO!

A great example of why I don't buy things in bulk at the grocery store or in open containers (other than the aforementioned grapes).

 

[bookgirl]

I usually do try one grape or cherry to try it out before I buy but it's 1, not a handful.

I don't consider that stealing, and considering I'm kind of weird about germs otherwise I'm not sure why it doesn't gross me out.



It's the banana people who confuse me. Mom is shopping gives kid a banana. More hygienic than a grape and bananas are cheap, but still.

 

[smiths02]

I usually do try one grape or cherry to try it out before I buy but it's 1, not a handful.

I don't consider that stealing, and considering I'm kind of weird about germs otherwise I'm not sure why it doesn't gross me out.



It's the banana people who confuse me. Mom is shopping gives kid a banana. More hygienic than a grape and bananas are cheap, but still.

Some stores just sell bananas as 50cents each or whatever.

 

[Sanchez]

Taking something from a store without paying for it is stealing.

One grape, one strawberry, one anything.

I agree. Everyone on here seems to be against stealing but the numerous excuses to justify stealing are fairly amusing. Just one (of anything - even a grape) constitutes stealing.

I doubt those who eat their way through the grocery store would be brave enough to admit it, but "sampling" without an invitation from the store is stealing. Stealing a little versus stealing a lot may be different in degree, but it is still stealing.

 

[mom2travel]

I also say it's stealing - they are taking something for which they have not paid and do not intend to pay. FWIW I don't sample, but don't have an issue with those who take one to make sure. The most I do is open the berry containers to make sure there are no moldy or mushy ones hidden that you can't see from the outside - so annoying to get home and find those the next day

 

[bcla]

I agree. Everyone on here seems to be against stealing but the numerous excuses to justify stealing are fairly amusing. Just one (of anything - even a grape) constitutes stealing.

I doubt those who eat their way through the grocery store would be brave enough to admit it, but "sampling" without an invitation from the store is stealing. Stealing a little versus stealing a lot may be different in degree, but it is still stealing.

I get the attitude, but in reality what business is going to go through the effort of prosecuting a customer for sampling a single cherry or a single grape? There are far more serious concerns such as people hiding stuff in backpacks or eating through entire packages of stuff without paying. A DA being asked to prosecute someone sampling a single cherry is going to respond with "Why are you wasting my time with this?"

Most U-pick fruit orchards have the attitude that one is welcome to sample while picking, as it's an accepted practice and the costs are built into their pricing model. Having a published policy certainly helps, like these:

http://www.drapergirlscountryfarm.com/u-pick_produce.html

Can I eat fruit while in the orchard?
Sampling a piece of fruit is an expected activity, however, guests must respect the work we put into growing the fruit by eating multiple fruits per family. Put all the fruit you pick into your bucket, not your belly. We ask that one bite (or one cherry, eg.) suffice to satisfy your urge to eat while you pick. The orchard is our livelihood, so we do ask that you pay before you eat. This will keep prices from increasing in the future, supports local agriculture and keeps our farm in business!

http://www.brentwoodfruit.com/frequently_asked_questions.htm#How_much_does_it_cost__

NOTE: While we encourage you to sample the fruit to know what you are getting, Please remember this is our sole income (once a year) and THIS IS NOT AN ALL YOU CAN EAT OPPORTUNITY​

 

[sam_gordon]

I agree. Everyone on here seems to be against stealing but the numerous excuses to justify stealing are fairly amusing. Just one (of anything - even a grape) constitutes stealing.

I doubt those who eat their way through the grocery store would be brave enough to admit it, but "sampling" without an invitation from the store is stealing. Stealing a little versus stealing a lot may be different in degree, but it is still stealing.

And going 1mph over the speed limit is speeding. So I'm curious... do you only do the speed limit?

 

[Sanchez]

And going 1mph over the speed limit is speeding. So I'm curious... do you only do the speed limit?

Not certain why you are curious about speeding when the subject is stealing. Let me simplify:

"Sampling" 1 grape = stealing
Driving 1 mile per hour over the speed limit = speeding

Both are technical violations of the law but are relatively harmless and almost certainly would not be prosecuted. And yes, I speed every single time I drive. Sometimes I drive 80+ in a 70 zone.

I am an admitted violator of the law! And if I did sample fruit that I did not pay for I would also admit that I steal. I am not making any moral judgments but am simply pointing out how many justify theft.

Do you DIS while at work while on the clock? Do you take supplies from work? Do you fudge your taxes? Are some, all or none of these theft?

 

[sam_gordon]

Not certain why you are curious about speeding when the subject is stealing. Let me simplify:

"Sampling" 1 grape = stealing
Driving 1 mile per hour over the speed limit = speeding

Both are technical violations of the law but are relatively harmless and almost certainly would not be prosecuted. And yes, I speed every single time I drive. Sometimes I drive 80+ in a 70 zone.

I am an admitted violator of the law! And if I did sample fruit that I did not pay for I would also admit that I steal. I am not making any moral judgments but am simply pointing out how many justify theft.

Do you DIS while at work while on the clock? Do you take supplies from work? Do you fudge your taxes? Are some, all or none of these theft?

I read your post as being judgmental against those "sampling". If that's not what you meant, I apologize.

 

[Nancyg56]

You should make this a poll---- Yes, I think it's stealing. I can see sampling ONE grape, or ONE cherry, but to stand there and eat one after the other, is stealing.

I always test a grape before buying. Sometimes they really are awful.

 

[Aliceacc]

The question wasn't "Will I be prosecuted for stealing a grape?"

It was "Is this stealing?"

The fact that you're likely to get away with something doesn't make it right, it merely makes it easy.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

If you want to see legendary stealing in action, go to a casino buffet.

My father-in-law used to do this all the time. It was embarrassing to go with him. He'd take a gristly steak, put it between bread, and wrap it with a napkin. Once he even took half the canister of dried crushed red pepper flakes. When DW said something, he snort "Mind your own business." He'd often get coupons to eat for free or really cheap, but the casino still "owed" him because he played so much.

I once saw an older woman load up at least a dozen tupperware containers and put them in her shopping bag. The servers don't say anything, nor do I think they even care.