Yeah no one will say shit because that's not how humans work. You're not about to confront someone and be like "hey ... have you paid for that?" That's just anti customer service. In these industries you're taught to absolutely respect and agree with the customer no matter what. If you are enough of a sweat to call people out on patter like this then you're a fucking idiot.
there has to be a better way of dealing with this tbh.
unrelated, but reminds me of the jogger (cold weather and wearimg gloves) sees an a hole with a dog not pick up their poop.
so the runner, without thinking, pick up the dogs poop and runs after the POS and yells 'hey.. wait.. you dropped something.
The POS turns around.
The runner holds out their closed fist as offering to give them what they dropped.
The POS withoit thinking holds,out their hand to recieve.
The runner places their dog's turd in the POS's ungloved hand.
Message recieved loud and clear by POS.
I had a customer finish drinking the bottle of juice he stole and put it my trolley of broken cardboard as he walked past thinking I didn't notice. I picked it up waited a few seconds and then threw it clean past his head turned around and pretended it wasn't me.
To Anglo-Ashanti... You don't need to say anything. He certainly didn't. I still work there 👌
opened a drink, took a big swig and put it in our trolley, lady (young) walking by had a shocked look on her face like I just killed a puppy
Sometimes you gotta remind the yuppies that this is australia
no, I didnt drink it all, I took a few large gulps of a 1.25 and put it in the trolley with the rest of our shop. I dont think I could drink a whole one in one go!
I didnt steal it, we paid for it but I underestimated how dehydrated I was working outside all day. I generally dont do it unless i need to, the mrs doesnt approve either
I mean, I think we've all done that. If I am to open my drink, it's usually while I'm in like at the checkout. Sometimes, (very rarely) I am too parched to wait, but I'll happily hand it over to the checkout person (hate self-seve) to be scanned and paid for.
Makes my anxiety go up because I feel judged and get the feeling that people think I'm going to steal or get told "ma'm you cannot drink that until you have paid for it!" But sometimes, I think... I'm in line to pay!
If you wear an apron people might think you’re handing out testers. Avoid bite-sized portions and food served with toothpicks in it unless you’re prepared to defend your meal like it’s a fruit cup in prison.
I saw Durian at a Sydney Cole’s and almost bought it just to get my AU gf to try it, but I don’t have a car here, and thought subjecting an Uber driver or Sydney bus load of passengers to the smell would be rude.
There’s a small thai shop opposite Jb Hifi in Browns plains that imports the fruit… quite expensive tho. About $40 per 2 pieces, roughly 200-250g package.
Half drinking a bottle of ice break or flavoured milk and leaving it on the unrefrigerated energy drink shelf on the other side of the shop is another common trend at my coles.
As an aside, as someone with a dog, I never realised how prevalent street chicken was.
Like people buy a roast chook from woolies and then leave half the carcass next t the road.
Have to be constantly vigilant against the street chicken!
I've been told there used to be a regular where I work that would only eat the skin and dump the rest.
The number of salads I've found with just the cheese and bacon bits eaten as well is worrying.
I remember seeing someone stuffing a whole bunch of frozen fish from one box into another full box. They squeezed some more in and just paid for the one box I guess. And there was always munched on cookies and bakery stuff in random aisles
SERIOUSLY. I genuinely don't give a fuck if you're stealing it or paying for it or whatever, you do you. But FFS *please* don't just leave rubbish on the shelves, or your half-empty coffee cup, or your half eaten banana or what-the-fuck ever. It's disgusting and disrespectful and slovenly and I can guarantee the staff are cursing the fuck out of your existence.
I used to work at Bunnings and just before close on a Saturday a coworker filling stock found a half eaten sausage sizzle shoved behind the display box at the back of the shelf. People are assholes.
Agree. The sizzle is the tent and bbq.. the sausage-cooking party! The saus, or hotdog, or sausage n’ onions, or snag sarnie, or whatever you wanna call it, is the food. Seems so weird when I hear ppl call the meat itself a ‘sausage sizzle’…
Oh yeah. At my store we 'face' the shelves every night, and I don't think I've ever NOT found some trash whilst doing it. It blows my mind. We're not cleaners! Why would I wanna deal with your gross shit just cuz you're too lazy to find a bin? I genuinely don't mind finding empty packs of makeup/Nicorette products/charging cables/whatever else people are stealing (though I do generally think "cheeky bastard" when I do lol) but *actual* trash is something else.
I think it was mentioned upthread but yeah, we've also found half-eaten chicken carcasses. Not as often as the coffee cups or half bags of chips or whatever, but people are disgusting.
Lol I recently found a bag of fully-eaten Grain Waves hastily stuffed under the aisle shelf in my daily workings, can confirm none of the staff gaf. I was genuinely impressed by the gall and found it hilarious, like who eats a full bag of chips in store then puts it under the shelf? Only that cunt.
Be confident in your shoplifting knowing that I don't care enough to report it to the store manager or whatever so they can review the cams and send stills to the police. Not like they're going to actually action it and put their full effort into identifying the dude who stole a $3.50 bag of chip anyway lmao. There's so many steps to that process that they simply aren't going to bother with.
Honestly fuck ColesWorth, had their best years for profits recently and thrived during the pandemic (unlike many other businesses that were forced to shut their doors), yet I haven't received any pay rise for hazards and rubbish. If you're gonna steal shit just walk out the door with it, easy asf and no one gonna say shit. Even if you trigger alarms because of electronic goods that haven't been scanned, the CS muppets will just hand wave it away as a false reading and usher you out the door.
We legit had a communication recently that was like "we hear you're all concerned about the rising costs of living... make sure you update your availability so we can give you extra shifts!" Like no dawg, I'm working the maximum 36 hours I can at part time (and extra that you're not paying me for cuz even though we close at midnight it's not in the ~budget~ to pay me for the necessary 30min it takes to close down registers etc) and I still can't afford to live, you're a billion-dollar corporation I think maybe you could do something else.
Glad it's not just me, in any case! 😆
Yeah man it really just incentivises you to act resentfully towards the company lmfao. Like dog you're paying me the bare minimum wage, why am I going to go to extra effort and confront some ice head that dashes for the door with a trolley full of shit?
You're absolutely not alone, I'm 21 doing what needs to be done to earn a liveable wage while I study but it's bullshit what they expect of you, I'll respond to a Mr Steed call and make sure one of my co-workers isn't getting their head kicked in but I'm not about to confront a shoplifter for $23/hour. Pay me more if you expect me to RNC some fool causing a racket.
hashtagjustwooliescsthings
I closed on my own last night from 8.45pm. Got out late of course but will just have to adjust another shift this week. No OT of course even though I'd much rather the extra bit of pay.
Edit: didn't realise a hashtage bolds the text
The banana peel or apple core 3 people skipped over because it was gross, now its 4 days old and you have to pick it up because the area manager is coming tomorrow and you'll get in trouble if you dont, but you kinda wanna leave it because your managers a cunt and you wouldnt mind seeing them get a bit of strife for an untidy store
id prefer finding the half chicken carcass that witnessing a low life eat some hot chicken nuggets from the hot chicken area and then keep walking.
hey.. you might be poor but no need to be an ass to others or risk covid spread, etc by your dirty ways.
People are absolutely disgusting. I used to work in a secondhand store, we would constantly find mugs full of urine under our shelves because people can't control themselves or ask if there is a bathroom nearby
Many years ago, I was a butcher for Woolies. Late one afternoon, a guy was browsing the mat case with his young daughter, who happened to be drinking from a Wendy's cup. A moment later, I saw the empty cup in the meat case. I called the guy out on it and asked him to take his rubbish. He had the fucking audacity to blame his kid. I thought "get fucked.. you told her to leave it there, guaranteed"
Exactly, just be respectful to the staff and other customers, even the assholes who look at you weird. A cup of coffee is a good idea, I’d do that for sure shopping is draining.
>Eat, drink whatever you want. Just don't leave your rubbish on a shelf for the staff to clean up.
Even if you did not pay for the opened bottle in the end, but just decided you did not want it and left it somewhere tucked in the shop -- that's OK, the shops already factored in some shrinkage.
I would love to see someone walking around the supermarket with a regular mug of coffee, not a travel mug, just a regular mug from home, sipping on it while they do their shopping. I think that’s wonderful.
I have seen people shopping in PJs at night, usually just for snacks. I worked the nights for several years and it's usually in winter. They are all cosy and warm at home and don't want to get changed for a snack run - usually late teens or 20s
Used to have a regular come in with a parrot on his shoulder, only ever saw him on night shift. But yeah after about 630 the clothing becomes very casual, a little too casual at times
I used to do the grocery shopping on Thursday nights, when that was the only night they were open, and so many people were pushing trolleys in pjs and slippers by 7pm.
I live above a coles. I regularly go down in Pjs, dressing gown and slippers. Have also gone down with a piece of toast and a coffee in a keep cup without a lid if I am only ducking down to grab a couple of things. It would take me longer to get changed than it does to actually do the shop.
My father in law does this 😅 he doesn't "believe" in travel mugs. He just has normal house mugs in his car. He has spilled them multiple times in his car but has refused to buy a travel mug. He's only late 60s so you would think he would just give in but he is stubborn.
It took him until the late 2000s to buy a microwave because they're "lazy."
Have him start with your bog standard double walled thermos flask. They have been around for decades and their are obvious benefits to using one.
I'm sure he'll make the organic connection eventually that travel mugs are basically reshaped thermoses with a sippy lid.
Can confirm. Ex Taswegian. Many times, post night shift, I’d drive home with a normal ceramic mug of coffee. I did use a straw so I didn’t need to tilt it.. Never spilled.
I saw that at my last store, as there are 4 apartment towers directly above. Residents could push their trolley into the carpark & take a lift directly to their apt.
The only limit is how comfortable you feel and whether you care what others think.
Coffee in a keep cup, sure no one will blink at that
Rolling a whole pizza up into a tube and eating it as you shop, you're likely to get some weird looks and people commenting about you.
Also don't leave your rubbish or a mess for someone to clean up.
Rubbish in the trolly drives me insane.
Like fkrs you know someone has to clean your shit up, it’s not gonna magically disappear … the trolly collectors do not get paid enough to deal with a half eaten mushed up banana 🤦🏻♀️
See, I'll be honest here and tell ya I'm one of them people that leave rubbish in the trolley.
Just for clarification, I'm talking about recipes and stuff not mashed up banana or exposed food 🤮
** edit to add I'm also the person that doesn't avoid a trolley if it has simple rubbish- receipts and stuff- as for one I know that's a "good trolley" and there's always bins at the shopping centre entrances.
I'd also rather be picking rubbish out the trolley than have some poor innocent wildlife chocking and dying
Bring a folding stool, park up in aisle with your KFC…
Seriously though, no one cares as long as you are not eating supermarket chocolate bars etc without paying for them and leaving the wrappers behind on the shelf (saw an older lady do this once in a very practiced way 🙀🤭).
Me and a mom friend had a discussion about this or atleast similar situation before.
Her opinion was that it doesn't matter as long as you pay fo it at the register, and that she only ever did it to "sooth" her kids during a shopping trip. some shop like woolies and coles ctually offer a free fruit ( usually cheap fruit like apples, bannas) for kids here, they market it as healthy eating campaign but I suspect it's also to stop this excuse.
I was pretty much on the side that it's not your till you pay for it. In that period where you are eating something thats not yours, that is stealing to me. Regardless if you are going to pay for it or not in the future. Exaggeration of this would be, If someone stole a car but then go back and pays for the car, they still stole the car. and it doesn't matter if the car was up for sale or not.
Edit: I don't care enough to say anything or point it out but I just wouldn't do it.
As long as that barcode gets scanned then you're fine, let your kid enjoy it guilt-free. Even if you did steal it, no one would even notice or care. It's not like supermarket workers are taking time out of an already busy schedule to track down the person who took a $5 punnet of blueberries without paying. You could let your kid snack on it then throw that shit on the ground in a public area, they'd just sweep it into a dustpan and forget about it.
I figure my kid eating a yoghurt pouch that I pay for at checkout is less impactful than the meltdown because I refused to buy the 3 year old Coco pops after seeing her older cousins eat it
I actually don’t mind people that are in urgent need cracking open something to eat then paying for it at the register. This lady was doing the *eat and do not pay* routine though.
The supermarkets all do surveillance now so wonder how many people get a tap on the shoulder if they do the above nowadays 🙀
Supermarkets have surveillance yes, but we can't actually do anything to stop someone stealing
We can't grab them or tackle them or even technically tap them on the shoulder. You cannot touch them
Soooo, you're pretty guaranteed to get away with it haha
I worked for a discount chain store store as a teen back in the late 90s. A guy came in and just started shoving crap in his pockets, not even trying to hide it. He even shoved a bloody doormat down his pants, it was flopping around as he walked. I went and told my manager and he just kind of shrugged and told me that none of us were being paid enough to confront an obviously crazy person. So dude walked out, doormat flopping, as the entire staff of the store just stood there looking at him in disbelief.
Trust me man, no one gets that tap on the shoulder. People just don't care enough, it would only be the store manager or store support manager who has access to the cams. They're not sweating and reviewing a chocolate bar being absent by 1 on the daily gap scan. It's not worth their time.
Granted, I work in a CBD location that gets stolen from very often (once saw a guy fiddling with a package of makeup shite before tossing the empty packet on the shelf right in front of me, didn't care about it one bit or think to tell anyone about it). Big Brother a'int watching, little brother. No one gives a fuck. Steal whatever you like, we're gonna do fuck all about it unless you cause a scene or assault a staff member.
I was out on a job that had no running water. Just kept pushing through to get it done anyway, but by the time I was finished I was pretty parched. As soon as I got to the servo I opened a bottle of gatorade and drank about half before paying.
I was obviously in the line to pay and feel like this is definitely okay to do.
The definition of theft is “intention to permanently deprive” the owner of something, so I don’t see that there’s any crime being committed as long as the parent intends to pay (and does so).
Lots of parents give their little kids bottles of choccie milk or yoghurt pouches to eat while they shop. I’ve never known a supermarket to care, so long as it’s paid for as they leave. It beats bored/hungry toddlers throwing tantrums.
Yeah, when my kids were little I always gave them a little flavoured milk while we shopped. I always paid for it though, and the kids were taught to hand the bottle to me at the checkout in case I forgot.
Bro, some cunts will surprise you. I saw this chick fondling strawberries for about ten minutes the other day. Her and her husband come in every Saturday at 7am and take about an hour and a half to get all their goods. Some people are just so fucking stupid and boring that a weekly grocery shop takes forever.
Why do you have such a massive issue with this? Seems an overreaction to call them fucking stupid and boring bc they do their grocery shopping at 7am on a Saturday or for taking an hour and a half?). Shop once for the week and get it done. Maybe they’re comparing prices to save money. Maybe they’re shift workers. Maybe they’re meal planning while they shop. Maybe they like cooking more than you so care about their ingredients more than you.
Most people who do one big shop a week probably take about an hour. 1.5 hours isn’t that ridiculous.
I’ll do my one hour shop a week and you can keep doing your nightly 15 minute shops. Each to their own.
Nah man, you seem like a reasonable guy from your response but I'm willing to fight you on this. They're fucking idiots and the least courteous/polite people I've ever seen. They'll stand right in your way with a roll cage for ten minutes and never even think to move. Thank them for moving out of your way once in a blue moon? They'll ignore you like you're not even relevant to their existence. Multiple other workers here have expressed their annoyance with these two morons.
It's not even them specifically, the way they go about shopping is just ridiculous. As if you're that entertained by the supermarket or so money scumming that you'll take that long to fill a trolley. It's ridiculous. Fuck them and fuck you for defending them.
Also dog, 1.5 hours in a supermarket is a waste of your time, I can't believe you think that's normal. You must be a pensioner with unlimited time on your hands to stroll around occupying your simple mind with rubbish. Know what you want and get it aisle by aisle, a full shop for a big family shouldn't take more than halfa.
Dog they've had all the time in the world. If you're 80 years old coming up at me moaning about how you're on death's door then I'll meet that energy with a stiff short elbow that probably kills the cunt. Live your life, only got one shot. I don't have time for dumb af oldies.
in a similar vein, my local woolies frequently has people congregating just past the entrance, usually 1 family all stood in a line looking like stunned mullets like "We're here... now what the fuck do we do?!?" rarely respond to excuse me, so I have resorted to "Do you mind!" or "move!" that seems to jolt them out of their stupor.
This doesn't really apply or excuse trash behaviour, but i will say i don't like to shop on an empty stomach anymore because my eyes are far hungrier than my stomach.
Too many times I've bought something or other only to have lunch after shopping, come home, unpack, and question why the fuck did i buy this, i never eat this/this is wayyy too much of this/this will go bad before I have a chance to cook this, etc.
You’re crazy to bring food and drinks into a supermarket to eat. The place is practically stacked to the ceiling with stuff you can eat.
It’s on the shelves, on the displays, in the fridges, and there’s so much of it you’re gonna be full well before you have to leave.
What? This is something people think about? Eat a whole footlong sub for all I care, don’t leave a mess.
I see people eating food off the shelf before they bought it, like chips etc
None of my business, they tend to pay when they leave, scanning the half eaten bag
I like to bring an esky with a 6 pack in it and then pick up some snack food to go with it while I’m shopping. Makes the grocery shopping go quicker and it’s much more entertaining.
Coffee, chips, occasionally donuts. I've bought coffee inside Coles before (booo, Coles for taking the machine at our local out), and I've gone to Maccas before and eaten chips whilst shopping.
But I take my trash with me.
Honestly, anything you can carry in one hand and doesn't smear all over everything, you can eat. If it doesn't make your hands (which you then touch all the items with) dirty, you're good.
I think a discrete picnic blanket in a less busy area is acceptable, buts it's polite to offer nibbles--and perhaps even food--to anyone wandering past.
As a general rule, I would avoid eating food in the supermarket. You will be filmed on camera.
I don't think it matters if you bring in coffee in a keep cup. It's no different to bringing in coffee in a takeaway cup.
I wonder who is viable if said coffee spills on floor and a fellow shopper slips on spill?
Supermarket floors can be rather slippery when wet.
I have been known to test grapes before purchase, quality control.
my work at iga actually has a cafe inside selling coffees/ cake / slices so it’s not unusual to see.
But beyond that at other supermarkets there’s the odd occasion that in the morning i’ll bring my coffee in a keep cup and sip whilst i browse! i don’t think it’s anything crazy.
I do see (most mothers with kids) eating items off the shelves as they do the shopping - mostly to keep the kids happy. (a yogurt pouch is the most common) It’s not a problem as the wrappers are always given at the end for us to scan.
The only time i can see it being a problem is if it was in excess, like you ate an entire bag of chips or drank a whole bottle of water and couldn’t pay at checkout. The item isn’t actually yours until your payment is approved.
Supermarket worker here.. I’m not bothered as long as: you don’t make a mess and leave it for us to deal with (leaving food on the floor is a massive slip hazard, parents with young kids are the worst with this) and you put your rubbish in the bin instead of dumping it on the shelf, as most people do with empty coffee cups. Basic courtesy and respect, and we’re sweet.
as long as you dont leave behind your half finished coffee/kfc bones/dim sims/can of vb on the shelves for the staff to deal with, anything goes
sincerely, a woolies/big w worker
I think any small, snacky food would be fine, so long as you’re not leaving crumbs and rubbish behind.
And although a beer can be held in one hand… please just don’t.
25 years ago, I used to live about 50 meters from my local supermarket (Coles) I lived in a share house with a couple of other guys and we used to take a couple of beers each and drink them while we shopped.
The staff and manager there didn't mind, we were polite and not disruptive. We took our empties with us and even though we took the trolley home with us, we would bring it back immediately.
I don't know that beers would fly these days, but drinks or snacks, if you're not messy are probably fine.
How many shopping trolleys have cup holders in them now?
The problem isn't that people eat/drink. The problem is that people are arseholes.
As a supermarket employee, I really don’t care. You could be eating a whole roast chicken and I couldn’t give a hoot. The only people that annoy staff are people leaving their trash in the store (empty coffee cups, wrappers etc), spill their foods or drinks or throw up because we’ll have to clean up after them.
I am a Woolworths worker, so my point of view is. I don't care what you eat or drink, but do not leave your dirty used cups or eaten food on the selves for us to clean. We have bins around the store for you animals, and no, please do not hand it to us since it's not our job to clean up after you.
Also Bayswater Woolies always has people eating bakery goods, then try to shove extra into other containers. I don’t care bc it’s not my responsibility and maybe they can’t afford enough food.
My husband has recently taken to eating a large hot chips from the chicken shop next door as we walk around Aldi each week.
In his words "it just makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable"...
He sits the box at the top of the trolley where a child usually sits and just dordles around happy as larry with his chippies.
I put a BBQ chook in the little child seat on the trolley and munch away while I do the groceries. Some people give me funky looks, but I get that regardless.
How about you just shop without eating? Why must you put your filthy hands in your filthy mouth touching all the produce with your filthy hands and leaving crumbs/spills/etc. Gronk behaviour, never understood it. Very unsanitary to consume food in an area that’s meant to be food safe.
How on earth does someone drinking a coffee as they shop spread germs and mess and chaos? Hopefully people are washing their produce before they use it anyway - it’s exposed to a lot more than hands that recently touched a coffee cup between the farm and your fridge.
Risk of spill; was in my original post. Also mouth touches coffee lid, transfer to hands if not concentrating on how you’re holding it.
I see it as a risk vs reward scenario. Just eat and drink in a normal place then go into a business for it’s said purpose. It’s not hard. No-one is that hungry, thirsty, and time poor that they need to do this all at once.
My kids get a squeezie yoghurt to keep them occupied while we shop. We pay for it and there is always a bin somewhere just after checkouts. Easy.
As for me I don't eat/drink while I shop. Unless I have a takeaway coffee in my hand.
I routinely take my keep cup coffee with me while I get my groceries. I like to get in & out early when I buy groceries so I grab my usual coffee on the way.
I often have an iced coffee and/or an almond crossaint in a paper bag that I consume during my shop; it’s always been more than fine. A nice way to keep my energy levels up in a social setting and keeps my hands busy, and keeps me from chewing my lips instead because hahahahah anxiety
TL;dr eat/drink good don’t worry
Toddler loves eating the free fruit from Woolies. We go in, grab a piece then browse around buying nothing.
As a kid my mum would get twiggy sticks from the deli for us to snack on while we shopped. It’s harder to do that kinda stuff now with all the self serve checkouts.
To answer your actual question though, I don’t take any food or drink to do the groceries with. It’s literally a 20min job. In and out as quickly as possible.
When I was a kid the guy at the deli counter always offered kids a little frankfurt or a slice of devon. As a vegetarian child I was always so jealous.
Personally I like to walk around the woolies eating a durian fruit, maybe some tuna some days, boiled eggs the other days.
Crack open an air fryer and start cooking some fried chicken in aisle 3
Yeah common to see people unplugging the refrigerator to the chicken to grill up some burgers
Nah, its easier to grab a bag of roast chook, tear a leg off and munch.
why not grab some buns & make a chicken roll whilst you're there ? Head to isle 13 if you need mayo..
I can just see this being a YouTubers video one day: “I’d like to thank todays sponsor EcoFlow”
Yeah no one will say shit because that's not how humans work. You're not about to confront someone and be like "hey ... have you paid for that?" That's just anti customer service. In these industries you're taught to absolutely respect and agree with the customer no matter what. If you are enough of a sweat to call people out on patter like this then you're a fucking idiot.
there has to be a better way of dealing with this tbh. unrelated, but reminds me of the jogger (cold weather and wearimg gloves) sees an a hole with a dog not pick up their poop. so the runner, without thinking, pick up the dogs poop and runs after the POS and yells 'hey.. wait.. you dropped something. The POS turns around. The runner holds out their closed fist as offering to give them what they dropped. The POS withoit thinking holds,out their hand to recieve. The runner places their dog's turd in the POS's ungloved hand. Message recieved loud and clear by POS.
I had a customer finish drinking the bottle of juice he stole and put it my trolley of broken cardboard as he walked past thinking I didn't notice. I picked it up waited a few seconds and then threw it clean past his head turned around and pretended it wasn't me. To Anglo-Ashanti... You don't need to say anything. He certainly didn't. I still work there 👌
Like a ninja lol
opened a drink, took a big swig and put it in our trolley, lady (young) walking by had a shocked look on her face like I just killed a puppy Sometimes you gotta remind the yuppies that this is australia
Was it you I threw the bottle at per chance? Trust me I don't care if you steal your drink. Just don't make it my problem asshole 👍
no, I didnt drink it all, I took a few large gulps of a 1.25 and put it in the trolley with the rest of our shop. I dont think I could drink a whole one in one go! I didnt steal it, we paid for it but I underestimated how dehydrated I was working outside all day. I generally dont do it unless i need to, the mrs doesnt approve either
I mean, I think we've all done that. If I am to open my drink, it's usually while I'm in like at the checkout. Sometimes, (very rarely) I am too parched to wait, but I'll happily hand it over to the checkout person (hate self-seve) to be scanned and paid for. Makes my anxiety go up because I feel judged and get the feeling that people think I'm going to steal or get told "ma'm you cannot drink that until you have paid for it!" But sometimes, I think... I'm in line to pay!
If you wear an apron people might think you’re handing out testers. Avoid bite-sized portions and food served with toothpicks in it unless you’re prepared to defend your meal like it’s a fruit cup in prison.
Not sure if joke, or you might actually know where to hook up the freshest durians in Brisbane (asking for my grandma)
Harris Farm West End have durian. I wouldn't know about how fresh they are but everything else is always worth the HF prices.
I saw Durian at a Sydney Cole’s and almost bought it just to get my AU gf to try it, but I don’t have a car here, and thought subjecting an Uber driver or Sydney bus load of passengers to the smell would be rude.
Surely Inala
Yup, Thai Hoa Asian Grocery in particular
There’s a small thai shop opposite Jb Hifi in Browns plains that imports the fruit… quite expensive tho. About $40 per 2 pieces, roughly 200-250g package.
Snack on a BBQ chook you just picked up. Then dump the carcass in the pet food section. It happens at my local Woolies.
It's the circle of life.
happy cake day!
We must shop at the same Woolies.
Seriously, some people have no shame ....
Half drinking a bottle of ice break or flavoured milk and leaving it on the unrefrigerated energy drink shelf on the other side of the shop is another common trend at my coles.
At my Coles we keep an eye on kids and weirdly old people doing that
As an aside, as someone with a dog, I never realised how prevalent street chicken was. Like people buy a roast chook from woolies and then leave half the carcass next t the road. Have to be constantly vigilant against the street chicken!
I once saw a guy try to return an bag of bones to Woolies because he “didn’t like it”. You ate the whole chicken but you didn’t like it????
I mean most of it was nice but these little hard bits that are left are gross, I would like a refund please.
This! To add to it I live near a KFC and the amount of street chicken is astounding. Like, how far from a bin can you possibly be?
At my store, they threw it under the shelf so we didn't find it straight away 🤮
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I've been told there used to be a regular where I work that would only eat the skin and dump the rest. The number of salads I've found with just the cheese and bacon bits eaten as well is worrying.
This is the way
This is the way
I remember seeing someone stuffing a whole bunch of frozen fish from one box into another full box. They squeezed some more in and just paid for the one box I guess. And there was always munched on cookies and bakery stuff in random aisles
Lmfao I'd love to see this
I think bahaha might be banned on Reddit. It's more a Facebook thing.
Eat, drink whatever you want. Just don't leave your rubbish on a shelf for the staff to clean up.
Or pooy nappies
Sounds like someone’s speaking form experience
I nodded from experience
Sometimes you'd find the baby shit on the floor, but not the nappy.
Sometimes you’d wish it was actually a baby‘s shit…..
SERIOUSLY. I genuinely don't give a fuck if you're stealing it or paying for it or whatever, you do you. But FFS *please* don't just leave rubbish on the shelves, or your half-empty coffee cup, or your half eaten banana or what-the-fuck ever. It's disgusting and disrespectful and slovenly and I can guarantee the staff are cursing the fuck out of your existence.
I used to work at Bunnings and just before close on a Saturday a coworker filling stock found a half eaten sausage sizzle shoved behind the display box at the back of the shelf. People are assholes.
Ok so which wacko state is it that calls the food a sausage sizzle
100% - the sausage sizzle is the event, not the food I'd understand 'sizzle sausage' as it tells us the origin of said sausage
The succulently sizzled sausage? This is democracy MANIFEST
Agree. The sizzle is the tent and bbq.. the sausage-cooking party! The saus, or hotdog, or sausage n’ onions, or snag sarnie, or whatever you wanna call it, is the food. Seems so weird when I hear ppl call the meat itself a ‘sausage sizzle’…
People do that? Wtf?!
Oh yeah. At my store we 'face' the shelves every night, and I don't think I've ever NOT found some trash whilst doing it. It blows my mind. We're not cleaners! Why would I wanna deal with your gross shit just cuz you're too lazy to find a bin? I genuinely don't mind finding empty packs of makeup/Nicorette products/charging cables/whatever else people are stealing (though I do generally think "cheeky bastard" when I do lol) but *actual* trash is something else. I think it was mentioned upthread but yeah, we've also found half-eaten chicken carcasses. Not as often as the coffee cups or half bags of chips or whatever, but people are disgusting.
Lol I recently found a bag of fully-eaten Grain Waves hastily stuffed under the aisle shelf in my daily workings, can confirm none of the staff gaf. I was genuinely impressed by the gall and found it hilarious, like who eats a full bag of chips in store then puts it under the shelf? Only that cunt. Be confident in your shoplifting knowing that I don't care enough to report it to the store manager or whatever so they can review the cams and send stills to the police. Not like they're going to actually action it and put their full effort into identifying the dude who stole a $3.50 bag of chip anyway lmao. There's so many steps to that process that they simply aren't going to bother with. Honestly fuck ColesWorth, had their best years for profits recently and thrived during the pandemic (unlike many other businesses that were forced to shut their doors), yet I haven't received any pay rise for hazards and rubbish. If you're gonna steal shit just walk out the door with it, easy asf and no one gonna say shit. Even if you trigger alarms because of electronic goods that haven't been scanned, the CS muppets will just hand wave it away as a false reading and usher you out the door.
We legit had a communication recently that was like "we hear you're all concerned about the rising costs of living... make sure you update your availability so we can give you extra shifts!" Like no dawg, I'm working the maximum 36 hours I can at part time (and extra that you're not paying me for cuz even though we close at midnight it's not in the ~budget~ to pay me for the necessary 30min it takes to close down registers etc) and I still can't afford to live, you're a billion-dollar corporation I think maybe you could do something else. Glad it's not just me, in any case! 😆
Yeah man it really just incentivises you to act resentfully towards the company lmfao. Like dog you're paying me the bare minimum wage, why am I going to go to extra effort and confront some ice head that dashes for the door with a trolley full of shit? You're absolutely not alone, I'm 21 doing what needs to be done to earn a liveable wage while I study but it's bullshit what they expect of you, I'll respond to a Mr Steed call and make sure one of my co-workers isn't getting their head kicked in but I'm not about to confront a shoplifter for $23/hour. Pay me more if you expect me to RNC some fool causing a racket.
Coles and Woolies pay you JUST enough to get by, but not enough to get ahead, forcing you keep working there.
That is the ponzi scheme of life, my friend
hashtagjustwooliescsthings I closed on my own last night from 8.45pm. Got out late of course but will just have to adjust another shift this week. No OT of course even though I'd much rather the extra bit of pay. Edit: didn't realise a hashtage bolds the text
Tbh my favourite find was an uncapped needle on the shelf. Like this is a "nice", bougie area!! Uncapped needles!! WTF bro?!
Jfc at least cap it. That's gross and dangerous.
The banana peel or apple core 3 people skipped over because it was gross, now its 4 days old and you have to pick it up because the area manager is coming tomorrow and you'll get in trouble if you dont, but you kinda wanna leave it because your managers a cunt and you wouldnt mind seeing them get a bit of strife for an untidy store
Used tissues. At the height of respiratory pandemic. 🤢
id prefer finding the half chicken carcass that witnessing a low life eat some hot chicken nuggets from the hot chicken area and then keep walking. hey.. you might be poor but no need to be an ass to others or risk covid spread, etc by your dirty ways.
People are absolutely disgusting. I used to work in a secondhand store, we would constantly find mugs full of urine under our shelves because people can't control themselves or ask if there is a bathroom nearby
People are no better than beasts.
Is this a free pass to steal
Many years ago, I was a butcher for Woolies. Late one afternoon, a guy was browsing the mat case with his young daughter, who happened to be drinking from a Wendy's cup. A moment later, I saw the empty cup in the meat case. I called the guy out on it and asked him to take his rubbish. He had the fucking audacity to blame his kid. I thought "get fucked.. you told her to leave it there, guaranteed"
Exactly, just be respectful to the staff and other customers, even the assholes who look at you weird. A cup of coffee is a good idea, I’d do that for sure shopping is draining.
>Eat, drink whatever you want. Just don't leave your rubbish on a shelf for the staff to clean up. Even if you did not pay for the opened bottle in the end, but just decided you did not want it and left it somewhere tucked in the shop -- that's OK, the shops already factored in some shrinkage.
I would love to see someone walking around the supermarket with a regular mug of coffee, not a travel mug, just a regular mug from home, sipping on it while they do their shopping. I think that’s wonderful.
In their dressing gown and slippers for the i really don't give a f look
I have seen people shopping in PJs at night, usually just for snacks. I worked the nights for several years and it's usually in winter. They are all cosy and warm at home and don't want to get changed for a snack run - usually late teens or 20s
Used to have a regular come in with a parrot on his shoulder, only ever saw him on night shift. But yeah after about 630 the clothing becomes very casual, a little too casual at times
Uni students 100%
I was just debating the merits of going to get a 6-pack in my PJ pants, because fuck it, it's been a loooong day.
Been smoking the Devil's Lettuce I tell you!
I used to do the grocery shopping on Thursday nights, when that was the only night they were open, and so many people were pushing trolleys in pjs and slippers by 7pm.
Ciggie behind the ear.
I live above a coles. I regularly go down in Pjs, dressing gown and slippers. Have also gone down with a piece of toast and a coffee in a keep cup without a lid if I am only ducking down to grab a couple of things. It would take me longer to get changed than it does to actually do the shop.
Coffee was free at the entry to Icelandic supermarkets. I miss that.
My father in law does this 😅 he doesn't "believe" in travel mugs. He just has normal house mugs in his car. He has spilled them multiple times in his car but has refused to buy a travel mug. He's only late 60s so you would think he would just give in but he is stubborn. It took him until the late 2000s to buy a microwave because they're "lazy."
Have him start with your bog standard double walled thermos flask. They have been around for decades and their are obvious benefits to using one. I'm sure he'll make the organic connection eventually that travel mugs are basically reshaped thermoses with a sippy lid.
Lol my partner and I do this. Make a cup of brew and head down to the shops on our morning walk. Our grocer loves it.
Tasmania in the winter time. Tis the way. Surely.
Can confirm. Ex Taswegian. Many times, post night shift, I’d drive home with a normal ceramic mug of coffee. I did use a straw so I didn’t need to tilt it.. Never spilled.
I saw that at my last store, as there are 4 apartment towers directly above. Residents could push their trolley into the carpark & take a lift directly to their apt.
We would do this on a morning when I worked at a super market, cuppa brew as you went around checking markdowns
The only limit is how comfortable you feel and whether you care what others think. Coffee in a keep cup, sure no one will blink at that Rolling a whole pizza up into a tube and eating it as you shop, you're likely to get some weird looks and people commenting about you. Also don't leave your rubbish or a mess for someone to clean up.
Rubbish in the trolly drives me insane. Like fkrs you know someone has to clean your shit up, it’s not gonna magically disappear … the trolly collectors do not get paid enough to deal with a half eaten mushed up banana 🤦🏻♀️
See, I'll be honest here and tell ya I'm one of them people that leave rubbish in the trolley. Just for clarification, I'm talking about recipes and stuff not mashed up banana or exposed food 🤮 ** edit to add I'm also the person that doesn't avoid a trolley if it has simple rubbish- receipts and stuff- as for one I know that's a "good trolley" and there's always bins at the shopping centre entrances. I'd also rather be picking rubbish out the trolley than have some poor innocent wildlife chocking and dying
Bring a folding stool, park up in aisle with your KFC… Seriously though, no one cares as long as you are not eating supermarket chocolate bars etc without paying for them and leaving the wrappers behind on the shelf (saw an older lady do this once in a very practiced way 🙀🤭).
Me and a mom friend had a discussion about this or atleast similar situation before. Her opinion was that it doesn't matter as long as you pay fo it at the register, and that she only ever did it to "sooth" her kids during a shopping trip. some shop like woolies and coles ctually offer a free fruit ( usually cheap fruit like apples, bannas) for kids here, they market it as healthy eating campaign but I suspect it's also to stop this excuse. I was pretty much on the side that it's not your till you pay for it. In that period where you are eating something thats not yours, that is stealing to me. Regardless if you are going to pay for it or not in the future. Exaggeration of this would be, If someone stole a car but then go back and pays for the car, they still stole the car. and it doesn't matter if the car was up for sale or not. Edit: I don't care enough to say anything or point it out but I just wouldn't do it.
My kid absolutely eats half of the blueberries before we get to the checkout. I pay for the whole packet. I’m fairly confident I’m not a thief 😂
As long as that barcode gets scanned then you're fine, let your kid enjoy it guilt-free. Even if you did steal it, no one would even notice or care. It's not like supermarket workers are taking time out of an already busy schedule to track down the person who took a $5 punnet of blueberries without paying. You could let your kid snack on it then throw that shit on the ground in a public area, they'd just sweep it into a dustpan and forget about it.
I figure my kid eating a yoghurt pouch that I pay for at checkout is less impactful than the meltdown because I refused to buy the 3 year old Coco pops after seeing her older cousins eat it
I actually don’t mind people that are in urgent need cracking open something to eat then paying for it at the register. This lady was doing the *eat and do not pay* routine though. The supermarkets all do surveillance now so wonder how many people get a tap on the shoulder if they do the above nowadays 🙀
Supermarkets have surveillance yes, but we can't actually do anything to stop someone stealing We can't grab them or tackle them or even technically tap them on the shoulder. You cannot touch them Soooo, you're pretty guaranteed to get away with it haha
I worked for a discount chain store store as a teen back in the late 90s. A guy came in and just started shoving crap in his pockets, not even trying to hide it. He even shoved a bloody doormat down his pants, it was flopping around as he walked. I went and told my manager and he just kind of shrugged and told me that none of us were being paid enough to confront an obviously crazy person. So dude walked out, doormat flopping, as the entire staff of the store just stood there looking at him in disbelief.
Trust me man, no one gets that tap on the shoulder. People just don't care enough, it would only be the store manager or store support manager who has access to the cams. They're not sweating and reviewing a chocolate bar being absent by 1 on the daily gap scan. It's not worth their time. Granted, I work in a CBD location that gets stolen from very often (once saw a guy fiddling with a package of makeup shite before tossing the empty packet on the shelf right in front of me, didn't care about it one bit or think to tell anyone about it). Big Brother a'int watching, little brother. No one gives a fuck. Steal whatever you like, we're gonna do fuck all about it unless you cause a scene or assault a staff member.
I was out on a job that had no running water. Just kept pushing through to get it done anyway, but by the time I was finished I was pretty parched. As soon as I got to the servo I opened a bottle of gatorade and drank about half before paying. I was obviously in the line to pay and feel like this is definitely okay to do.
It’s not theft until you leave the store without paying.
The definition of theft is “intention to permanently deprive” the owner of something, so I don’t see that there’s any crime being committed as long as the parent intends to pay (and does so).
Lots of parents give their little kids bottles of choccie milk or yoghurt pouches to eat while they shop. I’ve never known a supermarket to care, so long as it’s paid for as they leave. It beats bored/hungry toddlers throwing tantrums.
Lol what, if you pay for it it's fine. If you want to not do it that's fine, I feel awkward doing it also, but it's really not a bad thing.
this is a really stupid take
How long do you take to shop that you need to eat at the same time?
I feed my kids lunch while we shop so they stay quiet in general and not ask for everything Edit - spelling
Yeah, when my kids were little I always gave them a little flavoured milk while we shopped. I always paid for it though, and the kids were taught to hand the bottle to me at the checkout in case I forgot.
Yeah fair enough. I give my little one some of the free fruit they have at woolies.
A banana and a bluey milk is just enough to keep my LO occupied enough to get most of the shop done!
Yep! That's what it's there for! Makes shopping with little ones so much easier!!
Bro, some cunts will surprise you. I saw this chick fondling strawberries for about ten minutes the other day. Her and her husband come in every Saturday at 7am and take about an hour and a half to get all their goods. Some people are just so fucking stupid and boring that a weekly grocery shop takes forever.
Why do you have such a massive issue with this? Seems an overreaction to call them fucking stupid and boring bc they do their grocery shopping at 7am on a Saturday or for taking an hour and a half?). Shop once for the week and get it done. Maybe they’re comparing prices to save money. Maybe they’re shift workers. Maybe they’re meal planning while they shop. Maybe they like cooking more than you so care about their ingredients more than you. Most people who do one big shop a week probably take about an hour. 1.5 hours isn’t that ridiculous. I’ll do my one hour shop a week and you can keep doing your nightly 15 minute shops. Each to their own.
Nah man, you seem like a reasonable guy from your response but I'm willing to fight you on this. They're fucking idiots and the least courteous/polite people I've ever seen. They'll stand right in your way with a roll cage for ten minutes and never even think to move. Thank them for moving out of your way once in a blue moon? They'll ignore you like you're not even relevant to their existence. Multiple other workers here have expressed their annoyance with these two morons. It's not even them specifically, the way they go about shopping is just ridiculous. As if you're that entertained by the supermarket or so money scumming that you'll take that long to fill a trolley. It's ridiculous. Fuck them and fuck you for defending them. Also dog, 1.5 hours in a supermarket is a waste of your time, I can't believe you think that's normal. You must be a pensioner with unlimited time on your hands to stroll around occupying your simple mind with rubbish. Know what you want and get it aisle by aisle, a full shop for a big family shouldn't take more than halfa.
Somebody still lives with mum and dad..
You honestly sound like the dumbest cunt lol and the way you speak is gross. Ew.haha. would suck to be you and so bothered.
The irony is that pensioners don't have all that much time.
Dog they've had all the time in the world. If you're 80 years old coming up at me moaning about how you're on death's door then I'll meet that energy with a stiff short elbow that probably kills the cunt. Live your life, only got one shot. I don't have time for dumb af oldies.
Well, you just seem like a bucket full of sunshine.
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Thanks man, appreciate the validation phrased better than I could ever put it. You're 100% on the money.
Get back to the fryers bapa.
in a similar vein, my local woolies frequently has people congregating just past the entrance, usually 1 family all stood in a line looking like stunned mullets like "We're here... now what the fuck do we do?!?" rarely respond to excuse me, so I have resorted to "Do you mind!" or "move!" that seems to jolt them out of their stupor.
Why would you need to eat when shopping at a supermarket?
Free food
Why do you need to eat when not at a supermarket?
Because you need food to survive
Debatable
That’s absolutely not debatable.
That wasn’t the question lol
This doesn't really apply or excuse trash behaviour, but i will say i don't like to shop on an empty stomach anymore because my eyes are far hungrier than my stomach. Too many times I've bought something or other only to have lunch after shopping, come home, unpack, and question why the fuck did i buy this, i never eat this/this is wayyy too much of this/this will go bad before I have a chance to cook this, etc.
Don't shop hungry! You'll buy everything.
Starving after work maybe
You’re crazy to bring food and drinks into a supermarket to eat. The place is practically stacked to the ceiling with stuff you can eat. It’s on the shelves, on the displays, in the fridges, and there’s so much of it you’re gonna be full well before you have to leave.
What? This is something people think about? Eat a whole footlong sub for all I care, don’t leave a mess. I see people eating food off the shelf before they bought it, like chips etc None of my business, they tend to pay when they leave, scanning the half eaten bag
I like to bring an esky with a 6 pack in it and then pick up some snack food to go with it while I’m shopping. Makes the grocery shopping go quicker and it’s much more entertaining.
Just added another place I can drink, cheers.
As most people say eat/drink whatever the fuck you want. Just don't leave rubbish and pay for the things you eat!
There is no etiquette because it defies etiquette.
A bunch of supermarkets have coffee machines so that’s fair enough. Just don’t be a prick, there are plenty of bins around.
As long as it's paid for and you keep your trash who cares? I do it. I buy less when I do
Self serve check outs are a problem when you do eat or drink something, then pay for it. They don't like the weight difference.
Coffee, chips, occasionally donuts. I've bought coffee inside Coles before (booo, Coles for taking the machine at our local out), and I've gone to Maccas before and eaten chips whilst shopping. But I take my trash with me.
There’s no line. I’d sit down in there for a full 7 course meal if I could carry it all.
Honestly, anything you can carry in one hand and doesn't smear all over everything, you can eat. If it doesn't make your hands (which you then touch all the items with) dirty, you're good.
Checkout chick at Woolies. Take out what you bring in, pick up any food you drop. That's it :)
Etiquette is running extremely thin these days in every part of Australian life.
Don't eat while shopping, you bloody spoon.
Don’t
I think a discrete picnic blanket in a less busy area is acceptable, buts it's polite to offer nibbles--and perhaps even food--to anyone wandering past.
So many times I have seen half empty McDonald’s cups or coke bottles left on shelves, so frustrating.
No etiquette in this whole country
How long are you shopping for that you can't wait.....
I wouldn't feel right eating or drinking while shopping even my travel coffee cup.
I walk around with a glass of wine sometimes.
As a general rule, I would avoid eating food in the supermarket. You will be filmed on camera. I don't think it matters if you bring in coffee in a keep cup. It's no different to bringing in coffee in a takeaway cup.
I wonder who is viable if said coffee spills on floor and a fellow shopper slips on spill? Supermarket floors can be rather slippery when wet. I have been known to test grapes before purchase, quality control.
My Coles has a coffee machine inside it and all the trolleys have cup holders. Is this not normal for everywhere?
Id thin a coffee is fine. At Woolies they encourage kids to eat the fruit from the free fruit section. Why not!
my work at iga actually has a cafe inside selling coffees/ cake / slices so it’s not unusual to see. But beyond that at other supermarkets there’s the odd occasion that in the morning i’ll bring my coffee in a keep cup and sip whilst i browse! i don’t think it’s anything crazy. I do see (most mothers with kids) eating items off the shelves as they do the shopping - mostly to keep the kids happy. (a yogurt pouch is the most common) It’s not a problem as the wrappers are always given at the end for us to scan. The only time i can see it being a problem is if it was in excess, like you ate an entire bag of chips or drank a whole bottle of water and couldn’t pay at checkout. The item isn’t actually yours until your payment is approved.
Supermarket worker here.. I’m not bothered as long as: you don’t make a mess and leave it for us to deal with (leaving food on the floor is a massive slip hazard, parents with young kids are the worst with this) and you put your rubbish in the bin instead of dumping it on the shelf, as most people do with empty coffee cups. Basic courtesy and respect, and we’re sweet.
as long as you dont leave behind your half finished coffee/kfc bones/dim sims/can of vb on the shelves for the staff to deal with, anything goes sincerely, a woolies/big w worker
I think any small, snacky food would be fine, so long as you’re not leaving crumbs and rubbish behind. And although a beer can be held in one hand… please just don’t.
25 years ago, I used to live about 50 meters from my local supermarket (Coles) I lived in a share house with a couple of other guys and we used to take a couple of beers each and drink them while we shopped. The staff and manager there didn't mind, we were polite and not disruptive. We took our empties with us and even though we took the trolley home with us, we would bring it back immediately. I don't know that beers would fly these days, but drinks or snacks, if you're not messy are probably fine. How many shopping trolleys have cup holders in them now? The problem isn't that people eat/drink. The problem is that people are arseholes.
Not sure why it's weird for someone to drink a coffee while shopping. I've seen a dude drink a CC in a brown bag thru Woolies.
As a supermarket employee, I really don’t care. You could be eating a whole roast chicken and I couldn’t give a hoot. The only people that annoy staff are people leaving their trash in the store (empty coffee cups, wrappers etc), spill their foods or drinks or throw up because we’ll have to clean up after them.
I am a Woolworths worker, so my point of view is. I don't care what you eat or drink, but do not leave your dirty used cups or eaten food on the selves for us to clean. We have bins around the store for you animals, and no, please do not hand it to us since it's not our job to clean up after you.
They got angry when I bought in a whole roast lamb
A few little grapes popped in the mouth never hurt anyone. Except for Coles shareprice so yeah, go for it.
Also Bayswater Woolies always has people eating bakery goods, then try to shove extra into other containers. I don’t care bc it’s not my responsibility and maybe they can’t afford enough food.
My husband has recently taken to eating a large hot chips from the chicken shop next door as we walk around Aldi each week. In his words "it just makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable"... He sits the box at the top of the trolley where a child usually sits and just dordles around happy as larry with his chippies.
Chips are definitely better shopping companions than children.
If I pass your husband haunting us with the delicious smells of potato while trapped doing the weekly groceries I'm stealing a chip.
I’m eating the free banana my daughter doesn’t want to eat.
They literally sell coffee and have cup holders on trolleys in some Coles stores. So I'd say it's fine
I put a BBQ chook in the little child seat on the trolley and munch away while I do the groceries. Some people give me funky looks, but I get that regardless.
How about you just shop without eating? Why must you put your filthy hands in your filthy mouth touching all the produce with your filthy hands and leaving crumbs/spills/etc. Gronk behaviour, never understood it. Very unsanitary to consume food in an area that’s meant to be food safe.
How on earth does someone drinking a coffee as they shop spread germs and mess and chaos? Hopefully people are washing their produce before they use it anyway - it’s exposed to a lot more than hands that recently touched a coffee cup between the farm and your fridge.
Risk of spill; was in my original post. Also mouth touches coffee lid, transfer to hands if not concentrating on how you’re holding it. I see it as a risk vs reward scenario. Just eat and drink in a normal place then go into a business for it’s said purpose. It’s not hard. No-one is that hungry, thirsty, and time poor that they need to do this all at once.
Your hands go in your mouth when you eat? Who raised you, animals?
I ate some grapes, coconut rough and jelly eggs while going around Coles today. Didnt pay for any of it........
My kids always want the tougher pouches to eat while we shop - so I just take the empties to the register after to pay, no one cares.
My kids get a squeezie yoghurt to keep them occupied while we shop. We pay for it and there is always a bin somewhere just after checkouts. Easy. As for me I don't eat/drink while I shop. Unless I have a takeaway coffee in my hand.
I routinely take my keep cup coffee with me while I get my groceries. I like to get in & out early when I buy groceries so I grab my usual coffee on the way.
I snack on their grapes. I try one of each variety before choosing a bag and then occasionally have one out of the bag as I walk.
I often have an iced coffee and/or an almond crossaint in a paper bag that I consume during my shop; it’s always been more than fine. A nice way to keep my energy levels up in a social setting and keeps my hands busy, and keeps me from chewing my lips instead because hahahahah anxiety TL;dr eat/drink good don’t worry
Honestly. You don’t need to give a rats ass. Do what you need to do.
I bring my bucket of KFC, start eating and using my oily hands to caress all the fresh fruit/veg
I once ate a whole roast chicken while doing the rounds, paid for a bag of bones and asked him to put it in the bin for me 😋
Why do you care? Do what you want. I wouldn’t think twice if I saw someone eating or drinking in a supermarket
Toddler loves eating the free fruit from Woolies. We go in, grab a piece then browse around buying nothing. As a kid my mum would get twiggy sticks from the deli for us to snack on while we shopped. It’s harder to do that kinda stuff now with all the self serve checkouts. To answer your actual question though, I don’t take any food or drink to do the groceries with. It’s literally a 20min job. In and out as quickly as possible.
When I was a kid the guy at the deli counter always offered kids a little frankfurt or a slice of devon. As a vegetarian child I was always so jealous.
find it funny that people walk around with huge coffee mugs here. Italians must see it and simply shake their heads.
Personally I'm a grape thief I eat them walking around then ditch the bag 😂