Grocery Store Episode

[Vera]

I was at our local grocery store yesterday and I was in front of some fruit that was on special. It is right next to the floral department. I was talking to the florist, and she said earlier in the day a lady came in with her small child and the child wanted some fruit. The lady went to the blueberries, opened the package up and proceeded to fill the cup the child had with the blueberries, closed it and put it back with the other blueberries. That means that a paying customer will grab a container not really looking to see if it was full and discover it wasn't full until the customer made it home and opened it up. I just can't believe all the stealing that is going on. The florist said the customer did it right in front of her and she couldn't say anything. The least the customer should have done is put the package in her cart, put some blueberries in the child's cup but pay for the whole package. It may not seem like a lot but that teaches the child to do the same thing. What is wrong with people? Am I the only one that it bothers? This wasn't a discount grocery store, so I doubt the mother was scrouging for food!!

[MudderBear]

I see that kind of thieving going on as well! I saw a woman take out a stalk of broccoli from one tied up bunch and add one to her smaller one, price was not per pound, but per bunch.

[Chayote]

Am I the only one that it bothers?

You're certainly not the only one, Vera. Since COVID the prices of just about everything has increased and I understand that some people can't afford the more expensive items, like blueberries, but people should not feel that stealing is ok. Trays of meat from supermarkets are often stolen. Supermarkets are fighting a losing battle with shoplifting. Also service stations have reported increased 'drive-offs' when drivers fill their cars with petrol and drive away without payment.

When parcels are delivered to homes by the postal service, they don't notify the addressee of the delivery. In some areas, people follow the delivery trucks and help themselves if the packages are left outside the home.

Crime is increasing... yesterday two 'drivers' were having a race at 1.30am on one of the busiest roads in our northern suburbs. Police stopping chasing them, as is the normal instruction to prevent collisions. Further down the road the two vehicles concerned; a truck and a motor bike, collided. When police investigated they found an 11 year old child driving the truck and his 12 year old brother riding the motor bike. Both vehicles were stolen! What a future they have...

[Vera]

Chayote - Regarding buying gas for your vehicle, here you have to prepay inside if you are paying cash or if you are putting your bill on a credit card, you have to do the transaction before you fill up. That takes care of people driving off without paying.

So many people now have RING doorbells that when a parcel is delivered the camera automatically comes on so at least the homeowner has a recording of the person taking their packages and can be reported to police. I think some people are now having their packages delivered to their offices instead but not everyone works in an office. I believe some businesses will take your packages and hold them until you pick them up. Who knew there were so many dishonest and entitled people amongst us.

[Sabine]

No Vera, you are not the only one who is bothered by that kind of " stealing" . I don't understand why the employee who witnessed this didn't say something or do something like getting the store manager . Or at least removed the half empty package of blueberries and let the produce manager know what happened. That is the same as weighing your fruit / vegetables and putting the code of a cheaper item into the scale , so that you get that item cheaper. My grocery store does not offer that weigh yourself service anymore , too many dishonest people.
We also have to pay for gasoline first if we pay with cash. Most people use debit / credit cards to begin with. So filling up your car and driving off without paying is not an option, thank goodness. Evidently that's not how it works in Australia.
If I get some UPS or Amazon deliveries , I get a text message ahead of time to let me know the delivery is on the way and what time to expect it. I usually get a ring/ knock at the door and then another message that the package has been delivered and a picture exactly where the package was left on my property. And since we have fences around most of the property , it is usually left on the front porch behind some big flower pots.
So far that has worked out fine for us, but then we are both home most of the time, or at least one is home.
Any 11/ 12 year old kid who is out at 1 am in the middle of the night , does not have much of a chance , even if they didn't steal anything. Where are the parents ?

[MommaBear]

I believe too many people are doing things like this and they have no remorse.

[Vera]

Sabine - The employee had been instructed not to engage any customer. The package of blueberries certainly should have been removed. A couple of years ago I witnessed a nice-looking and well dressed man taking the organic tape off of a bunch of bananas. I did not confront him but went to the manager's office and told him what happened. That manager (yeah) waited for that customer to checkout. The manager told him "You know those are organic" so he paid the 10 cents extra per pound for the bananas. There is probably a lot more of that going on than we can imagine and we all pay for it.

[Vera]

One more thing - back in 2008 I was on a jury for a court case where a man stole over $800 of meat from the same grocery chain as up above. He actually came back twice. The first load he had put a laundry basket on top of expensive cuts of meat and walked out of the store. The second time he was trying to do the same thing, but the meat manager was out looking at his meat case wondering what happened to all the meat and saw the guy with a lot of meat in his cart. The thief got cold feet and abandoned the cart a few aisles away but this time his car license plate was taken down and reported to police. He no longer lived at the address that the Department of Motor Vehicles had on record so it took a few months, but they got him on camera and there was no question it was him - he weighed about 300 pounds and he was easy to identify. He ended up getting 12 years because this wasn't his first rodeo so to speak. Wonder if he is back out doing the same thing again. Maybe he got out on good behavior!!

[Sabine]

These days there are no consequences for stealing in a lot of states. If someone steals properties up to $ 700 or so , they get away with it. Even if they are caught, and that needs to change. But it won't change as long as they are District Attorneys who don't follow the law, who just don't prosecutor for " minor " crimes. As long as we have a liberal President and administration that won't change. Unfortunately.

[AllieK]

This isn't along the line of actually stealing, but what does one do when they see a child take a squash and put it in his mouth and then put it back with the rest of the squash? I watched this happen one time and the mom was standing right there talking to someone and saw it happen. I'm not one to make a fuss because in Texas there are just some things you keep your mouth shut about when it comes to certain sectors of the population. I now have an adversion to vegetables and fruit that are not wrapped in plastic. And never mind the barrel of dried pinto beans were kids like to stick their hands in and play with the beans. You know kids and what could be on their hands. ICK!!

[Chayote]

I meant to add that most supermarkets here offer free fruit for children. I think it's a good idea because it keeps young children from helping themselves from the general shopping area.

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[Vera]

Chayote - They grow bananas in Australia?? I was thinking most came from South America but what do I know?

Sometimes I do see a small area that is marked for kids to get a snack but not very often.

[Chayote]

Chayote - They grow bananas in Australia??

Yes, they are grown in far north Queensland and there are more bananas grown in Australia than apples and oranges combined. The Government banned the import of bananas to support the industry. Unfortunately, far forth Queensland is also known for severe storms which can (and do) flatten banana plantations.

[Sabine]

I have never seen free fruit or anything else offered for kids in the grocery stores that shop in. What is next, free candy in the candy aisle ?
I have never bought food items that are in barrels, because it is not just kids who put their hands in the barrels, adults do too. Never mind that the stores offer plastic gloves and big spoons etc. some adults think that doesn't apply to them, so no I don't buy those products.

[Chayote]

I have never seen free fruit or anything else offered for kids in the grocery stores that shop in. What is next, free candy in the candy aisle ?

Of course not. The idea of the free fruit for children is to give them something healthy.