What I Witnessed At Target... Crazy?

[bicker]

The "good" news is that, in addition to spreading our competitive advantages around the world, resulting in many other nations now being able to do as well as we could (and often for less money), we are also spreading our entitlement mentality around the world, and in some cases, it is merging with legacy cultural senses of entitlement. That is (again in quotes) "luckily" going to mitigate much of the concern you're highlighting. I think the spread of the entitlement bug will parallel the spread of the advancements in production and productivity, enough so that, at least, we won't have to worry so much about not being taken seriously, as a nation. However, clearly, we will be incurring "missed opportunity" as a result, along with the other nations that embrace entitlement.

Meanwhile, other nations, mostly developing nations (mostly in Asia, incidentally), have a legacy cultural antipathy for entitlement, strong enough perhaps to push back on the spread of entitlement mentality that seems to be incumbent with the spread of relative prosperity stemming from economic development. That will give (really: to some extent, already has given) those few nations an advantage.

If we, here in the United States, could turn our collective attitude around, and turn entitlement into a negative characteristic in our minds and hearts - raise productivity and contribution back into preeminent and overriding ethics - then we could capitalize on that advantage (along with the rest of our advantages stemming from our long-standing seat at the head-of-the-table) and continue as the undisputed leader of the free world, for at least another century, perhaps.

 

[MM27]

In some parts it is considered stealing for opening things before they have been purchased. I think that the reason the Mom wanted the employee to open the items is because she had no intentions of paying for them once she used them.

I too have been in the predicament of needing to utilize something before paying at the register for them. I know some people who just eat or drink what they like while in a store and have no intentions of paying for it either.

I agree that she was probably thinking that if the employee opened the packages she wouldn't have to buy them.

Why would it be stealing though if you do buy them? I do it on occassion if I need something. My mom used to let us do that all the time if we were grocery shopping with her when we were little and we wanted a snack or a drink. She would just put the empty container on the belt with the rest of the order and the cashier would just ring it up like a full container

 

[bicker]

Until they pay for the items, it is shoplifting. If they're "caught" before they pay, they can be prosecuted. Imagine if all a (real) shoplifter had to do was claim, "I was hungry right now, so I opened that candy bar... I was going to pay for it!" How could you tell the difference between that real shoplifter and someone who really was going to pay for it? You can't.

 

[kellyg403]

Like others, there have been plenty of times I have had to open something and pay for it later. Stuff happens... I am under the assumption the woman was hoping that the worker opening the tissues /wet wipes means she didn't have to pay for them? Maybe she didn't have enough money or something? The part I don't like is accusing the store of being 'dry' and causing the incident. This is where it becomes a little on the abnormal scale for me. Everyone wants to blames someone else for stuff that JUST HAPPENS sometimes...what the heck is that?

I watched a woman put her 5 year old on the bottom of a grocery cart to sit while she shopped. He didn't want to be in the cart, he had already broken a jar of pickles, eaten candy etc. So, mom puts jr in the bottom of the cart and next thing you know, he puts his hands on the wheel and mom is moving the cart. You know where this is leading..Jr's finger gets caught on the wheel and broke his finger. Lordy Lordy Lordy. I felt bad for the little boy but mom, not so much. Workers running, getting frozen peas, etc. and mom is screaming at them about the cart. It was an accident, preventable probably, but mom was stressed and was trying to get through the store with minimal damage. Totally understand...but immediately she sought to blame everyone around her for the accident. Maybe 'accident' should be taken from the English language because it doesn't appear that it is even applicable anymore.


Kelly

 

[luvmy3]

Any mother taking a kid prone to nosebleeds out in the winter should have her own supplies or buy them. I've had to open things in the store before out of need-eaten them, used them ANd PAID FOR THEM.

 

[Anna_Marie]

I would have ran for the bathroom. To be honest I probably wouldn't have even thought to get kleenex or wet ones in the store.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

This thread took longer that I thought to turn into a "stealing debate thread"

Back to Topic: Just last week at Costco, DD sampled something and got a slight allergic reaction, my purse with her Benedryl was in the car. I went over to the pharmacy dept, got the Benedryl and gave her a dose, put the open carton in my cart and paid for it.

I realize that this opens another debate....actually two debates:

1) Why would a mom let a kid with food allergies sample food?
2) Why would a mom with kid with food allergies NOT be carrying Benedryl or the EPI?

 

[AKL_Megs]

NHdisneylover... It WAS the Haggerty store

 

[tlbwriter]

Until they pay for the items, it is shoplifting. If they're "caught" before they pay, they can be prosecuted. Imagine if all a (real) shoplifter had to do was claim, "I was hungry right now, so I opened that candy bar... I was going to pay for it!" How could you tell the difference between that real shoplifter and someone who really was going to pay for it? You can't.

I'm not sure this is true - back when my husband worked at WM, it wasn't shoplifting unless the person walked out the door. If it is true, I think a person holding a wad of bloody tissue *might* just be excused by store security.

 

[hulagirl87]

I've certainly seen people using items before paying for them. While I have never done so, I don't know how comfortable I would feel pulling an item off the shelf and opening it, even though I know that I would be purchasing it. It just would feel odd to me Like when I see people in the grocery store with an open bag of chips in the front part of their cart, munching away as they shop. Are you really that hungry? did you not eat before you left the house? I tend to be a pack rat of sorts so carry all kinds of things in my bag, and now with DD, have all sorts of things! If I'm unprepared now, it's my own fault. I feel like I might get flamed for this post, but I just don't understand opening something in the store before you pay for it. I think someone mentioned stealing in an earlier post and I think that's what it would feel like to me. Though in the long run you are paying for it, it is technically not yours until you pay for it. That's just my feeling. That mom should have been more prepared with some tissues or just have gone to the bathroom.

 

[RitaE]

I'm another Mom with kids who can start spurting blood out their noses in the blink of an eye. Yeah, you should always be prepared with supplies but sometimes we just fail - and you can get kind of freaked out when you have blood running down your kid's face. I think the Mom should have just opened up the box and cleaned up her kid and then paid. And I think it is kind of sad that Target doesn't authorize their employees to make on the spot decisions of being able to assist their customers.

And really I remember once when my youngest was a toddler I had him in Trader Joe's and he was hungry and started going nuts over a package of cookies he saw me toss in the cart. I opened and fed, the way most Moms with a screaming toddler trying to get through check-out do. And then I handed the package to the Cashier to scan and she said "Perfectly understandable."

It is a routine that I imagine gets repeated thousands of times a day in grocery stores across America and I can assure that all of us parents have no intent at all of collapsing the American Economic system with our "Entitlement Attitude."

 

[kellyg403]

I've certainly seen people using items before paying for them. While I have never done so, I don't know how comfortable I would feel pulling an item off the shelf and opening it, even though I know that I would be purchasing it. It just would feel odd to me Like when I see people in the grocery store with an open bag of chips in the front part of their cart, munching away as they shop. Are you really that hungry? did you not eat before you left the house? I tend to be a pack rat of sorts so carry all kinds of things in my bag, and now with DD, have all sorts of things! If I'm unprepared now, it's my own fault. I feel like I might get flamed for this post, but I just don't understand opening something in the store before you pay for it. I think someone mentioned stealing in an earlier post and I think that's what it would feel like to me. Though in the long run you are paying for it, it is technically not yours until you pay for it. That's just my feeling. That mom should have been more prepared with some tissues or just have gone to the bathroom.

I totally agree that eating in the store before I pay for it feels like stealing and I don't do that. However, in a medical emergancy, if I had to have something for say, diabetes, orange juice or a candy bar, or in this instance blood spewing everywhere and I was unprepared, I don't think I would feel it is stealing. I also don't think the workers in an emergancy would feel like it is stealing. I work in a grocery store, and a few days ago, I personally offered and opened an orange juice for a woman who asked to have a chair due to dizziness. When I asked if she was alright she explained she had diabetes and had not eaten enough that day. I asked what I could do, honestly because I was afraid of what might happen and I am not medically trained. So I got it from the shelf and opened it.

Kelly

 

[fairestoneofall]

in an emergency situation, i see nothing wrong with opening and the paying for it. as long as you are paying for it, it's fine. i often pick up a bottled drink that i consume while shopping. i then pay for it (even if the bottle is empty by that point) with the rest of my stuff. i have never had anyone say anything to me about it.

 

[MM27]

I worked in retail throughout high school and college and even if someone stuffed something in their clothing, nothing could be said or done until they walked out the door with it.

I don't make a point of opening packages whenever I go out, but I don't feel like I'm stealing if I do. I was in Walmart when I did it last and I was having a horrible coughing spell. I went and got a bottle of soda from the case and opened it so I could at least get through with the rest of my shopping. The cashier didn't look at me like I was weird when I put the half empty bottle in with the rest of my order.

 

[JVL1018]

I'm not sure this is true - back when my husband worked at WM, it wasn't shoplifting unless the person walked out the door. If it is true, I think a person holding a wad of bloody tissue *might* just be excused by store security.

I worked at a grocery store in high school and college. We couldn't do anything unless they walked out the door. Shoplifters could be observed stealing and they would wait until they walked out the door before stopping them.
Also, people "sampling" before paying was never an issue, it's a common occurance.
I have only done it a couple of times, both times were tissues, coincidentally, and it was fine.

 

[JessicaR]

Until they pay for the items, it is shoplifting. If they're "caught" before they pay, they can be prosecuted. Imagine if all a (real) shoplifter had to do was claim, "I was hungry right now, so I opened that candy bar... I was going to pay for it!" How could you tell the difference between that real shoplifter and someone who really was going to pay for it? You can't.

Wouldnt you have to leave the store premises before it would be considered shoplifting or stealing?

 

[JessicaR]

I would have ran for the bathroom. To be honest I probably wouldn't have even thought to get kleenex or wet ones in the store.

And to elaborate - this could have happened in a place that didnt sell these goods. So you would have looked for a bathroom.

I guess the employee should have shown her to the restroom.

 

[npmommie]

And really I remember once when my youngest was a toddler I had him in Trader Joe's and he was hungry and started going nuts over a package of cookies he saw me toss in the cart. I opened and fed, the way most Moms with a screaming toddler trying to get through check-out do. And then I handed the package to the Cashier to scan and she said "Perfectly understandable."

It is a routine that I imagine gets repeated thousands of times a day in grocery stores across America and I can assure that all of us parents have no intent at all of collapsing the American Economic system with our "Entitlement Attitude."

LOL, my kids have even eaten bananas at Trader Joes while shopping. I save the peel, show the cashier and she just rings in the price of each banana they ate

 

[Carly_Roach]

I also agree that what the woman was likely looking for was free emergency medical supplies. I don't believe it's stealing if you open a product and use it in the store, as long as you pay for it on the way out.

The only scruple I'd have would be if it was a product sold by weight (grapes, nuts, bulk marshmellows, etc), and I wouldn't be all that upset if a kid ate a grape or such. But to snatch a bunch of cranberries or an apple (unless that apple is in a pre-priced bag of apples) and walk through the store eating it is, simply put, theft. Produce isn't generally considered a sample.

 

[JessicaR]

When I was little and went shopping with my mom I always looked forward to being handed that box of animal crackers that I ate while my mom finished her shopping. The empty box was put on the belt. I never thought there was a problem with that and I gues my mom didnt either.

Fast forward to shopping with my children especially when they were little but STILL now at 13 and 17 years old they open an occasional drink and it gets put on the belt. If I am starving while shopping I usually grab a protein bar and put the wrapper on the belt.

Just never considered that stealing since I pay for it.

However these days when I shop at Whole Foods and many other places like Trader Joes and Uncle Guiseppes, they encourage you to sample EVERYTHING! I could have a complete meal there while shopping.