There was a guy slurping out of the pre-made soups in one grocery a couple years ago. Nowadays I WON'T buy anything from the pre-made areas unless I've just seen the food brought out by staff!

Anyhow, I'll separate a bunch of bananas - I'm only ONE person! But I won't take anything out of a bag. I figure all or none in that case. And the bananas come in different numbers in their bunches, but I may want a really ripe or a really green set of bananas, depending... An open carton of, say, plums? I may move some over to another carton, since I'm paying by weight. (Grapes at my store come with set pricings on their bags).

There was a mother and her son snacking on sugar snap peas once (leaving the rest of the pack behind). Yes, go ahead, teach your kid to "eat"-lift early in life! At least they were making healthy choices!

You can get bananas and apples for the kiddos to eat at HEB. I think there is a self pay with a $.25 sign. Some of the stores will hand out a cookie, piece of cheese or fresh tortilla if you ask. Our stores usually have people give out all kinds of samples like tortillas, sushi, freshly squeezed orange juice, dips and crackers or chips, cooked meat or seafood and wine. Then there is Costco. It's almost a full meal if you go on the right days. They had samples of 'drinking vinegar' a couple of weeks ago. I tried it, but it still tasted like vinegar. I have to admit, they can get me to try new products.

At both of the local grocery stores I frequent, bananas have a sticky plastic tape strip wrapped around each bunch. It has to be cut, so it's impossible to only buy part of a bunch. Which is really annoying when each of the bunches contain a squishy banana or two.

I always separate the bananas into a smaller bunch, or just pick the smallest bunch. I really never thought of separating the bunches of grapes, I just buy the bag that they're in (and get shell-shocked at the till).

I knew a produce worker, and he'd always lament that one lady kept coming in and eating his apricots!

Our one chain, which is expensive will often have fresh pineapple, orange or watermelon pieces under a dome for tasting. None of the lower-end stores, which is where i shop, do.

One popular market had their watermelons for .99 last week. We were so excited and bought one (they had 6 bins full). How disappointed when we cut it open to eat and it was pale and tasteless. Not even good for my water kefir or a smoothie.

I have never seen loose grapes for sale at my chain grocers. There are usually different prices for different varieties of bagged grapes. If I put them in a clear plastic bag, the checker doesn't know which code to ring up for that variety/price. After tasting one grape, I set aside the bunches I want, dump the rest of that bag into another bag of the same variety, and repackage my purchase into the coded bag.

I don't buy pre-cut produce. I don't eat 'samples'. I would give a very young child (small enough to sit in the cart) some snacks I'd brought from home in a baggie -- Cheerios, crackers, carrot sticks, etc. Older kids can wait to eat. It's unattractive and unsanitary to see people walking around a store with sticky fingers, grabbing and gobbling, and discarding waste 'wherever'.

For those of you that snack or drink while shopping, or give the snacks to your kids, how hard would it be to simply pay for the item first, then do the rest of your shopping? Not much danger of forgetting you consumed that item that way. That's what I did on the very few occasions I gave my boys anything while shopping. That also enforced the rule that everything must be paid for. I certainly did not want my kids to think even for a minute, that it is okay to eat something without paying.

Rusty

I never eat samples in the dome. I just imagine snotty kids fingering them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with changing grapes to a smaller quantity. If the store did this it would be admirable but they package in large amounts thinking people will pay for the whole 8 pounds. Not me. I'll take what I need and place what I don't in another bag.

Wow. I'm pretty amazed by the comments. Especially about giving kids things to eat.

Your 5 year old "has" you make him a sandwich to eat while shopping? He HAS you do it? He's 5. Perhaps if you say no that would be a good lesson. If the kid has to eat in a store, what's wrong with making a sandwich at home and bringing it?

Seems that teaching kids that it's OK to take and eat things in stores (whether or not it's paid for later, which I am sure the kid doesn't even know) just raises the type of adults who think it's OK to take and eat pastries while they're shopping, eat out of the soup containers, and consume things in total before they get to the register. How many of you who feed your kids from store products while shopping explain the paying for what you ate to your kids when you are paying at the register? How about telling the kids that if they want the food, and can't wait until they get home for some reason, they will have to pay for it out of their allowance?

I know I'm sounding like a cranky old lady. I assure you that I'm not. I just simply don't get it. Take food with you for your little ones if they simply can't make it through the grocery store without eating. Sounds like a learning opportunity.

Anne, I'm in Pennsylvania. I absolutly do not see anything wrong with you drinking your drink and paying before you leave. Your paying for your drink, no of course I don't think its wrong. Yesterday while at the store I wanted a cold bottled water sooo bad, but I couldn't drink and than pay because I had the boys with me..young children may not grasp the situation. .and I would never want them to misunderstand and think I'm stealing the water. Had they not been with me I would have drank and paid on my way out. I suppose if one really thinks about it tasting one grape is technically stealing....regardless of how tiny and how many end up in the trash, unless there's a sign up telling you to go ahead and taste the grapes than its stealing. only other option is pay than taste before leaving and if their not good return while still there. Geesh....I'm a thief.

I'm getting this image in my head of trying to weigh one grape and its cost now that we talked about adding an extra banana. I don't know that it's weight would register, and if it did, how small would the cost be? I guess, next time I get grapes, I'll take one grape out and weigh it. I'm dying to know now.

Rob I was thinking the same. Next grape order I'm asking the cashier to weigh it a second time minus one grape...lol. I'm sure this person will think I've gone batty.

Jasdip, a watermelon expert told me that a good watermelon should feel heavy for its size (to indicate juiciness) and have a nice creamy yellow splotch on the bottom (to indicate ripeness). Since following those 2 guidelines I have never again bought a bad watermelon.

I was at Kroger earlier. The grapes were labeled, "ripe, juicy grapes". The grapes were hard and tart. I'm glad I tested one.

In CA re-usuable bags are now the law. I often want to just shop a few items and put the items into my reusable bag instead of one of the baskets, and then hand the bag to the cashier for check out, but I'm afraid someone will think I'm shoplifting.

We always shop using our reusable bags. Only when we buy larger items like cranberry juices, etc do we use the hand baskets. No one has ever questioned us.

Someone spoke of being worried about not only dirt, and other unattractive things, on the grapes, but what really troubled him/her was that there'd be pesticides!

Then the poster used the term "systemic" ... which means that the pesticide permeates the whole plant, including the fruits, doesn't it?

If I want to sample or eat in the store - I pay on the way out. If a large bag of grapes is more than I, a single, want, I'll remove some of the grapes from a bag ... but usually just place the rest on the counter, as I expect someone else will want just a few, and put them in a produce bag ... or I use a produce bag, leaving the unused portion in the original bag.

As for worrying about the added cost of the unpaid-for merchandise being paid for by the whole group of shoppers, I have a complaint that I think to be similar.

If I pay for goods in cash, sometimes I ask a clerk whether she'd prefer to be paid her wages from the proceeds of the person ahead of me who used a "credit" (read "debt") card, or my cash purchase.

They say they don't care ... as long as they get paid.

I say that they'd wait about 6 - 8 weeks for their pay, and for each $100.00 owing, they'd get anywhere from about $95.00 - 98.00, as the credit card company keeps a portion of the billed amount (especially of the "cash bank" cards).

My request for a discount for cash is usually met with a claim that they don't do that. I have heard that their contract with the company (often a bank) offering the "credit" card service contains a clause where they are not permitted to offer such.

Rant complete ... for now.

ole joyfuelled ...

who likes grapes ... but sometimes lets them lie so long that they deteriorate (as he did recently in such a way that they bled on to the return envelope for his tax return ... and it didn't want to open to receive his papers - and tribute)

When I'm really thirsty, I have taken bottles of soda to drink while I'm shopping. I always put the empty one in my card, and let the checkout person know that I need to pay for it.

I don't taste the grapes or any other food in the store, but have you ever actually looked at the expressions of those who do? The smiles and nods I see when someone is happy with the flavor brings back memories of my mother doing the same thing. That makes me smile too.

The farmer's markets I go to sell both sliced and whole watermelons and when they're just coming into season, they'll even have samples chopped up on a plate next to the display. Yum!

As for the grapes, eh, I wouldn't want the pesticides, but I don't see anything wrong with tasting organic, we actually need some germs and dirt to keep the good ole immune system going strong.

In our state, you can go into Costco without a card and hit the samples all you want; you just can't buy anything (but booze) without the card.

I'd prefer to assume that the folks munching on a roll while shopping for groceries are honest and pay for them on their way out. But I have witnessed someone just eating food and then leaving a couple of times. I know it's stealing that affects the bottom line of the store and those costs are passed on to paying consumers, but I still feel badly for those people. I mean, look at what they're risking if they get caught. I figure they must be pretty hungry to do it so I say a prayer for them and thank God that I'm not in their shoes.

Hoov, I use a reusable shopping bag as my "basket" as I'm shopping - I find it more comfortable to have the bag over my shoulder and put my items in and then when I get to the conveyor belt, I just unload it and its all quite easy.

In our state, you can go into Costco without a card and hit the samples all you want; you just can't buy anything (but booze) without the card.

If someone gives you a Costco gift card, you may purchase items at Costco using the gift card, even though you are not a member.

I sometimes use my canvas re-usable bag for carrying grocery items, instead of pushing a cart. I unload it at the register. The stores probably have more of a problem with my bringing in more bags than I end up needing--they don't often ask to verify that the others are empty, even though I am fine with them checking. I am sure shrinkage has increased by quite a large amount with the new law.

Funnyiest thing I saw at Costco was a woman who pulled out tiny salt and pepper shakers from her pocket to season the sample she was about to eat.

My mother had all her four kids during the 1950s. When she was "stuck" having to take all of us to the grocery store of course we would be bored silly and act up.

Our big treat IF we settled down and quieted down was for Mom to give us a small box of animal crackers to share. Remember that little cardboard box with the string handle?

OH did Mom get the stink eye from other shoppers as the four of us kids took turns munching animal crackers from that box! Mom ignored them.

There was ALWAYS an open, empty box of animal crackers right at the beginning of our conveyor belt of food. Mom wanted to make sure we were charged for the crackers and were not stealing food.

I wonder if those little cardboard boxes of animal crackers with the string handle still exist?

Kessala

Cute story Kessala...and yes those little boxes, string handle intact still exist.

I work retail; trust me, this doesn't surprise me in the least. I've seen people try on deodorant then put it back on the shelf. I've seen people put all their makeup on with testers. Freaks me out. Herpes city here we come... You never put tester make up on your face! I caught two ladies trying to hide a little girl between them, as they let the child eat an Easter Cream Egg. I walked them to the cash register and made them pay for it. The internet isn't big enough for me to say what I've seen "customers" do in the stores I've worked in. Both young and old.

BTW, we absolutely HATE it when people use their reusable bags for shopping baskets. We end up spending our work time following you around to make sure you pay for the products you're putting in your bag. You won't believe how many people simply walk out of the store without paying.

California passed a law that requires people to use reusable bags or pay for reusable plastic ones, so I bring mine into the store with me and stuff them in the 'child seat' part of my cart next to my purse. The reusable plastic ones seem like they kind of defeat the purpose of the law in the first place but oh well.

Debby, I never thought of it that way (using the bag as my shopping basket while I'm shopping throughout the store). Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I think I shouldn't shop that way anymore.

And everyone who eats "one or two grapes" to test them before buying: do you open a can of soup to test that? A chocolate bar to test that? I have never 'tested' fruit before I bought it. Ever. It's theft. Plain and simple. And if staff doesn't say anything when they see you do it, it's because they don't get paid to play floor walker. All those "just one or two grapes" adds up to a lot of shrink for the store at the end of the year. And guess who pays for that? yup, those of us who don't steal.

I use reusable bags when I remember to put them in our cars. I do scrub the insides because I am sure what I bring home brings germs.

And speaking of reusable bags, my town has banned them. For a while, CVS compiled and used paper. Now guess what? They are back to plastic, but the bags are thicker, and they say reusable bag on them!

Debby, I use the wand at Stop and Shop which means I scan and pack my items as I shop. I would never think that people would put items in a bag without the scanning program. other than stealing, this does not make sense. Did they put items in a bag, only to take them back out to scan at the check-out?

For the people who just can't buy something before they consume it in a store, why don't you carry something to drink or eat with you and eat or drink before going to the store? I don't understand that. Yes, many people will pay for it, but the fact is, many don't. I have to say, I don't know ONE diabetic who doesn't carry something with them in case of an incident. Glucose tablets, candies, a candy bar, crackers or something are always with them and usually they have their insulin kit with them too. For the people who won't, do they rely on clothing stores to have candy bars to grab if that's where they're shopping? The auto mechanic? The computer store? What if they're driving down the street? In a movie theater? (They'll make you pay before you munch at the snack bar! "I'll maybe pay for it later" won't work). How about the furniture store, the park, zoo or any number of other places? Seems strange to me. Same thing with feeding kids in the store. The fact is that much of that isn't paid. If you can't feed your kids before you come to the store or need to bribe them to keep them under control then you can at least take it to the checkout, pay for it, tape the receipt to it and then go on with your shopping. That's how I've always done it. Or maybe it's time to learn and teach some discipline if the brats are that out of control. As for the great grape debate, grapes are a favorite treat of mine. However, I've quit buying them unless I am allowed to test one so it's usually a farmers market type situation. I'm conflicted on the sanitation issue vs inedible food but having thrown too much food, it's a decision I've made. I seldom buy grapes these days.

It used to be that you had to actually leave the store with the unpaid merchandise but not anymore (in my state and yes I know laws vary). Now it's sufficient to show an intention to gain a conviction. Putting something in your pocket and heading toward the door is sufficient proof. Claiming you were going to pay for it is not an affirmative defense. I'm glad they changed that law. Retailers used to have to have staff follow people out of the store where suspects could have the chance to run, involve others or have a higher risk of numerous problems.

Seems to me it's typical of the "me-me" society that we see and people use to rationalize laziness and selfishness to drink, eat and be merry in the stores and claim they'll pay for it later.

Getting back to the grapes...when the produce section advertises sweet red seedless grapes and I get home with tart red grapes with thick skins and seeds who's ripping whom off then??

Very unkind to call anyones kids brats. Just because a child is in a store surrounded by delicious foods and wanting something does not make them a brat. Not nice at all.

"Just because a child is in a store surrounded by delicious foods and wanting something does not make them a brat."

Perhaps not. But it could indicate that they're undisciplined in this respect. Wanting something doesn't always mean getting it. It's a matter of teaching self-control.

If the store doesn't want people to pick random grapes, or ask to cut watermelon for them, and they stand by their products, they can always set up a taste station - cut up watermelons, grapes, orange slices, pineapple chunks, etc. I see that so often.

Then they don't have a taste station by the fruit, I ask one of the workers "do you know if these watermelons are sweet?" to which he says "would you like to try?" I usually say yes, unless he tells me he knows for a fact they are sweet. If I say yes he either opens the fruits, offers me a piece and take the rest inside to be cut and offered to other customer; or he opens one of those containers with cut up fruit the grocery store offers for sale, let me try one and leave it for other costumer to try as well.

I have never needed to get a piece of fruit to try without asking first. Once I unwrapped a fruit bar for my toddler but took the wrap to the cashier and paid for it of course. She was just being horrible and I wanted her to shut up.

And a couple of times I opened a bottle of water before paying for it, but paid for it once at the register of course.

All the groceries stores I go have stellar customer service - Wegmans, Giant (less so), Trader Joes (my favorite) and Whole Foods (only the produce and butcher sections - although I avoid the butcher because it is prohibitively expensive). HT is fantastic as well.

Suzieque, while I agree that teaching kids self control is important, I think the age of the child should be taken into consideration. If my 7y old would dare to start a fit because she wants to eat something right now, I would set her straight in a heartbeat. And probably wouldn't buy the item just to teach a lesson.

If my toddler did the same I would probably cave in. Not anymore because now, at almost 3, I feel she is old enough to get with the program. But when she was between 18m and 2y - she was terrible. I HATED taking her to the grocery store and would avoid as much as possible, but sometimes I had to take her with me.

If there is a parent with a toddler in the same grocery store I am, I would rather the parent teach his child self control in some other setting away from me it I means I will be doing my groceries at the tune of a toddler temper tantrum.

eld, I sometimes use my personal shopping bag as a receptacle when I shop for a few items because I just don't like to touch the handles of those little baskets that you carry if I can avoid it- yes I am a bit of a germaphobe and I also find them uncomfortable to carry or wear over my arm) and I don't always want to push a big cart for just a few items. Its comfortable for me to sling my soft bag over my shoulder and drop a few items in and head to the cashier where I unload the bag and I am checked out. Its really pretty simple and certainly perfectly honest. Its the same as putting my items in a basket or a cart and unloading it at the checkout. I shop in Publix and we don't have a wand system and I have never even heard of it until now.

Jade, I sometimes also ask if a particular item is good, like the blueberries. But, I have never been offered a taste. He usually just gives me the thumbs up or down.

I'm late to this discussion but it reminded me of what a friend told me. He was the produce manager at a large Kroger store in a well-to-do neighborhood. They stopped a man and found he had pockets sewn inside his overcoat. Those pockets were filled with good steaks! I don't think he was planning to pay for them at the checkout!!!

Texas_Gem, where I shop the grapes are in bags, but the bags are open at the top.

I always taste test one grape. I am testing for firmness. I've had too many times when I bought grapes and when I get home, I find out that they are soft (not fresh). That is the fault of the store, so I do not feel guilty about eating one before I buy.

As for cut fruit, I would never buy a cut watermelon or any other cut fruit because of dirty knives and I don't want someone's hands all over it.

Also, I only buy USA fruit (except for bananas). That means no grapes from Chile, etc. In winter I wanted to buy an orange and they were from South Africa. South Africa! With California and Florida growing oranges, I have to buy an orange from South Africa? I actually looked up on Google the distance from where I live to South Africa and it is almost 8000 miles. I complained to the manager and he said that the store buyers try to get the best deal for the shopper. Wrong. They are getting the best deal for themselves.

I'm not crazy about produce from Mexico, but I've resigned myself to that, unless I can avoid it. For example, tomatoes from Mexico. I would never buy the onions from Peru. And absolutely no garlic from China.

I bought some frozen strawberries and when I got home I found out that they were from Egypt. Egypt! Come on! Those went straight down the garbage disposal.

By the way, I shop at a regular grocery store---Stop and Shop.

Lucy, you're fortunate to be able to identify where your food comes from. A major grocery chain here in Canada has "prepared for ....." instead of the country or company of origin. No doubt, the grocery chain can go to a different supplier whenever they wish without having customers know this by the product identification.

Growers like to sell fruit that is firm and ships well. Buyers want sweet and flavorful but not over ripe. I think the store should have samples out for those who want to try. Better is going to a farmer's market where they are offering samples and you can ask questions. It's better to ask than take a sample anyway. No one should eat unwashed produce. Dish soap and water removes most of it. You don't need a fancy spray on produce wash product.

I agree with Cynic. There is no good reason for the incessant snacking that goes on in stores. I don't care how young a child is, unless they are a demand fed infant on the breast ,they should be able to make it through 30 minutes of grocery shopping without snacking. I am sick of sticky carts with used wrappers,spilled liquids and bottles and drink cups left in them as if they were trash bins.

Back in the day department stores like Wards, Sears and places like Woolworth's and K Mart had snack bars, candy and ice cream counters and lunch counters. People would take a break from shopping. You ate or drank only in the designated area. No way would one wander around the store drinking or eating handling merchandise with sticky or greasy fingers or setting drink cups on the display shelves to leave wet rings everywhere. If an employee saw that you would have been asked politely to go back to the eating area,. But people just knew it wasn't done. It was called common sense and courtesy.

Today we have whole families shopping with full McDonald meals in hand, kids who are allowed to take toys from the toy dept. and play ball etc. running through the store and then leave the sticky, sometimes broken toy at the register as another go back. It's insane.

I agree with everything you said Watchmelol. And I check books before I buy one (paper books, not electronics) for coffee and scone stains because its quite acceptable to use a book store as a library and have a snack or a grilled cheese sandwich at the cafe, read what you like and then put the book back on the shelf.

You all who want to taste test fruit before you buy it: God only knows whose hands have touched those grapes before you. And where those hands were before they touched those grapes. I've watched people pick their noses before touching things in the store. It's disgusting and you're putting unwashed food in your mouth? So gross! Let alone all the pesticides. And if you think taking a grape from the bottom of the barrel makes you safer, think again. How many times were those grapes moved around before your hand touched them.

Again: do you bite the apples before buying them to test them? Do you drink the milk to test for freshness? No. You don't. So don't eat the grapes. It's gross!

People should feed their kids before they go shopping. They don't need to eat in the store or run through the isles like mad men like I seen yesterday while grocery shopping.

So yesterday at the grocery store I witnessed 2 ladies sampling cherries and removing pits to give to the toddler in the cart. Looked like grandmother and young daughter (mother of the toddler). I was really appalled because of the method they were going about this. And the toddler was making a mess dropping what he didn't want on the floor. The ladies were unzipping the bags and picking through the cherries and had the pits in their palms. I don't know what they did with the pits when they were done. I was picking up a few apples and some other fruit and gave them the stink eye, so they knew they were busted. I had several things to pick up in the produce section, and they continued to pick through all the cherries and then moved on to the grapes. I left that section and moved on.

When I got to checkout, there was grandma arguing with the checkout guy over the price of something. She had the ad spread out and was going at it with him over something. I wanted to jump in and ask her if she paid for the cherries they consumed, but of course I didn't.

It's really unusual to see this behavior in this grocery store. They willingly give out samples of their deli meats and cheeses as well as other items. Maybe it was a cultural thing with them.

During cherry season, a large grocery chain near me places garbage cans next to the where the cherries are displayed. There is a sign stating " If you MUST sample the cherries, please toss your pits in the garbage can". The produce manager told me that while it is not their intent to encourage people to sample, this at least cuts down on finding cherry pits throughout the store.

I truly can't get over all the people with their panties in a wad over trying ONE grape before purchasing. I know for a fact that our local grocery store, part of a large chain in New England, does not mind one bit if a customer wants to pluck one to see if they are sweet enough, soft enough, etc.

As previously stated, their is a ridiculous amount of grapes discarded every day due to spoilage. If allowing customers to sample ONE grape ensures they will buy their produce, they are happy.

And no, I don't think you should be sampling everything you buy...just grapes :)