is eating food before you pay for it in supermarkets stealing?

I don't see anything wrong with it to be honest, if I'm shopping I generally take less then <20 minutes but sometimes can take longer and sure I'll get hungry. I don't think I've ever actually done it mind.

Also see a lot of parents doing it for their kids which is understandable.
 
There's a cheap shop down the high street at Hounslow.

Last week, was in the queue (99p for a box of Toffifee!!, was well happy!), and there's a woman there eating here way through a pack of crisps and drinking a can.

NOT ONLY did she consume these before paying them, but the cheeky bitch also handed the cashier the empty can and packet as she walked off!

Sorry, just grinded (or ground, what is the past-tense for this) my gears!
Argh that would really annoy me also!

On a completely unrelated subject - the other day I was in a queue in a petrol station and there was a guy in front of me and a woman in front of him. He was obviously getting too close to her because as she tried to leave she went "Argh! Get off me! I don't want your fat belly all over me! It's disgusting!" :p

I lol'd :D
 
I've only done this once, when I relised it was 2pm and I hadn't eaten all day and was starting to feel a bit funny. I had a bottle of coke to keep me going, I made sure I paid for it.

At conceptial level it's wrong, you havn't paid for it you shouldn't munch it. In practice if the goods are paid for and you don't make any mess I probably doesn't do any harm.

If I had young children I would never give them unpaid for stuff to munch. Untill they'd properly learned the concept of ownership. Besides I think if you start feeling them stuff straight off the shelves they'll start grabbing it for themselves in future.
 
It always annoyed me when I worked on the checkouts at Waitrose. Especially weighted items. It is a disgusting habit, you'll probably be dropping crumbs all over the place. It's not a restaurant, it won't be cleaned quite as often as one. Don't do it, if you are that hungry then don't take so long in the supermarket!
 
It's not stealing - you're not intending to permanently deprive the supermarket of the item (because you intend to pay for it). Might get some odd looks, but legally there's nowt to worry about.
 
Actually yes, used to do this with shoes when we were small. We were simply too excited to take them off again and my mum saw it as an oppertunity to break them in while we carried on shopping.
Shoes are somewhat different as they'll usually scan the box not the shoes, and you're expected to try them on anyway.
 
It really bothers me when people do this....no idea why.

My ex used to do it all the time, seemed to be more for the sake of it than anything.
 
It's not stealing - you're not intending to permanently deprive the supermarket of the item (because you intend to pay for it). Might get some odd looks, but legally there's nowt to worry about.

"You see officer I had no real intention of permanently depriving the dealership of the vehicle.
I always intended to pay for it"

So I'm sorry but I cannot see how "I was going to pay for it" could be considered a valid and legal defence if it actually went that far.
 
"You see officer I had no real intention of permanently depriving the dealership of the vehicle.
I always intended to pay for it"

So I'm sorry but I cannot see how "I was going to pay for it" could be considered a valid and legal defence if it actually went that far.

As far as i'm aware, it's not theft if you plan on paying for it and it'd be up to a jury to decided if you were planning on paying for the car you stole from a dealership (not likely) or if you were planning on paying for a sandwich you ate whilst doing your weekly shop (much more likely).

EDIT: (1) A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and "thief" and "steal" shall be construed accordingly
 
As long as the goods are fixed price its fine, with grapes, its accepable to have or 2 to "Test" that they are ok, however stuffing your face is not acceptable.

When I worked at tescos many many years ago I used to pick up a 4 pack of red bull off the shelves at 06:00 and drink them then pay for them at 09:00 when the shop opened.
 
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It's not stealing - you're not intending to permanently deprive the supermarket of the item (because you intend to pay for it). Might get some odd looks, but legally there's nowt to worry about.

Whilst you might 'intend' to pay for it, by eating the food before you get to the till you've effectively prevented the store from invoking it's right to refuse to serve you.

What would you do if you got to the till and the person the checkout said "I'm sorry there's been a pricing error, that sandwich costs £769.34"? You cant exactly refuse to pay it and leave the sandwich behind can you?
 
I don't understand why people do this. Can't you just put things in a basket and go to the checkout like others do?
Makes me sick when I see fatties who can't wait to devour the cakes/crisps/choccie bars/Coke they have picked up. You can't be that hungry.
 
Its not stealing, the supermarket 99% of the time does not own the products they sell as they have not yet paid for them. They sell items on sale or return or on a 120 day credit account.

If you bring the wrapper to the till for the item you have consumed and pay, there is no legal problem. Of course the whole thing can be frowned upon (they probably don't like people eating anything in the store,regardless if its yours/theirs), however in the end life's too short everyone knows it, they put food out, you eat it.. you pay for it. Everyone gets what they want no problems.
 
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