Is this shop lifting?

j.col

j.col

j.col

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Listening to the local radio tonight, there was a story about a woman who was reprimanded by a Tesco security guard, after eating a banana while walking around the store.

Here is the full story. http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/9160360.Woman__appalled__by_banana_reprimand/

"A woman who was reprimanded for eating a banana while shopping in Tesco said she was “appalled and disgusted” by the way she was treated.
Lisa Boyle, of Maple Cross, said that while she was being detained by a security guard for eating in the store, a trolley tug-of-war ensued with a three-year-old child still sat inside.
The Rickmansworth supermarket however denies that the security guard acted inappropriately.
Ms Boyle said: “I went into the shop with a three-year-old girl who I childmind. We went later than planned, around tea time, so were both hungry.
“We were sharing a banana, which I obviously intended to pay for, and the security guard approached me and told me I couldn't eat in the store and had to leave.
“I told him to not be so silly, he grabbed the trolley and said 'you've not going any further' and told me if I had a problem I was to call the police.”
Ms Boyle said she asked to see the manager and was taken to the tills where they waited.
She said: “It was hardly the crime of the century so I asked if I could continue shopping while we waited for the manager.
“He grabbed the trolley and it turned into a tug-of-war with the child still sitting in there, she was really distressed so I just let him take the trolley.”
The 40-year-old said the incident occurred on Friday at about 5.30pm and that she left an official complaint.
She added: “I've never been so insulted in my life. If I was going to steal it I wouldn't walk around blatantly eating it in the fruit and veg aisle. I'm appalled and disgusted.”
David Nieberg, from Tesco, said: “We strongly refute any suggestion that our security guard acted aggressively or inappropriately in any way.

She was on the radio, saying that she wants a full apology, and making a right racket about it, when in my opinion, the security guard was completely right to 'pull' her over it, and if it had happened to me, i would be keeping my head down.
What are your opinions?
 
You cannot buy just one banana.

If they are weighed and priced at the tills then yes she was stealing.
 
Yeah it is, the banana is property of the supermarket until you pay for it. If they don't give you permission to eat it (as is implied in say, a restaurant) then you're stealing it.

Many moons ago, I worked as a checkout operator at a supermarket. Used to grind my gears when scummy families (and they were always scummy) would give me an empty packet of crisps to scan in. :mad:
 
as i used to be a security guard for tesco's for 5 years i would say she is in the wrong.

the amount of people i stopped at the till after watching them eat fruit/sandwiches/ect around the store was huge.

i must have had at least 10 a week,they get really embarrassed when you go up to them when they are at the checkout and give them the empty packet and ask them to pay for it.

they dont do it again once they know you have a good cctv system at tesco :)
 
If it's a weighed item then she is. Same with loose grapes. It will obviously weigh less and then the item eaten isn't paid for.

The security guard sounds a little ott, but then that is the womans tale of events. The guard may word it a fair bit differently.
 
Actually, to be convicted of theft it has to prove 2 things.

Appropriation and Dishonesty.

Due to the way case law has developed over the years (too long winded to go into it) and since we appropriate everything we touch in a supermarket, the conviction of theft is down to dishonesty. So if you can prove you intend to pay for it then it is not theft.

Correction - To be convicted of theft, the prosecution has to prove dishonesty...as the burden of proof is on them!
 
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However it could quite easily be against store policy and allow them to ask you to leave, no?

EDIT: The only thing the security guard did "wrong" was the trolley thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was heavily exaggerated.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Actually, to be convicted of theft it has to prove 2 things.

Appropriation and Dishonesty.

Due to the way case law has developed over the years (too long winded to go into it) and since every we appropriate everything we touch in a supermarket, the conviction of theft is down to dishonesty. So if you can prove you intend to pay for it then it is not theft.
Click to expand...

at tesco we follow a simple but affective rule called s.c.o.n.e.

s=selection
c=concealment
o=observation
n=non payment
e=exit

all these five steps have to be on cctv to prove it in a court,but as she only had one bannaa then i would have done the same as the security guard.
 
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