Sampling or stealing?

[Anonymous]

Watched a woman use her child to steal food from the hot bar at premium grocery store.

I was about to grab an item from the hot bar. She was there before me. Then she got on her phone. I noticed the toddler (not infant but 1-2 year old) in the stroller.

What made me look hard was the container she used. She grabbed a soup container from the other side of the bar (instead of the hot bar containers). Then she put about 10 premium chicken nuggets in the container and then handed them to jar daughter to eat.

I thought that maybe she would try to pass them off as soup at the checkout. But no, she had the kid eat the nuggets. I was behind her at checkout. 3 cannolis put on the conveyor while the kid remained hidden in the stroller, finishing up the nuggets.

Security guard was nearby. He did not see it. I told the clerks and she hurried out of the store before anything could have been said. I’m sure that had I not said anything that she would have “sampled” more food.

Disgusted.

[Anonymous]

You followed her around the store to checkout? What's wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Stealing.
Agree, disgusting.

Also, there is no "sampling" anything from a soup/salad/hot bar.

That is a public health violation under Montgomery County’s food safety laws.

Then again, people do not care.

[Anonymous]

Oh man not the premium chicken nuggets

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You followed her around the store to checkout? What's wrong with you?

Nothing wrong with that reaction. Maybe there's more to the story. Hunger, child abuse? What's the saying.. if you see something, say something. At minimum I certainly don't want to buy it after the kid stuck finger in there. The mom needs to be told not to let it happen.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they had no food at home.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't sound like kid or mom had hands in main container. Kid ate out of soup container.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You followed her around the store to checkout? What's wrong with you?

Nothing wrong with that reaction. Maybe there's more to the story. Hunger, child abuse? What's the saying.. if you see something, say something. At minimum I certainly don't want to buy it after the kid stuck finger in there. The mom needs to be told not to let it happen.

Pipe down Karen. Mom went and got a soup container. Those nasty toddler germs were no where near the food.

[Anonymous]

A 2-year old ate 10 chicken nuggets?

[Anonymous]

For everyone saying it is no big deal or MYOB, it impacts us. Stealing means the store loses money. The store then has to raise prices because people are stealing. We, a collective we, all pay for the stolen food. I'm not saying the store needs to tar and feather the mother but it should be called out. The mother should be asked to pay for the stolen food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watched a woman use her child to steal food from the hot bar at premium grocery store.

I was about to grab an item from the hot bar. She was there before me. Then she got on her phone. I noticed the toddler (not infant but 1-2 year old) in the stroller.

What made me look hard was the container she used. She grabbed a soup container from the other side of the bar (instead of the hot bar containers). Then she put about 10 premium chicken nuggets in the container and then handed them to jar daughter to eat.

I thought that maybe she would try to pass them off as soup at the checkout. But no, she had the kid eat the nuggets. I was behind her at checkout. 3 cannolis put on the conveyor while the kid remained hidden in the stroller, finishing up the nuggets.

Security guard was nearby. He did not see it. I told the clerks and she hurried out of the store before anything could have been said. I’m sure that had I not said anything that she would have “sampled” more food.

Disgusted.

I am so confused how you watched her check out, and then said something, but you are sure that if you hadn't said something to her after she checked out she would have gone back to the hot bar. Most people check out right before they leave the store.

I would not do this for my child. At the same time, stores know that people do this. They make the calculated decision to accept that loss as a price of business. If the store chose not to address this issue, then that's their choice, and you need to stay out of it.

[Anonymous]

Wow that Mother is horrific! 😠

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For everyone saying it is no big deal or MYOB, it impacts us. Stealing means the store loses money. The store then has to raise prices because people are stealing. We, a collective we, all pay for the stolen food. I'm not saying the store needs to tar and feather the mother but it should be called out. The mother should be asked to pay for the stolen food.

+1. Heartily agree.

[Anonymous]

Please return to the store and volunteer to monitor the hot food bar and confront the thieves.

Unwilling? Then MYOB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they had no food at home.

So they should steal?