What Some People Do in Supermarkets.....

I wrote about what some people do at "chap fan" stalls a while back but I can't believe what I've seen some people do in supermarkets that I'm compelled to share what I've personally witnessed!

#1 - Those who eat for free (unethically)

Supermarkets sell a lot of foodstuff by weight (usually those fried food like potato wedges, fries, fried squid, sausages, etc.) where you can fill a plastic bag with the amount you want, have it weighed and a price tag attached to it.  And what I've seen people do at this food counter amazes me....I've seen some of them scoop the snacks into a plastic bag and went on their merry way....and eating them straightaway....without paying for it.


Worse still, there are those (usually children) who would just use their hands and pick up a piece or two to eat without paying (some would even walk away with a stick of food in hand).  Worse still, I've even seen parents taking them for their children! O_o


What pisses me off is that it's unhygienic (for us genuine buyers) as they use their hands, not the tongs provided...ish!

#2 - Those who take advantage of free food

I know the food and drink sampling stations are there for people to sample and try new food and drinks but some people just take full advantage of the free food.  I've seen families with children and each and every member will take a sampling before walking off to the next food sampling station.  I know they have every right to try and are not at liberty to buy the product after tasting but, seriously, do you need every member of the family to taste?  For me, personally, I'd refuse an offer to taste if the product is not something I have the intention of buying.

#3 - Those who are real cheapskates

Have you been to the area that sells garlic and find lots of skins of garlic all over the garlic tray?  It's a ghastly sight...I don't know why people would do that.....peeling the skins off the garlic!  It's not that the skins weigh a tonne that peeling them off would reduce the weight of the garlic they wish to buy drastically! @_@  Nowadays, some supermarkets have wised up and sell them already pre-packed.

#4 - Those who can't estimate the price of foodstuff sold by weight

They'd buy it, have it weighed and then realise it's too expensive....and decide that they don't want it (usually it's either fish or prawns).  It's fine if they discard it by leaving the weighed items back where they belong (as these are perishables) or by telling the supermarket staff they don't want it anymore, but no, they're too embarrassed to that.  Instead, they'll ditch them away from the fresh food section by stuffing them in the dry food aisles (I once found prawns stuffed between canned food).

#5 - Those who can't decide


And then there are those who can't decide what they want (this photo I snapped is a clear example).  They will take the produce and put it into their shopping cart and, when they decide they don't want it anymore, they won't be bothered to put it back where they took it from but just leave it anywhere that's convenient for them.

#6 - Those who cheat (on purpose)

I once saw a lady replace a tray of eggs she wanted to buy with some other eggs (of another brand!).  I didn't know what she was doing at first...I thought she were just replacing the same brand eggs with what she deemed to be bigger ones from another tray.  I actually felt embarrassed (spotting her do it) and moved away from her.  After she has left, I went to where she was and I found a tray of regular eggs amongst the branded eggs.  She switched the cheaper (regular) eggs with a more expensive brand (of healthier eggs).  When I relayed this story to my spouse, he said he has seen that a couple of times himself (and here I was thinking that I witnessed something unseen before)! o_O

#7 - Those who don't give a hoot about inconveniencing others 

I've also seen once a customer paying part of her grocery bill with lots of coins.  Just because you have coins you want to get rid of doesn't mean you can do it at the supermarket and inconvenient the cashier and other customers waiting in queue.  I think she paid more than RM10 in coins and the poor cashier had to slowly count them while the next person in line (me!) was fuming (and the gentleman behind me too) but we dare not tick her off as she'll probably argue that coins are legal tender and that she's entitled to pay with coins if she wants! >:(

Another common incident of when people inconvenience others at the payment counter is when they don't weigh the items that need to be weighed (out of ignorance?) and have a price tag put on it before proceeding to pay at the cashier counter.  And then the poor cashier has to run to where the produce is to get it weighed and priced.  Luckily, some cashiers are smarter and would not scan the unweighted item so as not to hold up the queue.

#8 - Those who (I don't even know what to call these)


They would open sealed items (usually those in paper and plastic packaging that can be torn easily) to see what the product looks like inside?  Or to take away some of the contents? @_@  I don't know.  I bumped into this when I was buying Cookie's food.  More often than not, I've seen packets of opened packets of foodstuff, especially biscuits and instant noodles, as well.

I'm simply amazed at what I witness in supermarkets sometimes.  What brings them to behave in such an inconsiderate manner or do some of these uncalled for things is certainly beyond my understanding.  Have you ever encountered any of these untoward and embarrassing incidents yourself? ^_~