# Free sample abusers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 26, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578 "2014-08-26T18:14:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Boogly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Boogly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boogly)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/81 "2014-09-01T08:03:42Z")
Who do the free samples belong to? Shouldn’t they be the people who say who can and can’t take anything? Was that the very last of the cookies being sold? Were the absolutely no more cookies to be sampled? In the few minutes it took you to grow enraged, there were no more cookies being made? Was he a dick? Yup. Is this enough for ambush him a few minutes later away from the samples? I doubt it…but, meh…up to you. If the cookies meant that much…go back later for cookies. They can make more. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/82 "2014-09-01T10:17:34Z")
There’s an expensive hippie bakery franchise called Great Harvest – caters to trustifarians and the like. They offer a free sample to every customer (generous hunk o’ bread, often a sweet bun or something). The town’s handful of truly homeless folks, plus a larger group of eccentrics indistinguishable from them, take full advantage of the free samples. The bread customers like myself know full well that part of our overpaying goes to subsidizing our, um, less fortunate neighbors. It’s an unspoken form of socialism, and we all get to feel like we’re Wavy Gravy at Woodstock. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/83 "2014-09-01T11:35:17Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > Why? We’re following the rules. If it has a toothpick in it, it’s free! Sir, you have to eat that family pack of rib eyes in the store! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/84 "2014-09-01T13:43:23Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I have two different friends and I go out to eat with them sometimes. On the way out of some places there is a bowl with some mints. To my great chagrin, if I am out with either of these friends, they seem to think a free mint bowl means “fill your pockets!” I say, somewhat loudly, "I think _one_ will be enough for me. Did I mention that they were politically very conservative (the greedy and self-centered kind, not the racist kind)? And rich? And they don’t really like mints? So I wonder what their angle is. Is it _“I’m going to sell these mints at a profit!”_ or _“I’m going to train these commies to stop giving away mints if it kills me!”_? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/85 "2014-09-01T14:13:20Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > I could potentially write this off as they both ended up in the parking lot at the same time & saw the truck he got into. However, > this is scary! To see someone often enough, at the checkout, to know how they treat different cashiers? I’ll help fat, disgusting, pig, slob guy apply for the restraining order. If, like many people, you tend to do your grocery shopping on the same day of the week at roughly the same time of day at the same store you’re going to run into a significant number of people who do likewise. And unless you have zero short term memory you’re going to recognize at least some of your fellow regulars. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/86 "2014-09-01T14:17:23Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I really do tend to over react when someone fucks with my food! Preach it! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/87 "2014-09-01T15:27:38Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > If, like many people, you tend to do your grocery shopping on the same day of the week at roughly the same time of day at the same store you’re going to run into a significant number of people who do likewise. And unless you have zero short term memory you’re going to recognize at least some of your fellow regulars. One of the joys of living in Greater Suburbia is that within 5 miles of my house I have 6 or 7 supermarkets (+ convenience stores, drug stores, & a Target) & literally tens of thousands of ‘neighbors’, & that’s not counting people who live on the far side of the grocery store. I usually shop around the same time & recognize employees but [del]rarely[/del] never recognize customers I don’t know other than them being a customer. There’s just too many people. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/88 "2014-09-02T16:29:42Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I have two different friends and I go out to eat with them sometimes. On the way out of some places there is a bowl with some mints. To my great chagrin, if I am out with either of these friends, they seem to think a free mint bowl means “fill your pockets!” I say, somewhat loudly, "I think _one_ will be enough for me. Did I mention that they were politically very conservative (the greedy and self-centered kind, not the racist kind)? And rich? And they don’t really like mints? Naturally. The idea that everybody isn’t a freeloader like them is unthinkable. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578/89 "2014-09-03T03:45:52Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I always say “no thank you” when offered a sample. Do sample-pushers take it personally, or are they relieved? If you pay attention you can usually tell. Except for those who have the Depends samples… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-sample-abusers/696578.md?page=4)