There are ways to check for that kind of thing, like large patches of ice and mushy meats (meaning the thawed water’s already soaked it). I’d suggest doing so for any frozen thing you pick up at the store as best you’re able, especially with meats.
What does “not exactly poor” mean? Not precisely poor? Almost but not exactly poor?
Psst, just take the second one down, never take the top one.
Not even close to poor. Happy now?
I bet a parent could ask a judge to assign community service rather than a money fine. Twenty hours helping out nursing home staff, cleaning up the city parks, stacking library books, whatever.
Even if the parent did wind up paying a fine, they have ways of making sure the kid still ultimately pays it and any parent who wouldn’t do that is just… wrong. That’s so wrong.
I feel bad for kids whose parents always bail them out or let them off. I have two brothers like that, one who will turn 30 this year and another who is almost 27, and they are both such completely useless people. Accountability is a valuable skill to learn young. That actions have consequences is another one. “Stop asking me for bail money” is another but in my brothers’ case I’m not sure that last one with ever even be taught.
Every time Hubby and I go to Sam’s Club, the diaper section has been raided. At least one box of each size of each brand has been opened, and one or more diapers has been pulled out. I don’t stand there and count to see if anything’s been stolen, but what else could it be? I swear, all they need to do is put a little old lady on a chair in that aisle and give her a mega phone … “HEY YOU … YOU ARE BEING WATCHED. DON’T OPEN THE BOXES, OR I’LL CALL SECURITY.” And then she could hand you a sample of trail mix!
Do you also say “could care less” when you actually mean could NOT care less"?
I agree that “not exactly poor” sounds like “close to poor”. Like, “that mirror is not exactly straight”, means it’s almost straight but not quite exactly straight…
“Not exactly poor” in that context read as “comfortably off” to me.
I had a similiar experience with marachino cherries, yuck.
Well that’s a lovely thought that I wish you hadn’t shared! 
The tampons or diapers I can almost understand. Maybe someone was having an emergency that they weren’t prepared for and had to make a mad dash to the bathroom? And were too embarassed to return and buy the rest of the package?
I like that idea. There are many of us who would dearly love to bring down vengeance upon the louts and scofflaws of the world with impunity. Can I work in the parking lot, yelling at people who can’t seem to grasp the concept of the cars go BETWEEN the lines?
So, how many people here sample from the bulk bins? It’s just one jelly bean, right? Okay, now a hundred people per day sample one jelly bean. Now do that every day of the year. (Not to mention a hundred people per day sticking their mungy paws in the food.)
You can agree, but you are wrong. It’s simply a way of politely saying “we aren’t filthy rich, but we are doing well” without bragging. It’s a commonly used term.
Ug. I no longer buy unwrapped candy from child-accessible bins after seeing the world’s grubbiest 6 year old paw though a bin. She managed to eat most of whatever it was before her mom noticed. Mom made her put it back. <shudder>
That is CRA-zy! She made her put it back! Wow.
I never got caught stealing as a child- might have done me good if I had. When I was four and five there was an eight year old whom I was allowed to hang around with.
He taught me how to steal things from the 7-11. That was the start of a wonderful slide- most of my young life until I was out of school I was a petty and then not so petty criminal.
My daughter only tried to steal once, and we walked it right back into the store. and she got a stern talking to. She’s never tried it again.
I have to admit that, probably once a month, I will steal one piece of candy out of the Braach’s bin. Usually one of those chewy fruit slices or a Neopolitan. It’s completely wrong and it’s stealing. I have no excuse.
Do you then buy a pound or two every so often? If so , you have my absolution.
I was so gobsmacked I couldn’t speak. Probabaly just as well, really.
Just curious, why did you stop stealing when you were out of school? Was that just when you stopped going into the 7-11?
Actually, no; however, because of you, I will. I’m serious. I feel better now. That’s a good solution.
Thank you. I was simply trying to say that we are well off.
I can’t excuse for this reason either. More than one mother has been caught unprepared and had to buy an emergency package of diapers for the baby. It’s even more understandable that a woman would be caught out unprepared. Not everyone’s cycle is perfectly regular after all. Taking an open box to the register probably wouldn’t even get you a second glance much less feed your embarrassment in any way.
When I had to buy an emergency package of diapers (and a new outfit,) I got a sympathetic laugh from the clerk. It had happened to her too. It’s no big deal and I don’t think any reasonable person can see their emergency as a good excuse for not buying the package they opened.
Some Brach’s weighable candy bin fixtures have a coin box for grazers/samplers to deposit money. I’ve read that they’re rare now, but we still have a coin box (usually crammed full of cash and higher-value coins) in our store’s Brach’s fixture. Take a glance next time you’re in your store-- absolution might be cheaper than having to buy a pound or so.