I do not mean to imply that all people are dishonest. I think most people are honest and trustworthy, but there are always those who will take advantage, Any store owner will tell you there is a lot of theft going on in stores from downright shoplifting to eating that donut or banana and not paying , I have seen this on more than one occasion at different stores.

when I first worked at a convenience store that sold gas, I was told about drive offs...I was like people don't do that...oh yes they do I soon found out!! Then there was one really nice and friendly guy that worked across the street from one of the stores I worked in that came in everyday...at least once a day...one of the workers said he was stealing...the assistant manager and 2nd assistants never believed her...so I watched...he was robbing us blind....unfortunately theft is a HUGE in retail...one of his female coworkers came in with him everyday...claimed to have not had a clue he was doing it...I wasn't sure I believed her but she took nothing...their supervisor came over and let me know that the female coworker told her what happenned she was mortified that we thought she would steal...their supervisor started checking things...turned out he was also embezzling at their company....

Angie and I shop at a natural grocery store in town 2-4 times a month. There are barrels of nuts, rice, beans, etc. I can't tell you how many times I have seen moms stick there hand in and pull out raisins for their kids to eat...and not bagging any of it. One day I saw a guy grab a handful of nuts and walk through the store eating them...no way he paid for it.

Maybe it's not a big deal for $$$, a few raisins/nuts but it still is stealing...not a good thing to teach those kids.

I have thought before about people eating in the store....and choke on an apple...is the store liable? It's not a restaurant....just curious.

Now, a frustrated mom in a grocery store with a screaming toddler wanting a cookie out of the bag already in the basket....that's different....the intent to pay is obvious.

I am nosey so I do look in shopping carts. However, I'm not judging. I'm just noticing and satisfying my curiosity.

I am one who is BIG on opening things in the store and paying for it after it's consumed. I do it a lot. I don't think it's stealing at all because I always take my wrapper to the checkout. I really didn't think that people saw this as stealing. As was said, it's only stealing if you don't pay for it.

I don't get why it matters to some people what food other people are buying. Is it a thing of being genuinely concerned for their health, or a competitive thing, like, "Ha! I rule at eating more cleanly than the person in front of me in line!"?

I'm just curious, because I could understand the competitive aspects. I compare my body against other people, but I wouldn't say that I judge the people I'm comparing myself against one way or the other -- just gauging where I happen to fall sizewise. Groceries seem like a weird thing to compare, especially because I don't know who/what the groceries are for.

Because out of 10 people 2 are probably honest...I've had bad experience with people (in retail, in fast food departments everything you can think of. The things people will go through to get stuff for free is ridiculous and kind of pathetic.) most people will cheat the system and when it comes to getting something for free to eat (snack on whatever) most people will take advantage of that.

Grocery stores are easy to do that with. Take a grape or two, snack on it. (now if one person is doing it, you know other's are...) Grab a batch of 5 banannas, eat one and then only pay for 4 instead of 5..Grab a donut and eat it as you walk around. No one stops you people just continue to carry on and before you know it a lot of stuff has been eaten and unaccounted for. (it's possible they may have forgotten that they shoved that donut in their mouth 10 minutes ago, or had given their kid some grapes or a bananna.

Kudo's for you for having the heart and pride to do the right thing, but a lot of people don't. It's unfortunate too, because you do the right thing, but when someone makes a comment about people doing so it kind of puts you in that catagory yet you're one of the kind hearted people who do the right thing.

I don't notice what's in people's shopping carts unless I'm returning to my parked cart with something that I walked away from it to get, and I want to make certain that it's mine.

I'm generally preoccupied & trying to find everything (because sale items are so specific -- this size & NOT that size -- and things move around on the shelves) and annoyed & worried that they'll run out of something, and I hate, hate, hate waiting in line for rain checks. Also, I'm hurrying, usually to avoid a peak shopping time. I detest shopping during peak shopping times. Down here in NY area, our pricey real estate translates to small stores & tiny or nonexistent parking spaces. If I shop at peak hour, I may not even find parking & may have to circle till someone pulls out. Anyway, this makes me irritable & focused on getting in, getting out.

Of course I notice what's on the conveyer belt ahead of me when I'm paying. No, I don't judge, exactly, but I do tend to make up little stories in my head about those peoples' lives & what family members & what occasions they're buying the stuff for. I see it as a harmless amusement. Like passing a lit-up house at night & making up a little story to myself about who lives there & how they pass their time & whether they're happy.

I think this is a perception issue. You see what you expect to see, not necessarily objective reality.

I've seen the worst of human behavior, working in social service and law enforcement. I worked with juvenile delinquents in detention center, and with adult offenders as a probation officer, and as a drug and alcohol treatment caseworker...

and even working with the "worst of the worst." I would estimate that out of 10 people, fewer than 2 are dishonest.

Which of us is correct?

Probably neither of us, because often what we expect to see is what we do see. We ignore or forget the behavior that doesn't fit into our world view.

I have a friend who always sees the worst in people. She rarely gives anyone a second chance (and most people she doesn't even give a first chance) to hurt her. The problem is that she's so easily hurt that almost everyone in her life, inevitably becomes her worst enemy, sooner or later. I know (from watching her interactions with other people) that it's only a matter of time before I accidentally do something (or fail to do something) that she will find unforgiveable. I try not to get too attached to her, because I know it's coming.

I also know that when it does come, she will tell everyone she can what a horrible, evil, wrotten, insincere, disloyal person I am.

I still choose to see her as "mostly good, just a bit messed up," and even after she cuts me out of her life, I'll still see her that way.

When I see the good in people, it's not so much for them, as for me. If I thought the world was that wrotten a place, I wouldn't be able to live here, but it's amazing how much good you do find in people, when you're looking for it, and expecting it.

I'm the opposite. I always worry about people looking into my cart lol. I have just started my diet and I'm learning to make healthier choices, but before...I was ashamed for people to look.

I hate shopping so much, I walk into the grocery store and I get into the "zone". My closest store is always packed with people. I'm more worried about not tripping over a little kid or avoiding the clueless woman looking over to the side and walking straight into me, than whether or not the contents in the grocery cart match the person or not.

Because I'm so focused on getting what I want and getting out FAST, I don't worry if anyone is judging the contents of my cart!

I think the only time I might notice is if I am standing in line and watching the person in front of me go through. But I don't judge. I look at their food and wonder if that's a meal (sometimes it looks like it is) or if it's stuff they're missing for a meal at home or just randomly picking up groceries so they can take cash out.

This is so interesting...I don't have time to check out other people's carts. I HATE grocery shopping as much as I hate pumping gas. But one time, at the check out lane, I had a half empty cart, and the lady in front of me had 2 full carts. Her bill was only $127, my half empy cart was $90. WHat the heck did she buy? She got a whole other cart of food for only 37 dollars more! I was jealous, but if I had to guess, it was probably a lot of bad food. Eating healthy is expensive. But I don't get embarassed for having some junk food mixed with healthy. I get more embarassed having maxi pads in my cart or...ahem, condoms.

I'll be honest, I look and I like looking and if anyone asks me, I will tell them I was looking. BUT, I tend to look at people's carts who have healthy stuff in it (not even pure healthy but anything more adventures then chicken and potatoes) because I try to guess what they are going to make, if it'd be good, and hey! will it give me an idea for dinner?

I, too, judge those who buy only junk for themselves and their children and then they pay with food stamps. I judge because I worked as a cashier at a store that carried food and those with access cards were rather rude, careless, and only bought junk while their kids are over weight. (I don't judge people for being on food stamps, I judge for what they do with them.) [ugh the more I let this part up, the more like a jerk I feel. What I am TRYING to say is that SOME people are rude/careless/etc and not everyone is on food stamps because they are dirt poor and that buying some junk food while using the stamps is not always bad. Ok I feel a little better]

Sometimes I feel bad about my cart of food. We just moved, we have little money (typical first house/young couple scene). We have to buy food for our lunches and etc. Alot of times that ends up as 5 boxes of hot pockets for $10, because it's cheap(ish), easy, and we can take them to work. I buy ground beef and chicken, ham and pork. My cart has good and bad in it, sometimes more bad, sometimes more good. It depends on how much money we have. When we have more, I buy better foods, when we don't, I grab whatever gets us through. (and it's always changing, our likes and dislikes, what we will try, etc).

Again, I worked at a store that sold food, I also judged over weight people who used the motorized carts but some do have actual problems other then being over weight and it has taught me to be a little more forgiving.

But bottom line, yes, I do peek in other peoples carts and hope they are having something good for dinner so I know of an idea! =D

Me, too! I personally LOVE grocery shopping, especially for produce. I have a fun time picking out the prettiest or most interesting apples ("Wow, this looks just like Snow White's apple!, look at the pretty green swirl in this one -- can't wait till it's time to eat THIS one). Yeah, I guess I'm easily amused, but I do so love food - smelling it, chopping it, cooking it, eating it, and I've started to think about how those mushrooms were growing in the ground just a few days ago, or how that bunch of grapes must have looked hanging on the vine. I don't buy much organic, so I'm sure it's not as romantic and fanciful as I picture it, but I LOVE that I LOVE real food now, and barely glance at the cookies and such in a box.

I definitely notice what others are buying if it's interesting in any way, but I do it with the same intent as Saef, just wondering about the life behind the groceries. Yeah, grocery shopping is a fun time for me! Read what you will into my uber-exciting life! hahaha

I had an experience last night that I HAD to post on this thread. I was at Wal-Mart, buying a random load of stuff that we HAD to have. There were salad stuff, yogurt, bagels, turkey, ww bread, along with microwave popcorn and cookies and various other not healthy stuff. The cashier gets finished scanning everything and says to me "Are you on a diet?" I was like "not really, just trying to incorporate more healthy food to tone down some of the junk!" (I mean, what do you say? Look how fat I am, do I LOOK like I'm on a diet? ) Anyway, it was just random and made me laugh! She said she noticed how much healthy stuff I was buying. . .I always wondered who noticed that stuff, I guess she did.