MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Gwyneth give the lady her reduced steak?

pennypinchUK

Sorry lady, speaking as a committed scrambler for reduced price bargains, it's only yours when it's in your own trolley. Would Gwyneth accept the lady picking the steak out of Gwyneth's basket? No.

Snooze, you loose....that's the fun of the bargain crush!

janaltus

sunshineali wrote: »

I know the contents of my trolley are not technically mine until I have paid for them, and granted people can make a mistake, but its still irritating when people purposefully do that. Anybody else had people rummage thru their trolley in an attempt to nick your bargains????

Not quite, but I don't drink alcohol and my OH does. Recently I spotted a couple of bargain bottles of wine had - annoyingly - "sneaked into" our trolley so I promptly removed them and left them on the nearest shelf. Another shopper came up, very angry, and told me to leave his shopping alone. Idiot me, most of our items were identical and I'd got the wrong trolley!

If someone claimed aforesaid steak was their property I'd be soooo tempted to enter into a dialogue and ask them how much they would be willing to sell it to me for ... but - as is so often the case, you can be right - or you can be happy.

So I would have to check whether I was going to be in a position to walk away happy. If I was going to be racked with remorse or, even worse, feeling smug, I wouldn't enjoy the eating the steak so, instead, I'd probably make do with eating humble pie! :rotfl:

Ebenezer_Screwj

I'd be inclined to disbelieve the older woman but if she is telling the truth why would she let the bargain steak out of her possession ? Most people who participate in this kind of undignified contest regard the exercise as first come first served and would hang on for dear life.

pineapple

I used to work in sheltered housing - don't be fooled by the sweet old lady myth. That said - if it looks as if it has been put down a bit haphazardly and she seems a bit befuddled then I'll probably relent. Otherwise to the victor the prize!

martinstart

No way at 50p it's yours regardless ! the pensioner is doing you if s/he put it down !:p

helenwaddell

I would agree that it's very much down to the individual situation whether to hand over the steak. If the elderly lady is pleasant and polite, reasonable about it and does seem as if she has little money then hand it over...maybe. I wouldn't, however, grant an older person special treatment and automatic deference and respect just because she is old. Since my teenage years I have been irritated and sometimes disgusted and outraged with the attitudes and behaviour of elderly people who think that the number of years they have been alive for grants them the right to behave unpleasantly. Gwyneth may be in need of bargain just as much as this old lady, perhaps more so. The comments I've read in this thread about the elbowing and grabbing, the disregard for good manners and basic respect from throngs of elderly women makes me chuckle because it's true, but it's also horrible to be treated like this by someone who is supposedly your "better" just because they are older. Their presumption of course is that they've "had it harder" than you and "young people don't know their born." How on earth would they know? Sour grapes and bitterness. Respect is not given, it is earned and just because this woman is supposedly a "sweet, little old lady"(?!!), if someone does not treat you with the consideration they expect themselves then they're on a hiding to nothing.

To the person who commented to the effect, "It's only 50p! Hand it over!" - not everyone can afford to have this attitude.

To the comment about some supposed halcyon era when everyone was nice to each other - there were never any "good old days" when people behaved more civily. It's always a case of rose-tinted glasses. It's no good people paying slavish attention to the rules of ettiquette in public when behind closed doors god knows what is happening.

ceridwen

Cloudane wrote: »

I think this is a fair point - even if she's not holding it, there is still "personal space" - an area that can be thought of as a little bubble around them. It's obvious if someone is actually looking at / considering something they're right in front of, and if you have to invade their personal space to "grab it" from under their nose then I consider this quite rude and (I was assuming it was on the shelf but not right in front of her) it should be obvious to anyone with an ounce of social grace that you don't just reach into someone's "bubble" and grab things.

It's like when I saw 4 nice bottles reduced at the real ale section (yes Booths has a whole section dedicated to it - awesome place), my dad was with me as well, I was stood right in front of them and mentioned them to him. This guy overheard, reached right in front of me without saying a word and snatched all 4 for himself. I know you should really go for things as soon as you spot them and keep your trap shut, but that was ridiculous really and did come across as very rude to me. He could at least have offered to share, 2 for him 2 for us, but it is indeed obvious when someone conveniently "forgets" their manners out of selfishness.

Once again it's a question that is very much open to the situation itself and the common sense that it demands.

I just wouldn't "race" someone to something if it's obvious they've spotted it first, or grab it from their personal space.

Exactly my point - but rather better put:D

I have certainly noticed some "pushing and shoving" going on by the reduced section before by a variety of people (though not huge amounts - probably because the price reductions are so small in my area anyway...) - but I think there is no excuse for "bad behaviour" in any area of the supermarket.

Cynic_2

brightonman123 wrote: »

wgy not offer to split it between them?

And just how do you expect that to operate at the checkout?

Cynic_2

Jane_Blackford wrote: »

If it's on the counter then it's up for grabs - if there is something I want I would never put it down.

I don't give in to old people just because they are old, there is a lot of different ways to earn respect, age on it's own is not one of them.

It is NOT the old lady's, it belongs to the person who buys it.

Also, it is not just the older generation who are broke these days, that would probably make a cheap meal for Gwyneth who may also have kids to feed, rent/mortgage to pay, and possibly less of an income than the old lady!

As someone who is approaching 65, has a bus pass and often rummages in the reduced item areas of Tesco*, I say the age card should not be played. Anyway, someone who considers steak, even at reduce price, is clearly not on the breadline.

* How do they get away with sticking a yellow "reduced" price label over the use-by date on perishable food items?.

Cynic_2

rembrandt wrote: »

According to the Theft Act something ‘belongs’ to someone if they have possession or control of it. They do not have to ‘buy’ it to have legal rights.

So removing an item from someone’s supermarket trolley could be theft as they have possession or control of it even though they haven’t reached the checkout yet.

In the case of an old lady putting the steak aside, albeit not in her trolley, while she continued to look through the other reduced items the steak could be construed as remaining under her control if she objected immediately to someone else picking up the steak.

I have entered a "thanks" rather than waste time on a lengthy reply.

I'm off to test-drive a Ferrari. :j