Money Moral Dilemma: Is pick and mix nibbling theft?

chip_at_sea

I feel somewhat compelled to respond to this... being the evil of all evils: a cinema manager!!!

Firstly, yes, it is stealing, regardless of whether you feel that the food etc is overpriced.
Needless to say if I caught a customer doing such, I would certainly have a little 'chat' with them, as I don't feel it is acceptable. I wouldn't walk into Wilkinson's across the street and start 'testing' their pick n mix.

I feel that the argument over the moral dilemma has become somewhat swayed due to cinema prices.

YES - cinema tickets are expensive, but as a previous poster stated, they really don't make the cinema the largest amounts of money. Without going into too much detail, cinemas lose a large percentage of admission gross' to the distributors. But (generally), neither are cinemas left on the bones of their backside after this cut.

YES - food is expensive. The mark-up is definitely present, but this IS where cinemas have to top-up the 'lost' film revenue as it were.

At the end of the day, I'd never stop my customers bringing in their own sweets/drinks/popcorn. I don't agree with cinemas that do this, although they are within their rights to do this if they so wish.
My point is that nobody is being forced to buy said products (I think I'd take the issue further if I was told I HAD to buy items!!!), it is consumer choice. As long as prices are available for the customer, it is your choice as to whether you choose to pay for items above the 'going rate' as it were.
At my cinema, we have direct competitors (selling popcorn, sweets etc) during the day & evening.
If you're concerned about being stopped with your own food purchased elsewhere, just put it in your bag!

Regardless, I don't think it makes it acceptable to steal - whatever kind of retail environment you're in.

As a final note, I think it is fair to say that cinemas are businesses after all, not an 'essential' service. Unfortunately prices are high (but this can be argued about many other aspects of the leisure/entertainment industry).
I think other people have it right with the term "vote with your feet", I totally agree.

pineapple

Whether or not the prices are exorbitant is irrelevant. Yes it is theft. But people sometimes have skewed morality measures. I certainly wouldn't inform the police (can you imagine their reaction?).
I would let them know I don't think it's right and say say half joking 'Hey I'm not being seen with YOU....'.

tallgirld

Oh please!!! Imagine reporting your friend or even worse calling the police because he/she just shoved a handful of dolly mixtures in their gob. LOL...

I must be honest I have done it before (ages ago). It is WRONG to eat the sweets before paying and I will try my best not to do it again :-) Never really thought of it as theft as it wasn't handfuls.

I certainly wouldn't grass my friend that would be TAKING THE MICK!!!

tryfive

alexhawk wrote: »

Just had to pull this one up.
In the law someone has commited a theft if he or she has dishonestly appropriated property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it.
It's the bold part that's important. The item has to be taken, and you have to show intention to permanently deprive (ie, walk out the store) before you've stolen something.

I think you'll find that EATING (whatever it is) is generally quite an effective means of permanently depriving the store of it!

Not difficult to prove intention there either!

RachelD

When we used to go to a PYO strawberry farm, we all sampled the strawberries while we picked. I never thought of this as theft, although I remember one farm had an honesty box for contributions towards fruit you had eaten.

Technically it's the same as eating a few pick and mix sweets but i....................

alexhawk

alduncan wrote: »

So you're going to walk out of the store without the thing you've just eaten... what, throw up first??!

I should have quoted the whole post, s/he was talking about taking things out of a multipack, or eating them and then giving the wrapper to the cashier, which is perfectly legal.

Mark387

Ok my 2 cents........

Original question - Yes it's legally theft and no I wouldn't do it but I wouldn't do anything if I saw my "friend" picking at his sweets other than show my contempt with a less than subtle "Christ can't you wait until you've paid before you start gorging yourself?".

Try before you buy - This is a weak excuse to steal sweeties, if they are so cheap and meaningless then pay for one and see if you like it before you commit to filling up. As for the grape rule, I ask if I'm allowed to try one before taking one (To the people talking about taking a grape messing with the weights of the bags - you obviously haven't been to a proper grocers where the fruits aren't pre packaged as this is only where this rule applies)

Food and ticket pricing - As far as my knowledge goes on this subject is that the price of the ticket covers the costs while the concession stands provide the profits. They set the price and you have the choice whether to pay it or not. It's not extortion, to be extortion there needs to be no other option but there is - have a meal before you go in, take a bottle of water in with you and don't over pay to gorge yourself on sugary junk and fizzy pop (No judgement on people who do, as I am one of them, however I know if I want the "crap" then I have to pay that premium).

Taking your own food - You can and I occasionally do but if it's against the rules of the establishment you are visiting then you run the risk of being asked to leave and you have no defence if it comes to that. They legally can't take your food off you but can as you to leave if you don't forfeit it.

Searching your bags - Legally they are not "entitled" to search your bags meaning that they can as long as you give them permission but if you refuse they are within their rights to refuse entry as by the letter of the law they are allowed to refuse entry without the need to give a reason.

Anyway I enjoy going to the Flicks, eating the overpriced junk food and tutting at loud whisperers it's all part of the experience. Don't like it? Wait for the DVD and watch it at home.

Have a nice day
Mark

iclayt

I wouldn't report anyone or lose a friend over it, but I would point out to them in a fairly lighthearted tone that they probably shouldn't be doing that really. I wouldn't do it myself either, but to be honest that's more because I wouldn't want to get an embarrassing telling-off from a friend or member of staff, rather than because of a moral quandry over the theft of a jellybaby. Bigger picture - it's wrong, but not the end of the world.

With reference to being stopped from taking food and drink into cinemas, this happened to me about 18 months ago: I had a supermarket bag that contained a few bags of sweets and a small bottle of drink, and also a loaf of bread and one or two other grocery items I had picked up while I remembered, and the ticket collector stopped me and told me I couldn't take the sweets and drink in. I pointed out that they were sealed bags and a sealed bottle and they had absolutely no proof that I was going to open them and eat them in the cinema, and that I'm sure they wouldn't have stopped me to accuse me of planning to eat half of the loaf of bread or crack a raw egg into my mouth even though I had those in the bag as well. She didn't really know what to say to that, and just let me through with them.

neilpost

gjs1701 wrote: »

That would result in instant dismissal for theft where I work.

That is a bit Gestapo :eek:, and a tribunal would side with the employee for unfair dismissal.

Suspension, followed by an investigatory interview is appropriate process. If sufficient grounds exist, and the company has to demonstrate that staff are fully aware they cannot 'help themselves', a verbal or written warning is issued after a hearing and kept on file for approx. 6 months. Any further transgressions within the 6 month period, would result in a final written warning. Any third occurance, would result in dimissal - again following due process.

Theft is gross misconduct, but you have to be proportionate and fair.

£20 from till - dismissal
Can of coke from stock - First and Final written warning
Pic'n'Mix/chips from stock/chipper - Verbal/First Written Warning

Again, all following due process of suspension, interview, hearing etc...

museclio

I have also worked in a cinema.

It is theft, no question. And I agree that the prices are at times ridiculous, but everyone knows that cinemas charge a great deal for food. Probably the thing driving prices up the most are greedy people (and I'm not talking children here - I've had grown adults doing this) who fill the boxes up to the top, and then when they realise it should cost them over £10 sometimes, they decide they don't want it. They've had their grubby fingers in the sweets, so the staff have no choice but to damage off - at the cinema's cost - a perfectly good box of pick and mix.

I also agree with whosever said that it is the concession stands that allow the cinemas to run, as little if any profit is made off the films themselves.

If you're concerned about prices, try one of the popcorn boxes offered for children, which usually come with a drink and sweets, or take your own in. The cinema I worked in allowed you to do that (provided you weren't obnoxiously obvious about it) unless it was hot food. Mainly becase chips/McDonalds/KFC absolutely stinks once you're in the confined space of the screen, especially if you aren't the person eating it.