I can’t tell you how many times, including today, that I’ve gone into a store, usually a grocery store/big box, thirsty from a workout grabbed something drank it as I shopped and paid for the empty bottle/container.
I know it’s probably questionable to do but hell my mom used to take me to the grocery store, give me a box of animal crackers with the string on top to eat as she pushed the cart then paid for the empty or near empty box when we were checking out.
Heck, even when I’ve grabbed a smoothie flavor that was so bad I nearly chucked it in the trash because I didn’t want to finish it I paid for the bottle.
I’ve worked retail. While a grey area most retailers don’t care of a customer grazes while they shop as long as they pay. Employees however must pay for food they want eat before they eat it and have the receipt with said food.
I was always under the impression that an item belongs to the store owner until YOU put the money in HIS hand to pay for it.
ONLY then is it yours to do with as you will, and not before.
Doesn’t matter how thirsty or famished someone is - it doesn’t belong to them until it’s paid for.
I can’t tell you how many times, including today, that I’ve gone into a store, usually a grocery store/big box, thirsty from a workout grabbed something drank it as I shopped and paid for the empty bottle/container.
I see people do that all the time. They even have cup holders built into the shopping cart, so I think stores are just fine with it.
But that was a different America, back when the Social Contract existed, and all the people around us were also Americans.
Now we have diversity. Nowadays when I see what you describe, it is a fat Mexican who has no intent on paying for the product, and who dares anyone to do anything about it.