Saw something disgusting in supermarket

amother

Red

Thu, May 30 2019, 6:45 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

You wouldn’t believe what the employees do! I was once eating breakfast in a very expensive hotel restaurant and we saw the waiter drop someone’s French fries off their plate of eggs as he was carrying them in, so he picked it up and put it back on the plate! Also he took a few with his hands and ate them!!!!

Hate to dissapoint you but I heard from a mashgiach that they do these kinds of things in restaurants all the time except they usually only do it in the kitchen. Once it leaves the kitchen, most wouldnt put it back. Because customers are looking!

amother

Sienna

Thu, May 30 2019, 6:45 pm

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

Actually my dh owned a grocery & it is totally allowed to taste a grape or cherry - it is not stealing at all.
Many many stores encourage customers to taste so they see how yummy it is and then buy.

any many stores have big signs that say 'no sampling'.

karat

Thu, May 30 2019, 6:57 pm

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

Actually my dh owned a grocery & it is totally allowed to taste a grape or cherry - it is not stealing at all.
Many many stores encourage customers to taste so they see how yummy it is and then buy.

It may not be stealing but as a customer if I knew other people were sticking their hands into bags of grapes or whatever I would stop shopping in that store.
It grosses me out.

mom2dkay

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:08 pm

karat wrote:

It may not be stealing but as a customer if I knew other people were sticking their hands into bags of grapes or whatever I would stop shopping in that store.
It grosses me out.

Oh, this happens only in certain specific stores?
People with no manners (including children) WILL stick hands into open food displays.

amother

Pearl

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:15 pm

I used to buy liver pieces every week in a specific store. One week there wasn't any on the shelf. While I was looking for a worker to ask if they had more I met my brother. When I told him what I was looking for he took me to the back room where they had a big box of liver pieces. He stuck his bare hands in and made me a tray of liver, and had the worker wrap it and weigh it for me. He said he always does this, like this he can pick the pieces of liver that he likes best.

Ironically he is the pickiest in my family, he won't eat anyone's homemade food except for immediate family members. But this he had no problem with Confused

That was the last time I ever bought liver in that store, which is really sad because they have the best liver in town!

nchr

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:19 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

That was the last time I ever bought liver in that store, which is really sad because they have the best liver in town!

I understand it may gross you out if you think about it, but (1) it could have been a fluke situation; (2) it likely also happens at other stores; and (3) if you did not suffer any negative impacts from eating there previously why stop? If you like the liver, you should go there and buy it.

The worst thing I heard was DH visited a catering kitchen to pick up some sugar for pesach. While there he used the restroom and saw one of the employees throwing toilet paper with # 2 on it into the garbage can rather than flushing it down the toilet. The employee was probably from a small village where this was a norm, but DH found it appalling.

amother

Rose

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:26 pm

nchr wrote:

This is so common that it is built into companies' financial estimates. I'm not sure if it is considered halachic stealing or not because of that. Regardless, I don't do it, but it is one reason I try to buy sealed items. I do think frum stores should have more sampling stations.

Gezel

amother

Pearl

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:28 pm

nchr wrote:

My brother said he did it all the time, so I'm assuming other people probably did also. Any store that lets customers go in the back and stick their bare hands into food is obviously not very concerned about hygiene and cleanliness. That's why I stopped buying it there.

At one point the bathrooms at work were always very smelly and full of flies. We finally figured out that a new employee was throwing toilet paper in the garbage instead of the toilet. Unfortunately I was given the job of having a very uncomfortable conversation with her.

nchr

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:29 pm

amother [ Rose ] wrote:

Gezel

I'm not sure if it is considered gezel because I think stores allow it. They also take stealing (in significant quantities) into account, but I think that stores allow people to taste items like grapes, peaches, olives, etc. You'd have to ask the manager. I don't do it, but I know it is considered acceptable and many places encourage it so you will buy the food!

amother

Cerulean

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:32 pm

amother [ Pearl ] wrote:

At one point the bathrooms at work were always very smelly and full of flies. We finally figured out that a new employee was throwing toilet paper in the garbage instead of the toilet. Unfortunately I was given the job of having a very uncomfortable conversation with her.

My grandmother does this TMI

pretty gross

amother

Sienna

Thu, May 30 2019, 7:39 pm

nchr wrote:

They have an expected estimate for inventory shrinkage. Its a cost of doing business.

boat

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:05 pm

amother [ Natural ] wrote:

Actually my dh owned a grocery & it is totally allowed to taste a grape or cherry - it is not stealing at all.
Many many stores encourage customers to taste so they see how yummy it is and then buy.

Best not to promote this behavior even if your husband allows. Without explicit permission I don't see how this is not considered stealing. (Leaving aside the gross factor of someone picking into a bag of grapes that you may buy...)

Fox

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:05 pm

If the woman was actually Chinese -- as opposed to, say, Japanese or Korean -- it makes a huge difference to the story.

China is known for having very, very different public hygiene norms than most Western countries and even many Asian countries. In fact, Western tourists to China talk about first being revolted and eventually getting used to how things are done. David Sedaris wrote hilariously about the acceptance curve when it comes to these cultural differences.

So if the woman was truly Chinese, I'd cut her some slack. Doesn't mean it's okay or that you shouldn't be bothered by it; simply that she might not have realized she was doing would be considered not just impolite but seriously gross in the U.S.

As for horror stories from expensive restaurants, yup! Years ago I had a friend who worked as a waiter in such an establishment; he had plenty of those tales. I still like to eat out. I'm willing to forgive a lot if someone else does the shopping and cooking. But I inwardly roll my eyes at people who claim to be ultra-fastidious in one breath and then talk about their favorite restaurants in the next.

amother

Goldenrod

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:16 pm

Fox wrote:

You make a good point. I grew up in a very chinese neighborhood. I’ve seen enough🤢🤮🤐

amother

Black

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:26 pm

Mom went into a very popular pizza shop that was known as the best in town. An employee was working on the pizza dough with bare hands. Then he sneezed and coughed on his very hairy arms and proceeded to stretch the dough on those same germy arms!! I don't think she ever ate store bought pizza since. She makes her own.

nchr

Thu, May 30 2019, 8:29 pm

amother [ Sienna ] wrote:

They have an expected estimate for inventory shrinkage. Its a cost of doing business.

Right, but I'm talking about tasting being allowed to begin with. Ask the store manager. I believe most places allow it and even encourage it.