The funnier one of these that I’ve done a handful of times is leaving the drive thru without purchasing anything.

I wanted breakfast or nothing, McDonald’s.

In Australia at Coles supermarkets, you get frequently blocked by the stupid new AI monitored smart gates if you have not purchased anything and it requires a staff member to open the gates. All done in an attempt to address increasing instances of shoplifting. A better approach, in a cost of living crisis, to reduce shoplifting is to not keep raising grocery prices constantly and advertising now proven misleading discounts. Coles and Woolworths have been making record profits during this time. The real theft is happening in the stores but not by the shoppers.

I miss Amazon Fresh, the physical store near me.

When they started up I’d just scan a barcode, walk in, and the whole idea was to just grab what you want off the shelf and walk out.
They had a LOT of cameras everywhere, and they claimed it was some AI thing checking what everyone is picking up, which then charges your account etc. (later found out it was just a bunch of guys in India looking at the cameras lol).

I got so many free things they just didn’t notice. I don’t know if it was the large jacket I was wearing, or something else, but I managed to get free meals almost every time I visited.

No guilt since it’s Amazon, and they replaced that store with a Tesco Express so everything worked out.

As someone who has worked in a grocery store. Absolutely no one who noticed it cared unless you came in like 5minutes before closing, take 20+ minutes walking around and then walk out without buying anything, now that would be annoying as fuck.

The old man at the door is asking for a receipt.

RUN!!!

I do it all the time. I walk back to get something specific and more often than not they are out these days. Its usually a sale item and I missed it.

I’m a real estate photographer, and one rule of the job is not to use the bathroom in the house we’re shooting. So, I often find myself going into gas stations and grocery stores to use theirs, often without buying anything. I’m quickly getting over the feeling in the meme!

The rule makes sense, as almost all of the houses I shoot have just been deep-cleaned and possibly staged in preparation for an open house and showings. Vacant houses are common, too, so there are no supplies like towels or toilet paper.

I feel this in my yesterday, when I went to the freakin’ WAL*MART for something they had but no one else did in the area – and yes, this means I supported the local staff at a local store working for a local manager who eventually pays something to a guy living far away who never lived here, vs supporting local staff at a local store working for a local owner who lives far away in a sunny place. Fuck me, right?

Anyway, they had it. It was under glass. I couldn’t find anyone with a key and a desire to help. I left. But, yeah, on the way out, I was hyper-aware that I’d browsed for a bit, I was wearing a backpack, and I didn’t have a receipt for anything. I was expecting to be challenged every moment until I’d left.

I hate that thieves have made them paranoid, and we’re accustomed to expecting a hassle in response.

I used to always buy at least something to leave without this feeling.

After joining Lemmy, I started to just leave.

One time I was in the next town over where they have a grocery store chain that I can’t normally shop at. So, I figured I’ll get the big shopping cart and grab everything that looks interesting.

Went through the whole store and in the end, I stood at the checkout with a pack of cookies and some vitamin tablets. That almost felt worse than walking out without buying anything. It felt like I was insulting their product selection.

Although, to be fair, it was absolutely terrible.

what has consumerism done to people…

I remembered one incident that happened to me, I did not choose anything, because there was no necessary product in the store, I went to the exit from the store, but before leaving, the security guard grabbed me by the wrist.

I ended up having to turn out all my pockets and partially take off my clothes damn, I’m so ashamed that I remembered it. Apparently, my behavior turned out to be suspicious.

Since then, I no longer leave the store empty-handed.

I’m usually visibly pissed if I go all the way to a store and they don’t have what I’m looking for.

I mean, aside from all those times I shoplifted, back in the day…

I scan the area around the exit as I’m leaving for employees or security. If I see someone I make eye contact and say thank you. I’ve never had anyone give me suspicious or dirty looks, and I normally carry a backpack.