r/MoralityScaling 4h ago

Morality of drinking the beverage you are about to buy while waiting in the line

Post image

I keep doing this, it's very hot outside and I have to spend a lot of time in the sun or in the car that was parked in the sun prior so I'm very thirsty by the time I get the opportunity to go to a shop. The lines can be long at the cashier's desk so I just sip the drink while waiting. I don't feel ashamed as I consider it basically mine at the point already. However an old lady scolded me to day while I was waiting in this line telling me I should not be driving something I have not bought yet, saying it's very inappropriate and that I should be ashamed. Am I wrong for doing this, is this immoral?

737 Upvotes

1.2k comments sorted by

387

u/Jessup3 4h ago

I mean, as long as he’s actually going to pay for it then it should be okay

89

u/-Daetrax- 4h ago

So is it theft when you get to the cashier and your card is declined and you don't have cash?

151

u/Novel-Mission-1920 4h ago

Is it considered theft if you go to a restaurant, order and eat food, only to have your card mysteriously declined when you're trying to pay?

85

u/Blue_Moon_Lake 2h ago

Happened to me once while on vacations in a foreign country.
Turns out, the satellite by which the transaction would have been transferred crashed into the ocean. We had to wait for the next satellite in orbit to restore communications.

26

u/CC_Panadero 2h ago

Oh wow. How long did it take for the next satellite to catch the signal and how did they/you find out why their system was down?

50

u/Blue_Moon_Lake 2h ago

It took an hour. We found out it wasn't our card because it was happening to all the tourists. Around half an hour later, they explained the cause on the news. The bar next door had a TV and they made a special announcement on all channels.

19

u/Hermes-AthenaAI 1h ago

Some folk are not aware of just how fragile our modern infrastructure is.

15

u/Urvilan 53m ago

Not that fragile if it’s back up and running after an hour when a satellite of all things crashed to the ground.

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u/Cat-et-snek 53m ago

literally kept together by millions of high paid workers worldwide, like a pandemic away from system shock really

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u/Flat-Fun-7298 7m ago

I'd love to see another Carrington event. Where tons of circuits get cooked.

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u/Adam__B 40m ago

It is if you are aware you don’t have enough, and your card is going to be declined. If you aren’t aware, and believe you have enough, then it’s not theft but an honest mistake. They both require you to find a way to compensate the business though.

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u/[deleted] 4h ago

[deleted]

23

u/Novel-Mission-1920 4h ago

Nope, a declined card by itself is not considered theft, as there are many reasons a card can malfunction. I've worked in a restaurant and come across this situation many times.

The proper thing to do is to ask them if they have another payment method available, and if not, ask for some type of deposit like ID/keys while they go collect payment (for example, their card type doesn't work with our machine, but does work in atms - happens with tourists sometimes) or then collect their contact details and make arrangements for the payment.

It only becomes a police/legal matter if they were intentionally trying to cheat the restaurant, or they are unwilling to co-operate to make arrangements for payment. However, a card not working is not enough evidence of a crime.

6

u/johnnyhuntersimp 3h ago

Generally, its considered "debt" and therefore a civil manner since they showed intent to pay. So yea, if you pay it isnt theft.

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u/Nervous-Canary-517 2h ago

Theft requires intent. This isn't. You are now in debt but you didn't steal.

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u/Flameball202 2h ago

Yeah, if it isn't lack of money in your account that causes your card to bounce, you clearly have the funds and intended to use them

6

u/Nervous-Canary-517 2h ago

Even if you didn't have the funds but thought you did, it's still no intent and no theft. Just a mistake.

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u/ExcessumTr 1h ago

You shouldn't do this if you don't have enough money

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u/Honest-Prune-5517 2h ago

I did this yesterday, but only because I was super thirsty, the wife wanted to wander more, and I pretty much only deal in cash aside from bills.

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u/cynicalknives 4h ago

Not immoral because you are going to pay for it in a few minutes

174

u/IndependentGood7665 4h ago

Finds out card machine is broken...

74

u/cynicalknives 4h ago

OP has cash

61

u/umphuphawe 4h ago

Store is cashless

186

u/Krannich 4h ago

Then they should close the store bid the store has no means to collect the money, they should not be offering any services.

23

u/MrKrabbyPatty 3h ago

That's when you try to barter

12

u/a_Jedi_i_am 3h ago

What can i get for a 1st edition psa10 shadowless holographic charizard?

27

u/Really-Human-trustme 3h ago

$3.50 and a handjob

7

u/AssistanceFun9966 3h ago

That aint no store merchant... thats the lochness monster!!!

5

u/Vivid_Newt_4167 2h ago

Goddamn Loch Ness monster.

2

u/TraditionalMood277 1h ago

The drink cost tree fiddy

2

u/Either-Hunt-3880 1h ago

Or just $5 store credit.

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u/FlatHair8469 4h ago

If the store is cashless and the machine is broken, they’ve got bigger problems

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u/Open-Art-5851 3h ago

Sounds like a free drink to me.

3

u/FlatHair8469 3h ago

If you’ve got cash and they refuse it, then yes

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u/cynicalknives 4h ago

We're just adding bullshit context to paint OP a certain way. Unless OP mentions that there's a chance they may not be able to make the payment, it's silly for us to be assuming things.

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u/Bob1358292637 2h ago

Congratulations you figured out the joke.

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u/RogueInVogue69 4h ago

No convenience store is cashless, it wouldn't be convenient

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u/Fit-Entrepreneur8404 3h ago

Yep I worked at various gas stations for like 8 years. They all take cash, crazy right? Also even when the whole system is down we still processed cash sales by keeping a handwritten ledger and calculating change with a calculator (for the mathematically challenged, I just did the math mentally). They would never refuse cash sales.

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u/BoomShakaLaka696969 3h ago

ITS LEGAL TENDER you must accept it that’s the LAW. /s

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u/2stonesONEbird1715 3h ago

Not everyone carries cash

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u/ScratchLatch 4h ago

I agree 100% and still find this behavior annoying for a reason I can’t explain.

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u/feraltraveler 3h ago

It's not a restaurant so the social norm is that you're not supposed to consume before you pay. But I've seen this being a nonissue in some cultures.

5

u/ConnectBlocks 3h ago

In the same way, we eat food at restaurants before paying. Perform services before paying ( oil change on vehicles, hair cuts, trying shoes & clothes on, etc). Not wrong if it’s allowed or widely accepted.

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u/PunkPirate56364 3h ago

It's one of those things which feel wrong simply due to not being the norm.

It's like I really like walking barefoot. When people see me walking barefoot in a store or in some setting where people never walk barefoot they feel annoyed... I'm not behaving according to the norm, so it feels like I'm doing something wrong.

The only thing I am doing wrong is that I'm annoying people because they are feeling like I'm doing something wrong 😂

11

u/sexypantstime 2h ago

I feel like going barefoot in a store has same vibes as wearing shoes to bed. Both are permissible. Both are weird and possibly unhygenic

3

u/PunkPirate56364 2h ago

It does feel unhygienic, but my bare feet are not dirtier then bottom of my shoes.

Anyway I'm not going barefoot into stores only because it makes people feel annoyed.

2

u/sexypantstime 2h ago

The whole point of the shoes is that they get dirty and your foot does not. By having bare feet act as shoes, in essence you're wearing shoes into clean places, like your home. It's by definition unhygenic, it doesn't just feel like it

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u/JuggernautHopeful212 2h ago

And you are saying to..... wear the shoes that get dirty into that clean place ...

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u/TwoDollarMint 3h ago

do you walk barefoot in public bathrooms

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u/Ioxem 3h ago

my sibling in Christ it's because you're giving people foot fungi

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u/InsideHousing4965 4h ago

But you're the only one who knows that. How does the shop owner know you intend to pay for it?

If everyone was eating and drinking things around the store, how do you keep track of everyone? You can't. And thus, the norm is that you can't eat or drink things till you buy them.

On top of that, you're not the owner of that drink until you pay for it. Drinking it before the transaction is completed is theft.

29

u/MashedTaterBrain 4h ago

I imagine standing in line and not going out the door is a good indication.

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u/Novel-Mission-1920 4h ago

I wouldn't say it's theft by default if you're waiting in line to pay already. Plenty of establishments allow you to consume first before paying. You can eat hundreds of dollars worth of food and drink at many restaurants and bars, and only pay afterwards.

I think as long as you pay for items before leaving the establishment, and you don't attempt to leave without paying, it's not really theft. Though, I can understand if stores want to implement policies against it.

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u/Doobiemoto 2h ago

I mean it technically IS theft.

It isn't yours. You don't own it when you decided to use it.

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u/Temporary-Force8383 4h ago

My mother has done it plenty of times for her grandson, my nephew. She’ll take a bar out to hand him in the shop and then pay for the packet of them at the till when she’s finished. Saves him fussing. He’s 2 so when he gets cranky, distraction is best.

3

u/Fit-Entrepreneur8404 3h ago

Yep my kiddo picks out a "squeeze applesauce" when we are shopping and he's hungry. Helps keep him quiet and well behaved because hangry kid is no fun for anyone in the store.

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u/Randy__Callahan 4h ago

It's not theft

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u/InsideHousing4965 4h ago

It literally is in most countries of the world.

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u/Randy__Callahan 4h ago edited 3h ago

Give me some examples as you need a mens rea for theft in I think all countries.

Edited from most to all countries

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u/Chardan0001 4h ago

Why are you driving in the store?

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u/Mean-Skin-1920 4h ago

Because it’s illegal to drink and drive

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u/dminaum 4h ago

neutral? but maybe against store’s policy

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u/arcticcloud 4h ago

tapping the "morality =/= legality" sign

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u/ZinaalKriid 4h ago

would disregard for the store's written policy not carry a level of immorality? would this change if the store is a small business rather than a large chain? breaking commercial policies doesn't necessarily mean the same as breaking the law. at what point does the act of defying an owner's fair wishes all for a quick sip of something you're about to own in a few small minutes become problematic, knowing you could simply wait (unless you were medically dehydrated)?

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u/Ra1nb0wSn0wflake 3h ago

Its not immoral to do if you actually pay, but also not immoral for the store owner to enforce as a policy as theres no way for the owner to know you actually will.

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u/HextechAlternator 3h ago

I agree. You’re on private property and there’s always an expectation of respect for the property owner’s policy that precedes the law.

If you’re aware of the policy and still decide to drink what you have not paid for, it’s considered disrespect and therefore immoral, regardless of the legality.

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u/Ra1nb0wSn0wflake 3h ago

At no point did the comment say that? It being against store policy as a "but maybe" is a entirely neutral side statement.

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u/themrdemonized 2h ago

This sub has a problem distinguishing those

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u/Fatpandaswag67 4h ago

Right but in this case it would be immoral to disregard their store policy

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u/Longjumping-Sweet818 4h ago

There's a difference between legality and civil arrangements. The commonly understood contract between a supermarket and its customers is that you can go in there, pick out what you want, bring it to the cashier, pay for it, and THEN it's yours. If everybody just started using stuff from the supermarket before paying, it would become a nightmare for them.

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u/Sashpeto 4h ago

I think it's situational.

Hot day long line you feeling unwell . Nothing wrong with that .

Making a habit of it is a bit wrong imho .

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u/PutridBeginning9954 3h ago

Many grocery stores have drink holders built into the cart specifically for this reason. There is no situation in which this is immoral.

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u/mclovin_ts 3h ago

My target has it but that’s because they have a Starbucks lol

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u/TrashCanSam0 3h ago

i live in chicago... those holders are for the glass of wine they sell you at the front lmao. any Chicagoans here? remember when Marianos used to have a live pianist play while you shopped? my friends and i used to literally hang at Marianos with a glass of wine in our carts shopping for like 4 things for 2 hrs lolol

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u/Sashpeto 3h ago

I don't know where you live , but this is not a thing where I live ...

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u/appthrowaway12345 3h ago

this is absolutely a thing where i live.

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u/hungryforcockk 58m ago

yes, we have this in the grocery stores as well. when i lived in a different state, there was even a grocery store that had a bar to be able to drink wine and beer at while you shop! that place was amazing

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u/Alarmed-Resolve4408 3h ago

I just used one yesterday to hold a drink I was currently drinking and would soon be paying for.

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u/Candytails 2h ago

They have them at HEB and a lil cell phone holder.  Some of them have double seats for the fuckin kids too. 

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u/PutridBeginning9954 3h ago

I've lived in 5 states in the US over 16 years. Everywhere had drink holders in the cart and no worker ever said anything or looked at me weird, that I know of, when I was walking around drinking or checking out with an empty bottle.

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u/MohamedMEDADO 3h ago

Ever thought there are other places than the us? You know like other countries in which this may be frowned upon?

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u/inEQUAL 3h ago

NC here, not a thing in my state.

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u/Sashpeto 3h ago

Well okay I live in Bulgaria.

USA is not the entire world you know

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u/Erathen 3h ago

Canada, not a thing

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u/haydenfred99 3h ago

You’ve never seen a grocery cart with a drink holder in it? I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just a really common thing where I’m from.

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u/Sashpeto 3h ago

Nope . As I said it's not a thing in Bulgaria nor any place I visited outside it .

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u/MsVindiction 2h ago

Very common in the US

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u/EnvironmentNo1966 1h ago

That’s different. America is need to be constantly drinking a soda or they die.

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u/LazyBeach2919 1h ago edited 25m ago

yeah honestly drink holder in grocery cart is maybe the most comically American thing I've heard today

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u/werewolf_hrt 3h ago

Some places where i live have em yes, but these are usually the stores with a Starbucks or something inside. I dont think ive ever seen unpaid-for drinks in a shopping cart cup holder, only personal water bottles and coffee.

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u/PanPrasatko 2h ago

Making habit out of... drinking?

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u/Sashpeto 2h ago

Making habit of consuming food you haven't paid for yet .

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u/Firemoth717 1h ago

You are going to pay for it though.  What moral difference is it if it’s full or half full by the time the transaction happens? 

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u/BumBimBam00 4h ago

I always ask an employee if it's ok if i drink it while waiting in line. You know, communication is great!!

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u/Accomplished-Basil25 47m ago

This is the right answer. People need to understand that at a sit down restaurant you have permission to eat. At a gas station you don’t. A: it’s not yours and you don’t have permission; don’t consume. B: It’s not yours but you have permission; consume it. C: It’s yours so you don’t need permission; so consume. D: you’re more sure so just ask.

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u/holylink718 4h ago

Moral unless and until you walk out without paying for it.

Now, the better question: the morality of being a skank-ass boomer who can't mind their own business.

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u/Few-Independence3787 4h ago

Ok if you actually buy it. Trashy if not. I've been behind the counter before and some people just so happen to suddenly forget their wallet/money at home.

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u/PenAdministrative594 1h ago

As a fellow cashier, I second this. I've had people done that and they never seen in the store again (DId not pay).

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u/minibus_rider 1h ago

Former store owner here: people would do this all the time, not usually an issue. You begin to learn the signs of people that drink it on line and come up to the register with no money and knew they didn’t have it to begin with. That in my opinion is theft

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u/Hopkinsad0384 1h ago

Imo, it's not yours until you buy it. It's presumptuous to open it beforehand.

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u/TLKimball 1h ago

Exactly. It is not your property until you buy it. Intent to purchase is not the same as ownership.

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u/Plane-Train-5753 14m ago edited 1m ago

I mean, you aren't planning on buying a rare fragment of the moon the shop may or may not sell you until an agreed upon price may or may not be reached.

You have full confidence that the store:

  1. Wants to sell you the item
  2. Will sell you the item for the agreed upon price
  3. And if you have the currency to facilitate the agreed upon price

Then saying it is  presumptuous is a bit of a stretch imho.

At the same time, I would mostly feel too weird to do this unless I really needed a drink.

In the heat my country is in, noone would think twice about it however.

So mainly one of those internal paranoias that noone gives a shit about.

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u/AntOk4073 1h ago

It's a bit sketchy but I don't know if I would say immoral

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u/Songlilly 4h ago

As a former cashier, as long as I dont have to touch where you mouth was, moral..... but if you slobber all over the thing, I'm going to make you scan it yourself. haha

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u/MaryPaku 4h ago

Can’t you just ask?

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u/New-Grapefruit1737 1h ago

eh, i tend to not get into discussions about morality with store employees

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u/wcshrtstop 4h ago

No one cares if you are buying it, don’t know why this is even a question.

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u/Thesoop85 2h ago edited 2h ago

The amount of people with elaborate takes on this is wild. This is clearly a "who the fuck cares" situation

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u/TheRealBaseborn 1h ago

Im having a hard time believing half these comments are real/serious.

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u/indianajoes 1h ago

The problem is what happens if the person can't buy it. Let's say they get to the till and their card doesn't work and they have no other money. Now they've just stolen something

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u/nothing_in_my_mind 4h ago

I wouldn't call it immoral, but it still feels wrong. I'd maybe call it rude?

The employee does not know that you will buy it. Maybe you are a dick and plan to stash the bottle somewhere and leave without oaying. Now the enployee eneds to keep an eye on you.

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u/JadedPriority4957 2h ago

Have some self control and wait until it's yours.

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u/Papa_Raj 2h ago

The barcode still scans even if the drink is mostly gone.

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u/protossaccount 53m ago

This, I’ve done this with other items as well and there is never an issue. Just don’t eat something that’s priced by weight and you’re good.

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u/Nathmikt 4h ago

Unethical.

Moral, provided you'll pay for it.

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u/Prized_Lemur 3h ago

why do you say unethical?

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u/Nathmikt 3h ago

The store is a private property and transfer of ownership(of the good) happens only after the money is paid.

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u/youcrumb 3h ago

Hm, opening a product you haven’t paid for. Pretty cut and dry to me, wait five more seconds and buy the damn thing.

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u/rfkbr 1h ago

This should be top comment. I’m amazed how many people are cool with consuming something they haven’t paid for yet. I find it as introducing chaos into the universe. It’s a disorderly action. It’s inconsiderate to a worker observing you do it. You’re making them wonder if you’re actually gonna pay for it.

inb4 someone brings up sit down restaurants.

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u/youcrumb 1h ago

Its honestly so simple, the entitlement here is hilarious

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u/VanillaPeepPod 46m ago

The real answer is here. I feel most people are just responding to this like it’s an “AITA” thread and they are basing it on vibes. It is immoral and at the very least, retain associates find him annoying. Having worked retail before, the people who did this always made us feel uneasy. Sometimes we didn’t know if it was something brought from outside the store, or just even the impending potential conflict of the customer’s card declining and having to triage difficult situations. This is immoral not just for disrespecting the social order of the transaction, but also the potential burden it places on the retail associates. Why can’t he just wait 5 more minutes or maybe bring an insulated water bottle in his truck. The morality here is based on the presence of easily accessible alternatives that can both satisfy him and maintain harmony with those around him. 

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u/One_Warthog256 4h ago

Immoral, what if you die while drinking it and now you can't pay?

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u/Alolan_Cubone 4h ago

The store keeps your body, you pay with your kidneys

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u/Healthy_Turnip7352 4h ago

i have a little card that I wear on my necklace at all times.

it says:

"Hello employee. If I am in a store and am now dead, and there is an opened drink that I opened to drink before paying, please take my wallet and take the price of the drink with any bill, and keep the change. Thank you friend.

Sincerely,

the Deceased"

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u/Reeformed 3h ago

My girlfriend is going to love her next anniversary present! Does it come with the necklace or will she have to buy that separately?

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u/Erathen 3h ago

For you then, it's moral

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u/Purplesilk911 2h ago

Pass that $2.89 of generational debt to the children

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u/Jabidailsom 4h ago

this is MoralityScaling or nostupidquestions ? who knows...

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u/sexystriatum 4h ago

yoy better buy it. It would not be cool if you came to the cash register and it turned out you have no way of payjng for it.

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u/Canarity 4h ago

>Zero caffeine
>Zero sugar
>Zero calories

Why not drink water atp

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u/apache_chieftain 4h ago

Flavour bro

I agree tho, the moment caffeine was taken away, this beverage lost its soul

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u/PouLS_PL 4h ago

because water doesn't have artificial sweeteners and 209 chemicals

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u/ResortStriking9796 4h ago

Still has the microplastics- nothing is healthy anymore not even water

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u/IRebic95 3h ago

Yes, the flavor, I drink water at home with a bit of squeezed fruit added for flavor, or mineral water with the squeezed fruit juice, but I can't buy such a thing while I'm out working. I don't drink coffee so drinking coke variants with caffeine in them is a lot to me as I'm not used to it

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u/Lost-Citron-1099 3h ago

Drinking before paying is the norm in restaurants and bars. So its not that crazy of a concept

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u/Anaeijon 4h ago

Moral.

(At least here in Germany) it's legal and usually not against store policy, to consume the product before you pay for it.

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u/Personal_Salad_3505 4h ago

I mean it's just stealing, you don't own it yet. So immoral

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u/No_Problem5759 4h ago

Moral, but being skeptical of people who do this is also moral. I've seen too many people drink a soda and then just set it down before registers.

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u/SirSeppia 4h ago

I think that usually it's very immoral with any products. You don't actually own that product until you buy it and I've been a cashier for some years and too many times the "I only have card and it doesn't work" came in. The person at the cash register doesn't know you.

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u/Accomplished-Leg6947 4h ago

I used to do this all the time with drinks and snacks. I would drink/eat it while I was grocery shopping or waiting in line and then pay for it before leaving.

My wife was absolutely appalled by this behavior so I no longer do it lol

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u/Xentonian 3h ago

Morality depends on the temperament of the shop owner.

If they don't mind, it's entirely moral.

If they do mins, it's their product until you pay for it and even if it's illogical, they're still allowed to make the demands they want to make about how people handle their goods prior to purchase.

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u/MidwestNonbinary 3h ago

If it’s hot out and you’re going to pay for it is morally neutral. My mom would do similar if her blood sugar dropped while shopping.

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u/SteveAlexander73 3h ago

It’s not a moral issue at all.

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u/Federal_Race_9715 3h ago

It's kind of trashy and a symptom of broken Britain but a very mild symptom so more or less fine. I wouldn't do it, and I would judge, but I have done worse so probably shouldn't

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u/EnvironmentalFix7059 2h ago

my parents would let us eat the icecream when it was hot outside but they would always keep the wrap with the barcode on it.

as an adult i wouldnt do it but if its kids that needs some hydration, i see no problem with it.

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u/Chudpaladin 2h ago

Not immoral as long as the drink has been paid for

Source: a kid who used to run to the front of the store to grab a soda when mother had low blood sugar. Never had an issue with an employee surprisingly: we always pay for it and it’s kind of silly sliding an empty coke bottle across the self checkout, but eh.

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u/sir_stronghand 1h ago

Bro is that Patrick Stewart

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u/Raposa13 1h ago

Weird but moral.

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u/Fuzzy5team 40m ago

That's not a question of morality

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u/anom696969 4h ago

You sicken me

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u/NovelHot6697 4h ago

moral depending on the place. this could get the employee in trouble (it shouldn’t though).

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u/Key_Check5753 4h ago

It's fine, but you better have cash in your wallet. If you drink half of the beverage, then your credit card gets declined, you'll become immoral!

Also, if you know you're going to be parked in a car, can't you just bring a drink with you? The scenario doesn't make much sense.

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u/kuklarsa 3h ago

0 caffeine is pretty gay

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u/CurledSpiral 4h ago

If your drinking your soda in the line your stealing. It’s called grazing and it’s basically whenever you eat or drink food from
The store in the store.

Yeah, you might be in the line waiting to pay for it but nothing stops you from just sitting it down and walking out of the line.

Immoral. It’s not yours yet.

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u/rsewthefaln 3h ago

To me, you're conflating two different questions.

This one is asking if it's moral to eat it before you pay for it, but you're saying nothing is stopping you from walking out with it.

By that logic, what is the morality of walking around a store with merchandise in your basket? Nothing is stopping you from walking out with it.

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u/Objective-Limit-121 4h ago

I feel like grazing implies something that’s paid for by weight.

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u/GlassSubmarine 4h ago

100% moral.

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u/Formal_Lecture_248 4h ago

Moral so long as you pay.

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u/LionNo435 4h ago

Idk where i live its not agains rules or ilegal to sip from a soda you are about to buy. Moral

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u/IndependentGood7665 4h ago

Immoral in my country that is classified as theft and criminal (doesnt matter you plan to pay)

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u/cloudit30569 4h ago

Moral. What about eating the grapes like Grandma?

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u/steezyceezyfucks 2h ago

Actually, i think what op did is fine as you pay per bottle. When you eat the grapes, you’re paying by weight so that one technically is theft

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u/EaterOfSeagull 4h ago

Morally acceptable as long as you’re gonna pay for it

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u/TheYellowFringe 4h ago

Neutral.

No one really cares anymore in the modern context because you're about to pay for the beverage.

But historically it was seen as impulsive and rude. It wasn't about a drink. The same logic was applied for foods as well.

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u/Fem-Bunny-Boy 43m ago

As the cashier, I dont wanna touch it now that your mouth is on it. I don't want it anywhere near me

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u/IsadorCZ 4h ago

Immoral. It shows others that its ok to consume stuff in store. Someone will show up replicate it and not pay for it and then harsher store politics will emerge.

It also shows you have patience of a toddler if you can't wait a minute till you pay and you are outside.

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u/Tryingtokhush 4h ago

Whatever satisfy your quench man , until you're paying it .

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u/Appropriate_Formal64 4h ago

I don't do it very often, but I have done it on occasion. I just make damn sure to bring the empty bottle up to the check out line with the other stuff and pay for it.

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u/Dependent-Curve-8449 4h ago

Depends on the shop in question, I guess. I have walked around a supermarket, opened a bottle of orange juice and finished it, then pay for it at the counter. Unless something happens and you end up not paying for it in the end, I don't see anything wrong with it, but I feel this will ultimately depend on the norms in your region.

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u/GargantuanCake 4h ago

It's fine. While technically it isn't yours until you pay for it nobody really cares since you're intending to pay for it. In some places it's viewed as kind of trashy but it's a minor thing overall. It would be a problem if you didn't pay for it obviously but if you pay for it who cares?

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u/Super_Doge_Shoober 4h ago

Yeah this is fine

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u/goodmanishardtofind 4h ago

Ok I kinda think this is a good question. And it’s not immoral as long as you actually pay.

If something happens while you wait in line, like a car drives through the front windows, then there’s a certain amount of time you wait to see if they still expect you to pay.

Then, before you leave, because they have to start cleaning and such, you may go “hey, I didn’t get to pay for the Pepsi before the car accident.” And then if they don’t make you pay then, you are good.

That’s an example of how a simple case could stretch into the extreme, but gives a good range of intent. If you just walk off assuming it’s alright just because of an interruption, that’s immoral.

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u/Appropriate-Hyena973 4h ago

that’s fine. bar codes don’t judge a product if its already opened 😂

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u/NatureMadeAMistake 4h ago

I think k it depends on the shop but be prepared for them being upset

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u/FindingHappy2043 4h ago

I only do this at Walmart or a big grocery store.

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u/OkBasket7617 4h ago

Moral, I so this all the time shopping for groceries. It's not theft until you pass the reasonable point of sale

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u/GmGwain 4h ago

Moral if its not against store policy or not seen as big enough of an inconvenience for the actual employees there to tell you that it's bad. You are thirsty, you drink something and you pay for it. It's also not unlikely that they care more for a happy customer than for enforcing some minor rule.

Immoral of the old hag to try to find problems where there aren't any and she should mind her own business.

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u/elliotbonsall 4h ago

As long as you buy it not immoral

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u/Abee-baby182 4h ago

If you legit pay for it, who gives a shit?!

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u/MashedTaterBrain 4h ago

Tell the old bag to mind her business. If my glucose monitor starts beeping at me, I'm not waiting.

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u/mustbeasumsuk 4h ago

When I was a child, my parents or anyone in general didn't care about it as it was paid in the end. If it's paid in the end, there's no problem as it's yours.

However, if someone drinks something by half and puts it back then that should be immoral.

That's my opinion ofc.

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u/Due-Operation-4470 4h ago

Neutral-moral just don't burp in my face lol 😭

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u/KainZeuxis 4h ago

Amoral. It’s really case by case. I’ve been in grocery stores that had sections near the entrance specifically for grabbing something to drink while you shop and just pay for it later when you check out.

Then I think just about everyone who’s been to a gas station will idly sip on their soda or ICEE while waiting in line to pay for it.

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u/ImSoSweepy 4h ago

It's fine. You're actively waiting in line to pay for it.

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u/Pretend-Literature35 4h ago edited 4h ago

who cares? If you have the money to pay for it. It also says something about society. If everyone pays for everything and we live in a trusting society there is no problem.

It only seems rude because of the expectantion of theft. You know? Like societies in which when there is a power failure all stores immediately get looted.

Meanwhile, years ago a friend from south korea told me that there if a store owner had to say go pick up his kid at school, he could leave a note stating this and a plate with some change in it and leave his store open and everyone would just pay exactly for what they bought. Today it would even easier with a tap machine.

I remember thinking that here he would get everything stolen and realized that some cultures do society way better than others

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u/Natural_Ad6765 4h ago

If I have cash I’ll do it, but if it’s card I’ll just wait.

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u/whatisthisgunifound 4h ago

Amoral, you do you king. just as someone who has been the cashier in this situation please at least don't damage or remove the barcode so we can actually scan the item.

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u/usababykiller 4h ago

I don’t know if this is common anymore but when I worked at target in the late 90s customers would do this all the time. They would hand me an empty bottle or candy wrapper to scan to pay for.

I don’t know if it was a cultural thing because I feel like it was always black customers who would do this.

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u/Euphoric_Lobster_555 4h ago

The old lady should mind her own business.

You're in line to pay. It's fine.