This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

I have just been to Sainsburys for the shopping; I reached the jam/baking aisle and saw a woman letting a little girl dip her finger into a jar of peanut butter to taste it. Kid licks the finger, retastes, says 'eugh don't like it' and the woman put the jar back on the shelf and started to walk away!!!

I could not let this pass, and I wanted some honey, so I said 'is there anything else you've opened in this aisle that I should know about?' She flustered, the kid's face was a picture, and she said 'no...umm...no, I am buying this...I really should put this in the trolley....'

I said 'good'. Watched her do it to make sure.

Disgusting!!!!! What is wrong with some people? Opening the jars and tasting or eating things from packets, regardless of whether you later put them through the check-out, is theft for starters (well it was when I worked for a supermarket). Horrid!

I had to share my irritation.

This is gross - unthrottled

It's one of those sights you wish you hadn't seen! I wish I hadn't read about it; I start to think of all the other foods that could be adulterated.

Great riposte though! What do you do when people drop litter? I feel I ought to do my civic duty and challenge them. But, in the event, words fail me and I do nothing.

This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

When people drop litter I ask them to pick it up. Sometimes they give me a mouthful of abuse but I do find that having the accent I have is an asset, as I have often succeeded in shaming a litterbug where locals have failed.

If I catch someone leaving the loos in a work/public place without washing their hands I will advise them that they should. When I was a postgrad, in the physics department, there were so few women that I had the ladies' loos to myself, until an office opened upstairs unconnected to physics. I eventually took to shouting 'you dirty cow' to one woman in particular who never, ever washed her hands and wouldn't take hints.

This is gross - unthrottled

You do take a firm line! What do you say exactly? "Aren't you going to pick that up?"

This is gross - jamie745

The supermarket thing i can understand but i cant stand people who think its their duty to harass strangers into picking litter up. Im not saying its right but i generally have better things to do and couldnt care less what other people are doing. Im just not interested enough in other peoples lives to bother.

This is gross - unthrottled

But it is important, jamie! Once people begin to soil their own environment through ignorance and carelessness, that area is destined to become a dump (literally).

This is gross - jamie745

Yes but i really dont care about other people. I go out to do what i want to do as easily as possible while communicating with as few people as possible and then go home. I do not wish to waste my day observing what other people do. People too interested in other peoples lives is a bigger problem than litterbugs. If i popped to the shops there could be a naked man dancing outside Morrisons i probably wouldnt notice.

You're right that peoples ignorance leads to it being a dump etc but its not my job to change that. Thats not my role in this world. If someone wants to pay me to do something about it then i'll take interest.

Edited by jamie745 on 05/09/2011 at 18:12

This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

It's not a duty. I have to live on this planet too; I make sure I don't lob stuff on the floor! It's not out of any self-righteous do-goodery either. I just like things to be tidy!

I just say 'would you pick that up please?' Often I end up doing so myself. I can summon, from the inner recesses of my personality, the 'angry Scouse woman'. She's quite handy in these situations.

This is gross - jamie745

I just care so little about people that i cant summon the will to communicate with troglodyte joe public.

This is gross - unthrottled

Couldn'y you use your other skills? The rugby playing ones!

This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

I could..........but it's not the done thing to dump-tackle members of the public for dropping a crisp packet. Raking, gouging and hair-pulling is also out! I might make an exception for fag end droppers who don't put the butt out, but they are biodegradeable.

This is gross - unthrottled

Are they? I didn't know that. Oh good, I can start dropping them now...!

This is gross - jamie745

£30 on the spot fine for doing that in Ipswich the last time i looked. Quite ironic really, the only town i know of to impliment such a thing and its in the biggest toilet of a town in the Eastern region.

This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

Naughty unthrottled! Well, the fibres and paper parts are but the filters are acetate I believe, which is not very good! Also have you ever seen a Jack Russell pick up a fag end? This is not good for them. Although is very funny, like those paintings of dogs playing snooker and smoking.

This is gross - Avant

"I just care so little about people..."

How sad. How very sad.

But I do agree with you, Bobbin. One way to avoid the problem is where possible to buy goods with obvious seals that would show if broken.

Edited by Avant on 06/09/2011 at 02:22

This is gross - unthrottled

What about loose fruit and veg? Hermetically sealing everything is attractive from a hygeine perspective, but not from an environmental or economic point of view.

I'm no bleedin' heart, but when I take the rubbish out, it is disheartening to see just how much material is used for packaging.

Ultimately, food sales rely on trust and I for am pleased that Bobbin challenged the woman. I wish that I had the same moral fibre.

This is gross - Bobbin Threadbare

Ok I just did it again. It's obviously one of those days! Just been to the cinema; there was a man talking on his mobile at length, in the row in front of me, while the film was on. I asked him to go outside so people could watch the film in peace. He rather illogically told me to go outside, and was rather taken aback when I said I wanted to watch the film. Do these people follow me around...?!!!

This is gross - unthrottled

I trust Mr. Bobbin leapt to the defence of his damsel in distress...

Or was it a weary "let him go Bobbin, he isn't worth it"?

This is gross - jamie745

Children being allowed to stick fingers into unbought supermarket produce, neanderthals talking on the phone in the cinema, Preston sounds a very uncivilised place.

This is gross - jamie745

"I just care so little about people..."

How sad. How very sad.

No its not. Im sorry to revisit this but why is it sad to not want to be a busybody observing people i dont know doing things which have nothing to do with me? When i go to a supermarket im there to buy what i want to buy, pay as quickly as possible, get in the car and go home. The same applies with everything i do, i really dont care what other people are doing, why should i? When i go somewhere im there to do what i want to do and leave again, i walk through the entire town with blinkers on, there could be a massive fire and i wont see it, if it doesnt directly concern me or involve money (pile of £50 notes i'd see, fire...not so much) then im really not interested. People can say to me 'hey did you see that so and so on your way here?' and i'll tell them unless it was in the middle of the road then no.

If more people just kept themselves to themselves rather than caring so much about what non important people are doing we could all have a better life. In order, from the top down of people i care about it reads the following - Me, Me again, very small group of people i choose to care about. To get to strangers in supermarkets or people littering in the street we have to go quite far down, down a well, yes definatley that far. Perhaps a little further errm...bottom of the ocean....centre of the earth...all the way out of the other side of the earth and right on to the Rings of Saturn before you will find those people.

Lovely jubbly.

This is gross - Avant

Sorry, Bobbin, but I've had to lock this thread because it was being hijacked. Thanks for your support, Jamie!

But I'm glad we were here to share your irritation!