Dear LPG, 

I was reading one of your recent posts and it got me thinking (►►►).  I think that most people will have to admit to the misdemeanour that HG described in her post and having looked at it from the point of view of the shop, I wonder if they just put the items back in the freezer or add an extra couple of pence to each of our shopping bills to cover the cost of losing them.  I go shopping with my aunt regularly and she is one of those people that will never take the most easy-to-reach carton or box of whatever she is looking for on a shopping shelf.  She makes a point of reaching for the item behind the front one no matter how high the shelf it is on, or digging down under the pile of boxes in the freezer to choose the product she wants to come away with.   Now I understand why.   

I have even done worse although my conscience has forced me to undo the damage.   There are those times when you get home (hopefully) with your shopping and your bill only to find that you have paid for something which you don’t have.  I have felt that disappointment, but have you ever got home to find you have not paid for something you bought?

Back in the days when you could order such things and pay on arrival, I went to Sainsbury’s to collect some party platters of sandwiches and other delights I had bought, but when you are on the way to a bit of a do that you are organising there is always some last minute thing you think you have forgotten. 

I was in a bit of a hurry with not a lot of time to spare, but on the way up the isles, I passed the kitchen department and it suddenly occurred to me that I had not brought a knife to cut the cake with.  I saw the perfect implement and grabbed one as I passed.  I was soon at the delicatessen department where my fifteen platters were stacked in the trolley and the assistant gave me a list of the platters with all the bar codes so that paying would be quicker.

You might have mistaken me for a contestant on the final shopping dash of ‘Supermarket Sweep’ as I made my way down to the checkout and sure enough, when I arrive the checkout lady took the list, did her magic with her magic wand (the barcode reader) and, having paid I was out of the shop and stacking the platters in my car.  I removed the final tray which revealed the cake knife.

What would you have done?  I needed the knife and there was not much time, so my solution was to become a thief for half a day.  The party was a success and the knife worked wonders but after it was all over I returned to Sainsbury’s customer services, declared my crime with debit card in hand and paid for the said knife which I still use on a day-to-day basis in my kitchen, although I think that my conscience might have found that more difficult had I not made the return journey that day…  

OW, Deptford