Are you a toucher? A sniffer?

MarkR

I was in Lidl last evening, picking up a couple of pretzels. My son loves them.

Anyway, after I'd carefully picked them up with those tongs, (after giving them a few test clicks) I noticed a lady checking out the goods.

Not me fortunately (and unlikely), but the rolls. She picked it up. With her hands. Squeezed it. Sniffed it, and put it back.

Who does that? It's disgusting? She could be a closet nose picker / bum scratcher for all I know.

Do you paw the goods, or are you a stickler for the rules?

Widdershins

I'm neither, but this is why I don't buy loose food from the serve-yourself bins. I've also seen flies on the uncovered bread and cakes in supermarkets.

misstearheus

There's never any feicin' Tongs in any of the bread baskets in our local Lidl. What I do is use 2 bags and bag as ya go.

Boom_Bap

My kids are notorious in Lidl for picking up things.

Boy: Dad, can I have this (holding up an apple pie)
Boomer: Jaysus son, how many times do I have to tell you to not paw the food.
Boy: Sorry dad, i just really want one.
Boomer: Touch them all quick..
Boy: Say no more
Boomer: Well, you've touched them all son, so we gots to buy them all.

Turtyturd

Was in Lidl a while back and a snotty nosed child member of our ethnic minority community was pawing through the cookies. She picked one up and started eating it, eventually her parent came over and told her to get one, but put that one back cos she'd already eaten some of it.

Dave_The_Sheep

No, because I'm not a ****ing tosser.

Well, in this particular context, I'm not a tosser.

whoopsadoodles

It's fcuking rank.

and I'd have had no problem saying it to that absolute knackpot to get her maulers of the bread.

Armchair Andy

I usually just jump over the fence to the neighbours washing line for a sniff or a touch.

Saves going to Lidl.

jester77

MarkR wrote: »

I was in Lidl last evening, picking up a couple of pretzels. My son loves them.

Anyway, after I'd carefully picked them up with those tongs, (after giving them a few test clicks) I noticed a lady checking out the goods.

Not me fortunately (and unlikely), but the rolls. She picked it up. With her hands. Squeezed it. Sniffed it, and put it back.

Who does that? It's disgusting? She could be a closet nose picker / bum scratcher for all I know.

Do you paw the goods, or are you a stickler for the rules?

I had one near me and I noticed the bin men in Summer working without gloves sticking on their hands and then rooting around for their bread during their morning break. Very off putting.

Special Circumstances

Particularly pungent country gentlemen loaded up a bag of nuts ahead of me in Lidl.
Then dug his filthy paws into the box and stuffed his pockets for the road.

I'll take the pre-packed ones please.

...__...

Its not just in Lidl
Tesco Ballyfermot one day I had the unfortunate occasion to be there.
Guy is standing at the hot food shelf eating his dinner from all the bags.
Washing it all down with a bottle of coke from the aisle (another thing that annoys me people walking round eating and putting the waste in the shelves)
I left before I could see what he had for his desert no doubt he had a spoon in his pocket to sample the ice cream.

Filthy shop never set foot in it again.

Four Phucs Ache

In tescos a few weeks ago and there was this kid licking his fingers and rubbing them on the pic a mix all over the sugary cola bottles and the different bon bons etc than licking the sugar off and repeated this. A few people at the checkout was looking for the mother to say it to her but no sign.Checkout lady was informed and got a young staff member to stand guard as he was persistent.He was a filthy little fella too.

Turned off for life now.

swimming in a sea

I used to work installing shop tills and i'd have to stay in the shop for first day to answer any questions. What I saw on those days made sure I never buy anything that is self service like bread, cakes and pick&mix. i once saw a women get her kid to spit out a pile of sweets from the pick&mix box which he had stuffed in his mouth and put them back in the pick&mix box.:eek:

Widdershins

I'm really trying to avoid plastic packaging but avoiding other people's gob germs and their microscopic snot and filth particles is more important to me

Special Circumstances

Widdershins wrote: »

avoiding other people's gob germs and their microscopic snot and filth particles is more important to me

Being the culchie that I am, I am known to drive to the Red Cow and get the Luas Red Line into the big shmoke.

Or as I call it... the "hocking spitting coughing sneezing Plague Monkey" line.

Widdershins

Special Circumstances wrote: »

Being the culchie that I am, I am known to drive to the Red Cow and get the Luas Red Line into the big shmoke.

Or as I call it... the "hocking spitting coughing sneezing Plague Monkey" line.

Do you feel filthy after it? When in nearest city, I feel like I've a layer of grime on me afterwards. Especially on my hands if I've touched the metal bannisters on the carpark stairs.

I'e probably built up superimmunity to ever germ known to man, though!

aujopimur

Disappointing thread, I was hoping for something perverted.

Special Circumstances

aujopimur wrote: »

Disappointing thread, I was hoping for something perverted.

You can put on a dublin accent and spit on my hazmat suit if you want.

Autonomous Cowherd

Ahh Gawd, people are filthy, how I ever leave the house at all I don't know.

gercoral

some people are just dirty fcukers!
often seen people go into the shop, pick up the fresh rolls, give them a squeeze and put it back. only today, there's fellas laying kerbs outside the local supermarket. one cam in, picked up a roll with dried muck on his hands, deiceded he didnt want it anymore and picked up a different one. we;ve had kids get a bit peckish and take a bite out of them, then the parents refusing to pay for it "sure what did they do?! my johnny didnt do that!...yes, yes johnny did. i just saw him. well im not paying for that!!!" take bites out of apples, put them back.

story from tesco bugs the **** out of me. no exaggeration..i would say about 60% of people get their food at hot food counter, eat most of it, come up and tell you that they have one sausage. "ok, and will i take for the the 10 goujons, 20 sausage rolls and the breakfast roll that you just rammed down your neck?"

Parchment

A colleague witnessed this..... In a Superquinn a few years ago she saw a well dressed middle aged man scoop a large spoonful (using the serving spoon) of salad from the salad bar and put it into his mouth, then place the oversized spoon back into the vat of salad and walk on. She was pretty sure it was potato salad.

Our office erupted into screams when she told this story. Still makes me shudder. I never buy any unwrapped foods (apart from veg/fruit) in the supermarkets.

goat2

MarkR wrote: »

I was in Lidl last evening, picking up a couple of pretzels. My son loves them.

Anyway, after I'd carefully picked them up with those tongs, (after giving them a few test clicks) I noticed a lady checking out the goods.

Not me fortunately (and unlikely), but the rolls. She picked it up. With her hands. Squeezed it. Sniffed it, and put it back.

Who does that? It's disgusting? She could be a closet nose picker / bum scratcher for all I know.

Do you paw the goods, or are you a stickler for the rules?

I have seen ladies do that also, and when i see this happening, I cannot buy from that counter, as these people keep going through the whole lot of the product,
There should be a notice, asking people not to handle food, and any they pick up they buy

billyhead

I have seen people pick up bread rolls with their hands, accidentally drop one or two and put the dropped ones back and take two different ones.:eek:

ToddyDoody

misstearheus wrote: »

There's never any feicin' Tongs in any of the bread baskets in our local Lidl. What I do is use 2 bags and bag as ya go.

And there's never any thongs for the apples or red / green peppers either, but I guess most people wash them before eating.

johnnyskeleton

I was in a pub that serves food once and one of the people i was with bought nachos. Some charmer came along and scooped a few up in his hand and whisked them away.

In his mind he was this really suave guy who bolted in and everyone went "who is that take charge man about town".

In reality his friends just looked embarrassed that their adult friend doesnt have the self possession of a trained lapdog.

Sorry, what was the question again?

Graces7

Reminds me of my market trading days and the ones we called,"Maulers" Always Irish ladies of a certain age who would creep along the front of the stall, picking everything up, stretching hand knitted hats between huge hands, turning jars of jam upside down, then finally holding up a hat and saying with huge contempt, " I could knit this in half an hour."

Shudders re all the stories here; I would never ever buy unwrapped food.

Not even carrots etc.

But then when folk wash their hands in the washrooms, they then handle the dirty taps and the door handles..

murphyebass

I always knew the open food stuff was a bit suspect but I'm now convinced on staying clear having read this thread. Thanks boards

Poor Uncle Tom

The adult version must be the 'sniff and lick' at Coppers on Saturday nights....:p

Pete123456

I was in a lidl over in Spain and all their baked goods were in covered see through cases slanted towards you. A long tongs or scoop was at the fromt of the box and you pushed whatever you wanted up to the top and over to the left and onto a chute and it would drop down to an opening. Sounds complicated, but I thought it was brilliant, because it lowered the chance of spit, kids pawing etc. I don't think we have them here but I hope they're brought in soon

https://goo.gl/images/7IxJtI

suicide_circus

Those salad bar things in supermarkets are amongst the most grim places known to man. I've seen a woman literally fingering the tuna sweetcorn.

SuperS54

My local supermarket has a healthy clientele of ladies of that age, buying fruit is a nightmare, particularly apples can only be purchased if they're freshly on display. Local habit seems to be to test the apples (hardness? softness?) by pushing a thumbnail into it, having observed the practice it seems you need to test almost all the apples in this manner before selecting a non tested one. Apples on display for more than 5 mins tend to be pock marked with little crescents or worse puncture marks.

_Brian

Widdershins wrote: »

Do you feel filthy after it? When in nearest city, I feel like I've a layer of grime on me afterwards. Especially on my hands if I've touched the metal bannisters on the carpark stairs.

I'e probably built up superimmunity to ever germ known to man, though!

I get that feeling too. Being in the city is like being soaked in fumes and grime all day long. I swear it's cleaner working on the farm.

ToddyDoody

ToddyDoody wrote: »

And there's never any thongs for the apples or red / green peppers either, but I guess most people wash them before eating.

Stupid sexy apples

Graces7

suicide_circus wrote: »

Those salad bar things in supermarkets are amongst the most grim places known to man. I've seen a woman literally fingering the tuna sweetcorn.

Oh YUkK!

andekwarhola

I prefer minging bastard to toucher or sniffer.

MarkR

Fingernails in apples. I've a dose of the gawks now..

Widdershins

Maybe a member of staff should be posted near the bakery and the green groceries to avert incidents like this..they could have a bit stick..

Graces7

Widdershins wrote: »

Maybe a member of staff should be posted near the bakery and the green groceries to avert incidents like this..they could have a bit stick..

I volunteer! My walking stick is at your service!

I have seen a few bread dispensers in other countries that deal with this handling issue - but have not spotted it in Ireland myself yet. The loose bread and pretzels and croissants and the like are in a display cabinet you can not get your hands into. Instead there is a shovel system where you push your selected bread sideways into a kind of dispensing tunnel.

https://ninasroadlesstraveled.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/img_2871.jpg

So you are pretty much guaranteed that your bread product has not been mauled by anyone else. At least not anyone from the public. What the workers of the shop do is anyone's guess.

Pete123456

Deleted User wrote: »

I have seen a few bread dispensers in other countries that deal with this handling issue - but have not spotted it in Ireland myself yet. The loose bread and pretzels and croissants and the like are in a display cabinet you can not get your hands into. Instead there is a shovel system where you push your selected bread sideways into a kind of dispensing tunnel.

https://ninasroadlesstraveled.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/img_2871.jpg

So you are pretty much guaranteed that your bread product has not been mauled by anyone else. At least not anyone from the public. What the workers of the shop do is anyone's guess.

see post #29

Hah, same picture and all. Ooops.

Irish Stones

Over here in Italy fresh fruit and veggies are on display for all to see. We are allowed to check apples, peaches and so on for hardness/softness or inspect an apple all around before putting them into a bag. Disposable thin gloves are provided along with bags. It's compulsory to use them.
Once the bag is done we place it on a scale, we select the product which is in the bag (cucumbers, apples, bananas, etc) and press the relevant button on the scale, automatically a sticker with the name of the selected item, its price per kg, its weight and final price is printed. We stick it on the bag and hand it out to the cashier at the end of the shopping.
Mixed salads and other similar things are already pre-packed in plastic boxes and priced, no risk that anybody could interfere with their integrity.

Parchment

Does anyone actually buy food from those self service salad bars ?

*hork*

Graces7

Parchment wrote: »

Does anyone actually buy food from those self service salad bars ?

*hork*

In the Dunne's where I used to live, the salad bar was enclosed and covered. You had to lift the door to access it. But all the same no way. I never buy street food either.

Thoie

I squeeze wrapped bread (like Brennan's, Irish Pride) gently. I rarely buy the unwrapped rolls and things like that, but wouldn't touch them, and if I am buying them I pick them up with a bag or a tongs (because my hands have been on the trolley bar, which hasn't ever been cleaned). I sniff items like melons for ripeness, but don't touch them with my nose, and I presume most people don't eat melon rinds. Things like apples that people are likely to eat without washing/peeling, no, wouldn't touch those.

When I get home I wash my hands before unpacking my groceries, because again, the trolley.

Bambi985

Ugh god. I buy stuff from supermarket bakery displays all the time. Won't be doing that anymore

except for those Marks n Spencers bakery chocolate chip cookies. Because they're the best thing I've ever tasted ever

whoopsadoodles

Bambi985 wrote: »

Ugh god. I buy stuff from supermarket bakery displays all the time. Won't be doing that anymore

except for those Marks n Spencers bakery chocolate chip cookies. Because they're the best thing I've ever tasted ever

Yeh I'm making all these rules for myself but thinking "sure aren't Marks and Spencers customers much posher and they would neevvvver do such a working class thing like touching the baked goods". GIMME THAT CHOCOLATE TWIST NOW.

the_syco

Bread in a packet; squeeze.
Veg; visual inspection and maybe a sniff if it's a herb.

Thoie

Bambi985 wrote: »

Ugh god. I buy stuff from supermarket bakery displays all the time. Won't be doing that anymore

except for those Marks n Spencers bakery chocolate chip cookies. Because they're the best thing I've ever tasted ever

M&S sell the cookies in bags of 4. Just sayin'...

Bambi985

Thoie wrote: »

Bambi985 wrote: »

Ugh god. I buy stuff from supermarket bakery displays all the time. Won't be doing that anymore

except for those Marks n Spencers bakery chocolate chip cookies. Because they're the best thing I've ever tasted ever

M&S sell the cookies in bags of 4. Just sayin'...

Yea but those ones don't have the same chewy gooey fresh out of the oven taste

darkpagandeath

Thought this was about bike seats carry on ...