Beer Here

Dear Alisa and Gina,

I was at the supermarket the other day and the woman in front of me at the checkout line, with two kids in tow, went through the line without mentioning (or perhaps noticing) that the case of beer on the rack at the very bottom of her cart was not rung up by the cashier. I’m not saying it was deliberate – but it happened. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t, because I didn’t know who to tell? The woman? The cashier? The manager? Is it my business or not?

Just Wondering

This is a really thorny issue. I think the fact that you’re carrying this with you means that you are uncomfortable about not having spoken up. From your description, you are probably correct to assume good intent – and overwhelm on the part of this shopper. I believe your first question might have gone to the woman, asking her if she needed help with the case of beer in the bottom of the cart. ~ Alisa

Thorny is right. I mean you don’t want to rat out the person in front of you. (Public humiliation is never nice.) Since you’re not in the store right now, call the store manager and tell him/her that you noticed someone leaving the store without seeming to pay for something in the bottom of the cart, and mention that perhaps the cashiers need to be more careful about checking. Pilferage, whether intentional or not, drives up prices – so we all end up paying in the end. ~ Gina