Not the same as Richard Madeley at all
I was in the supermarket just before Xmas doing a small shop, just enough for an evening meal for Mrs Rammer and the Wee Rammers. I had already crashed plenty cash in the pre-Xmas run up and had resolved to avoid spending too much more but decided to treat myself and buy a bottle of expensive(ish) whisky.

This was a bit of indulgence and I felt a small amount of guilt about it, esp. as Mrs Rammer and the Wee Rammers were getting frozen pizza for tea rather then baked sea bass (or whatever).

Because I only had a basket I want to the self service counter and started scanning. The whisky, being expensive was in a box and the bottle had one of the anti theft devices on it. I asked one of the assistants to remove the device. She took the bottle out, removed the tag, put the bottle back in the box and put the box stright into my bag - missing out the scanner!

Happy days! I looked at her for a moment and she looked at me then turned away. As I am approaching middle age I flirted with the notion that she did it because she fancied me, then I got a grip and pressed the pay button, paid my £9 or so for the food and left with a free bottle of £40 whisky in my bag. I felt guilt for a moment or so but do enjoy a chuckle on the incident now and then. I told Mrs Rammer about it once the whisky was finished (I had to otherwise she would have made me return whatever was left and ask for forgiveness) - I cannot understand why women (well at least the ones I meet) have such an overdeveloped sense of guilt/righteousness.
(Rammer, Fri 11 Feb 2011, 17:43, 7 replies)

If your missus would have you return it, her priorities are wrong.
Using the self-service checkout endangers jobs thus, potentially, making a few people out of work -- a bottle of booze is a one-off small payment compared to that.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Fri 11 Feb 2011, 18:29, closed)

Down with self-service petrol pumps
Jobs, innit
(TheJacksonSixth, Sat 12 Feb 2011, 0:37, closed)

Yup.
It's cheaper for the taxpayer to support a couple of petrol pump attendants and a checkout assistant with some tax breaks than to pay everything for them if they're on the dole.
I don't want to come over all communist, but getting as many people as possible into work should be an ideal and is certainly more important to a country's well-being and future than a few share dealers making a couple of million in bonuses.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Sat 12 Feb 2011, 10:20, closed)

It's easier for me to pay up front and fill up quickly than waiting for some mong who can't turn the pump on

(mymilkshakebringsallthemongstotheyard poison hearts, poison minds - joining hate, Sun 13 Feb 2011, 22:28, closed)

Is that not...
...the luddite fallacy?
(silene, Wed 16 Feb 2011, 10:07, closed)

There is of course another possibility: she simply assumed you'd already paid for it.
If so, that's their fuckup and therefore their problem.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Fri 11 Feb 2011, 21:22, closed)

That's probably the case - normally you scan the item then it would flag it on her screen and she'd come to remove the tag. Obviously in this case the flagging was pre-empted, but the penny didn't drop for her.

I love this story - I can just visualise the exchange of looks.
(richardm, Mon 14 Feb 2011, 10:55, closed)