Today: a Charity Donation, Shoplifting, and Laughing

28 Nov, 2025

Today when I visited the supermarket, there was a lady at the entrance handing out leaflets. She was asking people to buy a few extra items and place those in the box to be donated to the local foodbank. The leaflet gave ideas on the type of foods that were appropriate.

I was only in for a few items myself, but I decided I would get some things for the foodbank.

In the end I had more for them than me! I had chosen to scan-as-I-go with my groceries, so I scanned everything as I put them in my basket, completed my transaction at the designated checkout, and wandered over to the foodbank lady to add to her box.

I gave her: two boxes of tea bags, three cartons of long-life fruit juice, two tins of soup, a tin of stew, dried oats, two packets of dried soup mix, a packet of pasta, a jar of pasta sauce. Hopefully it will go some way to help someone in need.

Apprehended in the Car Park

I returned to the car with my own bag of shopping. I was about to drive off when one of the supermarket employees came running up to the car and tapped my window. She said my payment had failed and could I return to the shop.

How embarrassed was I? Thinking I was doing a good deed, and then apparently running off without paying.

What had actually happened?

When I was at the checkout, I had scanned the barcode to complete. I presented my card as normal for contactless payment. I then left to give the foodbank groceries to her.

Unnoticed by me, my contactless payment was one of those random times when it actually wants you to insert your card! I had walked away, oblivious to the fact I had not paid my bill.

Crisis averted

I returned to the shop and the checkout I had used was still waiting for my card. I popped it in, entered my pin, and all was well.

I was so embarrassed. At least we (the staff and the foodbank lady) had a laugh in the end.

#Life