How nosy are people in your supermarket?
Posted by NLveganmama on May 15, 2010 · Member since Jan 2010 · 380 posts
Do you find that people are always looking in each other's carts to see what they find? I think it's one of the reaons the Dutch shop so frequently is to give them the chance to look in other people's carts.
I used to do this all the time as a cashier to help time pass. I rang up a vegetarians stuff once, but never a vegan, that I could tell at least. The vegetarian was really snotty. I was just trying to be friendly and make a comment about how much food she got for the amount of money she spent. She made a really snotty remark about groceries being so much chieaper when you don't buy meat. I wanted to comment back that it would be much cheaper without all the cheese, but I kept my mouth shut.
VH: I love it when hispanic people talk about you assuming that you can't understand them. I had it happen to me a lot when I was a cashier. I never confronted them about it, but when I handed them their change and receipt I would tell them, in Spanish, the usual thank you and have a nice evening. Their jaws would drop, then they grab their stuff. and sheepish walk away. It would be so funny.
hah, that happened to me once in a very obvious way (not at a register, at school). i was putting up flyers for the animal rights club in high school, and some girls were hanging out by the stairwell, and one proceeded to talk about me in spanish to the others. asking if they've heard that i'm vegan, and what that means, and proceeded to tell them about how i can't eat carne or pollo or leche or huevo or miel ('cause i'm crazy or something). i glance back at them and one of the other girls says, half-hushed (in english!) "i think she knows spanish..." the fact she said it in english was hilarious. if i didn't already know they were talking about me, i do now! also, it's not unreasonable to know non-vegan ingredient names in spanish when you live in LA. also, food words/conversation are practically the first thing you learn in spanish... so no, i didn't know spanish, but i knew enough just living where i did.
In California, I used to see other vegans all the time in the grocery store. The giveaways were always tempeh, kale, nutritional yeast and quinoa. Add almond milk to that, and you've DEFINITELY spotted yourself a vegan.
I couple times in the bulk area I've heard other customers asking employees where the nutritional yeast is located..The employees usually don't know but I give them a knowing glance and guide them to the light. The bulk bins are where its at!
I used to do this all the time as a cashier to help time pass. I rang up a vegetarians stuff once, but never a vegan, that I could tell at least. The vegetarian was really snotty. I was just trying to be friendly and make a comment about how much food she got for the amount of money she spent. She made a really snotty remark about groceries being so much chieaper when you don't buy meat. I wanted to comment back that it would be much cheaper without all the cheese, but I kept my mouth shut.
VH: I love it when hispanic people talk about you assuming that you can't understand them. I had it happen to me a lot when I was a cashier. I never confronted them about it, but when I handed them their change and receipt I would tell them, in Spanish, the usual thank you and have a nice evening. Their jaws would drop, then they grab their stuff. and sheepish walk away. It would be so funny.
The flip side of this coin is funny, too. When I run across tourists slagging off Spain, my city, and its customs while talking LOUDLY in English with very sarcastic, obnoxious voices about it, like "the whole country is idiotic" I have been known to remind them gently that they're not required to come here at all; they can stay home. And that a lot of people speak English these days.
One of my new supermarket experiences is since they opened an Aldi here. The cashiers are really nice and often when I go in when they first open, the place is almost empty and we end up "talking food." They will ask me what something is or how to use it (like sauerkraut) or I will ask them, "Are the strawberries good, or are they hothouse forced?" I asked once about a particular type of pastry and the girl pointed to the other cashier and said, laughing, "Ask her! She's the cake expert here!" Once they asked me about soymilk, which I never buy...but they figured I'd know!!
just for peepers...sometimes when you see someones cart full of typical vegan goods, tofutti, almond milk, tempeh, whole grains and a boat load of veggies and then a package of chicken...it could be a vegan with omnis in the household. :o
just for peepers...sometimes when you see someones cart full of typical vegan goods, tofutti, almond milk, tempeh, whole grains and a boat load of veggies and then a package of chicken...it could be a vegan with omnis in the household. :o
Or a vegan with carniverous pets. In my early vegan days I had 3 to 4 cats that I made homemade food for.
I totally take sneak peaks into others carts at the store. I especially do this when I see people in the natural/alternative foods section. Mostly I see people with gluten allergies.
I tend to be really judgmental of people, especially overweight people with a ton of crap in their cart. As a result of my constantly judging I am also very self conscious about what is in my cart. I am constantly worried about being judged at the grocery store for having no vegetables or fruits in my cart, especially when I am buying soda or something else crappy. (I shop at a produce store/stand for produce so I rarely buy it at the grocery store.)
i realize how weird my groceries look sometimes. i usually do most of my shopping at the local store, and go to TJs to get whatever i can't get there. So i often have a basket with lettuce, EB, and chocolate.
Shopping carts I don't glance at but when I see someone reaching for some tofu, or soymilk etc at some aisle I'm like," Oo a vegetarian". I want to start a conversation with them but I don't. To say what really.
VH: I love it when hispanic people talk about you assuming that you can't understand them. I had it happen to me a lot when I was a cashier. I never confronted them about it, but when I handed them their change and receipt I would tell them, in Spanish, the usual thank you and have a nice evening. Their jaws would drop, then they grab their stuff. and sheepish walk away. It would be so funny.
hah! love it!
hah, that happened to me once in a very obvious way (not at a register, at school). i was putting up flyers for the animal rights club in high school, and some girls were hanging out by the stairwell, and one proceeded to talk about me in spanish to the others. asking if they've heard that i'm vegan, and what that means, and proceeded to tell them about how i can't eat carne or pollo or leche or huevo or miel ('cause i'm crazy or something). i glance back at them and one of the other girls says, half-hushed (in english!) "i think she knows spanish..." the fact she said it in english was hilarious. if i didn't already know they were talking about me, i do now! also, it's not unreasonable to know non-vegan ingredient names in spanish when you live in LA. also, food words/conversation are practically the first thing you learn in spanish... so no, i didn't know spanish, but i knew enough just living where i did.
LMFAO!!
in the UK I was always looking in peoples trolleys. If I saw vegan looking items I would begin to get excited, but then had to remind myself that soy milk nd such like was getting trendy and so they probably weren't vegan.
Nevertheless, I still got excited when I saw tofu, soy milk, lots of veggies....and then get pissed off when I saw cheese and meat. Then I would remember that I maybe had cow juice in my trolley for N. So maybe they were vegan but had an omni partner!?
Now though I am studying labels and prices too much to look in other peoples trolleys....and I've not noticed anyone else looking in the fridge section where all the tofu / veggie products are. No doubt if I do I'll get excited.
Oh, I absolutely do this too. I don't even notice if other people are doing it because I'm too busy looking at their stuff. I was at Netto the other day, which isn't a particularly vegan-friendly store but they have cheap soyricemilk and I get some produce and stuff there. I noticed a girl standing in the other line, putting her things on the conveyor belt, and she was wearing a Peta shirt. I noticed that she didn't have any meat or dairy products, which is very uncommon, unless people are just buying beer, but I thought, aha, another vegan! But yeah, usually I'm just amazed at how much crap people are buying.
Yabbit, my guy is an Earl Grey man as well :) but we can't get decaf earl grey here, unfortunately.
Algae - Where are you? I've only seen Netto shops here in Holland. I wonder if ours here carry soy milk. I'll have to look. It averages just over 1 euro per liter here.
Janel
I just try to find vegans. I usually get my hopes up seeing like, tofu, soymilk, veggies, blah blah blah AND A STEAK. Boo.
But thats only really at the registers.
yeah, this is me....
once I see something non-vegan, I stop looking....I lose interest.
and for the record, I've never seen an entire vegan cart/basket, even at WF...
So maybe they were vegan but had an omni partner!?
trolleys....
This is my situation when shopping. Now I'm going to have anxiety of being judged at the supermarket. Thanks guys...
Hehehe..... trolleys. I like that word. :)
I love to look in other peoples' carts or baskets. I try not to be judgemental about things and I too get my hopes up seeing quintessential vegan items.
But I am aware that sometimes I buy non vegan items for LB or guests. Last BBQ I had made my cart have soda, cheese and 8 steaks in it that my friend C picked out. :(
(Mind you everything else that i provided at the party was vegan other than that!)
Oh, I absolutely do this too. I don't even notice if other people are doing it because I'm too busy looking at their stuff. I was at Netto the other day, which isn't a particularly vegan-friendly store but they have cheap soyricemilk and I get some produce and stuff there. I noticed a girl standing in the other line, putting her things on the conveyor belt, and she was wearing a Peta shirt. I noticed that she didn't have any meat or dairy products, which is very uncommon, unless people are just buying beer, but I thought, aha, another vegan! But yeah, usually I'm just amazed at how much crap people are buying.
Yabbit, my guy is an Earl Grey man as well :) but we can't get decaf earl grey here, unfortunately.
Algae - Where are you? I've only seen Netto shops here in Holland. I wonder if ours here carry soy milk. I'll have to look. It averages just over 1 euro per liter here.
Janel
I'm in Berlin. The bio bio brand soy-rice drink is 89 cents per liter and the soymilk is 99 cents per liter. They aren't fortified though :-/
If I have non-vegan items in my cart, it's because I am buying for someone else, although I haven't had any meat products in my cart in years (unless dog food counts). My cart is usually all vegan, although I don't think I have ever spotted anyone else's that was. The typical customer in front of my has about 10 lbs of meat, 2 gallons of milk, a dozen eggs, 4 boxes of sugary cereal, 4 bags of potato chips, a couple of packages of cookies, some juice, and a case of soda/beer, with no veggies in sight. Maybe a bag of apples or something if they are feeling really adventurous... ???
I rarely buy produce at the market because I buy most of it at the farmer's market or get from our CSA. Except fruit, because I like fruit and it's hard to stick only with fruit that is in season here, which is very limited. Basically apples and oranges, and maybe strawberries for 2 weeks.
Hehehe..... trolleys. I like that word. :)
wait, is this another word I didn't know you don't use over there?
What on earth do you call the thing you put your shopping in and push around the supermarket?
also, Shell, it's reminded me that we still need to do your shopping trolley tour as part of your official welcome to New Zealand....
shopping cart. 'cause it's a cart... used for shopping.
hehe... cart. Now I'm just gonna picture you all with horses pulling your shopping around the supermarket... NOT VEGAN!
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