02 January 2024 , 22:20
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A mum has said she was reduced to tears by a Tesco cashier during a shopping trip with her son.
Samantha Mary, a primary school teacher from the UK, told her TikTok followers that she let her child start eating two yoghurts straight from the shelves while they were still shopping - only to receive a disapproving response once she reached the till and tried to pay for them.
The cashier is said to have thrown the items in the bin before Samantha pleaded with her to have them back so her son, Jack, could finish them.
She said in the video: "When it was our turn, I said to the lady serving us, 'I just want to let you know, Jack's eating these two on the way around here. Here they are so that you can scan them'. I didn't want to just leave them amongst the shopping. She literally gave me the most disgusted look.
"Didn't say a word. Scanned them then threw them in the bin. They weren't actually finished. I hadn't passed them to her to have them put in the bin, I passed them to her to try and be polite so they could be scanned'."
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Samantha said the cashier then "tutted" and "huffed" at her as she retrieved the yoghurts - before telling her she didn't feel it was "right" that some people "let their kids eat stuff from the food shop on the way around the shop."
Samantha alleged that the cashier told her it 'wasn't right' for children to eat items while shopping (Samantha Mary / SWNS)She then recalled telling her: "I don't really think it is your job to be giving your opinion on what you think - my child is really unwell". Samantha said her son had "basically not eaten properly for a week" at the time of the incident, so she "jumped on that opportunity for him to have something to eat". She also said she believed the cashier should recognise that their job is to be "polite and to serve", adding: "If you don't believe in something being done, it's nothing to do with you. It's not your business. I'm honestly still furious at the whole situation".
Her video slamming the Tesco cashier has however divided opinion among commenters - with some claiming they were right to say what they did, and that customers shouldn't open items in shops before they buy them. One wrote: "You are absolutely in the wrong. Tesco isn't an all you can eat buffet where you pay by plate at the end."
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Another said: "Why should she handle your child’s left overs? She doesn’t work for you, she works for Tesco." A different person who claimed to work at Tesco however said they "didn't mind" when parents let their children snack on food, as it helps them "get round the shop calmly".
The Mirror contacted Tesco for a comment.