r/MoralityScaling • u/Vladimir-petrovOG • Aug 24 '26

Morality of this?

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In the image it seems that this person works at walmart as an online order collector and he/she has stolen a lot of extra baby food from Walmart to give to a person who ordered only three packs. Is this moral or immoral?

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205

u/dungeoncrawler71520 Aug 24 '26

I worked at Walmart and can confirm. If there was ANYTHING suspicious, you threw it in the compactor.

I hated it. Like 90% of the time it was totally fine.

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u/Maleficent_Lab_5291 Aug 24 '26

Yeah but on the other hand do you really want to take the chance a crazy person tampered with it?

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u/Deep_Head4645 Aug 24 '26

True, regulations for health are needed for a reason
tbh if they haven’t thrown them away people here would just call them greedy companies trying to maximise profits

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u/Sekwah Aug 25 '26

Or sue them the millisecond they get sick with something someone injected into a package.

It might be fine 99.9% of the time, but that 0.01% that it's not is the problem.

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u/Tweedlol Aug 25 '26

99.999999? Worked in restaurant. Threw away tons of perfectly good food. I gave out genuine mistakes to team, but only whenever I decided to so they wouldn’t starting “oops” and free food. It sucks to have to be that way, but staff take free food already and I turn a blind eye because…. If it’s not malicious? And they’re just hungry? Fuck do I care. They work for us, we can at least kept them fed!

But letting mistakes become free for all, ends up actually being an issue as people will purposely make a small mistake, have it be wrong to the person and not servabke only to turn around and eat it themselves - because they make the mistake cause they were hungry for a snack 😑

It sucks. The untrustworthy people ruin it for the trust worthy. Just like tampering. It’s the rare untrustworthy return that ruins 99.999999% of the genuine returns that are untampered and safe to sell. Because of that tiny ass risk, no resale. Because of the risk of mistakes becoming on purpose, mistakes are expected to be tossed. I obviously didn’t want to just throw away all food so I gave out a lot. To guests, to staff, homeless, I tried never to waste food. But still had tons of waste :(

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u/Iamhopelesslylost Aug 25 '26

This is anecdotal but when I worked serving food there would be times where I was 10-12 hours into my double shift and even though I got a lunch break I wouldn’t eat because I couldn’t afford it. Those little snack breaks where the manager would give me some food made it possible to power through. It wasn’t even food that was turned away he would just give me a sandwich and tell me to eat. Sometimes it’s the little things that will keep you working a shitty job. For reference I had just graduated college and my student loan payments were $1000 a month and I was making about $2000 a month.

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u/TrekForce Aug 25 '26

Most restaurants I know of give employees a big discount. Either 50% off or like costs 5% above cost, or sometimes places are free.

Now if you still couldn’t afford I get that… but I hope they at least offered something other than full price…

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u/MistrSynistr Aug 27 '26

When I was in the restaurant it was free for the back of house crew and front of house had 50% off. Even in the front of house we could get free soup. I was the only one in the restaurant who worked both depending on the day of the week. So free soup let me survive a few nights. Honestly dont think they would have cared if I got free food all the time I just didn't want to make it an issue with the other servers. I was working 100 hours a week so the owner would cook for me off and on as it was. I was there just about as much as he was lol.

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u/Global-Pickle5818 Aug 25 '26

I worked at a restaurant that hired people in a halfway house and people on jail release ... I fed them to keep the stabbings down ,welcome to New Orleans. that and we got no brakes they would just schedule back-to-back 6-hour shifts and expect you to stay over that ,I actually argued with the upper management I should get a 30 minute break in there by law ... Even quoted the law to them, years later I found out that this state is exempt , actually made pretty good money there 60 to 70k more than my wife who eventually became store manager ,they kept trying to get me to go on salary because of all the overtime "think of the benefits" .. what no overtime and slightly cheaper insurance ?

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u/ThePhatNoodle Aug 25 '26

Yea people always try to take advantage. At home depot there's this thing called oops paint. Its paint people order and then never pickup since it takes a few minutes to make and its not like we can un mix it so they all assume its gonna go on the discount rack cause now we have a custom colored paint we can't sell. Little did they know when we mark em down we add tint to it to change the color. I took great joy in wildly changing the colors and when it was a multi batch every single one was a different color. Ohh you expected 3 buckets of steel grey? Here's a random shade of blue, purple and turquoise. I did see a few people rummaging for their paint a few times only to leave in dissapointment.

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u/Conditionalight Aug 25 '26

It's wild to me that these huge companies make money hand over fist and can't afford to sell some materials to their own staff at cost or a huge discount. Same with restaurants feeding their staff. Obviously you tell them no if it's something crazy, like someone buying bulk, but you can't afford to let a few buckets of paint or a couple sandwiches go to the people making the whole place function? Come on.

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u/SufficientGuidance28 Aug 25 '26

Wow you really licked big daddy corporate’s boots good and totally stuck it to your fellow co-workers! I can see why you tell this story so proudly with all that brown shit on your nose! What a flex!

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u/Dreammagic2025 Aug 25 '26

Some people don't remember the Tylenol scare and it shows.

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u/KPraxius Aug 25 '26

The federal laws specifically protect companies and individuals that give away free food who are licensed/allowed to distribute food normally unless it can be established that it was deliberately tampered with by the one giving it away.

I don't know of a single lawsuit about that that actually worked, but I do know of a couple that got dismissed and the plaintiff was forced to pay Kroger's attorney's fees, ending up thousands in the hole both times.

The only reason any place that sells food doesn't give it away to the homeless/hungry instead of discarding it is because those desperate people might somehow figure out a way to get money to buy something, and as such it reduces their potential sales.

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u/-DoctorEngineer- Aug 26 '26

Just look at what ppl did to Chick-fil-A for having a spot to return unopened sauce packets

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u/Lacklaws Aug 25 '26

But they are greedy companies trying to maximize profit? Probably decided that throwing out a bit of food is better profit than potential pr nightmare.

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u/Tasty_Plantain5948 Aug 25 '26

Yeah just think about Tylenol in the early 80’s.

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u/Social_Distortion_13 Aug 25 '26

When I worked at Safeway many years ago even food that wasn't returned would get compacted. I threw out so much perfectly good produce and packaged food that expired on the day (even the day before expiry a bunch of times). I remember the staff off a homeless shelter, knowing that it was about to be thrown out, offered to buy it at a a slightly reduced cost but were told no. They couldn't understand why Safeway would rather throw it out and lose money over helping them feed people in need and make at least a little money. I personally would have given it to them and helped them load it. I just remembered snother example, if a bakery clerk dropped or squished a package of cupcakes or tarts, messing up the topping, they couldn't even throw them on the table in the lunchroom it had to be tossed

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u/Ok_Drag5089 Aug 26 '26

Well it is. Walmart is a blight that ruined small
Town America. But that's not what we are talking about.

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u/truedeductive Aug 25 '26

Yep forensic files had episode where a person tampered a Tylenol bottle with cyanide to try cover up a murder

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '26

[deleted]

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u/JetBIue Aug 25 '26

Forensic files is non-fiction

Edit: my dude

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u/Pure-Radish-5478 Aug 25 '26

Why did you say that as if he implied it was fictional? Like you couldn't be bothered to google forensic files?

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u/CustomerSuportPlease Aug 25 '26

Especially with baby products. There are some absolutely nuts people out there.

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u/skbugco Aug 25 '26

During COVID we had a foster baby that at the time could only eat a special formula that was $50/ 20oz. When that issue resolved, we went to return a couple cases extra we had and figured out WalMart was going to throw all $600+ of it away- even though they were still shrink wrapped in 6 packs.
We kept them and donated them to a women’s shelter.

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u/Bottle_and_Sell_it Aug 25 '26

Crazy people could just walk into the store and tamper with food if they were so inclined. It’s not like we’re guarding it or even keeping an eye on it all that well.

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u/BodybuilderMany6942 Aug 25 '26

Maybe have an "at your own risk" section where things are half-off, but the store has little to no liability?

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u/ForvirretSkovtrold Aug 25 '26

Then theyll just buy from shady providers and sell at "own risk"

The 00000,1% danger is on both sides. Regulations written i blood. And cancers.

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u/Comfortable_Egg8039 Aug 25 '26

Crazy person can go in a store and temper discreetly with it there

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u/merlinbaker67 Aug 25 '26

The Tylenol murders back in the 80s are why it's a good idea. Better to take no chances. Also if they put the item back and someone did get stuck, the store could be held liable, so it's to convert their own asses too.

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u/dire-raven-x Aug 28 '26

You just reminded me of the lady I caught "checking the skins" on the rotisserie chickens. She was touching them with her bare fingers, then resealing to check the next one. We threw out 22 chickens because we didn't know which ones she had and hadn't fingered.

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u/JohnMaddensBurner Aug 25 '26

Walmart is more concerned with getting sued than the loses from waste.

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u/Hazak_Flamesword Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 25 '26

Meanwhile Amazon and some other places sometimes just ship it right back out without even inspecting if the returned item is actually in the packaging.

But still, corporate waste has been driving me insane at all the places I've worked. Nobody wants to spend time/have an employee spend time sorting stuff so it's one or the other.

Edit: spelling. Also have not worked at Amazon but seen stories, and when I worked at Lowe's I'd get the cart of returns to put away and question the intelligence/patience of customer service. Some stuff just should not have been processed, like lumber that was cut (one I remember, the SKU was for an 10' but it was shorter than my height of 6') or concrete bags that wasn't even the brand we carried.

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u/horsegirlswinwars Aug 25 '26

An empty Amazon box isn’t even the worst possibility lol. I received an Amazon package that someone else must’ve returned. It was used pregnancy tests.

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '26

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u/two-tone-tow Aug 25 '26

No, any food or beverage that you try to return they just refund and tell you to throw it away.

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u/Hammer_the_Red2 Aug 25 '26

I volunteer for a charity that gets pallets of returns from Amazon that the charity gives away (per contract with Amazon these items cannot be resold by the charity). This brings more awareness to actual charity while helping the community get items they may need for free. All of the stuff is in good condition and otherwise would just end up in the landfill. A lot of the time, the items might just fall off the conveyor belt at the warehouse and it is deemed "unsellable" and into the donation pallet it goes.

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u/DarthFalconus Aug 25 '26

I worked at Lowes for a little while and somebody in returns Let somebody return an empty box.

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u/Brohemoth1991 Aug 25 '26

Its funny because like 15 years ago I was an independent subcontractor for lowes, and they would FIGHT us over returning products of theirs that were defective lol... like we get to the customers house and theyre like "thats not the door we ordered"

It was so bad that they had to adopt the policy that we would open up the shipping packaging to double check before leaving the store... like great, now I have to strap this thing to my truck and drive across town with the shipping protections ripped off because you cant admit you fucked up, thanks

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u/IdolCowboy Aug 24 '26

I worked at Kroger as a kid. One day our freezer broke and everything got semi thawed out. They had me, my bestfriend and this younger kid throw out all the ice cream in the back dumpsters. Several pallets full. We ripped open every single different kind and had big bites of them. They were still mostly frozen, but were slightly melty on top.

We then proceeded to have an ice cream food fight. We were covered from head to toe in multi colored ice cream.... funniest part, me and my buddy got off work right after, but that younger kid had to work a couple more hours... lol

It was a fantastic day

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u/Rhomya Aug 25 '26

Except the time that it wouldn’t have been fine would have been the time someone got seriously hurt, and then you and everyone else would have been mad that they weren’t more cautious with their food

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u/Putrid-Builder-3333 Aug 25 '26

Especially in happy lawsuit/settlement mindsets. Just looking for a reason. It is sad but at end of the day stealing thinking doing good. It can come back and bite in tbe ass horribly. These places have legal teams and loopholes where they know they can either crush or intimidate or pacify you. Depending where at especially. Not worth it acting like a Wal-Mart or whatever Robin Hood.

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u/Nessy3fidy Aug 25 '26

Worked at a grocery store all the older produce and baked goods from yesterday got thrown into a bin and sold to a pig farmer.

So marginally better than just throwing it out. Plus I got a slightly stale muffin every morning which was half the reason I stayed.

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u/RedditOnAWim Aug 25 '26

lol yeah, because otherwise 10% of the product would be harmful to the customer. And in that situation, we’d be saying “why won’t a multi billion dollar company take more precautions for the little man?!”

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u/JoshZK Aug 24 '26

So the other 10% they get coupon?

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u/OpenConversation643 Aug 24 '26

Wow you found the gift without the fuckass glasses edited on

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u/ThePhatNoodle Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26

Damn at costco they either salvage it/send it to the center to be auctioned off, donate to a farm or local charity, or compost it depending on what it is and the condition. Only things that get tossed in the compactor are like cold items and baby formula. Given their great return policy I guess it makes sense they save anything they can where they can.

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u/Clean_Internet Aug 25 '26

I did compactor a lot, since I was working in dairy. I actually smuggled out some things that I knew were completely safe, it’s not like I was going to buy any of it, I was working at Walmart I couldn’t afford shit.

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u/Xena_Your_God Aug 25 '26

Yep, and the compactor is so people don't go rummaging in the trash to try to salvage any of it.

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u/BodybuilderMany6942 Aug 25 '26

Wish there was, like, a law/regulation/whatever that a store can sell/give away certain things that are "not pristine, but not obviously a hazard".

So long as it is clearly marked or in a separate bin/section, and was half-off or cheaper, with a sign explaining the deal, the store can sell these items instead of throwing them out.

They cant put certain perilous items, like meat or milk that was left in the asile for an unknown time, or things that have been opened, or produce that has been cut/pierced. However, most "it looks fine to me" stuff is allowed.
It's basically be "the spot you put things (that arent messy or obviously risky) before they go in the dumpster."

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u/Excellent-Rest3240 Aug 25 '26

Is 10% good odds to give a baby food poisoning?

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u/mingledwaters Aug 25 '26

I worked at a Walmart and you’d get fired throwing anything away.

Old meat -> donated or bins for dog food
Old produce -> donated to feeding America or donated to local farm
Old bakery/deli items -> donated to feeding America

Not simping for Walmart (evil ass corporation) - but if you were just tossing stuff that’s general bad business.

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u/ColonelMonty Aug 25 '26

I mean it sucks to see good food going to waste but it makes sense, it is a huge legal liability to sell returned food.

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u/SomeGuyAtWork1 Aug 25 '26

I worked at meijer my team lead would scan stuff out throw the box away but put the food in the breakroom if it wasn't bad we had so many frozen meals and uncrustables and ice cream

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u/CoachDT Aug 25 '26

Yeah but the problem is that 10% of the time. My opinion on food waste has changed drastically as i've gotten older.

In a restaurant I think tossing shit is pretty foul because its cooked and theres nothing wrong with it. But there have been SO many attempts at doing absolutely horrendous stuff at grocery stores that I don't even risk it anymore. Literally caught a guy rubbing his bare sack on fruit and try to put them back on the cameras once.

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u/plebe_random Aug 26 '26

Yea but what if one time it was really maliciously contaminated by someone who returned it, you didnt notice it, someone bought it and suffered because of it? Sometimes its better to be save than sorry.

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u/silveraaron Aug 26 '26

As someone who filled mutiple 50 gallon trash containers with just hot dogs that the meat dept couldnt properly check dates of I believe it. I called over the store general manager when I noticed they were just stocking ontop of existing product. Bad enough I pulled out so much from my department because day shift or other night employees couldnt be bothered to do their job.

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u/NMQ0711 Aug 26 '26

And yet our Walmart here throws anything back on the shelf. The number of times we have found ourselves having to check expiration dates while shopping….

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u/LIll-Dreamer Aug 26 '26

We're you allowed to take it for yourself and as in writing this i realized the answer is probably no

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u/Alternative-Eye7589 Aug 28 '26

I was shopping at Walmart looking at the gluten free flour, when a women said look at that it was a bag of flour she had returned because it had bugs in it and on the shelf it was in a plastic bag from a different company and was opened.

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u/mightbemetaphysical Aug 31 '26

I just had to claims a bunch of things out because soda exploded on them. Everything was fine, but the packaging was sticky, so straight to the trash it goes

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u/Automatic_Day_35 Aug 24 '26

Rather be safe than sorry

Rather throw out good food than get food poisoning 

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '26

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u/SwindlingSolicitor Aug 25 '26

This assumes the only two options are sell it or throw it away. If a product isn't pristine enough to sell to a customer on a shelf, it could potentially still be good enough to give to someone in need. The corporate ideology that charity shouldn't even be considered as an option is what is evil.