My Husband Does at the Grocery Store—Is This Genius or Just Gross?
On today’s episode of “Panic Button” on Country 102.5, Jonathan and Ayla dive into a tricky situation brought to them by a listener named Meredith. Meredith is grappling with her husband’s unconventional grocery store habits that might be crossing the line from smart shopping to something a bit more questionable. Is it just a harmless way to ensure they’re getting the best produce, or is it flat-out wrong? Jonathan and Ayla break it down and invite listeners to weigh in on this curious conundrum.
Jonathan: Country 102.5, Jonathan and Ayla here. We’re doing “Panic Button” today, and we have Meredith with us. Hey, Meredith!
Meredith: Hey, hi.
Jonathan: So, you’ve got a bit of a problem with your husband. He does something that might be considered cheap… or maybe just really smart. What’s going on?
Meredith: Well, you know, like when you’re at the store—we go grocery shopping together all the time; it’s one of our favorite things to do. But as we’re walking through the store, I noticed he would start tasting things, like grapes, to see if they’re okay. I thought it was kind of tacky and weird.
Ayla: At the grocery store? People do that?
Jonathan: Yeah, people sample grapes all the time. I’m not condoning it, I’m just saying a lot of people do it. I wouldn’t, though—not unless they’ve been washed.
Ayla: Yeah, I don’t know… OK. It’s kind of… yeah. Jim doesn’t wash his fruit, right?
Meredith: Right, I know. And yeah, people do it, I see it. My husband does it, and I’m like, OK, you’re one of those people. But I love him, so I kind of give him a break. But recently, I noticed something worse. We were walking by the watermelon section, where they put it in plastic with a yellow stain on it, so you don’t have to buy a whole one. He lifts up the plastic, uses his fingers to scoop a piece of watermelon out, and eats it. I was like, “What are you doing?” And he’s like, “Well, I’m just tasting it to see if it’s okay.”
Jonathan: OK…
Meredith: And I told him, “You don’t do that! People are going to buy that, and now they won’t want it.” He says, “Well, we’re going to buy it.” And I said, “But what if you didn’t like it? You’d just put the plastic back and leave it on the shelf?” He was like, “Yeah, we could do that.”
Jonathan: OK, but… I kind of feel like I’m on his side, sort of.
Ayla: How?
Jonathan: Well, hold on. If he takes a bite and it tastes good, you’re buying it, right? That’s his argument, right?
Ayla: Yeah, but if it tastes bad, then no one should buy it.
Jonathan: But he didn’t say no one should buy it; he said he’d put it back on the shelf. He should throw it away if it’s bad.
Meredith: But you don’t do that!
Jonathan: Funny, yeah, but no, you can’t do that either, right?
Meredith: No.
Jonathan: Because we’ve all gotten nasty fruit from the store.
Ayla: But do we all think it’s right to taste-test food at the grocery store? If we decide we like it… for example, in the chip aisle, “I don’t know if I like that new Doritos flavor, so let me just open it, take a couple of bites, and if I don’t like it, I’ll just put it back.”
Jonathan: Well…
Ayla: The concept, the morality—is it right?
Jonathan: I think it’s right if you’re planning on either buying it or telling someone it’s bad and needs to go in the trash.
Meredith: But who takes the time to do that?
Jonathan: I know, it’s a little weird to go up to an employee and say, “Hey, I just sampled your watermelon and it’s bad; you need to throw it away.” They’d probably be like, “That’s why it’s on sale.”
Meredith: Right.
Jonathan: But isn’t buying fruit kind of a gamble? Sometimes you get home and it’s amazing, and sometimes it’s not.
Ayla: I’ve spent so much money on “fresh” fruit, just to bring it home and it doesn’t taste good. Do I want to try a strawberry at the store? Yes, but is it the right thing to do? I don’t think so.
Jonathan: Alright, let’s get some calls on this. 888-819-1025. Meredith’s problem is her husband samples food at the grocery store—starting with grapes, maybe some blackberries here and there, but now he’s peeling back the plastic on watermelon and testing that. His argument, which I think is decent, is that if it’s good, they’ll buy it; if it’s bad, it should go in the trash. Is he right?
Meredith: I don’t know. I don’t know.
Jonathan: Is he right? I don’t know. That’s why we do this.
Meredith: I say no.
So, there you have it—Meredith’s husband might be taking “try before you buy” to a whole new level, and it’s definitely sparked some debate. Whether he’s a savvy shopper or just overstepping the line, it’s clear this one’s a head-scratcher. We dive into dilemmas like this every day on “Panic Button,” so if you’ve got a situation that’s driving you crazy, be sure to tune in and share your story with us tomorrow. Thanks for listening, and stick around for more great music on Country 102.5!
