Giles Coren admitted walking out of Sainsbury’s without paying – 14 privilege checking replies that said it best
8.
The epitome of entitlement. But a much better story than: “I walked out of Sainsbury’s without paying, and then shit myself that I’d been caught on camera.” https://t.co/UeN3v5byr1
— Dan Oliver (@danoliver) September 22, 2026
9.
Hmm. Let’s see.
Leaving a shop without paying because you’re mean or broke – criminal.
Leaving a shop without paying because you’re pissed-off – non-criminal.
I feel if you legally stress-test your thesis, Giles, you’ll end up with egg on your face and a tag on your ankle.— Squinter (@squinteratn) September 22, 2026
10.
Are you seriously trying to tell us that if Sainsbury’s removed the self-service checkouts, and went back to staffed checkouts, you wouldn’t walk out if “the queue was too long” then??!!? 🙄
— Ellen Richards 🏴 (@CyberEllen1994) September 22, 2026
11.
Privilege summed up in a single tweet.
— Nick Reilly (@NickJWReilly) September 22, 2026
12.
Leaving without paying is the crime.
Imagine everybody left without paying because there was a queue?
Sainsbury’s would be insane not to prosecute you for openly gloating about this.
— P (@Philly24958140) September 22, 2026
13.
You sound like a spoiled child who had a tantrum because you couldn’t immediately get what you wanted.
— Hello (@actuallymeow) September 22, 2026
14.
all sounds a bit “and everyone clapped” I’m afraid. how were they supposed to ring up all of the items after he left with them? did he bring back all the barcodes? https://t.co/a97L3ppjG7
— Jan (@janhopi) September 22, 2026
Coren gave as good as he got – of course he did! – and here are just a few of his many replies (and the people he replied to).
You shoplifted.
— Edd Sirr (@eddsirr) September 22, 2026
Yup. That’s what I did.
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) September 22, 2026
We used to go into a shop and join a queue. When it was our turn to be served, we gave the shopkeeper a list and they took all the items off the shelves, added them up on a notepad and that was your receipt. In the meantime the customers were chatting to each other.
— George Phillips (@gphillips1945) September 22, 2026
Indeed, we did. And it is exactly that sort of social interaction and genuine relationship with the shop that Sainsbury’s deliberately destroyed to make its billions. It doesn’t make it right to steal from them, of course. I’m just pointing out that they don’t care if you do.
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) September 22, 2026
In which case you should’ve left without the shopping and gone elsewhere to buy it
— Carrie E (@eastlake_e) September 22, 2026
And then written a newspaper column about what?
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) September 22, 2026
I’ll try this next time I fill up with petrol. “It’s OK, I’ll pop back later and pay for it then.” 😆
‘Shoplifting is the term used to describe theft from a shop by taking something without paying for it. It is an offence under the Theft Act 1968.’— Hadrian (@HadrianAD122) September 22, 2026
By all means do.
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) September 22, 2026
Beyond arrogant.
I’d ban you if I ran that store. How do they know you picked up the exact same items?
Can’t plan for a till system going down. Not like they would have done it deliberately.— Warren (@warrenallsworth) September 22, 2026
If you banned people for any reason from your shop, you’d go broke; unlike Sainsbury’s, which doesn’t give a shit and makes billions.
— Giles Coren (@gilescoren) September 22, 2026
To conclude …
New law exam problem question dropped. https://t.co/a9wvdXwNk3
— Joanna Hardy-Susskind (@Joanna__Hardy) September 22, 2026
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Source @gilescoren