When you’re shopping at the grocery store, you probably don’t think twice about putting food in your cart, but maybe you should.
Married people seeking adventure secretly use bell peppers to indicate that they are open to meeting lovers behind their partner’s back, all while shopping.
The strange ‘pepper code’ was suggested by a clever user on the flirting forum of extramarital dating site Illicit Encounters.
“What if we started a secret code in the most mundane place of all: THE SUPERMARKET?” the poster suggested.
‘It’s perfect! No one would ever suspect that your weekly grocery shopping could lead to something much more… sizzling.
The ‘pepper code’ was suggested by a user on the IllicitEncounters.com flirting forum (stock image)
The user suggests placing two bell peppers in your basket or cart, but with the stems facing down.
“It’s like a secret handshake, but with vegetables,” the enthusiastic poster wrote.
‘Think about it. You’re casually browsing the aisles and suddenly you see someone with the telltale peppers in their basket.
‘Your eyes meet. There is a look of complicity.
“An instant connection, all thanks to a couple of peppers.”
The idea quickly caught the attention of other users on the flirt forum, with one person declaring that they had “never seen so much traffic on a topic.”
Another hands-on forum member was concerned that someone could be mistakenly identified as a cheater if they placed their peppers upside down and suggested an extra step was necessary.
They said, ‘We might have to pick a specific part of the supermarket to wander around when you’ve picked up your two peppers because otherwise it would be too harsh.’ Frozen hallways?
The ‘pepper code’ garnered a surprisingly positive response from a flood of members, with some declaring that they will ‘definitely’ try the method.
One said: ‘This could make my food shop MUCH more interesting. Upside down peppers, they are! “I’m definitely going to try this.”
If you’re “not quite satisfied at home” and are looking for a little more excitement than what’s on your shopping list, the user suggested placing two bell peppers in your basket or cart, but with the stems facing down.
Users expressed interest in the “bell pepper code,” with some saying they would definitely try it, while others said they had already tried it at their local supermarket.
Another agreed, saying: ‘I would 100 per cent do this!
“It would be so fun to see people looking at what everyone has in their carts to see if they’re looking for an adventure.”
One user from the UK said: “If I went to my local Norwich Sainsbury’s and placed the peppers in my basket while looking at everyone else’s baskets, I think I would look a bit strange and strange and therefore would probably fit in perfectly.” .
‘But seriously, I’ll try this this afternoon. Wish me luck.
“I hope they don’t take me away in a police van.”
An anonymous user who goes by the name MoonMoon said they had already tried the “pepper code” for themselves.
They reported to the flirting forum and said, ‘It worked for me, sort of!
‘Tesco in Beckton is the place to be… I went there on Friday night, grabbed a couple of peppers and headed to the frozen aisle.
‘Next to the Yorkshire puddings I saw someone else with peppers in their trolley, there was a slightly awkward smile and we talked for a while.
“I don’t think we were right for each other, but it was nice to chat with someone that clearly doesn’t happen in their relationship.”
‘I will continue like this! If enough people do it, we might be able to get somewhere here, and even if I don’t find a lover, it’s comforting to see that I’m not the only one having problems at home!’
The ‘pepper code’ garnered a surprisingly positive response from a flood of members, with some declaring that they will ‘definitely’ try the method next time they go shopping (File Image)
Others even posted their own suggestions for which vegetables to use.
One user joked: “Surely you just need to walk seductively with an eggplant?”
Another wrote: ‘Surely a large, upright cucumber would be more appropriate?’
Commenting on the discussion, Illicit Encounters spokesperson Jessica Leoni said: “While we normally encourage discretion in these matters, we never thought we’d see the day when people would be checking each other’s vegetables at the supermarket, and not in the as you would expect!
“If this catches on, I guess we can just hope everyone stays calm in the frozen food aisle.”