GRRRRRR! So I’m at the grocery store, and not just any grocery store…it’s the arch nemesis one that is way to crowded. (aka Shop rite, but you can read more about my hatred for grocery stores here) Anyway, I suck it up and run into the store, because I only need a couple of things..mainly bread. I grab a basket, fight my way through cart traffic, and cart collisions to grab my 5 items…yes I said 5 because I wanted to make sure I was able to go into the 5 items or less express lane. I get to the line and find the 10 item lane to be better and I wait. Finally I am next and to my shock and horror the woman in front of me stands there and waits till the check out lady bags her groceries…I mean come on!!! Seriously Folks…..Bag your own groceries!!!!
So what do I do? I give her my best “I am shocked by your behavior” look. I mean really. How hard is it? You look behind you and see people waiting and you are just too good to start putting items into bags while the lady is scanning the rest? The answer is you aren’t too good…you are a stuck up idiot! I know I Bitch and Moan about Long Island people all the time but I have to ask…is this something that happens everywhere? It can’t just be the arrogant people here? Can it? I mean for your sake I hope that it is, because MAN is that annoying!
I have even had this happen to me when I am in the regular check out line when there is a ton of groceries. It takes forever! One of my favorite grocery stores has people to bag your groceries. That is so nice and convenient. I always smile and say thank you when they bag my groceries, because let’s face it…it’s really a time saver. Do you know what’s not a time saver??? The stupid people who don’t bag their own groceries!!
So here is a Public Service Announcment…..if you are one of THOSE people try to remember one thing. EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE in line is looking at you like you are an idiot. They are just too nice to say it out loud and if you look closely I am sure you too are getting the “I am shocked by your behavior look”. That look still brings back memories from my childhood…my mom was REALLY good at that look.
Anyway…Vent over! Thank goodness I have my blog to keep me sane!
While I see your point, I must admit that after working in a grocery store for four years as a teenager, I don’t bag my own groceries unless I absolutely have to. I’m much more likely to do so in the express line, when I’ve only a few items to throw in a bag and know that there is a line behind me. ? Sorry! You’ve got me thinking, but I’m not sure that I’ll change my ways.
Really? wow I ALWAYS bag my own groceries no matter what! by the time the person scans all my items I could have them all in bags and ready to pay. (I’m giving you my “i’m shocked by your behavior” look lol ? )
I’ve found this to be a kind of “North vs. South” issue (I’ve lived and shopped in both). In the South, most stores have someone to bag the groceries for you, so that’s the norm. But up North – YOU BAG YOUR OWN. Every so often there will be someone to do it, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line, you buy it, you bag it. I feel very strongly about this, lol.
Another reason I need to move south…grocery baggers are the norm! Wait till I tell the Captain about this! ? But yes…you buy it you bag it! is a great rule!
And most stores even have people to help you out to your car and load your groceries! It makes me feel uncomfortable, so I usually pass, but it’s nice to have the option!
I prefer to bag my own groceries, especially because I always bring my own bags and I have found that the cashiers/baggers get kinda confused with them and don’t bag as well as they could. I go to own grocery store where you actually check yourself out AND bag your groceries. Very fast and VERY cheap. ?
I bring my own bags too! Love to do that! and I do SOMETIMES like to do my own check out..but I find that sometimes its quicker to let them scan (especially when I have fruits and veggies and have to look up PLU codes) and then I bag…but it depends on the lines!
Wow, you’ve got to be kidding me! I cannot believe that especially when it’s 10 items or less lane. Stopping in from SITS. I’m totally digging your blog!
I know right?! I was appalled..lol but luckily I have my blog to vent and keep me sane! ? Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, gotta go with Anne on this one. Here in the South we have “baggers” and “cart boys” whose only job is to bag groceries, help people take their groceries out and fetch carts. The only place in the south where that isn’t the norm is at Wal-Mart. (Oh and in some places we do still have people that pump your gas for you…LOVE THAT)
So yes. You should move to the south. We would love you down here. We’d constantly ooh and aww at your “yankee” accent and consider it our goal in life to acclimate you to the southern mentality and lifestyle.
Sweet Tea and Buttermilk Biscuits for everyone!!!
I think I’d LOVE to get acclimated to the southern mentality and lifestyle! wow y’all are starting me make me jealous!
It depends on the grocery store I am visiting. Some don’t let you bag your own. With a toddler I am glad when they do it. This store also rolls my cart out to my car for me.
See if there is someone else there to do it that’s perfectly fine. It’s getting done. I actually prefer a bag person to do it! But if it’s between me and the cashier doing it…I do it. Plus the woman in front of me had no kids…she just stood there! lol
Wow! I live in Utah and I don’t think I have ever been to a store where we bag our own groceries…so really if I was in a store where I had to do this myself…I think I would just stand there because somebody has always bagged my groceries for me and almost always offers to walk me out to my car.
That’s funny..I can see where that would be conofusing..but I don’t think this lady was confused! lol Thanks for stopping by!
Oh yeah, stopping by from SITS!
Haha, that is a bit funny! I try to bag my groceries, but rarely have to here in the South! ?
Wow – I live in an area where they don’t even give the option of letting me bag it. The cashier does it as she’s scanning and moves very quickly. Sometimes a 2nd person will be there to help bag. The store always offers to help you out to your car with your groceries. I live in Baltimore.
I actually prefer to bag my groceries because I use fabric bags and they hold a ton more than the plastic ones. But the cashiers/baggers seem to think they only hold as much as plastic. They look shocked when I say keep filling them. But yeah, most folks should be able to bag their 10 or fewer items. Blogs are great for venting.
BTW, saw your link at SITS.
I use the fabric bags too and feel the same way! I’m always like..it’s ok..put more in! lol Thanks for stopping by!
I always bag my own groceries. And if there is a bagger, I still help out. Especially if there is a line. It’s just how I was raised…with a little courtesy. I completely get what you are saying here.
That’s right! A little courtesy is all I’m asking for! ?
I have never been in a grocery store where you could bag your own groceries. I didn’t know this existed. Although I could totally see myself being irritated with people not doing their own bagging if I was in a store like yours.
I shop at Wegmans and they just scan your stuff and bag it all at the same time. If I reached in and tried to help, they would probably give me a dirty look, haha.
One thing I will say is that everyone should bring their own bags to the grocery store!!!
I bring my own bags! ? True, if they scan then put them in teh bag fine..but in my store they just put it on the belt and it piles pu on the end if you don’t bag! Annoying!
I can see being frustrated if the person in front of you can bag and doesn’t.
Most of our grocery stores charge now for the bags so I always bring my own reusable bags and often do the bagging myself because they just don’t teach cashiers/kids to bag this properly. Twice last week when I let them do I had to repack it in front of them because they just couldn’t see the logic in placing things properly…not to mention when they throw the fruit in and bruise it all up! Often the cashiers bag while they are scanning – I just jump in and say “I’ll do that”. ?
I think stores should start charging for bags. Maybe that will inspire people to bring their own ? Mine don’t do that yet.
It does inspire! I have not used plastic bags in over 2 yrs now! I stopped using them before they started charging but it got me in the habit and now I don’t have to pay 5c or 10c a bag! I’m happy to be ‘green’!
Visiting from SITS…and I have to say that I can think of only one store in my area (a discount grocery store) that has customers bag their own. Maybe it is a North vs South as well as an East vs West thing. Here in my neck of the woods I can probably count on one hand the times I’ve bagged my own groceries outside of the self-checkout lines. That said, I totally get your frustration if it is available and people just don’t *do* it.
Yup; that would drive me crazy lol However I to am from the NW were we don’t bag our own groceries or pump our own gas for that matter…I know! strange, something about people keeping thier jobs. IDK. I think i’d be one of them dumb ass peps standing there waiting for the clerk to bag my stuff or pump my gas oops my bad.
Now I go all ape shit at the Dog park if someone does not pick up their dogs crap…thats what grocery bags are for.
Stoping by from Sits ?
Ha! that would be funny. Just waiting there being confused..lol I guess I could forgive you! The Dog crap thing drives me nuts too! Thanks for stopping by!
Stopping by from SITS!
I totally had to laugh at your post! I was raised in MN and totally bagged my own purchases then went back and paid and then finished bagging-totally the norm.
I moved down south and now people are bagging my groceries and offering to help me get them to my car! I was super confused and always would turn down the offers for help to my car. Looking back (it’s been almost two years) I totally should have said heck, yes! Put them in my trunk while I juggle my toddler and newborn! lol I gave myself kudos for even remembering to grab my canvas bags from the trunk in the midst of juggling two little ones. tehe!
So my question is…do you have to tip the people that put the bags in your car???
Good question! I’m sure that would be nice for them, but I heard a manager tell an elderly lady it was a free service. ? So, at Fry’s in AZ it’s free, lol. Though I’m sure they wouldn’t turn it down!
I don’t think it’s a North or South thing, I think it’s store policy. The Wegman’s here bag for you but I’ve also found that the re-useable bags throw the baggers for a loop so I find it just as easy to ask them if I can help out and bag myself. If I go to a grocery store here, (in Jen’s hometown in PA) I always self scan but one of the stores has baggers for that and they’ve gotten really good at re-useable bags so I throw them down to them – I scan, they bag. I’d much rather scan then bag.(the bananas PLU is 4011) If my teenage son comes with me, he’ll bag.
I bag my own if it is a small amount of stuff especially if I brought my own bags. A lot of stuff (like the shopping trip Matt & I did on Monday, talking $200 worth of groceries)…the bag guy did it for us. Much easier for him and us that way.
Some of our stores let you bag your own and then some do it for you. I was in line one time and it took the bag boy forever to bag my items – he was talking and not paying attention and those are the times when your chips and eggs are at the bottom!
Well it depends for me. If I am at a store that has a bagger actively bagging on my row, then i let them go ahead and do it. If not i bag my own, no matter if it is a bag your own store or not. I just think it speeds things up and gives the bagger a break if he or she is behind anyway. But thats just me. I treat the grocery sotre employess like i would want them to treat me.
I totally agree that if there is a bagger bagging then I let them go ahead and do it. My rant was in regards to a woman in front of me who stood there while all the items went down the belt..and waited till the cashier finished scanning, and then the cashier had to bag the groceries. i agree..I treat them like I’d like to be treated too. Which is why I help:)
Yeah, the stores in Dallas have baggers. I remember my father saying when he was a teenager he won some award for fastest bagger at his grocery store!
There will always be people like them…inconsiderate. Maybe you can just tell her, would you want me to bag your groceries for you? lol!
anyway, thanks that in the grocery store where I shop, they also have their baggers, they makes things better and faster. Just that sometimes, there are some who are really slow which sometimes annoys me too… but I never forget to say thanks to them.
I am once a cashier and I understand how difficult their work is especially when its sale! just seeing the line makes me tired already. lol!
I think they do want you to bag your groceries, but they just don’t say anything. It will help if you just do and not stand there and look like an idiot. Especially when you have a cart full. Stop being so depended on these workers because I bet they have to deal with more shitty customers in a day.