Occasionally I hear these rants, and I’m a little confused. I have no problem bagging my own groceries, and occasionally will do so.
But at most of the stores around here, the counters are set up so that the customer can’t even reach the bags. It’s sort of a pain in the ass.
It does mean, though, that you’re never ever expected to help with the bagging.
Daniel
I won’t bag my own groceries for the same reason I won’t go through the self-scan, self-weigh, self-pay lines. As soon as the store starts giving me a discount for doing their job for them, I will start, though. Why not complain to the management? “Say, you don’t have enough baggers!”
Well, I’m sure that baggers aren’t there for anyone’s protection; instead, they’re there just for the convenience of the shoppers. At the very least, for the couple of years I bagged when I was in high school, no one ever informed me that I was protecting anyone else. Besides, I have faith that you (or most anyone else) will be able to master the art of bagging groceries. 
“Don’t squash the bread or smash the eggs. You’ll do fine.” Those are pretty much the only instructions we got back then. Besides, with all the customers dropping and breaking jars, leaving unwanted grocery items on the aisle floors and constantly spilling soda pop without bothering to clean it up or alert store personnel of the liquid mishaps, the notion that the customers need to be protected would be better served by offering personal shopping assistants instead of worrying about, possibly, a few errant grapes.
Besides, if it’s protection one wants, one probably shouldn’t rely on largely untrained high school students–who make up a large number of the baggers in grocery stores in the KC, MO area.
That said, I don’t see anything wrong with anyone expecting the store to provide the bagging service since, through the inflated prices, the customers are paying for it. Still, a good argument for bagging your own groceries instead of waiting for that teenager is that there is only so much room on the checkout, so while you’re waiting for a bagger who might not come anytime soon, you’re holding up the line behind you because the cashier cannot send the next person’s grocieries through. Or if they can, there’s no feasible way to keep the groceries for each customer separate, so a mixup might occur.
Occasionally, when I encounter a person as described in the OP, and my groceries are waiting for theirs to be cleared out of the way, I tend to go up to the bagging station and start bagging his/her groceries for them. It helps speed things along.
They already do, in that they have lower prices.
Seriously:
Good service
Low Prices
Quick shopping
Pick TWO.
:wally
Get over yourself and quit complaining, you big baby.
Give people a new service as a courtesy (well to try and get them to choose ypur store over someone else’s) and before long it’s a necessity that can’t be done without. I can imagine the threads in a couple of centuries time…
I was in a restroom the other day and I had to WIPE MY OWN PERSONAL ASS!!! and if that wasn’t bad enough I also had to SQUEEZE THE LAST FEW DROPS MYSELF!!! The other cubicles all had personal hygiene assistants I intend to bitterly complain to…
You’re right. He bags his own groceries, we’ll all bag our own groceries, IT’LL BE ANARCHY…
You know, the guy may be lazier than the laziest guy who ever was Mayor of Lazytown, but the fact is that any delay and hold up in the line is more the fault of the store then this guy.
No, I’m not your momma.
On the rare occasions I actually grocery shop, I don’t use coupons because I can’t be bothered to spend an hour cutting up the newspaper in order to save 10 cents on cereal.
I don’t write checks because this is 2003 and like everyone else in the civilized world, I use a credit or debit card for everything.
I don’t carry a purse because I am not a woman or gay (if you were just slightly more literate, you would realize that it is M Smith537, not Ms Mith537)
And since I am not senile, I generally remember which store I’m in
I just don’t feel like bagging my own groceries just so some housewife behind me can get back to watching Oprah a little faster. Actually, that’s not quite right. I’ve never really thought about it.
Maybe they don’t think you getting through that line is as important as you do.
The self-scan stations are a godsend. The elderly avoid them because they don’t understand them. The stupid avoid them because they are intimidated by them. The populists avoid them because “they take jobs away.” The lazy avoid them because they want their asses wiped at the checkout line. That leaves me…fingers flying on the touch screen, not fearing technology in the least. Bwa-ha ha ha! Bye suckers. Enjoy waiting in line.
It puts the grape on the top in the bag.
waits & nothing happens
IT PUTS THE FUCKING GRAPES ON TOP IN THE FUCKNG BAG.
Scenario: You’re eating in a busy food court at a shopping mall. When you finish eating do you:
A) Put your garbage in the trash and put your tray away
OR
b) Leave your shit on the table for the janitor 'cause they’re paid to clean?
I am very confused by this “The world owes me a bagger” philosophy.
There are a lot of different types of grocery stores. In some, the cashier bags. In some, there’s a bagger on duty for each line. In some, often there’s a bagger, but in off-peak times you’re expected to do your own. In some, the customer is always expected to bag. Heck, in some you’re expected to either bring your own bags or buy them from the store!
Can you guess which stores had lower prices?
If you are too lazy or stupid to master the art and science of grocery bagging, I guess you’d better stick to the high-end stores. If you walk into Economart and expect low prices and baggers awaiting your beck and call, then you’re a putz.
Well, Excuuuse us.
M Smith could be either male or female; AFAIK there are many women with the first initial 'M."
I for one like and need to get through the line quickly for several reasons, and none of them is to watch Oprah.
You don’t have to be considerate of those behind you in line, but it would be a civilized thing to do. Why make a tedious, boring task take longer than it has to?
After living in the U.K. for the last year, I’m going to feel ridiculous bagging my own groceries in the U.S. again.
msmith, I love reading your name as Ms. Mith. I always have and I always will. It’s my own little personal ha-ha on this board.
That being said, I try to only shop at places that bag as they scan or have a bagger. On the rare occasions I shop at a store that doesn’t, I’m the asshole in front of you who’s not bagging. Why? Because I’m so used to having my shit bagged that by the time I realize my folly, it’s too late and the cashier’s already started bagging the stuff.
Besides, if I start bagging my own stuff I may break a nail or something…
That’s a foolish example because bussing one’s table is expected in a mall food court. If you were eating dinner at Olive Garden, would you expect to go get your own food from the kitchen if the waiter is busy?
Hmm I guess I should have explained that the grocery was very crowded and the limited number of baggers typically skip back and forth among the busiest lanes. It just pissed me off because the guy was directly in front of his items and was doing nothing besides peering at guys across the way while the cashier was scrambling to do everything himself, obviously aware of the growing line.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
In hindsight, you mistake was understandible, considering that we are discussing the “manly” art of grocery shopping.
Thanks, my co-worker is now asking my why I’m snorting and I can’t tell her, as South Park is taboo in this office (I’m making the assumption that was a South Park reference…:). That was my major amusement for the afternoon:D .
Ava
WELL DUH
I’d pull a number out of my ass and say 1/4 of the people leave their crap on the table. Why do you think so many people do that if it’s expected to clean up after oneself?