Baggers

Why is it that the baggers at the market always use the cloth bags I bring in to bag the light stuff in? The cereal, bread, mac n cheese? And then they cram the plastic bags with the flour, vegetables, juice, cat litter, etc? Also I really love it when I buy the graham cracker crust for a cheesecake I plan to make for someone else to go into the same bag with the canned goods. Because I really was hoping that crust would be smashed to bits before I got home to use it.

What is that about? What ever happened to baggers with sense?

That's why once I get to my car I repack just about every bag to ensure there are not any surprises like the eggs at the bottom of the bag of canned goods. Except I'm getting tired of that every time I shop. Lately I have been politely asking the baggers to put the heavy items in the cloth sacks. And would you believe that they look at me in disbelief. Such as why would I EVER request something so odd. Heavy items in the cloth sacks? I must be crazy. Usually the baggers do as I request only to mutter "Well, I didn't want to pack the bags too heavily." To which I always reply "That's okay, really, I can handle lifting them." Sure I am a woman but I am not a weakling. Seriously people. Am I a hunched over 100 year old Granny with a cane? No. Remember me? The woman that had to help you lift my 40#s of cat litter out of my basket since that was too heavy for you? Pack my bags too heavy......Sheesh.

Another reason why I prefer the self checkout at the stores. Only then to cringe when the attendant rushes over to "help" me smash up my food into my sacks. Ugh. Can't I win at this shopping thing?

Actually the only place I have zero problem with is Trader Joe's. They have rather bright people working there to begin with and that might have something to do with their retention of reason. Instead of assuming I can't carry a bag over 10lbs they ask me how heavy I want them to pack the sacks! Amazing! They communicate to their customers instead of trying to use their ESP skills.

So my question is why are baggers so horrible nowadays? What ever happened to packing bags with like things and even loads? Is it that hard?

Comments

Sydney said…
It's the east coast! It's horrible there in the grocery stores!! Oh my God, Pete and I talked about this all the time. In Oregon, you are a trainee checker and they teach you how to enter codes, how to pack grocery bags, how to do returns... everything! In DC I saw trainee checkers and they were given NO kind of help. It was just an excuse to pay them less for two weeks. I bet you anything Trader Joe's has a nationwide training standard and that's the difference. Because seriously: Giant can shove my crushed loaves and bread and broken eggs right in its ears (I assume they're huge). And there wasn't a single Giant or Safeway or Whole Foods that we went to where they always did a good job. The only place that was okay was Schneider's in Silver Spring/Wheaton (on Georgia, I think). Oh! And the Han An Rheum, or whatever the Korean Market in Wheaton is called. Seriously: it's worth the trip. Old Korean ladies don't take no guff and they won't pay even a penny over what is the lowest possible price. We bought a weeks worth of summer salads (with lots of toppings!) for $11 once. And when my Mom was in town, we bought a weeks worth of groceries for super fab meals - including porcini crusted halibut - for less than $50! Best quality fish, best quality veg. No joke! And they don't run out of things like garlic like Giant.

::pant pant::

Um, have I mentioned that I'm glad to be home? :)
Anonymous said…
It's gotta be an east coast thing. We must have the baggers that have some common sense here in Ohio. At Meijer, they don't bag a juicy roast with clothing. When I go to Kroger and buy a small item like a pen or a candy bar, they will ask me if I want to put it in my purse so it won't get lost. The local IGA will ask you if you need help taking groceries out to your car. One of these days I'm going to ask them to not only to take them to my car but to take them home and put them away for me. Lol...it's worth a try.
knitting chick said…
When I worked at Krogers, I was a kick ass bagger.That job was all common sense.

I used to over pack the bags then tripple bag it, plus tie the tops of every bag for the people who were assholes.

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