AITA: Grocery bagging

[Anonymous]

Mid-morning weekday grocery shopping at Harris Teeter. Naming the time, because this wasn’t Monday night or Saturday morning — store was quiet and uncrowded, with no line behind me and other registers open. Naming the store because I think they try and position themselves with their customer service. I had a small load of groceries — filled three reusable bags. Not a massive shopping trip.

As I wheeled up, the checker announced “We’re going to work as a team. I’m going to scan and you’re going to bag.” I said, “No thanks. I was counting on you to bag my items.” She then frowned and went silent for the duration of the transaction.

I’m physically able to bag my own groceries, and I did it without a second thought during the height of the pandemic when we were worried about contact. I’m happy to do it at Aldi or Lidl, where prices are cheaper because that’s part of the deal. But at a “full-price” regular grocery store, I don’t want to. I’m not getting a discount, and frankly I want to use those few minutes to check my email, send a quick text to someone, update my shopping list, mentally plan the evening scrum of sports/homework/dinner, or just veg out for a few blessed minutes. I don’t refill my own drink at restaurants, I don’t loosen the lug nuts on one wheel while my mechanic rotates the other, and I don’t pre-rake my leaves for the landscapers. I will smile and make small talk and say thank you and gratefully acknowledge their much-appreciated help. But I’m not interested in doing someone else’s job. I’m tired enough just doing my own.

Is bagging your own groceries when asked a thing now? AITA for objecting?

[Anonymous]

NTA.

The cashier was the ahole.

[Anonymous]

If you don't want to bag your own groceries, don't bring your own bags.

A lot of stores have a policy of not bagging customers own bags so they aren't responsible of the bag rips, zipper breaks, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would speak to the manager about the cashier.

[Anonymous]

"Why would I do that? I am the customer. Not a Harris Teeter team member. You are actually being paid to check out and bag the groceries."

[Anonymous]

I don't mind bagging my own groceries and have done it many times, but to be told I'm going to do it is bullsh*t.

[Anonymous]

I think you come off as a jerk. While you’re technically correct it was antisocial of you to refuse to help when asked.

[Anonymous]

Cashier was rude to say that. The polite thing for cashiers to do is start ringing things up and let some items head to the other side of the belt to pile slightly to see if you want to bag or not. Me - i like to bag so happily do so normally. If someone's not moving to bag then the cashier should infer they need to do it

[Anonymous]

I shop at Giant and notice that some checkers just don’t bag. I step in and start bagging myself after all my food starts getting crushed at the end of the conveyor belt. If I’m paying full price for groceries I shouldn’t be bagging or give me a discount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to bag your own groceries, don't bring your own bags.

A lot of stores have a policy of not bagging customers own bags so they aren't responsible of the bag rips, zipper breaks, etc.

Not true. Customer can hand over the grocery bags to the cashier and inform them that they should use their bags. There is no store that says that they will not bag the customers purchases in customer provided bags.

[Anonymous]

That's very strange. I roll up with my bags, no matter how quiet or busy and say - I have bags so just chuck everything down. They still help me bag sometimes.

I have never had a cashier preemptively ask me to bag, but YATA to not just say -sure- . It's three minutes you don't need to be on your phone. Don't you want to get out of there? Get out to your car then sit on your phone. Especially if someone is waiting for your spot, ahole.

[Anonymous]

I don't think YTA, but I don't know that I would have handled it the same way.

I'm going to do a thing I hate on here - assume facts that have no basis in the original post. I probably would have assumed the checker didn't want to bag for some reason - injury, germaphobe, or whatever. The "we're a team!" attitude is irritating. We most clearly are not. I am also with you that I find the reluctance to return to bagging since the pandemic to be very irritating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you come off as a jerk. While you’re technically correct it was antisocial of you to refuse to help when asked.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want to bag your own groceries, don't bring your own bags.

A lot of stores have a policy of not bagging customers own bags so they aren't responsible of the bag rips, zipper breaks, etc.

No they don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NTA.

The cashier was the ahole.

Agree. If the customer is now expected to bsg then the customer should be paid. Harris Teeter is doing some crazy things, like charging $3.00 for cash back for over $100.