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I’m not the most environmentally responsible person out there. I certainly use my air conditioner a lot and have no problems driving my sister’s ‘regular’ car when I am visiting home. Not everything I buy is organic…the list goes on. However, I am trying to be more responsible every day. I understand that if everyone makes small changes we can truly better the future of this planet. I can contribute to a healthier planet even if I don’t have wind mills powering my house.
For instance, I can turn down plastic bags at the grocery store. And why not? I mean, I have lots of giant purses and some canvas tote bags. I have absolutely no problem shoving my groceries in these bags instead of plastic ones.
So for the better part of this year, I have made this change. And I keep getting treated like an as*hole.
My local grocery store isn’t RUDE about my dismissal of their bags, but there have certainly been a few times when I have heard one cashier, in particular, mutter something in Spanish to the Spanish-speaking bag boy, resulting in a collective chuckle from the two of them. I’ve tried to tap into my college Spanish classes during these exchanges, hoping to decode what they’re saying, but it doesn’t matter; I can read body language well enough. And rolled eyes when I (politely!) say, “I don’t need a bag, I’ve got my own”, speak loud and clear.
However, when I was visiting my family in West Virginia this past week, there were no rude remarks in Spanish. Nope. They were to my face and in English. One day at the grocery store, I told the bag boy - again, politely - that I didn’t need a bag. He said, “Fine then”, with the attitude that only an angst-ridden-job-hating 16 year old could muster up while proceeding to crumple up the unused plastic bag and throw. it. away. In front of me. Just to make a point. What a jerk.
At the same grocery store the next day, my sister bought one can of cherry pie filling. (Yummmmmmmm!) She very courteously asked to NOT have a bag and the bag man (well into his 60’s) ignored her. Thinking that perhaps he didn’t hear her, she repeated herself, only for him to say,
“You can’t leave this store without a bag.”
WHATTTTTT? What is THAT? Since when can you not leave a store without a plastic bag? Since when does a receipt not suffice as proof of purchase? Why are these people taking our desire to help the planet as a personal attack?
I don’t want to discredit the job of the bag boy/man/girl/woman, but this has gone too far, in my opinion. They’re getting paid per hour (not per bag!), no matter what, so why should people who are trying to do their part for the planet get treated like this? Any explanations? Suggestions? Personal Tales?
(Photo from: aolcdn.com)
19 Comments
Because people not needing bags makes them obsolete and well JOBLESS and in a country where it’s hard for young teens with no experience and older people who should be retired to get jobs this is a job they can get. So by helping the planet you’re also helping the poverty level.
sorry no personal attack, it just sucks either way.
I meant “not” helping the poverty level
Are you kidding me?! This is ridiculous. I carry my cloth bags with me whenever I go shopping and I have never run into a problem anywhere… and I’ve done this in several states. There are plenty of jobs for teenagers without every single one having to become a grocery bagger. In most grocery stores that I know, the cashiers are the same people who bag the groceries, so no one would be out of a job if the U.S. just banned plastic bags like quite a few countries have already sensibly done.
I totally feel for you!
This happens to me all the time. I ask politely, “can you put everything in theses bags?” and even help them put stuff in there. They almost always look at me like I’m from Mars and say “I don’t know if everything will fit in here.” Then they put the stuff in the bags so slowly, and the people in line behind me start to look agitated. They spend too much time trying to arrange things perfectly, just shove it in the bag!
And I don’t understand why a store would sell reusable bags, with the logo on it, and then act like they’ve never seen a reusable bag before. Gah!
Wow. Where I’m from (ON), we’re encouraged to use recyclable bags. In fact, cashiers even go so far as to give dirty looks to the people who ask for plastic.
Carly I don’t know where you live but When I was looking for my first job I applied literally hundreds of places and the only place that hired me was a grocery store, everywhere else said I needed experience (which pissed me off, how was I supposed to get experience if no one would hire me) with all the illegals over here mowing lawns a 15 year old boys only other option would be bagging groceries, and there are a lot of 15 year old boys in this country.
Don’t get me wrong I have no problem with recyclable bags, it’s just if you try to satisfy one thing it detracts from another thing.
honestly… those baggers also have the duty of cleaning floors and other ‘chores’ so … if YOU didn’t want a bag, i’m sure 60 people after you did- and they must be out their freaking mind to give you attitude. they get paid by the HOUR not by the BAG - so next time tell em to SHOVE IT.
yeah i never have any problems with this, i live in new jersey. we even get discounts for bringing the resuable bags, cause the stores also want to help the environment.
a note on the baggers…. couldnt the people with those jobs, where applicable, still bag, but just put your things in your bags? many times if i need help i hand my bags to the cashier to use.
Heather is right… it’s not like the baggers are out of a job, either way. They’re still putting your groceries in bags, no matter whether the bags are reusable or plastic.
Well that’s weird. Have you tried shopping at places like Whole Foods? Lots of stores like that even sell reusable bags for a dollar or so, and they tend to understand that people recycle. It’s almost expected.
I suggest that the next time an employee gives you grief for recycling, you ask for the manager. Since when is pollution / snarkiness a part of store policy?
Now that pisses me off. Are these people so ignorant they dont know all the harm plastic is doing. Not only global warming but they are a detriment to marine life. Whales and turtles mistake them as food and die from trying to eat them. I shop in Publix and in Whole Foods and both encourage using non-plastic. If I were you I would try to find a different store to shop or speak to the manager. Also get all of your friends and neighbors to bring their own bags. All of us should try to get our home cities to be like San Fransisco and ban plastic bags!!
this story and comments don’t suprise me too much.. it seems from what i’ve seen through traveling and just news articles and such that more progressive and populated states (new jersey, new york, san fransisco, for instance) and much more active in the whole “going green” trend then the the more country states.
i was in west virginia last weekend for a music festival and was suprised at the ignorance people showed when it came to cleaning up and littering and pollutions. some kids actually booed when a performer started talking about going green and garbage was left EVERYWHERE.
It’s honestly not that big of a deal..The bags are going to be used whether or not you take one. . Fussing about it does nothing.
Stephanie,
That is definitely not true. For every bag I don’t take, that’s one less bag in demand for their next order of plastic bags. Slowly, but surely, store owners will have to order less and less plastic bags and one day, hopefully, they will realize that they’re wasting their money with ordering them at all.
Maybe, it is because I live in Arkansas, but I totally understand what the author is talking about! The makes me feel like I am doing something bad by not using their bags.
I used to work at Wal Greens and when a person had just one item, a bunch of cards, etc. I would ask “Do you really want a bag?” Most people smiled and said no, but some replied, “Well, no, no I don’t need a bag!” Those people always made my day!
I hate this crap. I pretty much only do the self-checkout thing where I grocery-shop now, for the primary reason that bagging is then my responsibility and that means I can opt to use my own bags. Other places I’ve given up on it, but I do tell them to use as few bags as possible, which I find gets a much less negative response…
Um, DON’T shop at Whole Foods. They appear to be eco-friendly, but are just trying to create the gourmet-foodie image that their yuppie customers buy into (literally) so they can make a fat profit. Sure, they have organics, but their record is less than impressive. (You can find info on the ‘net, but as an example, their huge selection of produce means flying/shipping/driving in loads of it from all over the place, resulting in a LOT of pollution.)
If they insist on making you carry it out in a bag, just tell them that if they’re worried that it may look like stealing, you’ll gladly show your receipt.
I have worked as a cashier for about 8 months now and I personally love when the customers have their own bags. They’re much easier to bag for me and are less likely to rip when I put them into the cart. Not to mention helping the environment.
However, I know a lot of my co-workers prefer the plastic bags because of convenience or whatever but I’d rather take a few seconds and use the better quality bags.
That said, it does annoy me when I’ve already bagged the groceries in plastic and at the end they hand me the reusable bags and expect me to unload it and rebag it. But that’s simply a pet peeve of mine.
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