Pulaski

Same for gas and gas discount cards. I am fairly certain that we weren't paying $2.50 a gallon when oil was $55/barrel on the way up, around 2007. ...... But then gas now has a "risk premium" that the consumer is paying in case there is another Deepwater Horizon type incident. ..... Like taxes, fines are never paid by corporations, only individuals.

Jerseygirl

Or at the cashier checkout when they stand there watching everything go through...then watch the cashier bag everything...then root around and produce a fistful of coupons...then root around for their bloody purse. Lazy gets...put your own groceries in the bags and get your purse out while you are waiting in line daybloodydreaming.

SultanOfSwing

Depending on where you are, not all lines are set up for self bagging. Personally I like the Aldi setup, where you just take your trolley and bags over to the shelf and do it yourself out of the line.

I always have my card out and ready to pay before they have scanned my first item though. Efficiency is the key.

Pulaski

Neither Mrs P nor I like our groceries bagged by the cashier anyway, and if we haven't gone through the self-scan we will try to bag as much ourselves before the cashier gets to it. Walmart uses a weird carousel contraption (it has six bundles of bags on hangers)and we rebag/ debag many things as they come around before moving the bags to the trolley. .... Too often we have experienced cans and heavy things dumped in with/ on top of bread or fruit and vegetables.

Jerseygirl

Squashed bread underneath heavy veg/fruit/cans drives me mad too...along with hot BBQ chicken on top of ice cream and other frozen or chilled foods.

Pulaski

One regional grocery down here started a couple of years ago using blue bags for chilled and frozen foods, with the idea that you know what to unpack first when you get home, and what to put in insulated bags if you have them. It helps a bit, though we don't use that grocery very often - Mrs P says that it isn't as cheap as Walmart for packet goods, nor is the quality of the meat, fruit, and vegetables as good as our local Kroger franchise.

SultanOfSwing

At the Wally World checkouts, I try to unload the trolley organised how I want things bagged, so (hopefully, if the cashier is attentive enough) squished items can be avoided.

Most of the time it works. The baggers at the other supermarket we use are pretty good though, I've never had them dump soup cans on top of bread or anything like that. Though I do still load up the conveyor belt 'in order' through force of habit.

Pulaski

My parents did that when I was a child, and I always have done so too, as does Mrs P. ...... I have also learned never to underestimate the ability of checkout staff to do something dämñ stupid with my groceries!

Jerseygirl

I do that too. Agreed.

sir_eccles

Aha, so I'm not the only one lines up all the tinned things first, then the cold things together, then the veg, soft fruit, bread and eggs bringing up the rear.

Maybe it's a British thing?

If only the baggers would put more than one item per bag...

scrubbedexpat097

M won't let the baggers pack our groceries. We take our own bags and he always packs them himself. The poor baggers get upset but at least our groceries don't get squashed.

SultanOfSwing

You certainly aren't the only one. It's not an exclusively British thing though, because my wife does it too. Just a common sense thing I guess.

I also try to remember which cashiers bag the best and go to them wherever possible, which helps too.

Yorkieabroad

Nope, I do that too. Our local HEB is pretty good - main complaint I have is that they have an annoying habit of putting the light stuff (bread,crackers, chips etc) in the heavy duty bags and then the heavy stuff (milk, spuds, cans) in the lightweight bags. They have separate baggers and cashiers, so the whole process is pretty quick, the main time it gets slowed down is when I try to "help" and end up getting in the way Most of the baggers look like HS age kids, but not sure how they seem to be there through the day..... They also employ a few minority baggers - one chap in particular has Downs Syndrome, and isn't the fastest bagger, but he's been there ever since I've been going and we always have a good chat - he normally insists on telling me in the most minute detail what he cooked for dinner last night. Sometimes he'll step off the line and I'll end up chatting with him for a good 5 minutes after my bags are done, while we watch the next few customers come through and bag their own stuff cos he is busy with "customer relations" I hate to admit that if I am in a hurry (which isn't often), I have to avoid his line as I know it will not be a quick trip!!

Pulaski

Avoid male cashiers like the plague.

SultanOfSwing

Not always, there have been a couple of good ones at our Walmart I have encountered.