DP really embarrassed me today

[Doookie]

We were in the supermarket paying for our groceries and the lad behind the checkout handed up two carrier bags. After they had ran out we still had loads of stuff to pack away but he didn't offer anymore bags. DP said quite loudly "You not giving out anymore bags then?" so the lad replied "sorry no, they were my last ones and I was told once they've gone I have to sell the bags for life instead. They're only 5p, do you want one?". I was about to say I'd have two but DP flew into a rage about how pathetic it was and that he was going to complain. The lad ignored him mostly and carried on putting the shopping through but DP carried on, accussed the lad of keeping bags under the till to which the lad offered to show DP under his till (DP actually went around behind the till to check which was mortifying) and then carried on kicking off. At one point he said "Is Adolf Hitler running this place or what?" to which I seriously contemplated walking out. I was so embarrassed. DP then went and checked behind the neighbouring till whilst complaining loudly until people were staring at us. The lad then shouted across to another young till assistant "This is all because I have no more carrier bags" and they both started laughing. Out of sheer frustration, another employee came and dumped a load of carrier bags on the belt. I apologised to the lad and walked off as DP was instructing the staff to put up a clear sign at the entrance "warning" people that there are no carrier bags etc. We must have been a laughing stock. He knows I'm angry and has been pretty quiet since. I'm not over-reacting am I? Would you have been embarrassed or am I just a wimp? I dread to think what DD would have done if she'd been with us, she'd have never shopped with us again.

ashamed, obviously.

Im with your Dh on this one.
Im fed up with the attitude you get sometimes in shops.I do actually always have fold up bags with me but will sometimes take the free bags for bin liners when I feel like it. Most of the thin ones are degradable anyway which lessens the environment damage claim.
The boy should have either asked for more bags before a customer melt down or at least let you know the situation before you started packing. To get part way through and then have nothing more to offer is pure incompetence.
If supermarkets really cared about the use of plastics ( and the bags for life are made of ???) they would offer the paper sacks you get in North america instead. But they dont. They want more money from you and disguise it as 'caring' .

Aaaaaarrrggghh.

If more people reacted as OPs Dh they might be persueded to at least train their check out staff a bit better though.

I would have been really embarrassed too.

And I don't agree with his stance either - I think it's about bloody time we all got to grips with the 'bring your own bags' idea. It's not like it's a brand new incentive.

WOW my ASDA aren't like this either - maybe they have bags when I go in tho

Yesterday I had the big orange sainsbos bag for life, have a tesco one at home and the asda straw type one which was in car with DS swimming stuff in. I packed it up and till operator asked if I wanted more bags, bag for life carrier (5p) or bag for life (38p). I said ih a carrier will do I have more at home just over shopped!! She was happy to give me more and made a comment about how she loved the Llyod Grossman sauces I had bought (loads of) as they were offer. She was so nice I actually bought the 38p bag for life to carry them in as heavy (and easier)

Point of above is IF till operative had been more friendlier and understanding your DP probably wouldn't have lost it quite so much.

YADNBU to be embarrassed tho - I hope he's using your nice food to cook you dinner tonight!

A bag ordering cock up resulting in no bags is one thing- what really pisses me off is that they only give you 2 bags when you have a conveyer belt full of shopping, so you quickly fill those and have to wait holding up the queue for the cashier to give you more! obviously 2 bags will not be enough-its just stupid.

I know its not the cashiers fault so i wouldnt have a go at them [i did that job while at sixth form so i know how it is] its just pisses me off.

I always reuse the carrier bags at home for wrapping things in etc-they are no longer sturdy enough to reuse again for carrying shopping.

I have some bags for life-i use one for my recycling-it is inconvenient to carry the amount i need for shopping around with me and sometimes i shop on the spur of the moment.

Your husband was a bit OTT but i do understand his annoyance.

and what thesecondcoming said too.

Wow what a moron

Why it it that people on here in other public service jobs that get abuse ,get loads of sympathy..but it seems ok for some people to slag of cashiers

The OPs DP is a moron, not the shop boy

The OP's dp was behaving like a toddler. Hate people being rude to checkout staff - it's not on to bully someone who just has to sit there and take it.

But the store management was stupid and I'd have been really pissed off myself. Wouldn't have taken it out on the cashier, though.

I walk to the supermarket so am already doing my bit for the environment. When I'm carrying lots of shopping home, bags for life are useless as they are too big so the contents shift about - if I try filling a bag for life, it's too heavy for the trudge home. I prefer ordinary carrier bags, thanks very much, they do the job very well indeed. AND I recycle them, either using them for other jobs at home or taking them back to the recycling point if I don't need them.

So I do get fed up with all this hectoring about ruddy bags for ruddy life and bringing your own bags. I'm already ten times greener than someone who drives there, I just need something to take the darn shopping home and carrier bags are well designed for that job!

(I do actually have a couple of fold up bags but often find myself at the supermarket without them - as I don't drive, I tend to pop in every couple of days.)

Is this mentality re carrier bags prevalent only in the UK?

I think only in UK could someone kick up an abusive stink re 5p for a bag for life and anyone at all would see his point!

Edam-have you thought about a rucksack?

hahahaha that is so funny.

Sorry.. i would of wet myslef laughing.

It doe't matter if the supermarket was being unreasonable, there is no way he should have behaved like that to the person behind the checkout who was only doing as they were told.

I don't mind paying for bags for life and quite often have my canvas begs with me But have boycotted the local Co op after being given a lecture because on that one day I wanted a free carrier bag.Being told to please re use the bag at least twice in their shop before asking for a replacement was just more than I could stand

Are you the road rage poster?

I could never boycott my local co op..not while it reduces its bakery cookies to 50p a bag at the end of the day

How embarrassing. YANBU OP.

I would have publicly admonished my DH if he did this and run the risk of coming across as a fish-wife :) I can't really imagine this situation as my DH is a soft git, but if he were to do this, I'd probably snap: 'for goodness sake, what's got into you? Go and sit in the car and I'll finish this off. You're making a complete fool of yourself and being rude.'

Your DH was a bit of a tit but the store should have had a sign up because it is frustrating to do a week's shopping only to find they have nothing but the tiny little bags left. On the two occasions this has happened to me, the store gave out the bags for life free of charge (once Asda, once Sainsburys).

As for it not being part of the service, it's a courtesy, that's bollocks, sorry. The bags aren't free, don't kid yourself, we pay for them as part of our shopping. I deal with the public a lot in my job and if they repeatedly complain about something then it's an indication that something needs to be done about it. So to say that you don't have any bags, not my fault, tough tits is not really on. If a person on the checkout sits through 6 hours of people ranting because there are no bags then that surely is a serious problem?

So Rockbird what do you suggest the cashier says then after listening to people moaning for 6 hours?