To get anoyed with charity bag packers at checkouts.

[Geekster]

I know I sound horrible from the above, but I get fed up of all these charities wanting to pack my bags for me. I would rather do it myself thanks so everything doesn't end up squashed. I usually ask them not to do it now. Don't get me wrong I know charities are struggling these days and they are usually for local ones like the scout hut or kids rugby club. And I always put some money in their bucket but it drives me mad sometimes.

I don't understand why they'd need to be CRB checked either, they're only standing at a checkout. Should checkout operators be CRB checked too? What about customers?

But yeah, YANBU. They used to have them most weekends on every bloody till at Morrisons when I worked there, not always charities but local sports teams and stuff, I don't think I ever saw kids raising money for holidays though. But still, I always refused. I like to pack things a certain way and double-bag everything, because I'd be walking home with it. I do give a donation when I can, but I pay for everything on my card and so I often don't have any change. I hate when they stand in the doorways rattling buckets, too, but I suppose they have to raise money somehow.

seeker, I can see why it is a fantastic idea for charities.

Unless I have completely misunderstood the rules, surely children don't need to be CRB checked and their coaches and group leaders already have been?

Surely if you are going to go down this wacky route of CRBing everything that moves, it is the customers and the check out staff who need CRB checks for the protection of the children doing the packing?

I always refuse because I like to pack myself and would feel uncomfortable standing there while someone did it for me. I still give a donation though because it's usually for a good cause. Once my local supermarket let the private school nearby fundraise for their skiing trip!!! It wasn't even a charity third-world-plant-a-tree-and-build-a-well thing! It was just a holiday! I don't think it's grumpy to be annoyed by this. It was clearly labelled on their buckets what they were raising for but,even so, a lot of people don't check or ask and assume its for a charity.

I hate bag packers, I'm anal about my shopping! I don't mind donating money to a worthwhile cause.
I'm far to polite to say no so either look for the one or two tills without them.
Failing that, if they're very young I give them one bag and ask them to get the fruit and veg, or if they're older I tell them my back's playing up and ask them to unload the trolley onto the conveyer belt - it's much safer!
I'm always cheerful as I've doe it myself.

Our local Morrisons (only supermarket for 60 miles apart from Lidl) allows bag-packing once a month only on a Saturday. It is tough to cover every till and there are tills where you can serve yourself anyway. Our children need the money to be able to do things other children take for granted: visit a museum, go to the cinema, see a big city. They are always polite and most people enjoy chatting to them. If you don't want them to pack, why don't you just say No Thank You. Honestly, teenagers don't bite. They will happily step aside. I just hope that those of you who are complaining never have to have your children involved in activities that can ONLY be afforded through fund-raising and hard work. FWIW, they also bake, run stalls, run community events, play in concerts, do plays - all to raise money so they can do things most of your children probably take for granted.

Just say, no thank you if packing your shopping is a high priority, you don't approve or you are just broke.

Rose most people have said they don't mind donating to worthy causes. The main complaints on here have been 1. Being put in an awkward position if every till has a packer present and you don't want to donate 2. The fact that it is not always made clear what the children are collecting for so you genuinely don't always know if you're donating to a charity; to a fund to allow opportunities for children from deprived or very poor backgrounds; or simply for a nice school trip somewhere for local school kids from perfectly comfortable backgrounds.

Surely there should be no problem with leaving a couple of tills packer free and making it very clear what the money is being requested for?