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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not want scouts, school kids etc to pack my shopping for me

85 replies

longingforsomesleep · 07/12/2013 14:37

I always try and avoid the till points with fund raising bag packers at them but sometimes they all have them.

In Asda the other day there were 3 early teen girls standing at the end of the conveyor belt. I politely declined their offer of help but they then sort of leaned over the packing area, jostling each other and talking/giggling loudly. One seemed to be staring at me most of the time! Today in Sainsbury's it was the scouts - a couple of boys who looked about 10/11 who were being silly and pushing each other.

I don't want to risk them squashing stuff and I object to feeling pressured into giving them money. I usually do tho, because by the time I've packed my bags myself I'm starting to feel guilty (which annoys me!) so i drop something in their bucket.

I suppose it must work but personally I'm inclined to be more generous with people collecting for charity who aren't so much in your face.

OP posts:
vicarlady · 07/12/2013 17:52

I met a very nice young man at a till in Asda NN17 today. Collecting for his football team. Yes, he did try to put baked beans on top of bread rolls but a bit of chat sorted that out. Good on them for being willing to put in the effort to raise some money.

Maryz · 07/12/2013 17:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cashmiriana · 07/12/2013 17:56

My daughter regularly does bag packing with the Guides
Whoever gets her has a real treasure: my father was brought up living over a small Grocers' shop in the 50s and is obsessive about the right way to pack (taught by his father, who used to pack weekly orders for delivery.) In turn he taught us, and now his grandchildren.

However my heart sinks if I see bag packers. Unless I know they've been trained to my dad's exacting standards, they'll be no use to me.

fluffyraggies · 07/12/2013 17:57

Oh blimey i wouldn't want them up-packing my trolly either! [bush]

It all goes onto the conveyer in the order i like to pack it ... heavies, followed by cold stuff, followed by bags of stuff, followed by veg, then squashies and delicates. I would hate it all jumbled on in any old order.

I pack my own and then lob a £1 in the pot.

fluffyraggies · 07/12/2013 17:58

bush? lol

BackforGood · 07/12/2013 18:13

What MaryZ said - I'm often amazed on MN where posters find all these odd people they encounter!

YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 07/12/2013 18:20

I dont mind but do kind of repack while they pack. Had one funny moment recently though. One young girl picked up my Femfresh and yelled to the next checkout "Mum! You have loads of these!" I should have been embarrassed but I really wasn't. The mum however was mortified! :o

Scaredycat3000 · 07/12/2013 18:25

MaryZ and Back Grin I lived in London until recently! I often wonder the opposite. Where are all these people who pick up their dog's poo, fed their babies Formula and have GP's near enough to help?

TheMuppetsSingChristmas · 07/12/2013 18:27

I tell them not to pack, and don't give them money either. I hate having my shopping interfered with. I have ishoos with it.

foslady · 07/12/2013 19:39

I don't mind them packing, but I tell them I will pack the heavy stuff - I worry that they'll mess up their backs at a young age [total worrywort emocon wearing a santa hat!]

Financeprincess · 07/12/2013 21:41

Oh, I can't stand bag packing at checkouts. Drives me mad. Especially when they start doing it without asking you first. Or when you say "no, thank you" and they look at you all wounded. Or when the thing they are raising funds for is something I wouldn't give to in a million years.

Example: local dance school collecting for a trip to Euro Disney. What made it worse was, it was three days after the Haiti earthquake. What?? I told them exactly why I wouldn't be contributing! Their parents can pay for their own kids' holidays (same principle applies to sixth form students trying to dun you for money at the checkout for trips to Africa).

Fluffy36 · 13/12/2016 17:03

I thought it took a village to raise a child and that includes teens. Just talk to them and direct as necessary.

Toooldtobearsed · 13/12/2016 17:06

Oh bugger. Its a zombie and i got all excited thinking Maryz was back......

semideponent · 13/12/2016 17:13

Hmmm…I think I will explain my rules (heavier at the bottom; glass items separated by others; lighter at the top; frozen in one bag; refrigerated in another). Then I will say that if they do it perfectly I will double my £x donation to £2x. Any slips and it will be £x.

Then if they do it really well, maybe I will pay £3x or £4x just t make up for a being a witch (and also because I have got off lightly on school nativity plays this year, so a bigger donation might, you know…give me a bit of glow?)

ArgyMargy · 13/12/2016 17:18

I was asked by two different scouts last weekend if I wanted help with packing. I had a newspaper and a loaf of bread...

Elanrode · 13/12/2016 17:20

I hate it as well. I often can't spare the 50p very easily.

Cuttingthecheese · 13/12/2016 17:26

Backpacks are amazing fund raisers. The last one I did with my guides we were there for 6 hours and came away with over £800 not bad for a days work!

Aeroflotgirl · 13/12/2016 17:29

Throw them £1 or 2 and yell them you will pack yourself.

5foot5 · 13/12/2016 17:29

I don't normally shout on threads but can I just say:

FLUFFY36 WTF DID YOU REVIVE A THREE YEAR OLD THREAD?
WHY DO PEOPLE DO THIS?
CAN THERE NOT BE A SPECIAL PLACE RESERVED IN INTERNET HELL FOR PEOPLE WHO DO THIS?

And breathe....

Aeroflotgirl · 13/12/2016 17:30

Tell them, not yell at them :-)

CozumelFox · 13/12/2016 17:35

I remember one here and instead of a charity, it was some uber posh private school for young ladies, St Mithington's School for Girls or something, who wanted money for their yachting club.

I felt like I wanted to take a picture and see if it went viral on Twitter.

Anyway, I just decline their grubby little mitts on my things, and say 'excuse me' and stand in their spot of they start fighting or jostling around. Space is limited and yeah, I have enough on my plate dealing with my own kids, I don't want three random ones hanging around me.

CozumelFox · 13/12/2016 17:36

I hate zombie threads -__-

greedygorb · 13/12/2016 17:38

I do this with our scout group. We're a group small and pretty poor and can't ask the kids parents for more money so we do an all dayer once a year. Think about me bag packing from 10 -8 in my delightful uniform. . I hate it because I know customers hate it but it brings in more money than anything else. Loads of people say no and that's fine. Some people let you pack and don't pay- I don't mind it relieves the boredom. Most people just want to chat. It's good for the kids as they are well outside their comfort zone.
The number of people I have chased across the car park because they've left their card in the machine, or some shopping on the conveyor belt, or need help with their 12 billion bottles of water/booze.

myfavouritecolourispurple · 13/12/2016 17:38

YANBU OP, I don't like it either. I tend to pack certain things in certain bags and in a particular order.

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