To think this is rude and annoying

[LovelyBath77]

In Waterstones, buying a couple of books as a present and a book token. Paid and not offered a bag, when I asked for one "Well I will have to charge you, you should know that by now"- scrape about for a 5p in my purse, can't find any change so tell her I'll put them in my supermarket shopping bag "It will probably get lost in there" she told me about the book token.

Not exactly helpful, and I think quite rude! Why not ask if someone wants a bag before charging them? Argh.

Not he's. Yes.

I do think ask anymore. I'm tired of the rant about having to pay for a bag and the old classic, illegal to advertise on the bag.

You should have asked for one.

But you already had a bag!
I don't understand why you needed another one

On the other hand i work in a shop and customers really piss me off with this. I ask if they want a bag. They say no. Finish transaction. Then they ask for a bloody bag! So i say its 5p and they huff. They genuinely think because the transaction is over thay i will give the bag for free.

They should not be asking; it's shameful that people are still used to buying plastic bags instead of carrying a reusable. I wish they increased the price to 5 pounds per bag.

I think places like Waterstones ought to put books, stationary, cards etc in paper bags like they used to. Paper products need to be kept clean, esp if gifts, and even if I have a shopping bag with me I don’t want to throw the book etc in with the other contents, which might spoil the book etc.
Only offering plastic bags is a way to raise more revenue and cut down on the paper wrapping formerly provided.
I think the shop assistant was unreasonable/thoughtless not to ask about bags before you paid. My local newsagents always asks “Are they all right like that?” When I buy paper products.

Ok they probably should have asked but like op was in a rush and "forgot" to ask, the cashier is also human and capable of forgetting things.

Leaving aside the environmental implications: you forgot to ask for a bag, she should have offered but she forgot. So far so 6 of 1 - forgetfulness happens to less than practically perfect people all the time. But there was no need to be rude about it on either side and she was rude and gave you a snarky telling off. I'd be annoyed too.

I haven't been offered a shop in a bag for years.

Maybe they get loads of people 'forgetting' that they need one until after the transaction goes through and then thinking they'll not have to pay the 5p because its too late.

Although that obviously doesn't excuse her being rude.

Don’t Waterstones do the little paper bags any more?

She was rude. My experience in Waterstones is they always ask you before you pay if you want a bag. (Maybe that's just me because I seldom make it out of there without about 6 or 7 books though!)

TheOxymoron
Well I hope all the anti bag brigade are all so perfect that they remember their own coffee cups in Costa and don’t use straws. hmm
I re use bags but I’m guilty of forgetting on occasions.

I'm anti bag - don't drink coffee so don't go to Costa and since I'm an adult I drink from a glass; haven't used a straw since I was about 12.

*TheOxymoron

Well I hope all the anti bag brigade are all so perfect that they remember their own coffee cups in Costa and don’t use straws*

I do try to avoid disposable coffee cups at almost all costs and often choose not to have a hot beverage if I can't sit in or haven't brought my travel mug. I probably use fewer than a handful of disposable cups a year. Ditto bottled water.

I'm trying to retrain my brain to remember to ask for no straw but I drink straw-using drinks so rarely it's proving a difficult habit to create.

If I get to a shop and realise I've forgotten a reusable bag, I specifically ask for one and think that's how it should be.

I know that those who are resistant to change will think I'm a smug virtue signaller but fuck it. I judge people who continue to use single-use packaging on a daily basis without any regard for how wasteful that is.

Just stop taking plastic bags for granted. No one had ever used a plastic bag before the 60s. In 2014 people in the UK used 7.6 billion, but after the 5p charge was introduced, use went down by 85% ! Obviously, most carrier bags are completely unnecessary- just a question of habit. What I can't believe is how many people are perfectly happy to do something destructive, but not happy to pay 5p or 10p.

I volunteer at a charity shop and don't usually offer bags if a person hasn't asked for one. If I offer, I feel like I am asking: "Do you want to do your bit to warm the planet, and destroy the oceans?" I almost feel like I am encouraging people to do so by offering.

Yes paper bags would be nice for books and stationary. IT feels a but wrong just being handed the books and not asked of you would like one. You'd think with Amazon they'd make the effort wouldn;t you to be a bit different and go above for the customers.

Oh well Amazon it may be next time (not sure how that goes down on here with the packaging etc, no bags anyway)

Actually I think it's great that shops aren't offering bags.

Either be prepared and take a bag or ask for one. Preferably the former.

I think they're not asking as it's seen as encouraging more people to buy the environmentally damaging plastic bags. So if you want a bag, you should ask for one.

Her attitude was somewhat unhelpful though. "It'll probably get lost in there" would ruffle my feathers a bit but it's a bit of a non incident, I wouldn't be bothered OP.