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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Made to pay for a bag in the supermarket

698 replies

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 12:43

Just picked up a few bits for Xmas food shop.

Had baby with me and she was tired so getting a bit irritable.

Scanned all my shopping at self checkout, ended up with a quite a lot more than I needed (as you do).

Baby crying. Paid for my shopping.

Realised I needed a bag at this point so got one and put all my stuff in there.

Go to walk out.

The shop assistant said I needed to pay for a bag. Fair enough.

She said I had to rescan it.

Baby now screaming and wriggling out my arms. Heavy bag of shopping in the other hand.

She made me wait there until she'd scanned a bag, pressed 'check-out' , selected 'pay by card' and then I had to scan. All for bloody 30p.

In hindsight, I do understand I had to pay for the bag but I was so bloody frustrated and just wanted to get out of there that I paid 30p for the bag and stormed off. Left my giant trolley in the middle of self checkout. I was at my wits end. I felt like I was at school being held back by the teacher.

It's 30 bloody pence. Let me go!!

She acted like she was earning money out of making people pay for bags.

YABU - everyone ALWAYS must pay for bags no matter what

YANBU - in the circumstance, she should have just let me go all for the sake of 30p plastic bag.

OP posts:
stepintochristmas1 · 08/12/2023 18:15

By the way some of that money for the carrier bag goes to charity , or maybe that's just Scotland . Oh does anybody still see carrier bags stuck in trees in the winter time ? That used to annoy me .

Bellie710 · 08/12/2023 18:16

Fuck it I don't think YABU she could easily have just ignored it there are probably hundreds of people that do that total jobsworth, and you were not rude as far as I can see.

WimbyAce · 08/12/2023 18:16

Ploctopus · 07/12/2023 14:29

This is such a neat encapsulation of how absolutely fucking weird the UK has become as a society. The idea that any normal, kind, well-adjusted person would think it’s more important to prioritise a gigantic supermarket which regularly gouges customers on prices and treats it’s staff like shit getting 30p than that a frazzled mother with a crying baby be given a tiny bit of a break to help her out in a stressful situation is so insane to me, and yet this attitude is everywhere now.

A small degree of empathy and kindness goes a long way, but these days (perhaps just on mumsnet?) you’ll see posters fall over themselves to explain in supercilious tones why you never deserve even a scrap of consideration.

The kind of society I would like to live in is one where a supermarket says ‘hey it’s ok - have a bag on us since you’re clearly in a stressful situation and could use a tiny bit of help.’ Doesn’t seem like that much to ask, and yet…

Show quote history

Yes exactly this 👏🏻

WimbyAce · 08/12/2023 18:19

Beryls · 08/12/2023 12:32

People on here are so funny, yesterday there was a post where a woman's card didn't scan and she walked away with about £90 worth of shopping. So many people were saying she shouldn't go back to the shop and should 'Pay it forward' and 'Give it to food bank'.

Now this poster thought she could have been let off 30p for a crappy plastic bag that she forgot to scan and she's being hauled over the coals for even dreaming of it.

Shame you had to pay it OP, the local food bank could really have used that bag.

Yes just seen that other thread, I honestly don't understand people's logic!!

toxic44 · 08/12/2023 18:20

Grimmz · 07/12/2023 12:49

On this occasion the shop obviously could have offered you the bag for free as a goodwill gesture and to minimise disruption. But most shops don't understand the value of good customer service.

The assistant isn't The Shop. The bags are not hers to give away. I would expect her to be reprimanded if she started to give away merchandise.

Jifmicroliquid · 08/12/2023 18:24

Imagine you were walking out the shop and saw a 30p chocolate bar and decided to just grab it on the way out.

Would you think that was ok? Or is it only ok because you had a screaming baby?
Why should you get your bag free but everyone else has to pay?

Snowflakeslayer · 08/12/2023 18:26

YABU

If the bags are at a cost, you have to pay, just the same as the items.

keeptheaspidistra · 08/12/2023 18:29

Is this a real post? The entitlement is too funny to be true surely? Not being mean but having a crying baby doesn't entitle you to free things 😂🙈

bananamangoes · 08/12/2023 18:41

Oh do bore off OP

Thistlewoman · 08/12/2023 18:42

Yabu. Period. You have two little ones-so what?? Stop being such an entitled brat.

Yourcatisnotsorry · 08/12/2023 18:43

So you tried to steal and think the minimum wage job person whose job requires them to stop you is in the wrong so you make their day and other customers’ days harder and flounce about because you got caught out? I hope you become a better person for your child’s sake.

Gnomegnomegnome · 08/12/2023 18:58

@Flippityflippidy I get that but I hate how self righteous posters are. The op has been told over and over how awful she is, that to me is worse than not paying for a carrier bag.

Grammarnut · 08/12/2023 19:01

What was wrong with scanning the bag before putting the shopping in it, or calling over the shop assistant to help you - that's why she is there. You can't just walk out with their bag, that's shoplifting.

Whydoiwearsomuchleopardprint · 08/12/2023 19:04

Yes it is, where’s your empathy?? My kids our older now and I remember those nightmare days when they are young and things go wrong.If I’d been there I’d have paid for the bag for you, I totally get where u are coming from! I just wish people could be more understanding and kind, we’ve all been in an awful situation at some point! People, it cost nothing to be nice/kind and emphatic!

Kerensa70 · 08/12/2023 19:07

Just a weird reaction! Oc you have to pay, she’s just doing her job. Entitled and good luck at planning your shopping trips better!!

ithinkthatmaybeimdreaming · 08/12/2023 19:07

Grimmz · 07/12/2023 12:49

On this occasion the shop obviously could have offered you the bag for free as a goodwill gesture and to minimise disruption. But most shops don't understand the value of good customer service.

Are you being serious???? Shop assistants cannot just decide to give things away, not even a bag, on a whim. And if they did, OP tells 10 other people and then they all want a free bag - and each of them tells 10 other people and so on.

OldPerson · 08/12/2023 19:14

You're being totally unreasonable. Do you think her manager would have been understanding towards her for not doing her job? I'm not sure who had the bigger tantrum, you or the baby?

greenbeansnspinach · 08/12/2023 19:17

WimbyAce · 08/12/2023 18:19

Yes just seen that other thread, I honestly don't understand people's logic!!

Show quote history

I was just going to mention that other thread too. People on that one seem overwhelmingly in favour of the OP not needing to bother paying for £100 of shopping, and those who are suggesting she should are being roundly abused! It’s bizarre! The reason being given is that the supermarket makes huge profits.

Wick55 · 08/12/2023 19:17

Looks like I’m the only person who thinks the woman was being a jobsworth and should have just let it go… probably because I have an 8 week old baby and can actually feel the rage/anxiety reading that story. People are so nice to you when you’re pregnant but then turn into compassionless arseholes once they are born.
I also couldn’t give less of a shit about lining the pockets of the shareholders at Tesco.

BigMarla · 08/12/2023 19:19

WimbyAce · 08/12/2023 18:16

Yes exactly this 👏🏻

Show quote history

But in the same token, the OP was expecting that retail worker to allow theft - is it really worth that person potentially getting in the shit for? Where is the sympathy for the worker simply doing their job?

IAteTheLastOne · 08/12/2023 19:20

WeekWeekWeek · 07/12/2023 12:47

You’re so, so unreasonable it’s shocking.

Having a baby doesn’t mean you get things for free.

If you’re so, so shocked by this, you’ll be positively disgusted I make it a mission not to pay for bags… a little bag klepto.

beforethecoffeegetscold · 08/12/2023 19:21

Do posters really need to resort to calling the OP names? Surely we can all disagree in a more respectful manner. I have a seven month old OP and can understand how flustered it can make you when your baby chooses the checkout to be the time to howl the place down. However, supermarkets have their policies on bags and the sales assistant is required to uphold those policies. I'm sure they did empathise with you but it's their job.

HeadNorth · 08/12/2023 19:23

Being rude to retail staff is the same as being rude to waiting staff. I judge anyone who behaves in that way. The way you treat service staff reveals your true character- OP you failed the character test. You are not more important than a shop assistant and you are not entitled to make her busy and stressful job that bit harder because you are having a bad day. You are the sort who kicks the cat when they get annoyed- pathetic.

Tessabelle74 · 08/12/2023 19:24

Stealing is stealing. Doesn't matter if it's a 30p plastic bag or a £300 Louis Vuitton

Whydoiwearsomuchleopardprint · 08/12/2023 19:27

Seriously, I don’t bother commenting much because most people are totally mean, but sometimes things just are too ridiculous, stealing a bag? Are u for real and why are you and so many other posters just so mean and un sympathetic?? Shame on you!