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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:
Mouse82 · 10/12/2023 04:04

closingdownsale · 07/12/2023 13:19

YANBU. she was doing her job yes, but we all need to help each other out and show kindness.

People saying "you can't get away with 30p worth of carrier bag for free" probably don't get why the ghosts were preachy to Ebeneezer Scrooge who wasn't cruel, he was just "fair".

Showing kindness and helping each other goes both ways, afterall she was doing her job. Doesn't appear the OP showed any kindness or tolerance towards someone who is just doing her job. A baby isn't a get out of jail card for being a dick to another human.

wizzyderbyshire · 10/12/2023 05:53

Absolutely gutted that I missed the opportunity to vote on this one - YABU - massively.
I had a crap accident earlier this year. Still have an arm that doesn’t work. Had to do a lot of shopping ‘on foot’ and struggled to pack/carry shopping. Paid every single time for a bag. Get over yourself.

twilightmoon3 · 10/12/2023 06:53

Got to be a daily mail article out of this Mums in big punch up over 30p carrier bag theft! Do YOU steal supermarket bags and get away with it ?

Wishbone436 · 10/12/2023 06:53

That’s silly because those are thing you are entitled to as a parent. The problem is more when parents expect that they are entitled to everything - someone’s seat on the plane, to take their kids to a child free event, to be exempt from a rule because they have kids!

Sj07 · 10/12/2023 09:32

I hope today is a better day for you, shopping with kids can be a nightmare at times. But maybe if you're ever in there again and you see the girl, just a "sorry, it was one of those days and I shouldn't have taken it out on you" would make you both feel better.

Tourmalines · 10/12/2023 10:11

Is this a wind up ??? Poor staff worker having to put up this nasty customers.

Hereforaglance · 10/12/2023 10:22

I love these im a mum give me everything i want right now or ill scream posts

AnneValentine · 10/12/2023 10:28

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

For those who keep saying I shoplifted, I paid for the bag

Under duress 😂

Treesandsheepeverywhere · 10/12/2023 10:32

You sound like a
'Look everyone, I gave birth so treat me like a Queen'.

Most mums/dads/grandparents/nannies/carers have been in similar situations to you.
Doesn't mean you're more special than other customers or for the staff member to risk a telling off from her boss.

Entitled much OP!

Bernardmanning · 10/12/2023 11:47

'TinySaltLick · 07/12/2023 12:45

It would be more annoying to see others get free bags for failing to manage circumstances within their control'

Yeah OP, control that baby of yours! Hasn't it got a switch somewhere? 😉

Tessabelle74 · 10/12/2023 12:10

Livelifelaughter · 10/12/2023 02:26

People are just awful on MN sometimes. And I am not talking about OP. All those who think that she shouldn't get special treatment because she's a mother ? Jesus, we are talking about a 30p carrier bag. I presume all you perfect parents out there who are lynching OP for special treatment have never taken time off work for childcare issues, didn't claim maternity leave, pay VAT on children's clothes, order a full meal instead of a child's meal because heaven forbid special treatment...

All those things are either entitlements I've earned as a tax payer or things offered by businesses. At no point have I stolen anything because I have children, what a ridiculous comparison 😂

Flamingbow · 10/12/2023 12:17

I don't have any children and although it's not nice to say I dislike children in the main but even I can recognise that having a screaming, crying baby in your arms makes things more complicated. I'm sure some people just like to come onto threads like this and be horrible and berate mums. All over a 30p bag ffs.

Livelifelaughter · 10/12/2023 12:19

Well why should businesses offer anything to mothers, why should other tax payers who don't have children contribute to mat leave ? Because we need to have children in society and we need to give a little slack and show a little kindness to mothers when they are at their wits end. It's not a ridiculous comparison, "funny face"... but it is cruel, "no funny face" to lynch OP as many people have done.

Oh and I don't have children but try and show those who do a little thoughtfulness when they might need it.

Flamingbow · 10/12/2023 12:20

Treesandsheepeverywhere · 10/12/2023 10:32

You sound like a
'Look everyone, I gave birth so treat me like a Queen'.

Most mums/dads/grandparents/nannies/carers have been in similar situations to you.
Doesn't mean you're more special than other customers or for the staff member to risk a telling off from her boss.

Entitled much OP!

No OP doesn't, lots of people are exaggerating what OP has actually said as an excuse to pour scorn on a mum and be nasty. I actually think if someone posted about any of the other things lots would say ah understandable you're doing your best don't worry.

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:20

I agree 100%.👋👋👋👋

hangingonfordearlife1 · 10/12/2023 12:23

some really self righteous silly folk in here! it’s - plastic bag!!!! ffs i never scan them anyway. i’ve got approx 250 of them at home and never remember them because i actually have a life.

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:26

👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:29

Flamingbow · 10/12/2023 12:17

I don't have any children and although it's not nice to say I dislike children in the main but even I can recognise that having a screaming, crying baby in your arms makes things more complicated. I'm sure some people just like to come onto threads like this and be horrible and berate mums. All over a 30p bag ffs.

👋👋👋👋👋👋

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:31

Bernardmanning · 10/12/2023 11:47

'TinySaltLick · 07/12/2023 12:45

It would be more annoying to see others get free bags for failing to manage circumstances within their control'

Yeah OP, control that baby of yours! Hasn't it got a switch somewhere? 😉

You are a disgrace.

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:39

wizzyderbyshire · 10/12/2023 05:53

Absolutely gutted that I missed the opportunity to vote on this one - YABU - massively.
I had a crap accident earlier this year. Still have an arm that doesn’t work. Had to do a lot of shopping ‘on foot’ and struggled to pack/carry shopping. Paid every single time for a bag. Get over yourself.

You get over yourself. Massively.

CellophaneFlower · 10/12/2023 12:48

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:31

You are a disgrace.

Show quote history

And you are so dim you don't recognise sarcasm.

Shootin · 10/12/2023 12:55

CellophaneFlower · 10/12/2023 12:48

And you are so dim you don't recognise sarcasm.

Show quote history

Oh dear. 🤗

beanii · 10/12/2023 13:05

Would you expect to walk out with any other item of shopping?

YABU.

Same as leaving your trolley abandoned.

beanii · 10/12/2023 13:07

Flamingbow · 10/12/2023 12:17

I don't have any children and although it's not nice to say I dislike children in the main but even I can recognise that having a screaming, crying baby in your arms makes things more complicated. I'm sure some people just like to come onto threads like this and be horrible and berate mums. All over a 30p bag ffs.

I'm a mother of 3 and no matter how much they were crying - I wouldn't a) expect anything for free or b) abandon a trolley for someone else to deal with.

Grammarnut · 10/12/2023 14:33

hangingonfordearlife1 · 10/12/2023 12:23

some really self righteous silly folk in here! it’s - plastic bag!!!! ffs i never scan them anyway. i’ve got approx 250 of them at home and never remember them because i actually have a life.

So you pinch plastic bags? Not sure that's ethical. I have a life too, it doesn't include pinching plastic bags (I note Aldi now puts its bags behind the counter because people pinch them).