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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:
Original poster
christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

OP posts:
BCSurvivor · 07/12/2023 13:01

You behaved like a toddler having a tantrum.
You chose to take the bag for free rather than paying for it.
You then took it out on the shop assistant for making you pay for it.
You then chose to leave a large trolley in everyone's way at the self checkout while you stormed out.
The entitlement!

Balloonhearts · 07/12/2023 13:02

Staff should allow shoplifting because you have a screaming baby. Now I really have heard it all.

Jesus Christ no wonder crime rates are rising if that's how they're being brought up.

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 13:02

CalistoNoSolo · 07/12/2023 12:52

The funniest thing about this thread is you posted in AIBU because you clearly thought you were being perfectly reasonable. I'm not sure if this makes you very entitled, completely lacking in self-awareness, or both.

I should have everything I want, and nothing that I don't, because I have a bay-bay!

SnoozeToMe · 07/12/2023 13:02

You did the wrong thing then had a tantrum and stropped off - poor staff member having to deal with that.

threelittlescones · 07/12/2023 13:03

I've worked in various shops. I mostly charged customers for bags but sometimes didn't. Had my customer been struggling with a baby and carrying other bags etc I probably would have said just take the bag for free but tbh it depended on the customers attitude even if they claim they were being "polite". You can be polite while also being an arsehole 😂 Huffing, eye rolls and a snippy tone will always result in a bag charge.

Not saying you were being one but at the end of the day it is the rules and she was just doing her job. Not worth the hassle of her getting into trouble for it if some jobsworth manager noticed.

Lightningrain · 07/12/2023 13:03

YABU. A crying baby doesn’t make you exempt from paying for a bag. It’s not as if this is a new thing that you don’t know about. If you forget to take your bag in with you and need one then you pay for one.

Would you have gone back in for a forgotten item to the value of 30p and assume you wouldn’t have to pay just because your baby was crying?

SkySecret · 07/12/2023 13:03

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

Yeah…. only after you tried to walk out with it and some poor retail assistant had to stop you! How embarrassing 😩

salamirose · 07/12/2023 13:03

Maybe along with free prescriptions and free dental care they should provide mothers with a free bag for life on the birth of their child.

PianPianPiano · 07/12/2023 13:04

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

But you weren't going to - you say in your OP that you took the bag and went to walk out and the shop assistant called you back.

MaryMcCarthy · 07/12/2023 13:04

Why do you keep mentioning your baby? What's the relevance?

You want special treatment because of your crying baby?

No wonder you haven't put a vote on the thread!

Unbego · 07/12/2023 13:05

Yanbu. I always take them if I need them and I never pay.

Take a couple extra next time to make up for it. 30p a bag is a pisstake and she didn't need to do that.

CharityShopChic · 07/12/2023 13:05

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

You said :

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

Go to walk out."

THEN the shop assistant stopped you and pointed out you needed to pay 30p. You had every intention of shoplifting a bag.

CalistoNoSolo · 07/12/2023 13:06

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

We're all aware of that, it's your behaviour throughout that we're telling you is so unreasonable.

MaryMcCarthy · 07/12/2023 13:06

Unbego · 07/12/2023 13:05

Yanbu. I always take them if I need them and I never pay.

Take a couple extra next time to make up for it. 30p a bag is a pisstake and she didn't need to do that.

What do you do with them after you've used them? Chuck them in the bin?

Do you not see how the 30p incentivises re-use? Successfully, as well.

biostudent · 07/12/2023 13:06

Realistically you should have just paid for the bag and moved on, however, I understand when you have a baby or toddler screaming etc it can become really overwhelming and the ability to be rational sort of goes out of the window. I recently had some family issues and popped into asda with my SEN toddler (never an easy task anyway, on top of already feeling frazzled and overwhelmed) and I picked up some monsters - context, I am 28, legal age for buying Monster energy drink is 16 - and I didn't have my ID on me and the woman wouldn't let me have them. At the time I was so cross I picked up my toddler and walked out, left my half scanned shopping and walked out. Looking back, I can see that was a massive overreaction, I definitely don't look my age (barely look 20, so I understand the need for ID - I get ID'd ALL the time) so I do feel silly for reacting like that but it happens. Not really sure what the point of this response was, maybe to make you feel less alone aha!

HardcoreLadyType · 07/12/2023 13:06

Have you never been to the supermarket in the UK before, then?

Umtydumpy · 07/12/2023 13:07

This is why I no longer work in public facing jobs, people like you make it horrible. You were bu, I've had 3 screaming babies over the years and never thought I was entitled to free items in the shops because of it.

jencool · 07/12/2023 13:07

YABU.

DappledThings · 07/12/2023 13:08

I give it five minutes before we get the "you're all so mean. I thought MUMSnet would be supportive of mums." standard flounce.

Unicorntearsofgin · 07/12/2023 13:09

Sorry OP I suspect sleep deprivation and stress has made you act unreasonably. We all have bad days. Have a lovely Christmas with the little one x

ManchesterLu · 07/12/2023 13:09

YABVVVVVVVVU. The poor checkout operator having to deal with you.

ANightingale · 07/12/2023 13:09

I really don't get this, OP. If you'd realised after you'd paid that you needed to get a tin of baked beans, would you expect to get it for free?

Sisterpita · 07/12/2023 13:09

YABVU it is theft, bags are 30p.

Mumof3girlsandaboy · 07/12/2023 13:10

Instead of you dumping the trolley you could have kept the same trolley and pushed it to your car. My daughter works in the supermarket and she said some customers behave are absolutely awful.