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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:
pigsDOfly · 07/12/2023 13:28

Very strange thread given that everyone, except shoplifters, have been paying for bags in supermarkets for years.

Every time I pump up my car tyres I have to pay £1 for air, which always strikes me as a bit steep given that the stuff is all around me. Never been moved to start a thread on MN about it though.

enjoyingscience · 07/12/2023 13:28

If you’d been hungry and decided to help yourself to a Freddo would that be the same?

Sort yourself out.

CatamaranViper · 07/12/2023 13:29

People who don't put their trolleys back are massive cunts

Namechange1345677 · 07/12/2023 13:29

What a strange thread....you were being an arse! And I know you paid....but you weren't going to. You were going to shoplift!

AmethystSparkles · 07/12/2023 13:30

Peacheroo · 07/12/2023 13:20

These bags are a con anyway. Remember when they used to be free? Then the government wanted to stop single use and all the supermarkets upped their bag for life to 20 then 30p. Single use plastic has gone down 98% but now we use something that uses 40% more energy to produce and 4x more plastic. And their profits soar. They're far worse for the environment.

And all because I have the attention span of a gnat so forget to take a bag and have a cupboard worth £10 mil.

It discriminates against people with ADHD! (Half joking)

adriftabroad · 07/12/2023 13:30

Obnoxious

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 07/12/2023 13:31

And we wonder why stores now have retail assistants wearing bodycams.

Many of us have been in shops with a fractious baby or child, and understand your frustration, but you can’t verbally abuse, threaten or have a tantrum at retail staff because they stopped you thieving a shopping bag.

Deathbyfluffy · 07/12/2023 13:31

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

After stropping, then posting about it online like they'd done something wrong.

Your screaming baby is your problem, and not a reason you should be let off with 30p.
Do you blame all your other problems on other people too?

ClemFandangooo · 07/12/2023 13:31

YANBU it's a bloody bag she could've turned a blind eye

misspositivepants · 07/12/2023 13:33

Stealing is stealing whether it’s 30p for a bag or £10 for a bottle of wine.

she was doing her job by making sure you paid for everything you took from the store.

you we’re being unreasonable

catsnhats11 · 07/12/2023 13:33

If you had a "giant trolley" you surely knew it would be too much to carry without a bag!!?

DonnaYouAreAStar · 07/12/2023 13:34

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Peablockfeathers · 07/12/2023 13:34

Let's be real there's a shoplifting epidemic lately, few of whom are approached for fear of retaliation (which is fair)- it seems a bit pathetic to be following someone clearly juggling heavy shopping and a baby for 30p- you probably just looked non threatening.

roarrfeckingroar · 07/12/2023 13:34

YANNJ. What a jobsworth.

trevthecat · 07/12/2023 13:35

Yabu. You must know this 🤣

Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 07/12/2023 13:35

YABU! Bags aren't free. You can't just take one.

retinolalcohol · 07/12/2023 13:35

Paying for bags is a legal requirement, so she could have potentially faced a disciplinary if she'd decided to let you off.

I used to work in a supermarket as a student, and it was things like this (people being rude and aggressive toward me for doing my job) that would really ruin my day and, tbh, make me feel a bit sad.

I understand your frustration with the baby but being a mother doesn't give you any entitlement to behave like this. What you're essentially saying is - she should've disregarded the rules, and potentially gotten in trouble, so your baby didn't have to cry for a couple of minutes. Very unreasonable

Peablockfeathers · 07/12/2023 13:35

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 07/12/2023 13:31

And we wonder why stores now have retail assistants wearing bodycams.

Many of us have been in shops with a fractious baby or child, and understand your frustration, but you can’t verbally abuse, threaten or have a tantrum at retail staff because they stopped you thieving a shopping bag.

And yet OP did none of those things.

Kittylala · 07/12/2023 13:36

I'll try nicking a 30p choc next time - might get lucky!

SkySecret · 07/12/2023 13:37

I think what's unreasonable is that she waited to tell you as you were leaving. Would have made more sense to tell you as you were loading. She clearly knew.

@Peacheroo you cant accuse someone of stealing until they’ve actually done it and attempted to walk out of the shop without paying

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 07/12/2023 13:37

christmasfoodshop · 07/12/2023 13:01

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

You weren’t going to though were you?

MidnightMeltdown · 07/12/2023 13:38

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!

This. Millions of women have babies. It doesn't entitle them to steal from shops!

Honestly, what is wrong with some people

Whataretheodds · 07/12/2023 13:39

Are you saying she made you rescan ALL of your shopping? I assumed you'd just needed to get the bag scanned and pay for it.

Peacheroo · 07/12/2023 13:39

SkySecret · 07/12/2023 13:37

I think what's unreasonable is that she waited to tell you as you were leaving. Would have made more sense to tell you as you were loading. She clearly knew.

@Peacheroo you cant accuse someone of stealing until they’ve actually done it and attempted to walk out of the shop without paying

Yes agreed but normally they pop over and say "don't forget to pay for the bag" or "have you paid for the bag?"

Proactive as it were.

mn29 · 07/12/2023 13:40

Never leave the house without a bag (those little fold up bags easily go in your handbag or pocket), think of it the same way you check you have purse and keys before leaving. YABU, she was just doing her job and you're not entitled to be let off because your baby is crying.

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