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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:
FlamingBlue · 07/12/2023 14:13

If only you had explained that you were a special snowflake, I'm sure you would have got the bag for free.

Skodacool · 07/12/2023 14:13

YABU

Haydenn · 07/12/2023 14:13

YABU for being a dick to a member of staff

YABU for asking poll question and not setting a poll.

Katypp · 07/12/2023 14:14

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 14:01

Baby-mummies often are.

Show quote history

And often encouraged to be so by posters on threads usually about how the mum's needs trumps those of everyone else around them

BalletBob · 07/12/2023 14:16

ButterCupPie · 07/12/2023 14:01

Baby-mummies often are.

Show quote history

What misogynistic nonsense. Because mothers - 10's of millions of them in the UK - are a homogeneous mass with the same personality 🙄 How many of the dozens and dozens of responses telling OP she's unreasonable do you think are from women with children? Idiot.

CasaAmarela · 07/12/2023 14:16

WimbyAce · 07/12/2023 14:06

She was doing her job but I feel your pain and think people are being a bit OTT laying into you. Is a nightmare at times with little ones and all you want to do is get out the shop.

Agree. People on previous pages calling her a shoplifter 😂

BalletBob · 07/12/2023 14:16

Katypp · 07/12/2023 14:14

And often encouraged to be so by posters on threads usually about how the mum's needs trumps those of everyone else around them

Show quote history

What thread are you reading?

NannyGythaOgg · 07/12/2023 14:17

If I'd have been behind you, I would have paid for your bag

housethatbuiltme · 07/12/2023 14:18

You got caught shop lifting and where made to pay... and you think YOUR being punished unfairly?

For 30p you can buy a full bag of carrots or a curlywurly or a tin of garden peas etc... in our Asda, so do you think you are exempt from paying for those things too as its 'only 30p'.

We could all do our shopping for free with that attitude.

If you have your hands full in the street and see a market stall selling totes do you just take one? I mean you need a bag right, why should you pay for something you need.

WimbyAce · 07/12/2023 14:18

CasaAmarela · 07/12/2023 14:16

Agree. People on previous pages calling her a shoplifter 😂

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I know it's a fricking bag! 🙈🙈

Katypp · 07/12/2023 14:19

@balletbob, I am not referring to the responses in this thread as I have stated above. I am referring to the probably hundreds of threads I have responded to where the vast, vast majority of posters conclude that having a baby entitles you to behave like an entitled arse and others should just suck it up because, you know, new mother

WimbyAce · 07/12/2023 14:19

NannyGythaOgg · 07/12/2023 14:17

If I'd have been behind you, I would have paid for your bag

Yes this is the post I like, have some compassion folks, we've all been there when baby is being a pita. Help each other out fgs.

user1471556818 · 07/12/2023 14:19

Why should she get into trouble cos you think you're so special

Unbego · 07/12/2023 14:20

WimbyAce · 07/12/2023 14:18

I know it's a fricking bag! 🙈🙈

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This lot would have had her shipped out to the colonies in Victorian times.

Katypp · 07/12/2023 14:20

NannyGythaOgg · 07/12/2023 14:17

If I'd have been behind you, I would have paid for your bag

That would have been a very good outcome

CagneyAndLazy · 07/12/2023 14:20

WimbyAce · 07/12/2023 14:18

I know it's a fricking bag! 🙈🙈

Show quote history

Which she tried to steal.

🤷🏻‍♀️

Minniliscious · 07/12/2023 14:22

@christmasfoodshop Blimey Christmasfoodshop, I think that you’re getting a really hard time on here - so unnecessary. I know what it’s like with a newborn and brains just don’t function in the same way as previous!

Don’t see this as a big deal - it really isn’t. It happens to the best of us. I personally would’ve given you the bag and let you go on your way.

Its very harsh to call you entitled just because you forgot to bring a bag on this one occasion.

CasaAmarela · 07/12/2023 14:24

It's like another planet on here. Have all of you lot criticising OP never not paid for a bag? I bet you've all done it.

stepintochristmas1 · 07/12/2023 14:25

It's amazing the amount of women who feel entitled to special treatment cos they have ..given birth 😲.

ilovesooty · 07/12/2023 14:26

I think this is going to be one of those threads that get deleted because the OP stropped then flounced.

dontgobaconmyheart · 07/12/2023 14:26

OP I do think you need to reframe this somewhat and view the bag as, effectively, an item the shop sells - which is what it is now and has been for some time, and not something free. To take one without paying is shoplifting.

Cashier did absolutely nothing wrong at all and was doing her job. Absolutely no reason at all that she should have let you go and shame on you if you were snippy with her.

LookItsMeAgain · 07/12/2023 14:27

When you were scanning it yourself did you not realise that you would need a bag and scan the bag at that point?

Why did you think it would be acceptable to pick a bag, fill it with your paid for groceries and then head towards the door and not pay for the bag (because that is what you alluded to in your post)?

Just because you have a screaming baby doesn't mean that the supermarket has to provide you with a plastic bag to bring your paid for shopping home in.

I can't see any voting options but I do think you were being unreasonable to have written a post on MN in such a way that it reads as though you were going to try to take a plastic bag and not pay for it.

AffableApple · 07/12/2023 14:28

I was doing a full shop the other day. My twin babies kicked off and cried at the till. Do you know what, I still had to pack my bags and pay for my shopping?! (This would have included bags had I not brought any/enough.) YABVU.

Foxsoxandgloves · 07/12/2023 14:28

housethatbuiltme · 07/12/2023 14:18

You got caught shop lifting and where made to pay... and you think YOUR being punished unfairly?

For 30p you can buy a full bag of carrots or a curlywurly or a tin of garden peas etc... in our Asda, so do you think you are exempt from paying for those things too as its 'only 30p'.

We could all do our shopping for free with that attitude.

If you have your hands full in the street and see a market stall selling totes do you just take one? I mean you need a bag right, why should you pay for something you need.

I'm normally an eye roller to the puritan MN stuff about not returning a double.order etc but I agree with this post 100%. What is this if not stealing? A 30p shoplift in Asda could be what someone does to eat for a day but they would still be stopped for stealing. I can't imagine how it could be anything else.

ilovesooty · 07/12/2023 14:28

And yes, I feel sorry for MW employees having to deal with rude unpleasant stroppy behaviour when they're doing their jobs.