Who is in charge of training cashiers???

When I was in high school I worked in a grocery store. One of my several jobs in the store was bagging groceries for customers. Everyone in the store was trained on how this should be done and there was a HUGE focus on consolidating the customer's order into the most manageable bags. That included filling bags correctly to provide stability and structure, to not making them so heavy they cannot be carried comfortably, to what order things should be stacked. Apparently this is no longer done (or at least not taught at any store in NC that I have been to) and I seriously believe this needs to be reinstated.

I went to the store today after work to buy Lucky Charms for tomorrow's math lesson-because I'm a slacker. We are doing some graphing/fractions/fun stuff for St. Patrick's Day, but that is really not important to the story. What is important is that I was in the express lane with 1 large box of cereal and 1 Burt's Bees Chapstick. Here is how this went down, see if you can follow my frustration....

Me: I don't need a bag.

Cashier: Are you sure?

Me: Yup.

Cashier: (looking perplexed) You're sure you don't need a bag? I can put them in the same bag for you.

Me: (putting Chapstick in purse) Nope, I'm sure. I can carry the cereal.

Cashier: You're sure-sure?

Me: Yes. I'm sure-sure I can carry a box of cereal to my car. I don't need to waste a plastic bag for my forty-five second walk.

Was I a bit snippy at the end? Yes. Was it justified? YES. I mean seriously-you want me to take a bag to carry a box out of your store that I had absolutely no problem carrying up and down the isles of your store all the way up to your register, but somehow when braving the elements outside your building my arms will become too weak to support the cardboard box and I need a bag to help me. This is what is seriously wrong with people-and putting my stuff in a plastic bag and then into my canvas one.

I almost forgot-the man in front of me bought 1 loaf of bread, 1 bottle of wine, 1 large can of beer, 1 pack of hot dog buns and 1 can of something. I think green beans? I don't really remember. What I DO remember is how many bags she thought he needed....go ahead and guess. Did you guess?

Correct answer-3

3 bags for 5 things. Seriously.

bag 1-loaf of bread and hot dog buns

bag 2-can of beer and can of vegetables

bag 3-bottle of wine