Has Baggage Issues With Your Bagging Issues

I’m at the self-checkout of the grocery store I frequent often, a few months after our state instituted a law requiring a charge for store-provided plastic or paper bags. There have been signs in stores, notices on the radio, and other notifications about this change for months. The man at the station next to me has the self-checkout worker helping him finish his transaction, and I can’t help but overhear the conversation.

Customer: “But I don’t understand this last question.”

Worker: “There’s a bag fee, so you need to input how many bags you have if you’re using the store-provided bags instead of your own reusable ones.”

Customer: “I didn’t used to have to do this. Why is your store charging for bags?”

Worker: “It’s a new step, yes—”

Customer: *Interrupting* “But why? I didn’t used to have to do this.”

Worker: “There’s a new—”

Customer: “I’ve never had to do this before. Why is your store doing this?”

Worker: “The fee is—”

Customer: “I’ve never seen it before. I don’t understand why your store would do this.”

He keeps interrupting the worker as she tries to answer his questions. She can hardly get a word in edgewise. I interject, speaking firmly but not yelling.

Me: “It’s not the store. It’s state law. It has been for months and it’s the same in every store in the state.”

Customer: “Oh! Well, I didn’t use to have to pay for them.”

He leaves. The worker turns to me and gives me a little hug — which is totally fine; she knows me as a frequent customer.

Worker: “Thank you; he just wouldn’t listen to me, and I can’t be that blunt with customers!”