Leaving It To Bagger Chance

(I’m on holiday but staying at a friend’s home so I’m buying groceries. This is before the US starts charging for plastic bags and I don’t know that, so, as usual, I bring my own shopping bag and put it down neatly folded behind my groceries.)

Cashier: *grabs bag and starts flipping it over and over* “Where’s the barcode?”

Me: ”That’s already mine; I’m not buying it.”

Cashier: *puts it down and continues to ring up my items*

Bagger: *grabs a plastic bag and starts bagging my groceries*

Me: “Wait, no. I already have a bag.” *moves shopping bag in front of him*

Bagger: *picks up my bag, stares at it, and sets it back down, continuing to bag in plastic bags*

Me: “No, I’m not paying for the plastic bags!”

Cashier: “Pay? They’re free.”

Me: “Oh! Okay… I see. Where I’m from, they’ve been charging for plastic bags for years so I use reusable bags like these.” *nudges my bag* “My shopping goes in here, not the plastic bags.”

(The bagger stares at my bag, stares at the shopping he already put in the plastic bag, and then picks up my bag and starts handing it to the cashier.)

Cashier: *takes it and looks at me questioningly*

Me: “Oh, never mind. I’ll just bag it myself.” *takes my bag and starts removing the groceries from the plastic bag*

Bagger: *holds his hands out, confused, and stares at me*

Cashier: *continues to ring up the rest of my groceries*

Bagger: *attempts to hand me plastic bags*

(In future shopping trips, I just immediately start off by saying that the shopping goes in my bag and not the plastic bags, with no issues.)