People who don't bag their own groceries are the most irredeemable scoundrels

It's also the only supermarket I know where people don't actually mind queuing!

Also, they do still pay well.

First time I was in a Dutch grocery store (not to be confused with the sexual act "Dutch Grocery Store"), I noticed the cashiers were sitting on stools (because why not? It's a shitty job, and there's no reason for them to be standing), and not only do they not provide bags, but you have to bag your own shit. I was down with this, but wish I'd known it before I had to walk four blocks carrying an armful of bagless groceries.

Do you also pay for your own bags? We have to: five cents per plastic bag.

i like the self-scanners because the cashiers often don't notice that i have obsessively picked the cheapest produce out of the all the different variations. that is not a SWEET ONION that is a YELLOW ONION, there is a FORTY-CENT PER POUND PRICE DIFFERENCE!!!!

Christ, I haven't noticed whether the checkers notice this or not, but I am totally obsessive about buying exactly such things as the onions that cost $1.49 vs. $1.99. This might push me over the edge into total self-checkout territory.

Which would be doing the checkers at my local Giant a service, apparently, based on this thread.

i like the self-scanners because the cashiers often don't notice that i have obsessively picked the cheapest produce out of the all the different variations. that is not a SWEET ONION that is a YELLOW ONION, there is a FORTY-CENT PER POUND PRICE DIFFERENCE!!!!

I don't ever really look at the prices of produce (I'm bad at money :() so I haven't noticed that from a price perspective BUT I'm sometimes baffled by what the people at the checkout don't know. Like, I've been asked what a zucchini is before.

I went through a similar thing with Jicama once, but you've got me beat.

Yeah well those are sorta ~exotic~ (and delicious - my dad makes a salad with Jicama which is out of this world) so they're excused but it's the reg veg confusion that happens every once in a while that's sorta mind-blowing.

OTOH you could be hassling the local Asian grocer with what's that veg queries... So used to shopping on a grad student's income and buying loss leaders or BOGOF specials that I've become really good at adding up my basket to avoid being overcharged. Also my mom's 11th Commandment is 'thou shalt not buy anything in a supermarket that's not on special'. The only place I wait in a trusting way for my total is the local butcher.

Tell 'em its a courgette.

lol

"But that's not in the book!"

Their heads would probably explode.

Parsnips are the most common sort of confusion with me and cashiers in the states.

Yeah - those too! Tbh though I get confused by root vegetables sometimes too. I have had to consult the internet on more than one occasion when I wasn't sure exactly what something that came in the delivery box we used to get was.

parsnips, turnips and some radishes all sort of look alike to me

"Is that a parsnip or are you just happy to see me?"

Do you also pay for your own bags? We have to: five cents per plastic bag.

― Nathalie (stevienixed), Wednesday, March 30, 2011 6:19 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

It was a long time ago (I was there for a couple of months in 1994), but I don't remember any disposable bags being present at all. I think I had to buy a reusable tote bag or two.

i like the self-scanners because the cashiers often don't notice that i have obsessively picked the cheapest produce out of the all the different variations. that is not a SWEET ONION that is a YELLOW ONION, there is a FORTY-CENT PER POUND PRICE DIFFERENCE!!!!

This EXACT thing happened to me last week, same onions and price diff! Obviously being English I didn't say anything, just looked a bit grumpy about it when I realised.

Me too, a couple weeks ago. Picked the Jazz apples explicitly because they were 79 cents/lb (and I'd never had them before), got charged for Fujis at $1.79/lb. Not that big a deal with ~2 lbs, but still pissed me off.

it adds up.

i've entered organic apples as regular ol apples on "accident"

The thing that bugs me about Trader Joe's friendly cashiers is that it's so obv a corporate-ordered faux friendliness. I like spontaneous, genuine friendliness, I really do.

I've wondered about this too but whenever I encounter the TJ cashiers out and about in the neighborhood they seem just the same.

it's the implanted microchip

The Manchurian Cashier

"OH HAI EEPHUS! HEY I SEE YOU'RE WEARING LEVIS, HAVE YOU TRIED THE NEW CORDS THEY CAME OUT WITH? THEY'RE REALLY COMFY! OK NICE SEEING YOU, COME AGAIN!"

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D1ZZyTOG7tQ/SPe79j-_U3I/AAAAAAAAC3E/AxtnFvTrnfE/s400/The_Stepford_Wives_1975_Grocery_Store.JPG

The memorising of prices definitely *was* the case until they introduced scanners into stores.

...and I guess putting price tags on stuff wasn't an option for some reason.

Price tags and guns are expensive. Also, I wonder if having to remember all those prices actually keeps you more alert while you're working the till?

Ok, so I did this today. I took the plunge. And it wasn't so bad! Just another way in which ilx has improved my life, like enjoying the music of Ashley Simpson or making fun of people in cargo shorts.

i don't bag my own groceries, but there's no shame in my game cuz in Publixs in America it's nearly impossible to do that

Did this again yesterday, even though there was a bagger, because it looked like he needed some help. Then when I got home, it turned out that bastard had put my kale on the bottom of a bag of much heavier stuff. I don't think I'm going to let anyone bag my groceries again.

People who let incompetent buffoons bag their groceries are the most irredeemable scoundrels

http://i.imgur.com/iltZs6j.jpg

I support this

Make bagging great again