I have found very few baggers that actually put milk in a bag. Usually you have to ask, many times twice, to put milk in a bag. It's not their fault, that's how they are trained.

But usually I just tell the bagger to go help other customers while I bag. I usually get it done just as fast and it give me something to do while I wait for the cashier to finish ringing up everything. I have yelled at many a manager and corporate dbag who try and scold the baggers for not bagging my groceries.

I recall one time that corporate was doing their monthly 'inspection' and one asshole (who has probably never bagged a day in his life) was giving one of the newbies a particularly hard time during my trip to Safeway. Making making the kid follow him around and clean scuff marks from the bottom of the meat freezer bumper (yeah the black rubber bumpers) and told him he should be cleaning them during his shift. Mean while the cashiers have called for assistance several times and he is told to ignore them.

Later, when I was checking out, he was my bagger and I told him to help other customers because they were busy and short handed. Here comes mister asshole from the managers office and starts yelling at him in front of customers and told him he should fire him for not bagging on my line (other customers are watching and saying nothing). I went over and explained the situation about it being my request to which he told me it was none of my business. I don't respond well to abusive micro-managers telling me to 'mind my own business'. This began a series of events to which I purposely humiliated him in front of all the customers and employees. I told him 'Do not talk to your employees like that!" and ran down a list of tasks that I had him observed him having that poor newb do in front of everyone. I told (I don't mean physically) him to apologize to the bagger and all the customers who were now standing around watching the situation.

The last thing I said was, "Instead of walking around with a clipboard having employees follow you around doing things you tell them are wrong, why don't you get on your hands and knees scrubbing the BS that only you give a shit about. You are obviously short handed so instead of pitching in to help, you run around with your self-important attitude making 3-4 times as much as the rest of the employees while contributing nothing to actually solving the issues. I can't tell you how many times that these corporate run store employees hate when corporate pays them a visit because they can't get their jobs done without some asshole looking for someone to yell at over shit that doesn't matter so they can make themselves feel important. Do you know what happens the very next day after you guys leave, the store goes back to normal and runs more efficiently. So do yourself a favor, apologize to him (the bagger) and the other customers standing in line. Then fire yourself in exchange for hiring 3 other employees so these issues can actually be dealt with. Christ, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

He apologized to me and went to walk away...I said, "No, not to me, I don't give a shit what you think. To him and them" (pointing to everyone else around). He said he was very sorry and went back to the head managers office. A few people who were watching started clapping and the bagger (who was 16) thanked me and started welling up. I consoled him and told him to never let anyone walk all over you, regardless of your position. I told him I didn't need to be thanked because everyone should stick up for others.

/storytime and not sure what sparked that rant.