From Bagger Chick, February, 2010:

Something happened to me today so uncalled for I have no choice but to tell you about it.

I work as a bagger in a grocery store, but because I try hard and I am old enough to work in other departments I get shoved here and there to do things while people are off or out sick. While I do work, other people get paid way more than  do to do it.

My managers really show no appreciation for all the extra work I put in for them. (I got trained in floral in a day and helped run the department and was left alone from 3pm on during V-tines day and was there to deal with the last minute "I need good flowers, all these look dead..yes I know its 9 pm on Valentines Day but you must have something better than this")

So after Valentines I got a nice 3 day break and started back to work late this week. I go into work and get to be back up front (oh joy!) with all the stupid food stamp and WIC custys who don't know how to read the rules ad force me to run laps around the store collecting the right goods.

So I had carts twice today, and it started off not so bad the weather was warm and a nice breeze. The store wasn't overly busy so there wasn't a huge rush to get carts in the store.

About 20 minutes into my cart shift I am at the back of the lot and there is a custy unloading her cart into her car. Her car is parked a pace away from the Cart return rack. Normally I would just walk up to her and grab her cart so she wouldn't have to go the 5 steps and put it away. But, I already had a string of carts that happened to be a smaller size and would not stack with the one she had. I was about 20 feet away from her when I see her just park the cart in the empty spot beside her and walk to get in her car - the return was less than three steps away. That was just enough for me today for some reason.

I walked up to her and said:

Me: Ma'am would you mind putting that in the return please?

Bitchy custy: Well isn't that your job now Missy? Why don't you just put it in that stack you have there.

Me: Sorry Ma'am that carts doesn't fit with these.

Bitchy Custy: It is still your job so you come take it.

Me: No Ma'am my job it to collect the carts from the returns customers are responsible for getting them in the returns. Also the store is not responsible for any damage caused by loose carts. And it is quite windy today so if while your driving off, the wind blows it into your car and scratches your shinny paint job then it would be no fault other than yours.

Bitchy custy" *grumbles as she walks 5 feet to the return and pushes the cart in , acting as if she was pushing a wall sized boulder* I am NEVER coming to this store again"

I smile to myself as she drives away. And finish up my cart shift and go inside to deal with the same Bullshit as normal.

Now this is where my day just goes nuts.

I had another cart shift a few hours later. I walk outside and dodge cars right and left. (Note to everyone, carts are hard to steer when your pushing them without help of a machine it is not easy to go around either your car stalled in the middle of the road or your body stopped in from of the cart storage area as you have to just catch up on the latest gossip or stop to read the entire! ad. ) I see one car smash into another one about half way through my shift and get to hear people scream at each other cause neither part was paying attention. I sigh wondering how people can be so blind when no less than 20 minutes later this happens.

I am at one of the dividers in the lots trying to gather up the carts people had stuck on there because they are to lazy to walk to the return. I have them lined up about 3 behind this van when all the sudden the van turns on and starts to back up without even looking.

The Dumbass Custy backs into me and my carts causing awful scratches on her ugly ass tan van. She stops for a second then begins to back up again. I try to move out of the way while she pushes the carts some more then stops.

She get out of her car and looks at the back of her van.

Dumbass custy: Oh My god look at my van! Look at all the scratches caused by those carts. Why did you have them there!

Me: *me just starring at her opened mouth* Ummm...well..uh...you hit them. (I know not my best moment but i was really shaken up)

Dumbass Custy: *getting madder* This is your fault you were in my blind spot. You could have really gotten yourself hurt. And look at my poor van. I am going to tell your manager about this.

Me: Ma'am I'm sorry but you hit me..

Dumb-ass Custy: *interrupting me* No, now move these carts out of the way NOW!

She then gets back in her van. At this point I am worried she was going to run over me again so I move the carts out of the way and she whips out of the parking spot and leaves.

I then get to go inside and explain to my managers about what just happened. I wasn't hurt and really didn't feel like having the police come out to our store for the second time today (the first time was for the crash in the lot) or filling out a accident report. They watch the tape and tell me they would keep an eye out for her. And that was it. They sent me back to work without any more words spoken

I don't get paid enough to do this job. A note to the cashiers who work with us. We are not your slaves please take into mind what we have to deal with. We know your job is hard but we have to do all the foot work that y'all don't have to do.

-- Multitasking-Bagger Chick

 read more Grocery Store Hell here