Remember when the stores used to ask "paper or plastic?..." I used to look at the bagger and reply dead pan "don't you have something in leather or silicone or even barbed wire?... You know something kinky?...." Baggers would look confused but the checker would often crack up...

@Lizard_of_Ahaz baggers - an American excess - bag your own. Once cashiers bagged but now only into new bags sold by the store.

@FrayedBear Checkers often do double as baggers and right now because of the virus only in new baggers from the store. I bring my own and bag it myself as mine are heavy canvas reusable ones that can be washed. Baggers these days aren't even trained anymore and don't have pride in their work anymore. When I was young they were working their way through college and had competitions for enough prize money to pay for a Masters Degree on National TV. Keep in mind a good bagger can handle two lanes and keep them moving faster and smoother increasing profits for the store as well as in those days make enough to either get through school or support themselves...

@Lizard_of_Ahaz it used to be the clerk had to learn how to wrsp a parcel in brown paper & tie it with string. I think the training course took at least half a day.

@FrayedBear Today some stores don't even have one and those that do give them maybe 5 minutes training saying "this is a bag just shove everything into it but try not to damage stuff..."

@Lizard_of_Ahaz the training like the service has gone - "all ass no class".