As a grocery checker, you just brace yourself when you see a customer who fits the profile of someone who would somehow annoy you and disregard you as a human being. But just because they fit the stereotype doesn’t mean they are who you thought they were.

A lady in her mid 30s is loading her groceries onto the belt while on the phone. She totally fits the stereotype of those inconsiderate people. I greet her as she is inputting her saver card, no reply. I the ask her if she wanted any help out to her car as I’m bagging her groceries; she completely ignores me while still on the phone.

Then I picked up this DVD she has on the belt, The Shawshank Redemption.

She gets off the phone…

Totally Stereotypical: Have you seen this movie?

Me: No, I haven’t. But I heard it’s really good. Maybe I’ll rent it sometime.

Totally Stereotypical: I forgot something, I’ll be right back.

Oh my gosh! Are you freaking serious!

I stand in the checkstand annoyed, looking lost…

She runs back with another copy of The Shawshank Redemption.

Totally Stereotypical: Here ring this up, it’s for you.

I feel like a complete idiot. I had this person all wrong. Instead shes a very sweet person.

Me: [ashamed] No, I can’t but thank you!

Totally Stereotypical: Take it! You already rang it up, what am I going to do with 2 copies of the same movie?

I thanked her and promise to let her know what I thought about the movie the next time she came in.

I guess I don’t have everything figured out.

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Working the late shift, I’m always dealing with panhandlers. It’s like a game, I tell them to leave, they give me the “it’s a public place or I’m not hurting anyone,” speech, I threaten to call the cops, they leave and come back. An annoying repetitive cycle that occurs on a weekly basis.

In this situation, I first encountered this guy almost 3 years ago! I even blogged about him.

Customer: There’s a guy outside asking for money. He’s making people uncomfortable.

Me: OK, I’ll get right on it.

I approach this long haired, bearded guy who’s sitting down with his back leaning against the store. He also appears to be charging an iPhone with the stores outlet.

Me: Hey, we’ve met before haven’t we?

iPhone Panhandler: I don’t recall.

Me: I do and you gotta go.

iPhone Panhandler: Why? What did I do?

Me: Asking customers for money, you gotta go man.

iPhone Panhandler: Say’s who? I’m just charging my iPhone!

Me: Look man, it’s a private lot and you can’t charge your phone with the stores outlet!

iPhone Panhandler: This isn’t a private lot! There’s public people coming in and out of this place and this is not just any phone! It’s an iPhone!

Me: I’m no panhandling expert but if you’re going to be asking people for money, you might want to put that expensive iPhone away!

iPhone Panhandler: [Pauses] Fine! I’ll go but its not because you’re making me!

He grabs his stuff and starts walking away…

iPhone Panhandler: F*#%ing d!*%wad!

Me: Hey! Hey! Don’t forget your charger!

In a stunt that would make Bananaman proud, a Tesco worker earned his superhero credentials by chasing and capturing an alleged thief while dressed as a giant banana.

Checkout worker Luke Summerhayes, 21, was wearing the 6ft 7ins outfit as part of a charity fancy dress day, but when the security alarms went off as he supervised the tills, he wasted no time in pursuing the suspect through the car park and holding him until police arrived.

Mr Summerhayes, who is also a special constable in the police force, said: ‘I don’t think the bloke could believe it when he realised who was chasing him.

‘He looked pretty surprised and he didn’t really look like he wanted to argue with me.

‘I was just doing my job really, I just heard the alarm go off and ran out of the store in pursuit.

‘Everyone at work found it hilarious – I guess I am the real-life Bananaman. I think it will definitely help towards my training for the force.’

He donned the yellow costume while he helped customers pack their bags – but was alerted by the shrill security alarm at around 10.30pm.

Mr Summerhayes said: ‘My girlfriend’s mum used to work at the store and wore the same banana costume – so I just thought it would be fun to put on.

‘I heard the alarm go off and had just seen this guy walking out. I ran out of the store and across the car park after him and caught him up.

‘He denied it but didn’t argue when I asked him to come back to the store.

‘He went through the security system and it went off again, so he was taken out the back of the store.

‘Police then arrived to arrest him. I even recognised a few of them because I work one-day-a-week as a special constable in Wells.’ Proud friends and family, including Luke’s girlfriend Eleanor Malcolm, 20, hailed him a hero after capturing the suspected crook.

The alleged stolen goods – a television aerial – was also recovered.

Mr Summerhayes now hopes to carry on his crime-fighting exploits by joining the police full-time as a PC.

A 22-year-old man from Wells, Somerset, has been charged with theft in relation to the incident and is due before South Somerset Magistrates Court in Yeovil on January 6.

Daily Mail UK

I didn’t know what to expect on the first day of the grocery bag ban. Well the only thing I expected was that everyone had gotten the memo, was I wrong… So much confusion, so much anger as if I’m asking the customers for donations.

The bewildered look on the customers faces when they ask for paper bags and I tell them, “Sorry but we now charge 10 cents for each bag,” and trying to explain to them that its not our doing but its the new law that just passed. Many customers don’t believe the answer I gave them. I asked management if it was OK if we can put signs on each checkstand to let the customers know we are now charging for bags but was turned down because it was deemed not professional. Of course, we have to do it the hard way.

Few customers left their groceries on the belt or in the cart because they were disgusted by the fact they were being charged for bags. Some put back some of their groceries and bought a few bags so they can carry their groceries home. Many shoppers who bought cartful of groceries opted to not buy bags and wheeled off their groceries as is.

So now, before a customer approaches the checkstand, I tell the customers that we now charge for bags and I get the usual “are you serious?” stare or they don’t say anything at all. I’m Ok with that, eventually customers will get use to it and bring their own bags.

Happy New Years everyone!!! What a way to set of the New Year by banning plastic bags! I think its a great idea honestly. It will encourage shoppers to bring their own bags and best of all, help the environment!

What do you think of the plastic bag ban?

Starting Sunday, retailers in San Jose and unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County can no longer use single-use plastic bags and paper bags without recycled content, as a city and county ordinance to ban the bags takes effect.

Under the new policy, passed by the San Jose City Council in December 2010 and by the Board of Supervisors in April, only restaurants, nonprofits and social organizations will be able to hand out the bags.

Proponents claim that a ban on plastic bags would lead to a cleaner environment, saving the city money in clean-up efforts. Single-use bags litter roadsides, clog drainage systems, pollute local creeks and streams and harm wildlife, according to proponents of the ban.

Meanwhile opponents have said that the ordinance will hurt consumers and small businesses because they don’t have the same buying power as the bigger stores.
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The San Jose ordinance, proposed four years ago by Councilman Kansen Chu, permits retailers to provide single-use paper bags that contain a minimum of 40 percent recycled content. They must charge shoppers a fee of 10 cents per bag, which would be increased to 25 cents in two years.

There would be exceptions for retailers that provide plastic or paper bags for items such as fresh produce, meat, or bulk goods.

Businesses in unincorporated areas will still be allowed to use plastic bags for items including fresh produce, meat, frozen foods, prepared foods, bakery items, plants, prescription drugs and newspapers.

Retailers in unincorporated areas can sell customers single-use paper bags that are 100 percent recyclable and contain a minimum of 40 percent post-consumer waste at a cost of 15 cents each.

In response to the new ordinance, Pet Food Express announced this week the business will reduce the cost of its reusable bags to 49 cents and donate 100 percent of the money collected in the sale of reusable bags to San Jose Animal Care and Services.

The fundraiser will be in effect at all three Pet Food Express stores in San Jose between Sunday and April 1. Pet Food Express will also have paper bags available for 10 cents that are at least 40 percent post-consumer recycled.

Michael Levy, founder of Pet Food Express, said the fundraiser would directly go toward helping homeless animals in San Jose.

“We realize the ban is going to be a major adjustment for people shopping in San Jose, and we wanted to find a way to help them in the transition by reducing the price of our reusable bags,” Levy said in a statement.

Bay City News

Four more customers to checkout and I’m ready for vacation! I’m on a roll today, nothing is better than having a good day of work before the start of vacation. I caught 3 shoplifters in one day! Two of them loaded up their shopping carts and tried to nonchalantly walk out the door. Hello! You have a cartful of groceries and nothing was bagged? Another guy tried to stuff a bottle of wine down his “skinny jeans.” Unless he was “gifted” under those jeans, he should have attempted at something a lot more expensive.

I felt like a loss prevention specialist. Pure talent, just off of experience and intuition. As I was about to clock out, a little old lady asked me for help because no one was at the customer service booth.

Lilac Lady: No one is at the floral department. Can You help me?

Sure, why not. I’m on vacation tomorrow!

Lily Lady: I called the florist earlier and she said she has bouquets of flowers for me.

Me: OK.

I check to see if there were any flowers that were left for her.

Me: I don’t see anything ma’am.

Lily Lady: I called. They should be there. The florist usually gives me flowers every month, so I can honor my late husband because he loves flowers.

Me: Oh… what kind of flowers?

She points to the fresh bouquet of roses and lilies.

“She gives you those?” I ask curiously.

Lily Lady: Yes for my late husband.

Me: We’ll ma’am I can’t do that. These look really new.

Lily Lady: [Sadly] But my husband… I visit him every month with flowers. He loves flowers.

Me: How about we pick some that don’t look as new but would be thrown away tomorrow?

Lily Lady: Yes! Great! Can we put ribbons around the flowers too?

Me: Of course! Matter fact I have $20 bucks. I’ll buy you some fresh flowers as well.

Lily Lady: Bless your heart!

I had a quick chat with my assistant manager before I left the store…

“What are you going to do without me? I caught 3 shoplifters today. Nothing gets passed me. I’m like RoboCop.” I said in a brash and cockiness tone.

As I’m driving down the street I yelled, What the Fu#%!

I see the same little old lady on the corner of the street… selling flowers!

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