"Would you like my illness along with your groceries today???"

[MushyMushy]

I'm a germ phobe too and that is really gross, but I am also wondering why you wouldn't put your produce in a plastic bag and also wash it before you eat it? It's been in your basket and on the belt unprotected, it's hard to tell what all has been in that basket!

I am shocked that you would honestly want this woman to be fired for this? I think that is pretty excessive. I would have been grossed out and probably told them to credit the produce back and not purchased it but it is hardly an offense for her to lose her job over, IMO.

I was wondering about that too. When I buy produce, it goes in those light green produce bags. I've never seen a regular grocery store where you just put individual fruits and vegetables in your cart.

And I agree. Her reaction was excessive.

 

[kellyg403]

As someone who works in a grocery store also, yeah use the plastic bags and make sure each individual item, different apples, peppers etc are in different bags so no one at the registers have to touch them. The cashiers at our store have the hand sanitizer, there are those sanitizer wipes by the carts etc. but it is hard for even the cashiers to sanitize after every transaction. So, unless the cashier sanitized before your order came through, she very likely had gross hands from dealing with money and touched your produce. That is what grosses me out. Knowing how many different things are on money. And wash that produce as soon as you get home.

While I understand how it made you feel and that it ruined your shopping experience, I also do not think the bagger should have been fired. Spoken too, let go home for the day or something but not fired. Others are right, working retail means getting a paycheck when you show up for work. Baggers are usually at the bottom of the totem pole, very few are full time with benefits (usually the older ones who have been around 100 years) and very very few part timers get benefits such as sick days. You call out, you lose a day's pay. Some people can not do that, especially in this economy where many are just thankful for having a job.

I also find it interesting that people think this way. It is highly unlikely that the fruits and vegetables you are buying are picked off the tree, washed and set in the bins at your local store. Most of your items, especially tomatos and avocados are trucked in from Mexico and other places. They have seen more things then you probably could imagine. Because you saw that doesn't mean that other produce you brought home doesn't get touched with dirty hands or a sick person. Your fruits and veggies have been touched by at least 6 people before it hit your store. Its been in boxes that have to be sorted because not everything stays good during the trip etc etc. If you only knew this would seem minor in the grand scheme of things.

Kelly

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

So, you're saying if you check out at a grocery store, or if you eat at a restaurant and someone puts snot on your food- you wouldn't say anything, just eat it? OK.

I'm so happy that some of you pretend to know who I am from a single thread of me having a bad day...interesting. I am not a loud person, nor do I like to "cause ripples" I like to mesh along with everyone else...but obviously you know who I am...thanks for letting me know about me.

I was not loud at all in the store. In fact, it wasn't even myself that "called the manager over" nor was I the one to "fill her in completely" about what happened. It was the cashier. All I told the cashier was "can you please have someone else bag my groceries?" There were, by the way, two or three other baggers standing around/talking to eachother. The cashier is the first one who complained about the bagger to the manager. I was quiet when we spoke about what happened. It was not a "big ordeal"...I just didn't want to eat food that had someone elses snot on it- even though I OF COURSE WASH MY FOOD WHEN I GET HOME...I'd be dumb not to!

I don't pretend to know you at all. I am basing my opinion on your reaction on this thread. You've posted several times in bold about the nerve of this woman. It sounds to me like you were very unhappy and expressed yourself that way at the store. If you did not, then I apologize. I am only going by what you wrote here.

I put my fruits and veggies in the bags so the cashier or bagger would have no need to touch my stuff. I also wash it when I get home.

 

[HARASW]

An old guy at the gym was hacking all over the machine for 30 minutes....after he was done, he just walks away. I hate people at the gym that can't wipe down their equipment when they are done, but this guy was sick! Please wipe it down dude!!! The next person to approach the machine was unaware.....so I did warn her to wipe it down BEFORE getting on. I felt like a jerk, but in her place I would like a warning so I don't take home the dude's germs.

Beth

You did the right thing! I would have done the same and I definitely would have appreciated your warning.

 

[HARASW]

Oh, the nerve of some people! I went to the store to get my fresh produce today and I bought grapes, bananas, apples and other things. I was so ticked when I checked out! The person BAGGING my groceries was coughing into her hands- almost HACKING into her hands and sniffling and wipping her nose. DIDN'T EVEN WASH HER HANDS and went back to BAGGING MY FRESH PRODUCE...I was so mad! I asked her to please go wash her hands. I asked for another person to bag my things...then I spoke with the store manager. THE NERVE!

I understand that people cannot take off of work for a cold. BUT COME ON, WASH YOUR FRICKEN HANDS BEFORE YOU MAKE EVERYONE ELSE SICK TOO!

I'm glad that things were taken care of. I know it's not her fault but none of us want our produce or anything else handled by someone who is that sick.

 

[HARASW]

I realize the points of those who mentioned how hard it is to take off from work or that they were not even given the chance at all to take off. But, I feel that if someone is coughing and sneezing enough that it is that noticable, that employee should have been given something else to do that was not so out in the open and on top of the customer. I definitely don't think that the employee should be fired or punished for being sick.

 

[happygirl]

Where is people compassion. You see somoeone Ill and you try to get them in trouble. Do you know how many have handle the fruit before you get to it.

 

[MM27]

Where is people compassion. You see somoeone Ill and you try to get them in trouble. Do you know how many have handle the fruit before you get to it.

I didn't read all the responses, but I was thinking the same thing. There are always little kids touching things, people picking up produce and putting it back, etc. You don't know where their hands have been.

Take the stuff home, wash it really well and enjoy.

You don't know what happens in the kitchen of restaurants you go to either. Imagine the chef making your dinner hacking up a lung.