FORT Koffee Klatch

[Newfherder]

Actually, I remember all of that really well...we still have a couple of gas stations with full service! And correct me if I'm wrong someone, but my dad said that it's illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey?

New Jersey and Oregon do not allow self-serve pumps.

[misskitty]

gabriel and LoisLane: Thank you for missing me. I need constant re-assurance. I missed you all too!

stephanie: At most of our grocery stores with baggers, they will ask even me if I need help if there are a lot of bags. The bagger will either carry a few bags or push your buggy to your car to help you out. I always take my own though. It's good exercise.

I remember when I was probably six or something, they had a car-port pick-up service at Woodwards food floor. They had a set of numbered tags in plastic and clipped one tag to your buggy of groceries and gave you the other tag. Then you could continue your shopping in the mall, and get the children safely to your car and buckled in. Then you pulled up in the car port lane and a grocery guy (who just did that job) would take your tag, match it to your buggy, bring it out to the car, and load them into your trunk or car seat. My mom would usually make us squish together to fit in all the grocery bags. Now those were the days of service!

Unk: Love your drop the money on the ground idea

[Mariner]

New Jersey and Oregon do not allow self-serve pumps.

And needless to say, my fifth generation Oregonian mother always wants one of us kids to pump the gas.

[SuperBrat]

ah, Oregonians coming up to Seattle always amuse/anoy me. They sometimes come in and ask how to unfo the gas cap and how to pump gas, or forget they drove about 3.5 hours north and sit in their car at the gas pump befor they realize they aren't in Oregon anymore.

[MRD]

If you do go to the grocery store and a bagger carries out your groceries, do you tip? I always do, even if it's just a buck or two. My friends and kids think I'm weird, because I guess not many people still tip their baggers. But I tell you what - every darn bagger in that store wants to cart out my groceries. My eggs are never cracked, my bread is always soft and un-smushed, my cold stuff always gets bagged together, and even if I only have one little bag, they'll offer to carry it for me. Weird though it may be, I love getting good service like that, so yes, I will continue to tip!

The store we shop at has signs that ask you to please NOT tip the baggers.
I always take my own groceries out to the car. I'd rather load my car myself.

In Florida, the store we used employed a lot of retirees and I always felt so bad when they'd offer to take out my groceries "ma'am". First of all, they were old enough to be my father or grandfather, so I hated it when they called ME ma'am and here I am a fairly young able bodied person, so I never felt right letting them do it. We were asked not to tip there as well.

[Yardgnome]

That's when you just drop a buck on the ground and say "Look, somebody must have lost some money. It's your lucky day."

That is a good plan that I might have to try.
I usually don't have them go out with me but when you have a lot they don't let the carts go out so you have no choice.

[cricketeen]

In Florida, the store we used employed a lot of retirees and I always felt so bad when they'd offer to take out my groceries "ma'am". First of all, they were old enough to be my father or grandfather, so I hated it when they called ME ma'am and here I am a fairly young able bodied person, so I never felt right letting them do it.

We have a store here that hires retirees, too. I feel the same way. Hearing someone my dad's age call me "ma'am" seems demeaning (not to me, to them).

I don't tip someone for bagging my groceries, but I would if they carried them out and loaded the car for me. I do it for myself because I can. There is a grocery not far from me that will do like Misskitty was describing. They load your bags into numbered bins and the bins go onto a conveyor belt to the outside. You get matching numbered tags, go to your car, drive to a loading area (under a roof), give them the tags and they load your car.
It's great when it's raining/snowing . No tipping because once they take your tags, they don't come back to your window - they just thank you and move on to the next car.

[prhoshay]

Peeve: How many phone books the phone company puts out each year! I know we get about 4. There is the regular one, with print so small that a lot of people need a magnifying glass to ready it; there is the "User Friendly" one that you can read more easily because the print is larger; there's the yellow pages; and there are the "area specific" books. I may even be missing one, for this list. And let's not even go into how they stack up in your house if you forget to recycle or throw them away.

[veejer]

I never received a tip as a bagger, and that was long before I became a curmudgeon.

What if........Newf had been tipped as a bagger? Would he not have become a curmudgeon? Hmmmmm.......

[Newfherder]

What if........Newf had been tipped as a bagger? Would he not have become a curmudgeon? Hmmmmm.......

I never thought about it, but you could be right . . . A tip or two may have prevented my descent to jaded curmudgeondom.

Prhoshay: When terrorists blow up the Charmin factory, you'll be begging the phone company for MORE phone books.