What's Bugging Me Now

Things get on my nerves me a lot. But the upside is that the things that bug me change frequently. So at least it doesn't get boring.

This week, it's shopping interactions. These are just basic daily exchanges that seem to get all muddled up – and it baffles me.

Take Trader Joe's. I love the store and do most of my shopping there. The staffers are generally pretty friendly and helpful. But sometimes that goes too far, like when they feel the need to comment on every little thing I'm buying. The comments go something like this:

Oh, this cereal's really great. Have you tried it with yogurt?

Are these No Pudge brownies any good? I haven't made them yet.

Cake, cookies, chips. Someone's having a party.

I'm afraid to buy any personal hygiene products there for fear of the direction that might lead the conversation in.

Even more annoying than the comments on what I'm buying are the comments on how much I'm buying. I've got two kids and a husband, so I can fill a cart pretty easily. We go through a lot of cereal, apples, and eggs. And I don't really like having to explain myself.

Wow, you must be feeding a small army at home.

"Yep," I reply. "Hungry kids. What can I tell you?"

I mean, this is a town filled with families, I can't be the only one who goes in to stock up, am I?

Then yesterday, it went past commenting and became complaining. My checker was dismayed at how much I was buying, which was only five bags worth. (Child's play, if you ask me.)

            Oh, I just saw how much you have on the bottom of the cart, she said, after scanning everything in the basket. I shrugged.

            Wow, you've got some heavy stuff, she sighed as she pulled out the bottles of juice and mineral water.

Yes, it's true. Bottled drinks are heavy and a pain in the neck to buy, shlep home and put away. What's even crazier was that I was bagging all of these heavy items myself. (That's another thing that bugs me about Trader Joe's: no baggers.) But should the people who are selling me the groceries be complaining about the fact that I'm giving them my business? I realize it's not her company. She likely makes an hourly rate, whether she's handling bags of potato chips or cases of soda. But that falls most definitively into the category of: Not My Problem.

It makes as much sense as a guy who sells tires grumbling that they're difficult to install. Or a jewelry store griping that their necklaces are delicate and difficult to handle. 

While we're on the subject of the check-out process, here's another thing I've noticed: if you bring your own bag – which we're all supposed to do now, right? – the clerks won't always bag your items. This happens most often in places like CVS and Walgreens. First, the checker will usually try to scan my bag as if I was buying it.  After I have to explain what it is, they proceed to leave my pile of purchases on the counter. I awkwardly juggle my purse and shopping bag, trying to load up the Tide and the Listerine. The checker stands idly by watching and the person in line behind me taps her foot impatiently.

Why? Why? Is the bagging process any different when you replace plastic or paper with a reusable cloth carry-all? Maybe the checkers feel like they're intruding into my personal space – as if they were packing items into my purse. It doesn't seem to be a standard policy, since it doesn't happen every time. When Westport outlawed plastic bags, wasn't going the reusable route the whole idea?

Come on, CVS, don't stick it to us for being green. Don't be scared of the bags. They don't bite.

Okay, I think that's everything on the list for the moment. Thanks for indulging me in my Andy Rooney moment. I feel much better now.

Michelle Bowers is a Sunday columnist for Westport Patch. You can also read more about her on her blog www.momonthefrontlines.blogspot.com.