Paper or Plastic?

Whatever happened to grocery baggers? Where did they all go? Has that job been eliminated due to the recent economic woes? are grocery baggers always the first to be let go?

When we lived in NYC, I will admit I loved Fresh Direct. There is something wonderful about getting groceries while wearing flannel penguin pjs, and having them delivered directly to my door. However, I do enjoy grocery shopping in an actual grocery store (call me weird, it won't be the first time). So when we moved back to suburbia, I was a wee bit excited to go grocery shopping and be able to buy whatever quantity I wanted because I had a trunk and backseat to put the groceries in, not a small granny cart with 2 wobbly wheels. Yesterday though I wasn't too excited about the whole process...maybe it was because T didn't want to be there, or that there seemed to be many more shoppers than usual for a Tuesday afternoon (thanks Thanksgiving!), or most likely because when T did finally start to fall asleep, everyone and their dog had to come up and start talking to her "oh you're a wide awake shopper, aren't you?" Actually yes, she usually shops with her eyes half closed. Then when it is finally time to leave and I have a 15 pound turkey and hordes of other items...the check out lady decides it would be better to continue pushing the button to make the conveyor belt move so that all of my food smashes together at the end of the belt. No bagger in sight, it's all me. Once said items are paid for we begin the task, which I usually don't have a problem with, but T is crying, a strange, random woman is talking to T, and the check out lady is just standing there, pushing that stupid button that makes the belt move...like that helps me...I can push it myself!!

So while Paula Cole asks Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? I ask Where Have All the Baggers Gone?