“Buggies” and Self-Sufficiency

My first home in the south was in Georgia in the fall of 2007. I moved there from Washington, DC where I lived downtown and walked 2 blocks to the Giant grocery store or one block to one of the bodegas. In Georgia, there was a Publix grocery store just down the street from my apartment, but the road was highway, so I had to drive.

I took my canvas bags to the grocery store and did my shopping. After I paid, the bagger took the handle of the cart (or “buggy”—I’ll discuss this more later) and started walking away. I stood there for a second while I watched this teenager walk off with my groceries. He turned around and looked at me and so I followed him out the door and walked him to the car. He loaded the groceries into the car and refused the tip I tried to give him.

I felt inconvenienced which I believe is an odd reaction to such kindness! However, I didn’t want a stranger handling my groceries never mind the logical mist-step that several strangers had already handled my groceries from production to the checkout clerk!
Additionally, I felt this custom was outdated and sexist. What? I can’t carry my own groceries? (Back in the day, I carried my own groceries 2 city blocks stopping only occasionally to rebalance the load on my shoulders.) Plus now there was an awkward span of time from the door to the car where the bagger and I attempted small talk over the noise of the cart wheels rolling over pavement.

Eventually, I came to see this custom as part of Southern living that I could choose to take advantage of or politely decline. I gave up the notion that it was sexist after witnessing enough men allowing a bagger to push their cart of groceries.

I have to admit though that on occasion I struggled to politely decline the bagger’s assistance and made the excuse that I needed to stop by the lottery counter and didn’t need the bagger to wait when I really just wanted to walk the groceries to the car myself. Making an excuse eased my guilt that I might be putting this poor kid out of a job.

It’s interesting to note that in my short time here in Louisiana, the Market Basket grocery store that I’ve shopped at has not offered cart service. Maybe they were just short-staffed.

The other oddity about grocery shopping in South is the use of the term “buggy.” Some people call grocery carts “buggies.” The first time someone asked me if I was using “that buggy” my mind immediately pictured a baby carriage—a pricey New York City pram with chrome parts and rubber wheels. When I came to and wiped the confusion off my face and said “yes, yes I am.”