An Instacart shopper sparked a debate after he got into a heated exchange with a Stater Bros. Markets worker who refused to let him bag his own groceries.
User @ev_dash, a California-based Instacart shopper who regularly posts content about his job, uploaded the viral video. In it, he took viewers on a $40 Instacart run—taking note of the customer’s detailed instructions. As of Wednesday morning, his video had over 31,800 views.
The video started with @ev_dash telling viewers that some grocery store workers “don’t want to listen to you.” He encouraged fellow Instacart shoppers to “let them complain [and] let them cry about it,” as he loaded groceries into his car’s trunk.
@ev_dash The Safety Of Your 🥕 InstaCart Customers’ Food Is The Most Important Thing 💯 ##Orangecounty##ca##instacart##doordash##uber##ubereats##delivery##driver##hustle##groceryshopping##ev##staterbros##difficult ♬ original sound – EVdash
“All that matters is making sure the customer’s food is well-organized and safe,” he said. “It’s all that matters.”
@ev_dash found the customer’s items with ease, breezing through the store’s aisles and taking precautions like shopping for all the cold items last and putting the cold foods in insulated bags.
The crux of his video, however, focused on his exchange with an argumentative grocery store bagger who wouldn’t follow the Instacart shopper’s instructions. For instance, the worker placed raw fish with romaine lettuce—which @ev_dash said is a no-go.
“Ooh ooh good thing I caught that,” he wrote via text overlay. When the worker asked why he moved the two items apart, @ev_dash explained: “It’s gotta be separate because it’s for Instacart.”
“All the raw foods gotta go together [and] all the heavy items gotta go together,” he added. “So I’ll switch it around. Our rating is affected by that stuff.”
The bagger and shopper go back-and-forth on a number of supposed bagging issues. For instance, @ev_dash called the worker out for not putting dog food in its own bag. He attempted to bag the groceries himself, but was stopped by the worker who said that she didn’t want to be held responsible for misplaced or crushed items.
Once outside, @ev_dash aired his frustrations with the employee. “Some of these people, I swear to God, they don’t want to listen to you,” he said. “So annoying, but you just gotta stay firm.”
In the comments, viewers were split on whether to back the Instacart shopper or the grocery store employee. Some said that @ev_dash was complaining too much or acting “entitled.”
“Man bag your own sh*t if you put soap with chicken next to each other on the conveyor belt best believe I will bag them together,” one user wrote.
“Just stop complaining and bag it urself,” another chimed in.
“They definitely spoke about you in the break room,” a third person quipped.
Others, however, said that the bagger was in the wrong for putting mismatched grocery items together.
“I’ve had somebody put raw meat with cleaning supplies before,” one worker said. “Makes us look bad to customers.”
“That’s why I try so hard to use self-checkout, but I think I’m gonna start insisting I bag my own stuff,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @ev_dash via TikTok comment and Stater Bros. media department by email.