European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 8, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Sas photos by Dave Didio Joan Moffett Maneu vers loaded carts at the Ramstein a commissary. Bagger Jeff Tutu helps Brenda ice at the Heidelberg Germany commissary. Commissary baggers take a tip from those who know it Ain t easy by Randy Pruitt staff writer scanners Bleep paper sacks Rustle and shopping carts bang together in a mad musical mix. Hands blur As they swoop up a Cornucopia of cans boxes fruits and vegetables the players in this grocery store cacophony Are commissary baggers the ultimate free lancers. In military communities baggers Are a special Breed. Since baggers Aren t commissary employees they draw no wages. They depend solely on the generosity of customers. Sometimes that s Good. Sometimes it s not. On a Good Day a Bagger can take Home $00 or More. On a bad Day they might pocket Only $30. Or less most baggers say they average $40-$45. Quot it s not an easy Job Quot says Helene Harris a Bagger Lor eight years at the commissary at Ramstein a Germany. She has put two children through College with her tips. Harris a French citizen married to a retired air Force service member works from 8 . To 4 p.m., earning amounts varying from 25 cents to $1, Quot sometimes you sit on the Bench for an hour then when you go out you Only get a Quarter Quot she says Quot but it All averages out. I can t bagging though can have its drawbacks Quot the hardest part of the Job is learning to have patience with people Quot says Oliver Robinson Iii a student at Heidelberg University and a commissary Bagger since 1985. Quot some people Tell you to wait with the groceries maybe 20 minutes or a half hour. In that time period you re not making any Money. Maybe they go to the pm then sometimes you get Robinson says tales of fat tips while True Are rare. Quot that s once in a Blue Moon the Money we make Here is Stella Vallee a native of France who is married to an my in Heidelberg will never forget the $100 tip she received when the . Embassy in Switzerland purchased $8,000 in groceries. But she also recalls Days when she took Home Only $20. Quot its rare when i Don t get something Quot says Vallee 22. Like Many others she likes the flexible working hours baggers Are often allowed. Quot this is the Best Job to have the same hours As my husband Quot she says. Quot i think we re looked Down upon a lot Quot says Shelley Cooley who has been bagging at Rhein main a Germany for 18 months. Quot if they the Public could step in our shoes for one Day and pull those carts Back and Forth then i think they would come to understand us a Little better Quot Many customers she maintains Don t realize baggers work for tips Only. The situation could be remedied by posting a larger sign at a prominent spot inside the commissary she says. Bagging says the 30-year-old woman is exhausting both physically and emotionally. Quot you go Home at night and you besides keeping the lines moving baggers keep the store s entry and Check out area clean. If a customer finds something missing a and has a receipt the Bagger must compensate the shopper for the items. Denise Gomes Public affairs spokeswoman for the defense commissary Agency says tipping is left entirely to the shopper. How much to tip is a question that seems to baffle everyone even baggers a 25-cent per bag Rule is suggested by some. Others just smile and shrug. Quot in deciding How much to tip think about the service the Bagger has Given you Quot Gomes suggests. Quot consider the number of bags carried the kind of weather you re in and the degree of Courtesy Gomes says customers who wish to bag and carry their own purchases should Tell the cashier before merchandise is rung up. Charlie Searchwell logs 25 years of bagging and Good works by Randy Pruitt staff writer i f there were a King of the baggers Charlie Searchwell would Wear the Brown paper Crown. The Dapper Man with the Mustache and Goatee looks out for More than 200 men women and students who work for tips Only to help lighten the Load of Ramstein commissary shoppers. He and his baggers also look out for a bit of humanity. When a 4-year-old needed a specially modified wheelchair his baggers donated a portion of their tips. They responded again when the son of a Navy officer in the . Needed a Bone marrow transplant. When a fellow Bagger died of heart Lailie two years ago they established the Patr ick soy Man in scholarship fund in his memory. Since 1967 a when Charlie began sacking groceries a Ramstein commissary baggers have dug deeply into their pockets to help support everything from Little league to orphanages they be helped the Ramstein Junior Roth pow/m1a scholarship fund chaplains Holiday food Basket program boy scouts High school Junior Roth Drill team Competition and contributed to the c-5 crash memorial fund. Last year $18,114 was raised through Bagger oriented programs at the Ramstein commissary. A baggers done to work they Hump Quot says the 53-year-old Jamaica native who became head Bagger eight years ago. The giving spirit started in 1967, Charlie recalls the year the radar technician and Cook received his honorable discharge from the . Air Force and started Quot working the Quot a Bagger s Church was supporting a Halfway House in a nearby Community that was not being sponsored by the German government Quot Charlie says. Quot we said let s just donate a whole Day s tips. Quot they contributed for four years the Money going to help children from the broken Homes of East bloc refugees when it shut Down they started giving Money to an orphanage in Lan Stuhl. Charlie reads newspapers regularly keeping an Eye open for people in need Quot then i discuss it with the baggers says the Man who confesses to having a soft spot for Quot children old people and each Christmas Charlie sponsors an Art Competition at Ramstein elementary school awarding $25 for first prize $15 for second and $10 each for third and fourth places and for the funniest entry. The teacher serves As judge and Charlie says he makes sure each participant gels Candy. Page 14 b the stars and stripes saturday february a 1992 Charlie Searchwell is known for his Good deeds. Quot it gives them a Chance to show what they can in says adding Quot i did no to even have roller skates when i was a to further boost Young egos Charlie transforms the commissary into an Art gallery each Christmas Holiday i pins up the Art for All shoppers to see. On easter he sponsors a crafts competitor student make rag dolls and carvings then exhibit them Quot last year they were so Good we sold the i torn and donated the proceeds to children in Romania Quot he says working through an area Church baggers donated their tips to the cause Charlie who stayed overseas because his cum Man Wile. Inge did no to want to move is known for his modes to he shrugs off any personal recognition and prefers the word to to t. He s speaking of his fellow baggers of course Charlie is particularly proud of the student bagging program to initiated. Quot i Here Are no other jobs around Here for the students. Quot he says. Quot what i do instead of having 20 students and everybody takes Home $30, i be got 40 students working and everybody takes Home $15 Quot Charlies giving goes beyond the commissary doors a Long time ago he bought 18,000 Square meters 4.5 acres of land in the area. He s since turned it into an environmentally protected Sanctuary for endangered waterfowl and Small wildlife. Quot As Small As my contribution May be i want to give Back some of the Good Given to me Quot he says. Quot i want to be sure our children have the Opportunity to in of a Beautiful Earth with clean air and Sunshine Quot Charlie is Quick to Point out he s not Well off Lina Iuan by Quot i came from a poor family Quot he says Quot i guess i us like to help Charlie s generosity is Well known m the Community he was awarded the a act it. Col. Donald c. Thomas humanitarian award two years ago and was selected Volunteer of the year in 1990 by the Ramstein family support Center. In 1990 he also received a letter of appreciation from president Bush for his humanitarian and Volunteer efforts. Charlie takes bagging groceries As seriously As helping others. He views baggers though non salaried a-., Goodwill ambassadors at commissaries Quot the last person they customers see is a Bagger or says. Quot baggers Are the hardest working people in the undoubtedly they have some of the biggest hearts the stars and stripes b Page 15
