Plastic bags for small/stupid purchases.

[Peppergirl]

......Continue where it got a bit contentious over there.


My personal feeling? I love the bags for cat litter and other things around the house, but I save up the bags that I carry ALOT of stuff in from the groceries. Meaning - I do try to do my part a bit by not asking for a plastic bag for something small and stupid. The ones I do have have been carried in with large, full purchases.

While I think it's uber-ridiculous and petty to ask for a bag for a small item like that, there's no point in arguing with them. It only makes it worse, and serves to make the SC dig their heels in more just to get what they want.

Anyone else?

PS - I also tote around the cloth bags. Not just for the environment, but they're sturdy as hell!

[Boozy]

My store started charging for bags recently. We've received very little negative feedback. I'm pleasantly surprised.

A few people have mentioned that they'll miss our very sturdy bags because they're durable enough to re-use, and they're great for cat litter. So when some of them do request a bag for a small purchase (and pay the nickel), I just assume it's because they plan on re-using the bag for something.

There's no point in going all eco-warrior on someone for using a plastic bag. It's important to be aware of how small changes can affect the environment, and I like the fact that people are thinking about their impact. But plastic bags have such a ludicrously tiny impact on the environment compared to so many other things we do. A sense of perspective is important so that we can focus our energy on things that really matter.

[AFPheonix]

I internally roll my eyes at people that ask for bags for small things or things that are already bagged, like a single small prescription, but I'm not going to give them shit for it.

[kibbles]

I think the issue is employees arguing with customers over a small thing they are asking for. IMO, employees automatically become sucky employees when they lecture customers over personal choices just as a customer automatically becomes a sucky customer when they lecture an employee over policies, etc. that an employee does not have any control over.

[Peppergirl]

I think the issue is employees arguing with customers over a small thing they are asking for. IMO, employees automatically become sucky employees when they lecture customers over personal choices just as a customer automatically becomes a sucky customer when they lecture an employee over policies, etc. that an employee does not have any control over.

That is a REALLY good point.

While PERSONALLY I think it's petty and ridiculous to want a bag for something like that, if we question them or give them shit, doesn't that make us just as bad as the customers we bitch about?

[Sylvia727]

That's why I carry a purse bag. It's something between a small backpack and a large handbag. I can fit a full bag of groceries or enough clothing for a week in there. When I'm just out and about, I can fit almost anything in there without wasting plastic bags. Although I do get odd looks from cashiers when I say that I don't need a bag for my purchase of ten books.

I've heard of enough people reusing plastic bags -- poop pickup for dogs, especially -- that I don't assume that the person needing the bag is going to waste it. Also, if I have a lot to carry, not that uncommon for me, I'll ask for a bag to make it easier for me. Sure, it's just one item, I could carry it alone easily...but it would take up my whole hand, whereas a bag can be hung around my wrist to free up my hands for other things.

[boringscreenname]

I only use plastic grocery bags when I have a large purchase at the store. We reuse our plastic bags in the small trashcans around the house, or if I have a lunch that won't fit in my lunchbox I'll just take a plastic grocery bag.

For smaller purchases I just toss the stuff in my son's diaper bag, which I use for my stuff too or I just carry it, or stick it in the storage area underneath the stroller. I'm going to be buying a messenger bag or a tote bag soon though because the diaper bag is ugly and it can't hold a ton of stuff so I'm looking for something that's more roomy, practical and decent looking.

[powerboy]

I think the issue is employees arguing with customers over a small thing they are asking for. IMO, employees automatically become sucky employees when they lecture customers over personal choices just as a customer automatically becomes a sucky customer when they lecture an employee over policies, etc. that an employee does not have any control over.

Exactly. No employee has a right to tell me how many bags I can take esp. if they are out at the end. Now I am not going to take them all, but I will take a few extra at times.

I've heard of enough people reusing plastic bags -- poop pickup for dogs, especially -- that I don't assume that the person needing the bag is going to waste it. Also, if I have a lot to carry, not that uncommon for me, I'll ask for a bag to make it easier for me. Sure, it's just one item, I could carry it alone easily...but it would take up my whole hand, whereas a bag can be hung around my wrist to free up my hands for other things.

Oh yeah, if I am going to be walking around, I am going to use a bag to free up a hand.

[linguist]

Exactly. No employee has a right to tell me how many bags I can take esp. if they are out at the end. Now I am not going to take them all, but I will take a few extra at times.

actually, yeah they can. those bags are provided for the convenience of customers, but they are property of the store, and not there for the taking. when you take more bags than are needed for the items you've purchased, you're essentially stealing from the store. bag cost is a huge expense for retailers, particularly high-volume retailers like grocery stores, which is why so many are moving away from providing them. you may see it as only a bag, but to the store it's a few cents. multiply that by, say, 1000 customers a day taking one extra bag, and that adds up to a few hundred dollars lost a day.

[fireheart17]

linguist has summed it up for me *points above*

But my 2c on this one is that some people take bags for stuff they don't need. Or the sucky lady who grabbed about 8 or 9 extra bags without needing them. For garbage bags, she said. Stupid cheap woman.

[powerboy]

actually, yeah they can. those bags are provided for the convenience of customers, but they are property of the store, and not there for the taking. when you take more bags than are needed for the items you've purchased, you're essentially stealing from the store. bag cost is a huge expense for retailers, particularly high-volume retailers like grocery stores, which is why so many are moving away from providing them. you may see it as only a bag, but to the store it's a few cents. multiply that by, say, 1000 customers a day taking one extra bag, and that adds up to a few hundred dollars lost a day.

The thing with me, is that I am still going to take about 1-2 extra bags. If the retailer is losing $1000's a month, then they could maybe lock the bags up. But I highly doubt that they would do that. Or how about they put security at the end of each lane to make sure that no takes any extra?

linguist has summed it up for me *points above*

But my 2c on this one is that some people take bags for stuff they don't need. Or the sucky lady who grabbed about 8 or 9 extra bags without needing them. For garbage bags, she said. Stupid cheap woman.

Yes I am cheap. If the bag fits the can, then why shouldn't I use it as a garbage bag? Plus, maybe I use the bag for other things. Just because you may not need a bag, does not mean that others don't.


Yes I do have a few of those canvas bags, and I will use them when I have too. Plus I am using one for my equipment.

[linguist]

The thing with me, is that I am still going to take about 1-2 extra bags. If the retailer is losing $1000's a month, then they could maybe lock the bags up. But I highly doubt that they would do that. Or how about they put security at the end of each lane to make sure that no takes any extra?

locking the bags up would be unreasonably inefficient, causing delays in checkout that would invariably lead to much bitching by customers. and most retailers have enough staffing issues without having to hire extra staff just to keep bags out of the hands of the entitlement whores who think that anything not nailed down is their personal property.

Yes I am cheap. If the bag fits the can, then why shouldn't I use it as a garbage bag? Plus, maybe I use the bag for other things. Just because you may not need a bag, does not mean that others don't.

no one is saying you shouldn't use them as garbage bags, or for any other purpose. goodness knows it's better to recycle them and get as much use out of them as possible before they end up in landfill. myself, i have a large tote full of them that i use as garbage bags. but i don't ever take any more than are necessary to pack my purchases, as i don't believe in taking things that don't belong to me.

[the_std]

powerboy, I hope you realize how much of an SC you sound like right now. They're not your bags. They're the store's bags, and they're provided so that people can put their groceries in them, not so other people can line their garbage cans. Now, if you were paying for these bags, that would be a different story. But if they're free, they're not yours. Yes, it's only a few bags, but (and I hate to trot this line out), it's the principle of the thing. Why are they yours to take?

I'm not saying you're an evil person or anything like that. Hell, taking a few bags is a very lesser evil. But your reasoning behind it sounds exactly like a lot of the things we hear from SCs every day.

[fireheart17]

If the lady had a justifiable reason for needing extra bags (i.e. she had leaking meat, sweating milk etc.) I'd gladly give it to her, but she didn't.

Then there was the customer who wanted One. Bag. Per. Item. I wouldn't have minded so much if she'd had all heavy items, but it was stuff like tampons...Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

In my state, they've banned them. We were all expecting a riot to break out. Funnily enough, nothing happened, except for the conspiracy theorists going wacko as always.

[Boozy]

Or how about they put security at the end of each lane to make sure that no takes any extra?

That would seriously slow everyone and everything at the check-outs down to a crawl. Are you suggesting that stores should severely inconvenience their cashiers and their honest customers just to stop you from taking more bags than required?