Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Could someone please explain...


San Francisco loves to be a trend-setting city... especially when it comes to the environment. The most recent "accomplishment" is a little piece of legislation that outlaws retailers from using plastic bags. I didn't think much of it until they started putting my groceries in paper bags. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we went away from paper bags in the first place because we were killing all the trees (which of course was destroying all the forests which causes an increase in carbon dioxide which causes global warming which could melt polar icecaps which could cause coastal flooding or increased hurricanes or possibly even make large parts of the world uninhabitable which could cause mass migration and war which could be the end of the world as we know it). Now you can't tell me a little plastic bag is worse than all that even if they do pollute the ocean or kill a few seagulls. I hate seagulls anyhow. Everyone says paper is better because you can recycle them... well you can recycle the plastic bags too. If people aren't recycling plastic bags then why would they recycle the paper ones. In all seriousness, I miss plastic bags. For one, I didn't realize how much I reused them until I didn't have them anymore. And two, I break the handles on the paper bags and then I have to make 15 trips to carry in my groceries. AND last night at the grocery store they put my stuff in handleless paper bags! I HAVE KIDS! I can't carry 6 bags with no handles and my two year old at the same time. Could someone please explain to me why we can't just have plastic bags back? I think I'm doing my grocery shopping in marin from now on... which will be better anyhow since the marina safeway is full of snooty environmentalists who think I'm overpopulating the world by having too many kids and destroying the ozone with my SUV.

9 comments:

jocelyn said...

OH MY GOSH!!!! I almost blogged about the exact same thing on Saturday when I took the trash out (even though it's Brady's job) and I came back in and tried to find a plastic bag to put in the bathroom trash can. I was losing my mind. I can't handle not having a bag in the bathroom trash can. I'm going to Target this Saturday and I'm buying lots of stuff so I can stock up on them. ANNNNNDDD, I totally know what you mean about the stupid handles. If they're going to use paper bags, they need to be good quality paper bags. The handles on at least one of my bags breaks EVERY time. You can see I feel strongly about this. San Francisco is so weird.

Porter Family said...

Amen, Sista'! I am with you 100% on this one. My bathroom trash is overflowing because there is no plastic bag in it to conveniently grab and throw away. I made a special trip out to target for something i really did not need just to stock up on a few precious plastic bags. yes, the handles are consistently breaking on the paper ones. I left the broken one in the garage half the day just to spite it because it decided to make my life a little more difficult.

barbaraence said...

I don't care for the paper bags either. The handles are horrible! Mine always break too. When we went home to Utah for the break, we loaded up on plastic bags...but I really miss them at the grocery store.
What store was it that gave you handleless bags?

Rocia said...

So funny you blogged on this, just tonight at the Marina Safeway, I asked the workers that were checking me and loading my groceries if they even liked paper bags and they sneakily gestured..NO! And, when I was at Target yesterday I snatched an entire pile of plastic bags, sorry. Oh, and why do they feel since they are paper and have "strong" handles they can pile them until groceries are pouring over the edge. I'm pretty sure when I was a bagger in high school I was taught that those bags can only safely hold up to no more than eight pounds per bag. Tonight, what usually takes them about 20 plastic bags, they crammed into 6 brown bags that were completely garbage by the time I carried them up three flights of stairs. Ingenious!

Rocia said...

p.s. i hate seagulls too.

Anonymous said...
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Sheri said...

I'll send you some! I have some sweet ones from walmart. Dumb seagulls.

Kera said...

This brings me back to a lovely memory of the other dayI when I am walking into my apartment carrying the car seat, purse, two paper bags and the HANDLE BREAKS on me! hooray Groceries, everywhere.

Courtney said...

Hey we found your blog! Just where you said it would be, and it's really cute! We thought of you guys as we were at Fry's yesterday and saw that they sell nice platic/clothlike bags with handles, made especially for grocery shopping. I would buy some for us, but I reuse the plastic bags throughout our house too. Good luck with the paper bags, hopefully they'll wise up over there! Let us know if you want us to send you some nice reusable bags with handles.
-Keith & Courtney