DANCE MACABRE

[Epigonos]

What I'm about to present is simply an observation. It is NOT in ANYWAY a political statement or a value judgment.

 

Over the last fifteen to twenty years here in California our governors and our state legislators have made a very strong, and successful, effort to eliminate the use of free plastic grocery bags given out by the markets. The intent was to protect the environment from all the waste plastic. I have unfortunately noticed that during this period, of increased use of re-usable grocery bags, the conditions of those bags has deteriorated badly -- they have become more and more frequently soiled and dirty. Now we are being told NOT to use our re-usable grocery bags as they may be contaminated with the virus. Some markets chains will not even allow customers to enter their stores with these re-usable bags. Just returned from one of my local markets where I encountered a woman who was furious because she had to return to her car to leave her re-usable bag.

 

I also find it interesting that the elected Lord Mayor of London asked all those, who could, to avoid using the city’s tube system. He wanted the ridership to be limited to those who absolutely had to come into central London. A number of years ago the London city government, to limit the congestion and parking problem in central London, placed a rather pricy tax on all car owners bringing their cars into the central city during the work week. The tax was quite successful in decreasing the number of cars coming into the city while greatly increasing the ridership on the city’s tube system. When people followed his plea to avoid using the tube system and the trains became half empty he cut the number of trains operating. This decrease in the number of trains caused major delays in the system and created crowding again on the trains. His response was to blame construction workers who were using the system even though the government had recommended the continuation of construction projection in the city.

 

Damn life is interesting even in these difficult times.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Epigonos

[borgerback]

This is why we should have a much deeper and healthier suspicion of what the government tells us to do 'for our good' than we actually exercise . . .

[MrMattBig]

What I'm about to present is simply an observation. It is NOT in ANYWAY a political statement or a value judgment.

 

Over the last fifteen to twenty years here in California our governors and our state legislators have made a very strong, and successful, effort to eliminate the use of free plastic grocery bags given out by the markets. The intent was to protect the environment from all the waste plastic. I have unfortunately noticed that during this period, of increased use of re-usable grocery bags, the conditions of those bags has deteriorated badly -- they have become more and more frequently soiled and dirty. Now we are being told NOT to use our re-usable grocery bags as they may be contaminated with the virus. Some markets chains will not even allow customers to enter their stores with these re-usable bags. Just returned from one of my local markets where I encountered a woman who was furious because she had to return to her car to leave her re-usable bag.

 

I also find it interesting that the elected Lord Mayor of London asked all those, who could, to avoid using the city’s tube system. He wanted the ridership to be limited to those who absolutely had to come into central London. A number of years ago the London city government, to limit the congestion and parking problem in central London, placed a rather pricy tax on all car owners using their cars to come into the central city. The tax was quite successful in decreasing the number of cars coming into the city while greatly increasing the ridership on the city’s tube system. When people followed his plea to avoid using the tube system and the trains became half empty he cut the number of trains operating. This decreased in the number of trains caused major delay in the system and created crowding again on the trains. His response was to blame construction workers who were using the system even though the government had recommended the continuation of construction projection in the city.

 

Damn life is interesting even in these difficult times.

Here in Vegas we don't have a bank on plastic bags yet. I don't know about others, but as it's just myself I used the plastic grocery bags as garbage bags, and haven't bought regular garage bags in over a year. In regards to the plastic straw ban in California, I have only seen one fast food place use paper straws once. So plastic straws are continuously put into the public under unregulated disposal (littering), while at bars one would pay for an expensive drink only to potentially have the flavor impacted by the paper straw, while all garbage would be disposed of still properly by staff and garbage collection services.

[jjkrkwood]

What I'm about to present is simply an observation. It is NOT in ANYWAY a political statement or a value judgment.

 

Over the last fifteen to twenty years here in California our governors and our state legislators have made a very strong, and successful, effort to eliminate the use of free plastic grocery bags given out by the markets. The intent was to protect the environment from all the waste plastic. I have unfortunately noticed that during this period, of increased use of re-usable grocery bags, the conditions of those bags has deteriorated badly -- they have become more and more frequently soiled and dirty. Now we are being told NOT to use our re-usable grocery bags as they may be contaminated with the virus. Some markets chains will not even allow customers to enter their stores with these re-usable bags. Just returned from one of my local markets where I encountered a woman who was furious because she had to return to her car to leave her re-usable bag.

 

.

 

Here in NY where they recently banned plastic bags, I was shocked today when I went to checkout that they were using PLASTIC bags again, although I had my own bags with me. The checker told me the "no plastic" rule was rescinded temporarily due to crisis and advised me not to bring my own bags any longer unless advised to do so by the governor.

[maninsoma]

I have been using my own bags most of the time for nearly 40 years. It shouldn't take a government mandate to inform people that single use bags are a waste. I'm not saying they have no purpose ever, but I've never understood people's aversion to going to a store prepared with a bag or two (or more for a large shopping trip).

 

I understand the caution right now against reusable bags. Initially I read that some stores were having their cashiers only bag into single-use bags -- customers had to bag their own purchases if they brought in a reusable bag. Going all the way to banning customers from even reusing their own bags seems a little silly if the notion is that the outside of the bag could have COVID-19 on it. So could the customers' hands and people are walking around the store shopping as usual (which sometimes includes touching items they don't buy as well as shopping carts/baskets, self-checkout register equipment, and payment equipment).

[+ bigjoey]

What I'm about to present is simply an observation. It is NOT in ANYWAY a political statement or a value judgment.

 

Over the last fifteen to twenty years here in California our governors and our state legislators have made a very strong, and successful, effort to eliminate the use of free plastic grocery bags given out by the markets. The intent was to protect the environment from all the waste plastic. I have unfortunately noticed that during this period, of increased use of re-usable grocery bags, the conditions of those bags has deteriorated badly -- they have become more and more frequently soiled and dirty. Now we are being told NOT to use our re-usable grocery bags as they may be contaminated with the virus. Some markets chains will not even allow customers to enter their stores with these re-usable bags. Just returned from one of my local markets where I encountered a woman who was furious because she had to return to her car to leave her re-usable bag.

 

I also find it interesting that the elected Lord Mayor of London asked all those, who could, to avoid using the city’s tube system. He wanted the ridership to be limited to those who absolutely had to come into central London. A number of years ago the London city government, to limit the congestion and parking problem in central London, placed a rather pricy tax on all car owners bringing their cars into the central city during the work week. The tax was quite successful in decreasing the number of cars coming into the city while greatly increasing the ridership on the city’s tube system. When people followed his plea to avoid using the tube system and the trains became half empty he cut the number of trains operating. This decreased in the number of trains caused major delay in the system and created crowding again on the trains. His response was to blame construction workers who were using the system even though the government had recommended the continuation of construction projection in the city.

 

Damn life is interesting even in these difficult times.

 

The “Law of Unintended Consequences” at work:

1-trains are too crowded, tell people not to use the trains

2-fewer people use the trains and revenue falls

3-cut service due to lower revenue

4-fewer trains means more people crowded onto trains

?

[+ bigjoey]

I have been using my own bags most of the time for nearly 40 years. It shouldn't take a government mandate to inform people that single use bags are a waste. I'm not saying they have no purpose ever, but I've never understood people's aversion to going to a store prepared with a bag or two (or more for a large shopping trip).

 

I understand the caution right now against reusable bags. Initially I read that some stores were having their cashiers only bag into single-use bags -- customers had to bag their own purchases if they brought in a reusable bag. Going all the way to banning customers from even reusing their own bags seems a little silly if the notion is that the outside of the bag could have COVID-19 on it. So could the customers' hands and people are walking around the store shopping as usual (which sometimes includes touching items they don't buy as well as shopping carts/baskets, self-checkout register equipment, and payment equipment).

 

 

In foreign countries, I have seen shoppers bringing in mesh bags that are easily carried in a pocket or purse. Much more practical for smaller, everyday purchases.

[Epigonos]

Hey bigjoey great comment about the mesh or string bags common in Europe. The last time I was in Europe I bought a half dozen of them -- they are very cheap. I bought the string one and I love them. They fit in my pocket but expand and expand and expand when I fill them in the market. People in line have always asked about them and where I got them. Another great thing about them is that they can be thrown into the wash and dryer and they come out just like new. I wonder if they are available from amazon?

[Epigonos]

Guess what? Amazon does sell the European style string grocery bags. They are about $13.00 for three. One caveat is the delivery date is April 24. Here is the URL if anybody is interested:https://www.amazon.com/Cotton-Reusable-Grocery-Bags-Shopping/dp/B016BDZ6CQ

[+ Charlie]

Starting last week, every market I have been to in Palm Springs requires people who bring their own reusable bags to bag their own purchases on tables set aside for that purpose, so the checkers don't have to touch those bags. However, if the checkers bag the purchases in the store's bags, then the customer is taking home the bags that the checkers have touched. It feels like we are going around in circles.

[+ azdr0710]

and for those thinking it was a youtube of the legendary classic we all studied in 5th grade Music Class.....57.3 million views!.....as always, full volume!

 

in that music class, we never learned (or remembered) the underlying meaning of danse macabre, but we did get to jump around like the nighttime characters did in the cemetery until that rooster crowed at the end......party over....

 

Edited April 3, 2020 by azdr0710

[mike carey]

There's no hint here of any restriction on bringing your own bags to the shops, and in Canberra single use plastic bags have been banned since 2011. Most people bring their own, buy heavier duty plastic bags (15 cents each) or load their groceries back into the trolley and unpack it into their cars. The most common reusable bags there are woven plastic with a rough finish that's unlikely to have virus persist on it, or cloth which is also lower risk. I generally use the self-checkout so I don't know whether checkout staff pack your own bags for you or make you to it yourself (or shop at Aldi where they don't pack any bags, it's all down to you). [Trolleys in this town require you to put a gold coin ($1 or $2) in a slot to unlock them from the row of trolleys, and once you've taken your groceries to your car you get it back when you return the trolley and secure it in trolley bay in the car park. Oh, and translation, trolley = cart.]

[JulianLondon]

The current Mayor of London is unfit for office, incompetent and self serving.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8134765/London-Mayor-Sadiq-Khan-says-people-using-public-transport.html

[+ LIguy]

i bought about a dozen of cloth bags and every few trips to supermarket or if i bought poultry i throw them in the washing machine.

[maninsoma]

I went grocery shopping this morning and left my backpack at home because of the current ban on bringing bags into a grocery store. So much for that. About half of the people in line had their own bags, and the store was not prohibiting customers from bringing those bags into the store. While I was waiting for a bus across the street by Whole Foods, someone monitoring the line simply told their customers that they could not "shop into" their bags.