Joe Bob’s Thought of the Day: Grocery Store Edition

This is happening on everything. Never had to pay for trash pickup before, it's actually included in property taxes, but now the city wants to start charging for it. When we say do property taxes go down? They say of course not! PS: I have about 20 of those "reusable" plastic bags tucked under the seat of my truck. Do I remember to take them in the grocery store? Of course not!

Change can be annoying and hard. Either you think trash and plastic production is a problem or don't. Or, more precisely, that your mild inconvenience is worth making for your neighbors and community. Bags are free where I live but we try to bring reusable bags anyway. They are larger and better to transport groceries. Being in NYC presents different challenges I imagine. Part of which is where all those plastic bags wind up.

I don't miss California... Not really...

Thomas Backman

Here in Michigan, bags are still FREE (well, you know, with the cost built in) - I didn't know I had it so good (and I hope it lasts....)

Perfect solution!😂

I just bring a professional juggler with me each time.

thats a Brilliant idea! i didnt even realize i could do that!

ill have the free paper bags that rip on you when its raining. at least i can recycle them if not use them as a firestarter in my firepit! i Also will Not be carrying bags around with me because i paid for it to reuse it. heck , i cant even remember to take the plastic bags back to the store i got them from to give them to their recycling project haha give joe bob his free bag would ya!? geesh

Ok, my final pitch on this matter: a cowboy hat with a zipper hidden in the hat’s band where the crown meets the brim. Just unzip and VIOLA! -extra fabric is released and the hat becomes a shopping bag!

Exactly! When I need liners for the little trash cans in my house, I get the store’s bags. When I’m well stocked on liners, I use the heavier-duty bags from the back of my car.

I always take the old plastic bags to reuse at the store

And for the record - those plastic bags are ALSO reusable! I use them as trashcan liners and when I scoop the litter box. A local homeless organization I volunteer with uses them to give out toiletries, clothing, snacks, etc. Now they are harder to get because of the reusable bag usage. It just makes me laugh that they think those plastic bags are "single use."

I can sympathize with JB’s frustration when this happens while he’s on the road -it’s never occurred to me to pack shopping bags in my luggage. However, if this is about JB leaving his NY apartment to pick up a few things from a nearby bodega (there’s one on the ground floor of most NY apartment buildings), he should just bring a bag -it’s a minuscule inconvenience, but it’s a good thing that makes a bigger difference when more of us do it. I understand the principle of insisting that it’s the store’s obligation to provide a bag, but since that results in tons of unnecessary petroleum production that just later becomes tons of plastic waste, the greater good is better served by us making a modicum of effort.

Yeah, I also just dump groceries into my trunk. Reusable bags have to be washed, which makes no freakin' sense in Ellay.

Moviegique

But I get it I wouldn’t be happy about being changed each time for bags either 🤷‍♂️

Joshua Sherwood

I feel this, I have a stack of reusable bags in my car and I still forget to bring them into the store!

Joe Schiro