Montgomery County (MD) just started this in January. EVERY plastic bag costs you $.05 - at the grocery store and at Target, but prepared food earns you a free bag. All it does is make me hate myself every time I go shopping because I invariably forget to bring the pile of reusable bags back out to my car after shopping.

It's revenue generation for the county in the guise of doing something useful. Plus a windfall for Glad/Hefty.

Pedantic whiners notwithstanding, subby shoots, subby scores.

+1

Pray 4 Mojo: And the OC housewives are about 65 miles from LA. 75 or more from "LA Proper"... that's why it fails.

Same joke works with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... and it's actually accurate... and not as lazy.

1. Even San Juan Capistrano is only 55 miles from downtown LA. I'd suspect most of the housewives live somewhere like Irvine or Newport Beach, which is only 40 miles.

2. Beverly Hills is not in City of Los Angeles either.

Cyno01:People from smaller states who have never been to california are usually under the impression that everything from san diego to san francisco are practically right next to eachother.

San Angeles, right?

VivianVivisect: The fark? Orange county is far from LA

It's really not that far. I go back and forth all the time.

stevejovi: Pedantic whiners notwithstanding, subby shoots, subby scores.

+1

Quiet down, subby!

Pray 4 Mojo: jimw: So where are these contaminated bags placed when you check out?

That has always freaked me out a little. Some old cat lady puts her gross, reusable bags on the counter right before my food goes sliding over it. Ewwww...

How about the check-out person ...reaching constantly into everybody's generally unwashed, possibly contaminated, recyclable bags...double yucks.

aerojockey: Pray 4 Mojo: And the OC housewives are about 65 miles from LA. 75 or more from "LA Proper"... that's why it fails.

Same joke works with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills... and it's actually accurate... and not as lazy.

1. Even San Juan Capistrano is only 55 miles from downtown LA. I'd suspect most of the housewives live somewhere like Irvine or Newport Beach, which is only 40 miles.

2. Beverly Hills is not in City of Los Angeles either.

Coto De Caza... that's where they live.

True... but Beverly Hills is basically surrounded by LA.

/And it still wasn't funny

Thankfully I live in Long Beach and can do all shopping in Orange County. Eventually when OC goes yuppie-hippie I'll buy plastic bags in bulk and keep them in the car. I also us them for my wet gym clothes.

What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

LA city council is really hitting it out of the park with their work these days. Between this and the unenforceable condom use in porn law you'd think that there are no other issues in LA.

Osomatic: What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

Dirty old cat lady brings her reusable bags of cat food and a whole chicken into her house. Sets the reusable bags on the floor where her animals actively piss and shiat... or just spread around their piss and shiat... while the raw chicken drips raw chicken juice into the bag. Takes bags back to the store... where the bagger sets the piss, shiat and chicken juice slathered bags on the counter where my food is about to be.

It's farking gross.

And if the bags get wet and thrown in pile in the trunk (where most people keep them)... you can easily grow mold.

I'm using my reusable bags to collect the delicious tears of the people upset by this

Pray 4 Mojo: Osomatic: What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

Dirty old cat lady brings her reusable bags of cat food and a whole chicken into her house. Sets the reusable bags on the floor where her animals actively piss and shiat... or just spread around their piss and shiat... while the raw chicken drips raw chicken juice into the bag. Takes bags back to the store... where the bagger sets the piss, shiat and chicken juice slathered bags on the counter where my food is about to be.

It's farking gross.

And if the bags get wet and thrown in pile in the trunk (where most people keep them)... you can easily grow mold.

Well, you let me know when you actually see this happen somewhere other than your overactive imagination.

Osomatic: Pray 4 Mojo: Osomatic: What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

Dirty old cat lady brings her reusable bags of cat food and a whole chicken into her house. Sets the reusable bags on the floor where her animals actively piss and shiat... or just spread around their piss and shiat... while the raw chicken drips raw chicken juice into the bag. Takes bags back to the store... where the bagger sets the piss, shiat and chicken juice slathered bags on the counter where my food is about to be.

It's farking gross.

And if the bags get wet and thrown in pile in the trunk (where most people keep them)... you can easily grow mold.

Well, you let me know when you actually see this happen somewhere other than your overactive imagination.

There was an article just yesterday about some class trip where everybody got sick because some dumbass chaperone kept the snacks in the bathroom.

Cyno01:
There was an article just yesterday about some class trip where everybody got sick because some dumbass chaperone kept the snacks in the bathroom.

What does that have to do with reusable bags?

Cyno01: Osomatic: Pray 4 Mojo: Osomatic: What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

Dirty old cat lady brings her reusable bags of cat food and a whole chicken into her house. Sets the reusable bags on the floor where her animals actively piss and shiat... or just spread around their piss and shiat... while the raw chicken drips raw chicken juice into the bag. Takes bags back to the store... where the bagger sets the piss, shiat and chicken juice slathered bags on the counter where my food is about to be.

It's farking gross.

And if the bags get wet and thrown in pile in the trunk (where most people keep them)... you can easily grow mold.

Well, you let me know when you actually see this happen somewhere other than your overactive imagination.

There was an article just yesterday about some class trip where everybody got sick because some dumbass chaperone kept the snacks in the bathroom.

Wait, I found the article, but I think it's misleading. I don't see how it would have been any different if she'd been keeping the snacks in the bathroom in a disposable plastic bag. The snacks were in the bag, the virus got onto the snacks and the bag, everybody ate the snacks and got sick. Why would it matter that the big is reusable? This story is about how stupid it is to store food in the bathroom.

Frankly, I'm sure there's all kinds of horrible crap that you don't see going on at the grocery store, and yet somehow we all manage to go there without dying. And hey, if reusable bags were going to kill everyone, I think we would have heard about it happening in the various other municipalities that have also banned plastic grocery bags.

No, the reusable bag isnt the issue but i mostly making the point that people DO do nasty shiat like that, more frequently than wed probably care to think about. Raw chicken and cat piss on a reusable shopping bag isnt very far fetched.

Osomatic: Pray 4 Mojo: Osomatic: What do you people *do* with your reusable bags that makes them moldy? Jesus, all I do is put groceries in them. They're not moldy. I don't really see the point of this ban, but freaking out about how horrible the reusable bags will be just makes you look silly.

Dirty old cat lady brings her reusable bags of cat food and a whole chicken into her house. Sets the reusable bags on the floor where her animals actively piss and shiat... or just spread around their piss and shiat... while the raw chicken drips raw chicken juice into the bag. Takes bags back to the store... where the bagger sets the piss, shiat and chicken juice slathered bags on the counter where my food is about to be.

It's farking gross.

And if the bags get wet and thrown in pile in the trunk (where most people keep them)... you can easily grow mold.

Well, you let me know when you actually see this happen somewhere other than your overactive imagination.

I won't know when it happens... and neither will you. That's the problem.

Is it your contention that every person using reusable bags will handle them in a sanitary manner in order to safe-guard the health of others?

... 'cause... as long as we're talking about imaginations.

Reusable bags are gross for exactly the same reason that hotel bed spreads are gross. Some people do unsanitary things with them... and they are rarely (if ever) cleaned.

Pray 4 Mojo: Is it your contention that every person using reusable bags will handle them in a sanitary manner in order to safe-guard the health of others?

... 'cause... as long as we're talking about imaginations.

Reusable bags are gross for exactly the same reason that hotel bed spreads are gross. Some people do unsanitary things with them... and they are rarely (if ever) cleaned.

Of course not. I'm sure some people are gross. Those people are already gross. How often do you suppose they wash the handles of those grocery carts? Have you gotten sick from that? How about hotel bed spreads? Gross they may be, but presumably you've stayed in a hotel anyway.

I can't guarantee that nobody will ever use a moldy or dirty bag in line in front of you. But it's a reasonable expectation that actually *dangerous* bags will far and away be the exception. I think you put yourself at a lot more risk just driving to the store than you will shopping somewhere where everyone uses reusable bags.

I think that miniscule risk is acceptable compared to what we already know does happen, which is that those bags get *everywhere*. Almost any litter pile you see is guaranteed to contain some of those plastic bags. Unlike "American Beauty," I am unable to find the joy in watching plastic bags flutter around all over the place.

And hey, I don't know if this will be good for the ecosystem, but it sure as heck will help keeping the streets clean. That's enough of an environmental benefit in my book. If I have to see somebody's dirty bags once in a while for that benefit, well, it seems worth it to me.

Osomatic: If I have to see somebody's dirty bags once in a while for that benefit, well, it seems worth it to me.

Funny... especially if removed from context.

I see your point... but disagree with you. Fair enough.

And I stay in hotels often since I travel full time for work:

Open door, place bag(s) on bathroom counter or in bath tub, flip bedspread into the corner of the room, check pillows, mattress and headboard for cleanliness and bed bug activity... wash hands thoroughly.

I can choose where I stay, modify my behavior and inspect for cleanliness in hotels. Can't inspect the dirty sack in front of me at the grocery store... maybe if I asked politely... hmmm.

Pray 4 Mojo: Osomatic: If I have to see somebody's dirty bags once in a while for that benefit, well, it seems worth it to me.

Funny... especially if removed from context.

I see your point... but disagree with you. Fair enough.

And I stay in hotels often since I travel full time for work:

Open door, place bag(s) on bathroom counter or in bath tub, flip bedspread into the corner of the room, check pillows, mattress and headboard for cleanliness and bed bug activity... wash hands thoroughly.

I can choose where I stay, modify my behavior and inspect for cleanliness in hotels. Can't inspect the dirty sack in front of me at the grocery store... maybe if I asked politely... hmmm.

I honestly don't think it's going to be as much of a problem as you're thinking. If I'm wrong, well, then, I apologize in advance.

What plastic bags may look like:







/All Hot

Areas where plastic bags are being phased out should look to Costco for inspiration. Costco hasn't used shopping bags for years. They creatively pack stuff in old shipping boxes, making it easy to load in your car and protecting fragile stuff, too.

dustman81: Gyrfalcon: Cyno01: VivianVivisect: The fark? Orange county is far from LA

People from smaller states who have never been to california are usually under the impression that everything from san diego to san francisco are practically right next to eachother.

Yes, California. Back east, you drive seven hours and you go through seven states. Out here you drive seven hours and you're still in the wonderful, glorious, beautiful state that is California. Because we are the State of States.

Texas would like to have a word with you on that.

/Drove 9 hours east from Houston and was still in Texas

If you drove 9 hours East from Houston you would probably be in Mississippi. Now, if you drove 9 hours WEST from Houston you wouldn't have made it to El Paso yet.