Just the Thing To Carry Your Conscience In

(Is that even proper grammar?)

This is the headline from a NYT article the other day. It was talking about Anya Hindmarch's (a vendor of mine from Neimans!) limited edition re-usable canvas bags that are being sold by Whole Foods in NYC, to promote alternatives to plastic bags. You know that if I was there, I'd definitely be buying that bag. Loove that kind of stuff.

Anyway, the concept of recycling doesn't exist over here. I still feel like I'm committing a crime when I mix cardboards and glass and aluminum together in the big trash can. Reducing the use of plastic bags would be a total bust over here. Plastic bags are made from oil by-products-- so why do you think they are in abundance over here? Not only do people rely exclusively on plastic bags here, they blatantly waste them! The first time I went to the Saudi supermarket, my 18 items went into 15 plastic bags! The baggers put like one item in each bag! When I have to bag my own groceries because the girl cashiers don't approve of my bare arms, I fill each plastic bag until it's bulging in some wacky attempt to balance out the count.

I actually don't mind being stuck with the grocery bags since I use them as trash can liners at home. (And now they make good nappy sacks.) But I hate clothing store bags-- they are narrow and wide at the same time, have awkward handles for tying, and who wants to advertise that you actually shop at a store named Mango? Back home, after my first purchase at the mall, I would get the one bag and then at subsequent stores, have the clerks add my purchases to that one bag. No one ever blinked an eye. It's pretty normal, right? Well, over here, they look at me like I'm a freak!

"You can put it in this bag," I say, opening up the bag from the previous store.

"Uh, can't do that ma'am. It will make the bag too heavy, and you are pregnant."
"Uh, can't do that madam. It is better to put in this bag."
"No, sister!" (Laughs)

What? Do any of these responses make sense to you?