So yesterday, as I was purchasing the ingredients of today's green bean casserole (thanks to the two people who noticed that I used fresh ground pepper instead of commercially-sold ground pepper--that was a real boon to my food esteem) I was chatting up my friendly HEB cashier. She noted that I had brought a canvas bag. I left my previous reusable grocery bag at the Moonbase (R & K, I hope you are using it!) so I bought the HEB canvas one with Texas and a leaf printed on it. Apparently HEB recently gave away 500 reusable bags in the great spirit of environmentalism.
"You're the first person I've seen who actually uses a canvas bag," Cashier remarked. She then told me of the out-and-out RIOT that ensued on Free Bag Day. If a shopper brought in five plastic bags for recycling, they received a reusable bag. News of this got around to area retirement homes and busloads of elderly appeared with bundles of plastic bags. Some old people were seen helping themselves to two or three bags. Soon, supplies ran out and then the seriously bad behavior started up. Customers denied bags screamed, kicked, used rude and/or inappropriate language, and one reportedly kicked over a display of plastic juice bottles. All of this because they were denied a free bag!
"And after all that, I've only seen one person come in with one of those bags," the Cashier said as she issued my receipt.
I happen to know that most HEB cashiers make around $9/hr, which is not enough money to take that level of customer abuse, especially over PROMOTIONAL FREE BAGS. These folks sure take the "friendly" out of "environmentally-friendly!"
I hope everyone had fun at the AIC food folks and fun fest. I lerv me some Austin improv folks. I especially loved Ceejay Allen's Sacheen Littlefeather moment, and Joolz's 4-year-old son going up to him afterwards saying, "I learned about you in school!" Best of the night, I say. There are several people in our community that I just adore and get so excited to see them. Maybe you are one of them?