Paper or Plastic?

Nothing IRKS me more than being asked this question. I rarely go to our local grocery store, but when I absolutely have to, I stand in line, my cash in hand with a few items of necessity, and wait patiently for the lady with 5 kids to stop gabbing about everything under the sun, and approach the checkout only to be asked this question, "paper or plastic?"

Which wouldn't really bother me. It shouldn't right? A simple question to which a simple answer is given. Although 99.9% of the time, my answer falls on deaf ears. I bring my own machine washable fabric bags along with me, plenty of them if need be, only to have 1 fabric bag filled with 3 stinking items and the rest of my items put into plastic bags.....(cringes, bites lip, eye twitches, face beat red). Why? Because either they are to lazy too, it's more convenient for "them", or they assume my produce needs to be wrapped for some reason).

Frankly I have know clue, nor do I care anymore. This was the last straw, that broke the camels back per say, and I let the poor bag girl hear it. (Or the whole friggin store) I told her what part of that answer, did you not hear?  "I have my OWN bags"? I proceeded to take everything out of the plastic bags and put them into my own. This has happened just about every time i have went to the store. Their answer to my question, well we didn't want it to leak.....Um...that's why I have a washing machine? Ooooh my gosh, my vinegar bottle might leak, and do what? Pickle my whole wheat saltine crackers?

Honestly........It bugs me to no end! I do not like to bring plastic home...period, if I don't have to. I try and buy either glass or recycled paper when possible...yes i am a label reader. Both I can recycle, and yes i know most plastics are recyclable, but some are not, and frankly plastic bags are not, at least here they aren't recyclable. I cannot begin to tell you the many reasons to NOT use them. But I won't get preachy here.

I am by no means a tree hugging hippy as they like to call it up here, but I try and instill into my lil one that recycling and reusing, reducing, is far better for mother earth than we could possibly imagine. I know my gripe may seem trivial to most, but it makes my efforts, however small they may be, futile, when my words fall on deaf ears....uuuggghhhhh!

Plastics are the bane of human kind and the earth herself, among other things. So next time, the cashier and bag girl/guy ask you this question 

Enough said and my rant is over...hehehehe I will politely step off my soap box now.

Jo.