Brother, can you spare a dime, . . . well, a nickel

I did something today that I never thought I would do.  I bought one of those reusable shopping bags from Safeway.  You know, the ones that “they” want us to use these days rather than using the plastic bags that we’ve used for years.  I walked over to the Safeway at the Watergate Building (yes, . . . “that” Watergate Building) at lunch time.  When the weather is nice, I will take a walk over there during the week to pick up a few grocery items so that I have less to shop for on the weekends.  It’s a pleasant walk along the river, past Thompson’s Boat Center, over the Rock Creek Parkway and then onto Virginia Avenue, NW.  The Safeway is located on the ground level along with a wine and liquor shop, two restaurants suitable for lunch (one Chinese; the other a deli), a CVS and a few other little shops that mainly cater to the resident's of the building.  There is a 1989 Washington Post article proudly displayed on one wall of the Chinese restaurant with an article about Bob and Elizabeth Dole that is signed by Senator Dole espousing his and Mrs. Dole’s affinity for the restaurant.  The Watergate has been home to many of the Washington elite for many years.  Alfred and Betsy Bloomingdale were in residence during the Reagan years from 1980 – 1988 while still maintaining the family home in Holmby Hills, CA, part of the “Platinum Triangle” which consists of the areas including Holmby Hills, Bel Air and Beverly Hills.  But, enough of that.  Back to my new shopping bag.

As you see here, the Safeway Corporation has done a suitable job of making their bags fashionable enough to be seen with.  These are available for $2.99 each.  I was surprised at how much the bag held.  It looked relatively small when I handed it to the cashier, but when fully opened it has a large base, so it will hold quite a lot.  I would say that it would have taken 2 – 3 plastic bags to hold my purchases today and it all easily fit into this bag.

I have railed against purchasing one of these bags because I, for one, do not think that using plastic bags is causing the polar ice caps to melt or otherwise destroying the earth.  I do not subscribe to the current hysteria over global warming that we are bombarded with on a near daily basis by the media.  I believe this great planet on which we are fortunate to live is a great deal more resilient than most people give it credit for being.  My decision was based more on the convenience of the reusable bag.  I will keep this one under my desk so that when I take walking trips to Safeway or any other local establishment, I can load up my purchases and be on my way with a little style, rather then schlepping plastic bags around.  Another deciding factor for me to go with the reusable bag was due to the law that went into effect on January 4, 2010, demanding that all retailers in the District of Columbia were required to charge 5 cents per bag if you used a plastic bag to carry your purchases out of their stores.  Nearly two years later I’m sure that I’ve paid for more than a couple Safeway reusable bags by being a victim of this outlandish bit of legislation.  But that’s all water under the bridge now.  I am changing with the times, albeit slowly.

So that’s my reusable bag story.  My advice – get one, or two.  They really are a better way to go than using plastic bags for many different reasons.  Make the change for your own reasons rather than feeling forced to “follow the crowd.”  You’ll feel better about it if you do.