This thing about use of brown paper bags has irked me so that I couldn't resist getting back at a cashier of PUREGOLD along Kalayaan Street, in Quezon City. After a postponed hearing, my ward and I thought to walk to what was Eunilane (now PUREGOLD) to get fruits. She rang up the machine, well not really -- that was the sound of old machines. This one was a computerized one... I saw a "plastic recovery fee" in the amount of two pesos. I go, "wala ba kayong paper bag?" after all, a brown paper bag (at other supermarkets, they even double it) would very well hold 6 oranges, a dozen bananas and a bitter gourd (ampalaya). "Wala po," shaking her head. I saw that my change should have been Php3.53 but she handed me only Php3.50! "Oy, oy, bigyan mo ako ng 3 centavos o cinco." She looked over her cashier's box and found a five centavo coin, the one that has a hole at the center, you know. Between her thumb and index finger, she won't let it go. It was like she was perplexed!!!
I've had seldom positive customer experience with PUREGOLD. Some years ago, I bought cream cheese in a bottle, it was stale. Considering it took me quite a ride to get to that branch on Commonwealth Avenue, it was best that I just throw it away.
Use of brown paper bag, I know is to address environment issues that plague all countries. Supermarkets, shopping centers, any kind of stores should make it an option and straight-jacketing a shopper to pay for "plastic recovery fee" is a no-no. My "oy, oy" I think was properly delivered.