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The law of unintended consequences rears its ugly head in New Jersey...

The Tradition

HR King
Apr 23, 2002
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Call it an unintended side effect of the state's plastic bag ban.

New Jersey supermarkets say shoppers are walking off with baskets and are loading up the store baskets and taking those home, instead.

"It's foolish, why would you steal the basket, they need them," Christine Young, who was loading up her car with groceries, said Friday. "I think it's foolish people are lazy."

Statewide, supermarkets and grocery stores are reporting that handheld baskets have gone missing by the thousands.

Forgetful shoppers who might be trying to avoid paying for a reusable bag might be sticking some stores with a tough payday -- some baskets run as much as $8.

The Trenton-based New Jersey Food Council, which represents supermarkets and grocery stores, said it's an industry-wide issue, and the price of those baskets has started to increase.

A spokesperson for Stop and Shop said they’ve been hit too by this unintended consequence of the ban on plastic bags, but she didn’t say how they’re going to deal with the problem.

 
It is really a consequence of people being assholes.

+1

Also correct me if I'm wrong here but arn't supermarkets allowed to also use paper bags.

You know we had paper bags when I was a kid for a long time. My parents and I actually preferred them because they could hold more.
 
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+1

Also correct me if I'm wrong here but arn't supermarkets allowed to also use paper bags.

You know we had paper bags when I was a kid for a long time. My parents and I actually preferred them because they could hold more.
You get charged for them. It's like 10 cents or a nickle. A shopping basket will fit what like one or two bags, its a negligible cost.

it's just a classic TV news story of trying to make something out of a minor problem. "Do you and your kids have LYme disease?! tune it at 11 to see the shocking new report."
 
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+1

Also correct me if I'm wrong here but arn't supermarkets allowed to also use paper bags.

You know we had paper bags when I was a kid for a long time. My parents and I actually preferred them because they could hold more.
And they're great for holding popped popcorn and eating while watching Iowa basketball on a cold Tuesday night. Great childhood memories.
 
You get charged for them. It's like 10 cents or a nickle. A shopping basket will fit what like one or two bags, its a negligible cost.

it's just a classic TV news story of trying to make something out of a minor problem. "Do you and your kids have LYme disease?! tune it at 11 to see the shocking new report."

I agree with you although my wife actually did get Lyme Disease which was mis-diagnosed which caused treatment to be delayed and her to have health problems that continue to this day, so not exactly a great comparison for me. But I agree with what you are saying. The problem is people being assholes and not being willing to part with a little bit of cash for re-usable bags.
 
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I agree with you although my wife actually did get Lyme Disease which was mis-diagnosed which caused treatment to be delayed and her to have health problems that continue to this day, so not exactly a great comparison for me. But I agree with what you are saying. The problem is people being assholes and not being willing to part with a little bit of cash for re-usable bags.
Talk about missing the point.
 
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