When we lived in New Zealand, we took the bus everywhere and pretty much always had a bag (backpack or otherwise) to carry a map, snacks, and other essentials. Often, when we bought something at a store, they would make us take a bag (rather than just putting the new shirt or whatever into our own bag), even though we had a reciept in case someone thought we were stealing. It always struck us as odd, especially because in NZ grocery stores, they don't bag your groceries for you -- you do it yourself, into whatever kinds of bags you want.
Well, apparently the inanity has crossed the pond. There's a post over on Consumerist about a shopper being forced to take a plastic bag at Macy's. Basically, the clerk told the customer that she had to have a bag, otherwise they wouldn't let her out of the store. Poppycock, really, because what are they going to do? Detain you for not-shoplifting? But still: what lame customer service. You'd think Macy's would be up on the trends and be marketing fashion-forward* reusable bags. But I guess not.
* I got a yarn catalog the other day that touted a line of yarn (100% acrylic, ick!) in 37 "fashion-forward" colors. Now I fear that all of the yarn I already own is fashion-backward. (Fashion-rearward?) So sad.
