If you don't live in Portland, it is handy, before reading this, to know that Fred Meyer is a grocery store that also has a Kmart/Target-like store within it - clothes, garden supply, paint department, home decor, pharmacy, etc. Also, the City banned plastic bags at large retailers, so all grocery stores have paper bags and otherwise encourage you to bring your own.
I hope, I wish, I trust - that there might be some good reason why the Fred Meyer in the affluent, trendy part of town (Hawthorne) offers paper bags with handles... and the Fred Meyer in my poorer, decidedly uncool and un-influential part of town (Interstate) only offers paper bags without them.
Do you know why? Is it a better reason than people with money get nicer things for free? Is it a reason that makes sense, and explains the giving of flimsy, non-handled bags to the shoppers using the nearest grocery store to one of Portland's food deserts (the New Columbia development, a couple miles away, where the highest proportion of city residents are without cars and thus, carrying their purchases by bus, bike and foot)?
Do you know the reason? And is it a good one?
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I believe this is an example of the age-old "Fuck the Poor" axiom. Love, your neighbor in the un-affluent Portsmouth neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteWell, I live in an inarguably less hip but arguably richer neighborhood, and we sometimes get the no handle bags. (Although we do have "secret upon request plastic bags" for our fancy cuts of prime beef and lobsters and stinky cheese. You do have to ask, but you can get them.)
ReplyDeleteHave you commented about this on the survey that comes on the receipt? You could fight injustice and win a gift card.
No joke -- it's important, and I'd love to hear their response.