What did we ever do in the old days, when paper grocery bags didn’t have handles? Today, some shoppers have gotten so used to them, they don’t know how to handle grocery bags without them.
Pity the poor Safeway shoppers in Northern California, who are upset that the handles on the retailers’ brown paper grocery bags have suddenly gone missing.
“How am I supposed to hold it without the handles?” one shopper asked San Francisco’s KGO-TV. “I don’t like it, it’s inconvenient,” another said.
It’s now more difficult for shoppers to carry two bags at a time. Not only that, but some shoppers complain the replacement no-handle bags aren’t as strong, and rip more easily.
Safeway didn’t say how many of its stores are affected, but pointed out it’s not the only one whose shoppers are having to go handle-free. “Due to supplier issues, including a global shortage of paper bags with handles that is affecting numerous retailers, we are currently able to offer paper bags without handles only,” it said in a statement. It didn’t say how long it expected the shortage might last.
Grocery shoppers in most other parts of the country don’t have this problem, since not only do their stores not offer paper grocery bags with handles, they don’t offer paper grocery bags at all. The plastic grocery bag – with handles – has long since become the standard in most grocery stores.
Not so in many localities, though, and in a handful of states. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state have banned single-use plastic bags altogether. In California, where the bag-handle controversy is currently playing out, the state banned all plastic grocery bags effective this past January, including thicker reusable bags made of plastic. That leaves shoppers two choices – bring their own bags, or purchase paper bags for ten cents apiece.
Until now, though, those paper bags had handles. And now they don’t. And shoppers appear divided between being really upset, and mocking those who are flying off the handle about the lack of handles.
“When I was growing up, brown paper bags didn’t have handles!” one Facebook commenter wrote. “The family survived living through that just fine. It’ll be okay,” they reassured others. “Imagine getting angry over something so trivial,” a Reddit commenter added. “Some people need a hobby.” Another said they’re “not sure how to feel about this. It was nice that they added the handles, but if this is legitimately something worth complaining about, then Americans are the biggest stupid babies in the developed world.”
But Americans are passionate about their grocery bags. A couple of years ago, the Oklahoma grocery chain Crest Foods, which still used good old-fashioned paper bags (without handles), sparked an uproar among customers and environmentalists when it cheerfully announced that “due to rising costs, over time we will be phasing out paper sacks and moving to plastic bags.” Last year, Whole Foods shoppers were disappointed to learn they could no longer get a ten-cent credit for each reusable bag they brought to the store. And at Kroger, a temporary color change once made many shoppers temporarily livid. Back in 2018, as part of a promotion, Kroger replaced its understated tan bags with bright yellow plastic bags. And shoppers hated them. “If I wanted YELLOW bags I’d shop at Dollar General!” one complained.
When it comes to Handle-gate, though, Safeway insists the problem is out of its hands. But some shoppers still aren’t having it. “It seems like Safeway is the only one without handles on their bags,” one skeptical shopper told KGO-TV. When informed of Safeway’s statement about a global supply shortage, one perturbed shopper responded with “that’s their problem.”
For now, though, it’s everyone’s problem. Until the handles return, shoppers who are choosy about how they carry their groceries can look on the bright side – at least the paper bags aren’t yellow.
Image source: erostrend 
