Out and About -- In the World at Large

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
Post Reply
Ray
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 1733
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:03 am
Location: West Midlands, England, UK

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Ray »

Quick question, Oldsalt, about charging for bags. Are you referring to plastic shopping bags?

I ask, as the UK introduced such a charge a couple of years ago (first Scotland, then The rest of the UK) and bag use dropped by 90%. Does the US have a similar policy?

Ray

Ps nice winter look. I like it.
User avatar
oldsalt1
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 2470
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:25 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by oldsalt1 »

Yes for plastic shopping bags.but only in certain places not a national policy

I can understand the intended results but it takes some getting used to.

I went into sears to pick up some tights and hose I ordered on line . Didnt have a receipt or change on me the clerk comes out and gives me the packages. I ask for a bag He said he had to charge me for it all I had was a ten dollar bill . He said He didn't have change I asked him what am I supposed to walk thru the store and out the door with packages of tights and hose in my hand. Remember I had no receipt Finally he went back in and found a used bag.

Just picture this if you were the store security guard you have a man wearing a skirt walking thru the store and out a door carrying Packages of tights and hose. :?: :?: :?:
User avatar
Fred in Skirts
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 3988
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2016 6:48 pm
Location: Southeast Corner of Aiken County, SC USA

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Fred in Skirts »

I have a large selection of reusable bags that are made of cloth. I will start using them if they start charging for bags around here. I use the plastic grocery bags for trash so they get used twice once to carry groceries home and once to carry trash to the dump. I would hate to lose my free trash bags. :twisted:
"It is better to be hated for what you are than be loved for what you are not" Andre Gide: 1869 - 1951
Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.
Ray
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 1733
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:03 am
Location: West Midlands, England, UK

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Ray »

Good story, OldSalt!

Could you not just pay for both goods and bag with a debit card?

(In the UK, cash is used much more rarely now. It's all contactless debit or credit cards)
pelmut
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 1923
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2014 10:36 am
Location: Somerset, England

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by pelmut »

I found this video very helpful a few years ago when shopping bags were charged for the first time and, by pure chance, a friend gave me loads of spare curtain material that wasn't really suitable for making clothing.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
User avatar
Kirbstone
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5571
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:55 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Kirbstone »

I have no dates, but up until about a dozen years ago the countryside and hedgerows here were festooned with discarded plastic bags, in which literally everything sold was wrapped.

For the last ten or so years we have had a nationwide ban on these bags and the countryside clean-up is remarkable. Bags are now SOLD everywhere in sturdier reusable form.
Re: cards with contactless operation, About a year ago I had Eur 1200 plus lifted out of by bank and they called me in the middle of the night asking about these 'unusual' payments. An immediate halt was put in place and my replacement debit card does NOT have contactless function. The Bank reimbursed me in full in a day or so.

They must have taken the bulk of the loss on the chin, as about a Grand had been converted to Sterling and used to pay for travel.

Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
User avatar
Sinned
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5804
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:28 pm
Location: York, England

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Sinned »

Tom, I worked for a bank for 9 years in IT and had a fair knowledge of the bank security although, as you will appreciate, this is not up to date. My credit and debit cards do not have the contactless function on them as I requested cards without. Interestingly last year my debit card was renewed and the replacement didn't have contactless either. I am not convinced yet about the security of them and reports of scanners being available to debit amounts while the card is in a pocket or a non-shielded holder don't make me any less distrustful.

As to plastic bags I work for a major retailer and when the charge was introduced there was a dramatic decrease in the number of bags given out. We also had several sizes of bags and now this has been reduced to 3 - a small bag, a normal bag and a sack. The sack is because we sell bulky items like cushions and curtains and such.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
User avatar
Kirbstone
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5571
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:55 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Kirbstone »

Too right, Dennis.

Btw, have you been picking satsumas in Town from the trees down the Lord Mayor's walk or the Petersgate?

Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
User avatar
oldsalt1
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 2470
Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2016 8:25 pm
Location: Long Island, New York

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by oldsalt1 »

Ray wrote:Good story, OldSalt!

Could you not just pay for both goods and bag with a debit card?

(In the UK, cash is used much more rarely now. It's all contactless debit or credit cards)
The order was prepaid the only thing I owed was the nickel for the bag
Ray
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 1733
Joined: Fri Oct 24, 2003 7:03 am
Location: West Midlands, England, UK

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Ray »

Ah, yes - now I understand your predicament.
User avatar
Sinned
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5804
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:28 pm
Location: York, England

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Sinned »

Tom, High Petergate is right in the town centre and Lord Mayor's Walk is just off the centre near the University. I very, very rarely go into the town centre because of lack of car parking facilities, maybe once per year, if that. So no, I wouldn't have been picking anything. Anyway, what's the reference to satsumas? I thought that they were a hot country fruit. Was it something I said or was it the result of a story somewhere? As far as I know neither of those streets have citrus trees on them. And it's not April 1st yet.

Just to digress. In my store a family came to my till, mother, daughter, baby grand-daughter and son-in-law. The daughter was cuddling her infant who would be, I guess, about 6 months old. I thought nothing of it until she got nearer when I realised that she was breast feeding the infant. I tried to act normal, not look to much at the activity and carry on a normal conversation. I'm not a prude and I certainly don't complain if I see a mother breastfeeding as it's natural. But I would have thought that sitting down somewhere quiet would have been more apt.

Just another digression. I had a man come to the till and he used what was obviously a woman's purse and didn't seem fazed about it. Of course it could have been his wife's but it just seemed that he knew his way around the purse, where the correct debit card was. So maybe there are men out there using purses rather than wallets. So what's in a name? I have a purse, bought from a charity shop and I'm just waiting for my current card/cash holder to wear out! I'm not going top change just for the sake of it and to say that I'm now using a purse.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
User avatar
Kirbstone
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5571
Joined: Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:55 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Kirbstone »

Dennis,

Your're right about the etiquette of breast feeding in public.

A few months ago one of the Forum's contributors asked what Satsumas were. A couple of us told him and my explanation was embellished with the information that the major streets in York where you live are lined with Satsuma trees which fruit all year round, of course.

Re: parking, A certain Dublin entrepreneur has his Merc done out as a taxi, he having bought the expensive licence. Hence, he may use the bus lanes and park in city center taxi ranks. I believe he is one Ml. O'Leary, Boss of Ryanair !

Now, if you did likewise you could pick a whole bootful of satsumas and not have to walk far. :idea: :D

Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
User avatar
skirtyscot
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 3448
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:44 pm
Location: West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by skirtyscot »

Sinned wrote:The daughter was cuddling her infant who would be, I guess, about 6 months old. I thought nothing of it until she got nearer when I realised that she was breast feeding the infant. I tried to act normal, not look to much at the activity and carry on a normal conversation. I'm not a prude and I certainly don't complain if I see a mother breastfeeding as it's natural. But I would have thought that sitting down somewhere quiet would have been more apt.
Maybe she finds it easy enough to feed her baby standing up. Maybe she was in a hurry.

Let me edit your words a little:

... I thought nothing of it until he got nearer when I realised that he was wearing a skirt. I tried to act normal, not look too much at the skirt and carry on a normal conversation. I'm not a prude and I certainly don't complain if I see a person dressed unusually as it's allowed. But I would have thought that wearing it somewhere quiet would have been more apt.

And I'm not saying you are one, but why do prudes dislike public breastfeeding? The nipple is usually visible for two seconds or less. The average bikini or low cut top displays a lot more but nobody minds.
Keep on skirting,

Alastair
User avatar
skirtyscot
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 3448
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:44 pm
Location: West Kilbride, Ayrshire, Scotland
Contact:

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by skirtyscot »

Kirbstone wrote:Re: parking, A certain Dublin entrepreneur has his Merc done out as a taxi, he having bought the expensive licence. Hence, he may use the bus lanes and park in city center taxi ranks. I believe he is one Ml. O'Leary, Boss of Ryanair !
Isn't he also obliged to give a lift to anyone who comes up to his car and jumps in the back? The inconvenience of that would outweigh the benefit.
Keep on skirting,

Alastair
User avatar
Sinned
Member Extraordinaire
Posts: 5804
Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:28 pm
Location: York, England

Re: Out and About -- In the World at Large

Post by Sinned »

Alastair, I'm not a prude and only thought that a quiet place might have been better for mother and baby. I don't know why prudes dislike breast feeding as it is a natural activity and mothers should be given every encouragement to continue with it. I don't condemn mothers for still breastfeeding toddlers of ages above 1 for as long as they feel comfortable doing it. That's what they are for after all and who am I to say that they are wrong. Like men wearing skirts it's not illegal - unusual maybe but harmless and maybe mother and child still receive benefit from it. I certainly wouldn't take offence neither would I for another man wearing a skirt. She certainly looked comfortable feeding the baby and there was no reaction from others either. It was late in the day and there were few customers about.
I believe in offering every assistance short of actual help but then mainly just want to be left to be myself in all my difference and uniqueness.
Post Reply