It’s Just a Bag

Dear Breckenridge,

I love visiting your beautiful town.  Your lovely shops, restaurants, walking paths, hiking trails and resorts are absolutely charming.  Though I’m not much of a skier, I have many friends who enjoy your slopes during the season.  I love you, Breck!  You are truly a joy to visit.

But this new town ordinance where you charge 10 cents for a shopping bag—paper or plastic—is ridiculous.  Many of your merchants think so too.  You can see the hesitation, possibly fear, as they ask each customer if they want their items bagged.

“Well of course I want a bag.  I’m a tourist here.  I didn’t think to pack shopping bags.”

“I’m sorry Ma’am.  We have this stupid bag tax now, and so I have to charge you 10 cents, but I’ll give you a nice big bag, so you can have room for the rest of your shopping.”

“Thank you so much……..I think. “

I just don’t get it.  Breckenridge is a tourist town.  Most tourists I know don’t travel with extra shopping bags.  Any good traveler knows that packing lightly is the key to an organized suitcase.  And, if this an attempt to save the environment, aren’t shopping bags already made of recycled paper and plastic?  Do we really need to charge for them?

I’m sorry if I’m offending any environmentalist types here, but I just want my shopping bag after I’ve spent money in your store and supported the state sales tax.

Oh, by the way, one of our City Market sacks accidentally blew out of the back of our truck on the way out of town.  Not sure if that’s your loss or our loss.  Ooops.

Sincerely,

A Shopper Who Just Wants Her Shopping Bag