> > That question on the reader poll made me wonder if it was talking about something at the supermarket checkout or maybe something else. Usually at the checkout, when they say something like, "That's $44.94," I whip out some cash in one hand and a credit card in the other and ask, "Paper or plastic?" If you time it right, the bag boy just stands there with his mouth open.
> > Howard

Now why would you want to torture the poor boy like that Howard! :-)

A quick aside here -- as far as the store manager is concerned, s/he would prefer Paper over Plastic since that way the store doesn't have to pay the 3% service fee that the credit card companies charge per transaction.


> Once, in Florida (which my mother and I consider the land of the intelligence challenged), I responded that I'd like both (usually accomplished by placing paper inside of plastic). The man gave me my groceries in six bags: three plastic, and three paper.
>
> Mou"never living in Florida"sie

Hmm. The last three times I've asked for "both" -- without giving further instructions, since the only reason I wanted the extra paper bags was to shuck a large amount of fresh corn -- I've gotten my groceries bagged that way, separately, also. Didn't think much of it. You mean there's an art form to double-bagging? :-)