frustrations that non bikers won't understand

- that feeling when you are running errands (ie like getting produce from the farmers market and then running into CVS for shampoo or whatever) on your bike and you have to make more than one stop, but you cant just leave the groceries on your bike, so you have to unload everything and carry it in with you and then people look at you like you're an old bag lady.

Also applies to when I'm taking my clothes to the dry cleaners and I stop at my bank beforehand and I walk in with this big garment bag full of clothes and they look at me with suspicion as if I'm coming in to rob the place.

And all I can think of is "maybe if more of you were bikers you'd understand."

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on January 26, 2015 at 9:29am

Why not get a few of these (or something similar)? They're inexpensive, lightweight and extremely compact.  There are variants on this in different sizes, and they're easy to carry along for spur-of-the-moment shopping trips.

http://www.amazon.com/Mato-Hash-Reusable-Shopping-Integrated/dp/B00...

JeffB (7+ miles) said:

I'm probably in the minority opinion on this, but I'm not looking forward to the plastic grocery bag ban coming this year. 

Shopping for me is often spur-of-the-moment, so how am I supposed to get my groceries home when I haven't planned ahead and brought bags with me. Paper bags with handles are a disaster waiting to happen, and I'm not going to buy a reusable bag every time I come unprepared.

Permalink Reply by daWillinChi on January 26, 2015 at 9:33am

Count me in. I'll probably just die of starvation or high cholesterol - because I don't always want to buy reusable bag and end up eating out. The people have bought into this scheme by market owners to sell more bags to make more $. 

Maybe I'll open up a front for reusable bags sharing! $1.00 and you get $0.25 back if you return the bag - or a membership type like $5/month for unlimited bag rentals :)

JeffB (7+ miles) said:

I'm probably in the minority opinion on this, but I'm not looking forward to the plastic grocery bag ban coming this year. 

Shopping for me is often spur-of-the-moment, so how am I supposed to get my groceries home when I haven't planned ahead and brought bags with me. Paper bags with handles are a disaster waiting to happen, and I'm not going to buy a reusable bag every time I come unprepared.

Permalink Reply by JeffB on January 26, 2015 at 10:18am

Well, I already have reusable bags, but its the matter of bringing them with me every time that bugs me, no matter how small they can be folded, on the off-chance that I'll stop to shop on my way home. Am I supposed to stuff my pockets with them? Plus, how many do I need? Sometimes I go home from the store with 4-6 full plastic bags on my handle bars. (I hear a small surcharge for each bag used worked well as an alternative to a full ban in Ireland, knocking one-time usage down a lot. )

Its a minor annoyance though, and it'll be an adjustment, but I just thought of this as one of those frustrations that non-bikers wouldn't understand: the need for a sturdy bag to carry goods home on your handlebars.

Anne Alt said:

Why not get a few of these (or something similar)? They're inexpensive, lightweight and extremely compact.  There are variants on this in different sizes, and they're easy to carry along for spur-of-the-moment shopping trips.

http://www.amazon.com/Mato-Hash-Reusable-Shopping-Integrated/dp/B00...

JeffB (7+ miles) said:

I'm probably in the minority opinion on this, but I'm not looking forward to the plastic grocery bag ban coming this year. 

Shopping for me is often spur-of-the-moment, so how am I supposed to get my groceries home when I haven't planned ahead and brought bags with me. Paper bags with handles are a disaster waiting to happen, and I'm not going to buy a reusable bag every time I come unprepared.

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on January 26, 2015 at 11:39am

Being asked if I just came in from a ski trip and some one telling me I am wearing ski goggles.

Permalink Reply by yai danche on January 26, 2015 at 12:05pm

JeffB, people with bags on their handlebars worry me.  I've done it and it's hard to steer, hard to signal.  Invest in a rack + basket.  I like having chico bags, they fold up into a small rectangle.  Stuff one under your saddle!  I don't have this problem because I always carry a messenger bag and I stash reusable bags in there.  I agree with you that I'll miss having plastic grocery bags because I use them as a saddle cover.   I had a free saddle cover from bike to work week, but it got stolen.   

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