Is it still considered wrong to look in someone’s handbag?

[Preoilai]

Totally pointless, and rather boring, question! But I was thinking earlier about how I was brought up to believe looking through someone’s handbag was almost sacrilegious! Bit like reading someone’s diary. Is that still the case? Would you mind if someone looked in yours?

I’m not a ‘bag’ person purse small enough for my pocket and never use an Umbrella, etc although I do have bags literally the only things I put in them are purse and keys maybe a lipstick so I don’t see what’s rude about going in one or what people carry in them that makes them so hands off - obviously I wouldn’t root about in someone’s stuff but at the same time making out they are sacred and no one should touch is a bit ott. The one time I took a bag out with me I left it on the curb whilst getting a taxi am hopeless clearly

There’s nothing in my bag that I‘m inclined to hide so I don’t have strong feelings about this. I don’t take any medication nor do I have periods due to my contraception.

I mostly carry around a mini bag that fits my card holder, keys, iPhone, charger, power bank, AirPods, gum & hand sanitizer.

Before lockdown I’d bring lipstick, foundation compact & comb too. On work days I’d carry a larger bag with my iPad, water bottles and a large makeup bag filled to the brim with everything from deodorant to blister plasters! I used to bring stuff “just in case” - definitely unnecessary, I’m enjoying keeping my bag filled to the minimum

I used to work in retail at university, we had bag checks every time we left the building (lunch & end of shift). I definitely learnt the hard way not to keep things like condoms in my bag! this is why I’m non plussed about my bag being private though, you get used to it

It seems quite a lot of you feel the same as I do then which is interesting. I’m in my mid 50’s and most of my friends are younger, and don’t seem to have the same issues regarding handbags. Not that any of them have rummaged in people’s bags, just that they didn’t feel the same “oh no, I couldn’t possibly look in there” way I do. I wondered if it was just my family.

A previous poster has reminded me that my grandma and my great aunty were practically surgically attached to their bags! Wherever they were, so were their bags, including next to their beds each night!

I'm not bothered about DH or DD rooting through my bag, although most of the time they will bring the bag to me carefully and hand it gently to me like its booby trapped.

My mum has my DGM's bag. She died 20 odd years ago, but my mum still feels funny about going through it. There's nothing valuable in it, just her purse, three hundred lipsticks, perfume, hankies, bingo dobber, polo's, random sentimental crap etc, but its my Nana's bag, and it still feels like her IYKWIM.