To thinks wandering from one shop to another using your own shopping bag will be problematic.

[Sunnymeg]

I was thinking about when the new carrier bag tax come in in England. We have so many shops who actively discourage you from taking bags with you as they are concerned about people slipping things into them.What are these shops going to do when people start using their own bags for shopping. No one worried about it back in the 1960's, but times have changed. I hope this doesn't mean shops are going to start checking people's bags as they leave the shop.

Never had a problem, after a couple of weeks of living in Germany I constantly had folding canvas bags with me. I then invested in wonderous trolley bags, which are huge and clip on to the sides of the trolley, so you fill the bag as you go round. A lot of people also just fill their trolley back up and bag up at their car or at the back of the shop. I wonder if UK checkout staff will take up the 'how fast can I whizz this through my till' olympics that the German ones do?

I've been using my own bags for years. I always have one or two very small fold up reusable bags in my rucksack. They live there. Much easier on the hands than a plastic bag anyway. I've never had a problem. Shops always seem to ask if you want a bag these days, whether free or not, and seem happy when I say "No thanks" and pop it in my rucksack or little bag.
I've never been asked to leave existing shopping bags by the door. I'd stop shopping in a place like that.

I'm so tempted to get a trolley bag.
I freaked out the first time I encountered 'how fast can I whizz this through the till', but it kind of makes sense when you go back to the UK and stand waiting for the person in front to finish packing and faffing.

YABU there are been plastic bag bans in most of european countries without a problem. Never a problem taking my own bag in any shop either.

Don't get how so many of you have a problem with ant aspect of this. It isn't rocket science, it isn't even inconvenient and it reduces pollution. FFS people!

Wales seems to manage just fine...

Exactly cardibach.

People's attitude to this really stinks. It's so whiney - "Why should I?" Why the fuck shouldn't they!

I generally have my own bags - never had an issue.

I buy less in M&S than I Otherwise would as I am too mean to pay for bags.

Self checkout is a pain in the ass though. I generally end up double handling the stuff which slows the Q down but what can you do?

I always have my own bag which I use for all my shopping around town. Last week I got stuff on Wilkos, Lush, M&S and Boots, shoved it all in my shopping bag and no one gave it a second glance.
In my local Waitrose they have a hand held scanner thing. Stick all your own bags in the trolly, scan stuff as you pack it and pay at a self scan thingy.
I have a fold up bag that I carry on my car keys so I always have one with me.