What's with bread twist ties?

[pepperhead212]

I don't buy bread, but I have that same problem with a tape type thing on corn tortilla bags. I try to get them at the Mexican grocery, as they have some brands that either have twist ties, or clips, but I'm not always going there, and they always have the tape elsewhere. Fortunately, I'll never run out of twist ties, as many years ago I bought two boxes of 1,000 bags each of plastic bags, of two different sizes for bread, and they came with even more twist ties than bags! Still, I save any twist ties from non-food items, and have them in a bowl in a drawer, with other things like that.

 

[GinnyPNW]

You can always take a plastic bag from the produce section I keep them after bringing them home and reuse them as much as I can.

IF one can reach the produce bag holder! I don't know about other places, but here in the PNW they have started hanging the bag roller up above the produce lights. I'm 5'6" and I can just barely reach them on my tippy toes...what do others do? I've commented to the checkers, "if they put them just a little higher, I won't be able to reach them at all!"

 

[dragnlaw]

Ginny, get someone to pull them down to your height and then.... (bad drag'n, bad, bad girl) give it a big humongous jerk and let it unroll clear across the store.

Alternatively, just stand there and holler at the top of your lungs - "CAN SOMEONE REACH THESE BAGS FOR ME, PLEASE!" always be polite of course.

Last, but not least, use the re-usable net bags that you purchased and are somewhere in the trunk of the car or the produce drawer of the fridge.
Personally I think it is a conspiracy to make us use them so they don't have to supply any.

 

[Marlingardener]

Because so many items at our local grocery are waaaay back on the shelf, I take a "grabber" with me. It's a 3' handle with a rubberized grip that you can open and close over the desired item. It not only works for cans, sodas, etc. but also for bags.
It seems that grocery stores are partnered with gyms to give customers a work out!

 

[GinnyPNW]

<<Personally I think it is a conspiracy to make us use them so they don't have to supply any.>>

That's exactly what I think too. Maybe I should just grab exactly what I want and let the clerk sort thru and try to group things to weigh? But then, it isn't the clerks fault and it would slow down the process???

 

[dragnlaw]

OMG Ginny, LOL - what an excellent idea! That is perfect 'cause believe you me - word would get back to the managers, get back to the tier managers, etc.

Last thing the manager wants is to put on extra cashiers so as not to hold up the check-out lines. It just does not fit in their budgets!
Don't know about now but back in the 70's, grocery stores, no matter how big, only had department managers (produce, meat, grocery, bakery), head cashiers, and store managers as permanent staff. All other employees were part-time- no one was allowed to do more than (I think it was) 37 per week. After that they were considered full-time and had to be paid vacation, sick leave, etc. Big savings for the big box stores.

 

[GinnyPNW]

Well, I'll have to do it on a market trip when DH isn't with me. I don't think he would have the patience to let them struggle. He is my bagger, as he doesn't like the way anyone else bags.

FYI: I've recently stopped shopping at one of our most frequented markets, because I caught them in un-fair practices. They do their "mark-downs" all over the store, but the "computer" doesn't update...and, when you point it out, the clerk sends you to "Customer Service" because the clerk can't do anything about it. So...I decided that I had the time and went to Customer Service. Customer Service told me that they cannot give me the refund because the computer thinks it is 2 days back or something similar. My current purchase doesn't show up...therefore, receipt or no receipt...the purchase does not exist. And...it took 3 Customer Service folks, discussing the on-going problem, to make it very clear to me that THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS and can't do anything about it because they are not empowered to do so.

I did send in a review/complaint/whatever on their online website. I told them exactly what happened and went on, and on, and on (insert your imagined dialog here & it was worse)...and told them it is probably illegal too! I did get a call back, unfortunately, my visit was the day before we left for the beach...and I do NOT give our my cell phone number. When I tried to return the call, 2 weeks later, no one can find "Mathew" at the store. So, for 2 bucks, they lost a very frequent shopper!

DC mods: move to Petty Vents, if you feel the need.

 

[taxlady]

Stevedtat, welcome! I didn't know about the twist tie machine nor the tamper evidence.
I have my stash of twist ties, some of which are approaching their last use. When the last one goes I'll resort to using string, floral wire, or zip bags.

Did you see my reply, earlier in this thread: https://www.discusscooking.com/threads/whats-with-bread-twist-ties.97300/post-1494301
You might be able to find something like those clips for cheap too. They are very, very handy for closing all sorts of bags, virtually air tight.

 

[taxlady]

About the taped shut bags. I don't know if the tape that you folks are dealing with is the same as we get here, but the tape that I have to deal with is not as sticky as the sticky tape that I buy. The stuff on bags, I can deal with. I carefully pull where the tape overlaps until there is a small gap. Then, I get out my scissors and stick one blade into the gap and cut. I find that if I peel the tape gently, I can almost always get it of without any tears in the plastic bag. I can remember making a small hole a couple of times, but I can't remember how long ago it was, undoubtedly the most recent time was several years ago. I would be really annoyed if one of my bread bags wasn't reusable. I reuse them for a long time. I even wash them. Produce bags aren't usually nearly as durable as bread bags.