Trader Joe's Specialty Grocery Stores

I love shopping at Trader Joe's. It's odd, but interesting. But, I am not your typical Trader Joe's shopper. I buy things at Trader Joe's that I can't find elsewhere, or just things that I like. Sometimes, they're even cheaper than a regular supermarket.

Trader Joe's caters to a "la-tee-dah" clientele. These are generally people of the "upper crust" of society, or so they think. They tend to be health conscious people, environmentally conscious people, and people that can't be "bothered" by the "riff-raff" at a regular supermarket. So, at Trader Joe's they buy "recycled" toilet paper, and organic vegetables. I think it must make people feel like they're a bit better than the rest of us. But, this is where it all breaks down.

I was at Trader Joe's the other day, buying my usual: hummus, feta, and pita. I can't find better hummus, feta, and pita anywhere, and I can't find it cheaper anywhere either. I got up to the checkstand and was getting ready to purchase my items. "Double-bag it," said the lady in front of me.

As I looked around, 9 out of 10 customers was having their groceries double-bagged. Now, mind you, these are not flimsy supermarket variety plastic bags. These are the extra-heavy duty paper bags, WITH the handles that fold out at the top.


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Extra-heavy duty paper bags WITH the handles.

These bags are the premium way to carry your groceries to begin with. But, then, apparently, to hold a few organic sprigs of brocolli, some cottage cheese, and the 98% recycled-fiber facial tissue, people needed to have things double-bagged.

These, the same people who "care" about the environment. These, the same people who have "Save the rain forest" stickers on their Acuras. These, the same people who use only biodegradable dish soap.

And 3 trees died, just so they could haul it all home. Hmmmm...