Quick tip: reusable grocery bags (with salam)

Assalamu alaikum - I’ve liked using cloth grocery bags since they became common. Two small annoyances come up often; here’s my take on fixing at least one. YMMV. Annoyance #1: you pull your cart up to the conveyor and, before you can say anything, the cashier starts packing everything into a plastic bag. When you say you have a cloth bag, they get that deer-in-the-headlights look - their muscle memory is so strong from opening and filling plastic bags that it throws them off. Then they sigh and ask if you want them to take everything out of the plastic bag they already filled, and you almost feel bad asking. What I do: drape your cloth bag over the front of the cart and put it on the conveyor before you start unloading. That little visual cue often gives you the extra second to tell the cashier to use your bag. Sometimes it works. No promises. Annoyance #2: many stores sell cloth bags with their logo. You hand your bag to the cashier and they give a suspicious look, asking if you bought the bag today. You can usually tell by how limp or stained it is that it’s not new. My simple workaround: bring a bag from a different store - you probably have a bunch - so if you’re at one market, use a bag from another chain. That usually prevents the cashier from assuming you just bought it there. Again, not guaranteed, but it’s worked for me so far. Hope this helps - barakAllahu fik.