Slog - Comments on You Can't Crush the American Entrepreneurial Spirit

Comment by Non

Non — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:03:49 -0800

That would really help me. As a pedestrian who traditionally walks his groceries home and doesn't, you know, pack a fucking reusable bag in my briefcase, I'd like this.

Comment by rb

rb — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:04:21 -0800

Seattlites, cutting off their noses to spite their faces since 1851.

Comment by Giffy

Giffy — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:10:29 -0800

So if he sold a thousand a day he might just break out of poverty level wages.

Comment by AMB

AMB — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:11:17 -0800

My convenience must come before any other concern. It is my Jesus-bestowed right to use plastic bags for carrying my groceries. It's in the Bible.

Comment by Jubilation T. Cornball

Jubilation T. Cornball — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:13:11 -0800

@3, exactly! I was going to calculate the potential hourly wage this hambone might earn but grew immediately bored at the thought.

Comment by inkweary

inkweary — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:15:36 -0800

All of the posters who claim they are going to begin shopping outside the city limits because of the bag tax should car pool with all of the people who claim they are moving to Canada for a variety of reasons. That would really help the environment.

Comment by Chris

Chris — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:18:26 -0800

Seriously though, are we supposed to carry our grocery's outside and bag them on the street? Retarded, it's about convenience.

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:20:12 -0800

Screw calculating hourly wage, all you need to know is that this idiot can't make more than $5,000.

What I'm wondering is how much space in his garage 50,000 plastic bags are taking.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:21:48 -0800

I wonder how many bags will be used to cover the heads of political effigies of the 8 city council members who agreed to this insane non-refundable tax.

Comment by Dougsf

Dougsf — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:22:46 -0800

That guy's a dick. A stupid dick. It's a shame he isn't actually going to do this and that he didn't really buy 50,000 bags - I'd like to see him fail.

Comment by chet

chet — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:25:45 -0800

@7 u r dense. one would think you could carry the bags that you just bought outside into the store fairly easily.

Comment by Jubilation T. Cornball

Jubilation T. Cornball — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:32:23 -0800

@8, I guess the ultimate metric here is that he can suffocate himself 50,000 times. Nice to meet you, BTW.

Comment by Phil M

Phil M — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:51:32 -0800

This new policy is well-intentioned, but ridiculous. If we don't make the stores pay us (the City) per bag, all they have to do is offer $0.20 off any item with the purchase of a bag, and nothing will change. There would be no cost to customers, and the only cost to the store would be accounting for the "promotion". I'm repeatedly surprised that I haven't heard anyone mention this potential loophole.

Comment by Martin H. Duke

Martin H. Duke — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:53:45 -0800

This analysis assumes, of course, that very few people do what they're being encouraged to do, which is bring a bag.

If they do, this guy will not be making much money.

Comment by tsm

tsm — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:58:50 -0800

Well, he certainly showed ME.

Comment by Doomed Society

Doomed Society — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:58:54 -0800

Typical simple-minded crap. Just like the people who say they'll never vote for Obama because Hillary didn't win. Or the people who say that they'll never go to McDonalds again because of the homos. Or the folks who threaten to move to Canada if the Republicans win the White House.

We really are a nation of whiny little assholes, knocking over the checker board when we see we aren't winning. And in this case, throwing a whiny fit over having to remember to bring a fucking shopping bag.

Welcome to the Idiocracy.

Comment by Jakub

Jakub — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:58:57 -0800

Im still not convinced that re usable bags are better for the environment. Amyone have proof against that?

Comment by Doomed Society

Doomed Society — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:26 -0800

Welcome to the Idiocracy.

Comment by Nathan

Nathan — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:02:45 -0800

In Germany they sell bags in the checkout lines at the store. They sell a range of bags, including nice reusable plastic ones. So having them as available as gum is sort of an obvious way to go.

Comment by Epimetheus

Epimetheus — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:17:05 -0800

@3 & 5, if he bought them "at a cost less than one cent per bag" and sells them for ten cents, 1000 bags is $90, if he works an 8 hour day that is $11.25/hr there are a _lot_ of jobs out there that pay less than that. (and it takes a lot of people making that kind of money to support an elitist yuppie)

&8 he can't make more than $5000 with that one batch of bags, but how much does Schultz make on one latte?

Still, he would be better off making and servicing point of sale displays, to be put at he checkout stands, to sell individual "trash bags"

Comment by michael strangeways

michael strangeways — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:20:15 -0800

So, if Charlton Heston were alive, would he be in Seattle doing commercials proclaiming, "You'll have to pry my plastic Safeway bag from my cold, dead hands..."

hey, the message still works! Let's exhume the body to make sure!

Comment by ALEX

ALEX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:21:58 -0800

SHOULD SPEND THE MONEY ON NEW WRITERS INSTEAD, YA SUCKA!

YOU JUST GOT SORVT ON THE INTERNET TWENTY TIMES OVER

Comment by ty

ty — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:28:41 -0800

"YOU JUST GOT SORVT ON THE INTERNET TWENTY TIMES OVER"

Sorvt? what the fuck does that mean? is that like pwned or owned or what ever the cool kids are saying now ...

jeebus

Comment by Bellevue Ave

Bellevue Ave — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:30:06 -0800

arbitrage!

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:32:57 -0800

@20, you are assuming that he's going to be able to sell a thousand bags a day. At one store. That seems, uh, optimistic.

@22: SORVT?

Comment by ALEX

ALEX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:01 -0800

you ain't seeing my lexicon for fifteen years, at least...

we been sorvin horbs for grippz, the netskwad rolls thick.

you'll talk like this soon, what with the compaction of the retro-to-current timeframe continuum being in constant speed-ups.

"24/7" used to be all us, now it's been on Fox News for ellza. Tripp on that, Mikey.

don't run me off, just let it sonk in for a spell, and maybe, perhaps, mayhaps, perbe: you'll get nearer to halfway as cool as you wish you were.

you'll start, as I did, trying to hit levels as jokes (and jokes and jokes)... finsta be clever, but it'll permeate your hactual_styles after awhile, and you'll be on this shit for serion.

but yes, "you got served," as per the horrible teen dance movie (ain't seen it, some of you probably memorized it on some ironical-er-than-thou mission, but comeon it's gottasuck)...dude came with his cornball hackmove and got sorvt twompfold. Don't make me splain anything again. I'm on your side. Dude's joke was lame. Poorly thought-out, the math(s) didn't make sense; I detected that right-wing sneer almost...

leight.

Comment by ALEX

ALEX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:48:36 -0800

you ain't seeing my lexicon for fifteen years, at least...

we been sorvin horbs for grippz, the netskwad rolls thick.

you'll talk like this soon, what with the compaction of the retro-to-current timeframe continuum being in constant speed-ups.

"24/7" used to be all us, now it's been on Fox News for ellza. Tripp on that, Mikey.

don't run me off, just let it sonk in for a spell, and maybe, perhaps, mayhaps, perbe: you'll get nearer to halfway as cool as you wish you were.

you'll start, as I did, trying to hit levels as jokes (and jokes and jokes)... finsta be clever, but it'll permeate your hactual_styles after awhile, and you'll be on this shit for serion.

leight.

Comment by robo

robo — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:52:01 -0800

sounds like there's an escaped Texan in your midst. please don't send him back. Austin is in the middle of a plastic bag upheaval as well.

Comment by ALEX

ALEX — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:53:36 -0800

damn.

doublepost renders the whole thing moot.

oh well...I'd edit it, but that's against the internet rulebook too. Editing is for pussieys and liars.

ps: ALL_CAPS is taut, not always for screaming. I came widdit all_caps to denote inherent silliness of "getting sorvt online."

ENUFF PROTIPS FOR YE: I'M OUT THIS PIECE...BLOGGZ IS HOTT

Comment by Judah

Judah — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:55:05 -0800

Whatever.

Comment by NapoleonXIV

NapoleonXIV — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:07:14 -0800

I just won't be voting for the next levy or tax-intensive projects come next election.

Comment by Giffy

Giffy — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:18:03 -0800

@20 There are a _lot_ of jobs out there that pay less, and they are what we call poverty level jobs in a city with 1000+ a month rents.

Comment by syngen_polevaulter

syngen_polevaulter — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:20:06 -0800

Typical crybaby douchebags whining about non-violations of nonexistent rights, resentful of having to use something other than their wallet as a brain.

Comment by poster girl

poster girl — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:30:25 -0800

@1-33!
I also have an entrepreneurial idea. I'll smoke outside bars in a different city and then hold my breath while driving back to Seattle and people will pay me $5 to blow smoke in their mouths. And I'll run over a bicyclist on the way!
Ha! and I win! I'm a genius! I've just proved how dumb everyone is!

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:37:04 -0800

Are you accepting outside investors, poster girl? That sounds like a SURE WINNER.

@22, 26, 27, 29: meth is bad for you.

Comment by tiktok

tiktok — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:43:58 -0800

I'm not sure Mr. Bag Salesman's mother is going to let him out of the basement long enough to make this a viable business. Not unless he can start keeping his room clean AND taking the garbage out each week.

Comment by infrequent

infrequent — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:45:25 -0800

@13. the money has to come from somewhere. the store might give the "discount" to the customer, but they store has to pay money to the city. why would the store do this? they would rather raise the price of all goods first and have a pretend discount.

Comment by Toe Tag

Toe Tag — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:52:54 -0800

@21, you wouldn't have to pry it from Charlton Heston's dead grasp. The handles would break before it even got out the door, just as they do with the plastic bags that some people now claim a Second Amendment right to. Even if you double-bag.

Comment by Epimetheus

Epimetheus — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:07:59 -0800

@25, I assumed I was being funny, my mistake (not the first time), sorry.
I stand by the POS display for individual "trash bags" however.

Comment by Gitai

Gitai — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:27:13 -0800

He seems to be under the misapprehension that running a business with no license is the equivalent of begging and political speech. The city would happily allow him to carry this out, provided he got the proper licenses and permitting for sidewalk vending. I still don't think he'd make a penny of actual profit though. Considering the comments Conlin got were ten to one in favor, I imagine that most Seattleites will be carrying their reusable bags as a matter of course within weeks.

Comment by Will in ECB Seattle

Will in ECB Seattle — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:30:59 -0800

Coming Soon - Diapers for Pit Bulls!

Short on plastic bags for dog poo?

Why not get The Stranger brand of Pit Bull Diapers?

Salvaged by trained Mexican cliff-divers from the ocean, these pre-stained plastic bags come complete with a certificate of Green Heroism.

Only $500 for a pack of six!

Comment by Ejaculation T. Horndog

Ejaculation T. Horndog — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:42:51 -0800

Damn! This thread am funky down here. Who Fartfed?

Comment by VR

VR — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:24:27 -0800

Then he can take his profit and pay for every time bags clog storm drains and we have to send a city crew out. Or when bags clog the recycling sorter. Maybe every time I see a bag floating in the water I will grab it and go shove it in this guy's mouth...

Some people just need to be kicked in the teeth.

The disposable plastic bag is just about humanities worst invention...