Sir, - Anne Hallahan advises customers to say they do not need a plastic bag to avoid becoming overburdened with them. If only it was that simple!
On a recent visit to an electronics superstore in Tallaght, I politely informed the cashier that I did not need a bag to carry the five-pack of videotapes to my car. She insisted that I had to take one for "security reasons".
The fact that there were no products on display between the cash desks and the door, the presence of a security guard, and my receipt as proof of purchase were not surety enough that I would not attempt to smuggle out half the shop. A flimsy, transparent plastic bag, totally useless even for its intended purpose, was apparently a high-tech anti-shoplifting device, however.
What chance do consumers have when retailers force them to take bags against their will for such ridiculous "reasons"? - Yours, etc.,
Colette Willis, Balglass Road, Howth, Co Dublin.