The Plastic Bag Debate

Recently Toronto city council voted to ban plastic bags some time next year (it could be January first, or June first--I am not really concerned with the date)  It was covered by all the major newspapers and found its way onto the local news for several days running.

I don't live in Toronto, so most people would argue that I shouldn't really think about it.  True, except that when Toronto passed a by-law requiring all stores to charge for plastic bags, it quickly became store policy.  So pervasive was this that most store clerks thought it was the law in the province, rather than store policy.  So, if this happens in Toronto, it is likely to be adopted by all stores province wide.

As for me, I don't really understand the resistance to the idea.  I remember when we didn't have plastic bags, and things worked out fine.  The only time there was any trouble was on sitcoms, where the main character had to struggle in the door with multiple bags, leaking fluids, fumbling with keys while the phone rang.  These days, they would just let it go to voicemail, and I would hope that you could put down your bags while you are opening the door.

I have embraced that bring your own bag to the supermarket, and so it seems have quite a few others,  It was difficult at first, but I always have some of the bags in the car.  When I am planning on going to the store I always manage to bring them with me.  If I forget, or don't have enough, I am sure paper will do. 

I realize that plastic is convenient, but I don't recall the last time someone tried to tell me that plastic was good for the environment. (though people are still debating global warming, it seems that we've all accepted that plastic will never go away)  Most people seem to have embraced the blue box concept.  Maybe a sensible first step is to force the blue box program to accept plastic bags......

I am prepared to lug paper bags home (or at least to the trunk of my car) and I am sure I will soon see bundle buggies full of paper bags being hauled across town.  Will the plastic bag go the way of the dinosaur?  Since the dinosaurs became oil, and oil gave us plastic, it seems only fitting.

The Curious Case of the Elevator Button

the elevator has been summoned

I came upon a rather typical scene the other day.  I walked up to the elevator, pressed the elevator call button and took my place leaning against the wall, waiting for the incredibly slow elevator to make its way to my floor.

Another person, a short time after me, walked up and pressed the same elevator call button.  This was followed by a third and a fourth.  They all pressed the button, despite seeing the line up of people and the amber light glowing in the centre of the button.

This is not a new situation.  I have been involved in this situation many times, and I have taken many roles.  I have been the "I already pressed it" guy, utilizing a variety of character traits that ranged from sincere concern to incredibly sarcastic. My favourite was the nonchalant "pressed it".  The few times that I got  a response, the person usually just said, "I know."  Some smiled, some nodded, some feigned ignorance... heck one guy even high fived me--okay, I made that last one up.

I have also come upon the scene later and witnessed the exact same conversation (if you could call it that) with the same high quality responses.  I've witnessed the same ponderous, or incredulous faces.  I've watched countless eye rolls.  I even have to admit that I have been one of the guys who has pushed the already lit up button.

safe to press

So what is it about the elevator call button that makes us push it, even though we can clearly see it lit up.  Is it a psychological need for control.  I can't believe anyone thinks the elevator car is going to come that much faster if we press the button again.  Is it just that the little amber light doesn't register in our minds until after we have pressed it.  I have thought long and hard about this and am left to conclude that we should file that away with the secret of how Cadbury gets the caramel in the Caramilk bar.

The only real world connection to this seems to be the walk button when you want to cross the street.  I don't see people lining up one after another to press it, but I have seen (and taken part in) an almost ritualistic act of pushing the buttons multiple times, perhaps believing that, in fact, the light will change that much sooner.

 

No Sympathy

The NHL locked out the players this week.  Big surprise.  We all saw it coming, we all knew it was inevitable.  Like the hockey fans we are (or maybe now were) we tried to pretend that it wouldn't happen.  We tried to pretend that much like our beloved teams, they could stage a late rally and win it all.

Foolishness.

My thoughts on this are many.  I sympathize more with the players than the owners.  While the players make more money in one season than I will likely make in a lifetime of work doesn't bother me as much as I think it should.  There are lots of overpaid people (Gary Bettman for one) in all industries, not just pro sports.  If only we could lock out some political leaders or senators.

Hockey players want to play the game of hockey.  They've been doing it all their lives. and now that simple thing is denied them (along with their large salary)  Some will go play in Russia or parts of Europe.  Hopefully some of those games will be broadcast on TV for me to watch.

Watching the owners of well to do teams sign players to long term deals on the eve of the lockout seems to me to be dealing in bad faith.  You know that the players are eventually going to have to take some kind of rollback, so if that was calculated in the contract....that seems a little dishonest, or at least a little nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more kind of way.  I can't really stomach them claiming that they have no money when they sign these contracts.  The hypocrisy is mind-bending.  Maybe they need to learn a little thing called restraint.

It is like watching an obese person claiming they want to lose weight while overeating.  Yes, there might be psychological problems that cause this behaviour--the desire to win is a strong one, but in this analogy the players are the super extra large pizzas.  Neither the food, nor the players are to blame.  Bettman's idea is to lock the fridge, but that won't change the behaviour.  It didn't work last time, why would it work this time.  You're going to unlock the fridge eventually.

Some teams are too poor, or play in markets where they don't draw a crowd.  There are only three choices.  Fold, relocate, or get the richer clubs to share their revenue.  Bettman doesn't like the first two because he keeps hoping that hockey will get the same ESPN deal that the NFL got.  As far as pipe dreams go, that is a pretty good one.  As for sharing revenue.... the rich owners certainly don't want that.  However, it can be don.  If they paid a 100% luxury tax for exceeding the cap, the money that they overspent could be sent to teams that qualify for financial support.

I would love to hear what everyone thinks.  As you know, since there won't be any hockey on television, I have plenty of time to talk about it.