Published: Thursday, 10th April, 2008 09:00
Ex-lecturer stopped for using a reusable shopping bag
By Rose Harland
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Pauline Robinson with the initialled receipt from Morrisons and the African bag on her left
Pic by: Richard Velardo
ECO-conscious Pauline Robinson saw red when supermarket staff accused her of being a thief – because she was using a green reusable shopping bag.
The retired Reading University linguistics lecturer was horrified to be stopped by a security guard as she tried to leave Morrisons supermarket in Rose Kiln Lane, Whitley, and was told that it is standard procedure to stop shoppers not using branded bags.
Ms Robinson, 64, who lives in Shinfield Road, said: “I thought this was outrageous and over the top. What are we going to do if we are stopped every time?
“I’d just passed out of the exit into the sunlight, and then a security guard said 'excuse me’ or something, and asked to check my receipt. He didn’t simply check to see I had it, he read it through thoroughly and then initialled it.
“When I asked why he had stopped me, he replied that the management view was that shoppers not using plastic bags were seen as possible shop-lifters. He was unable to explain how this fitted into Morrisons’ environmental policy, if they have one.
“It’s not his fault he’s been trained to look for people without plastic bags. I would like them to train their people better. Obviously they’ve got to be concerned about shoplifting, but they can’t automatically assume that people without supermarket bags are shoplifters.”
Ms Robinson plans to continue shopping at Morrisons despite the March 30 incident.
She added: “I still continue to use the basket. I always get a trolley and then I put my basket in the trolley. A shoplifter probably isn’t going to have an African bag open at the top so you can see the shopping.”
Amy Burchell, co-ordinator of Reading Friends of the Earth, which has campaigned for a ban on plastic bags in Reading, said: “I think it’s pretty appalling, really. There are so many people who re-use bags.
“I think there should be other security measures in place. I don’t think it’s practical to stop everybody using their own bag. It’s one thing to stop people if they’re walking round the shop putting things into their bag instead of using a basket, but it’s another when they’ve packed them at the till.”
Miss Burchell added: “Reusing bags is less of a drain on the world’s resources. If we don’t take a new one each time, we’re using less of the world’s oil. It’s a mentality that shouldn’t just be limited to bags either.”
Morrisons duty manager Lesley Morgan said: “We will be looking into the incident. We haven’t got a problem with people using re-usable bags. We try and minimise the use of plastic carrier bags. We only put out one at a time, and we sell re-usable hessian bags.”
Do you use a reusable bag? What should shops do to encourage eco-friendly shopping? Leave your comments below or email rharland@berksmedia.co.uk
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