2049 replies to this topic

[rjag]

As posted on a tweet regarding a different council in Vancouver but relevant to CoV

“Too many of them aren’t honest about why they get into politics. It’s not to do what people want, rather it’s to enact and inflict their own views of how things should be; and for many of them (not all), its all about them.“

[rjag]

was downtown this AM with the Mrs running a few errands and we went in to Davids Tea. There were some tourists buying a few things and the lady asked for a bag to carry the loose items. The clerk said that would be $.25 for a paper bag. The lady commented about it being ridiculous and the clerk said they were obligated to charge under the City Bylaw...I stepped in and said that the Bylaw was thrown out of court just last week and therefore it isnt enforceable. The clerk pretended to act all surprised but insisted the bag was still $.25. 

 

Funny how its still showing on the CoV website https://www.victoria...astic-bags.html shouldnt it be taken down or ...?

[Nparker]

I came close to making this same argument at London Drugs late last week. If I get charged for a paper bag anytime before the CoV enacts an updated bylaw I intend to ask the retailer under whose authority they are charging for the bag. If they tell me it's because of the city then I will be obligated to inform them the bylaw is no longer in effect.

[RFS]

The stores don't need permission to charge for bags if they want to. City by law or not

[Mike K.]

I’ve reveiced several messages recently from business owners who are a little ticked off that the City is not respecting the rule of law. The highest court in the province has banned the ban.

[Nparker]

The stores don't need permission to charge for bags if they want to. City bylaw or not

That may be true, but as a consumer I have every reason to know why they are charging me for a bag. If I am told they are following the city's bylaw the retailers are are either ill-informed or lying to me and I may decide to take my business elsewhere.

[rjag]

The stores don't need permission to charge for bags if they want to. City by law or not

 

agreed, but dont claim they have to because of the bylaw...thats what she told the tourist

[Mike K.]

Oh yeah, that’s bad.

Business owners KNOW the ban has been struck down. It’s their business to know.

But would you give up an extra 20 cents in profit, multiplied by 150 purchases, per day? That’s a nearly $1,000 profit per month.

Larger retailers that go through 500 paper bags a day are pulling in $3,000 in profit per month from the sale of those bags at such a high markup.

[shoeflack]

As much as we love ragging on the city, let's maybe be a bit forgiving to the David's Tea or London Drugs front-line clerk who is just doing their job when they inform you that a bag will be $0.25 on account of City bylaw. It likely means that their employer hasn't passed down the memo or that their employer has told them to keep enforcing it. You can't expect ever single person in town to know this was struck down and what the implication of that are. The last thing we need is a bunch of minimum wage store clerks getting more sh*t thrown at them than they already do because their boss has either told them to keep charging the fee and use the bylaw as an excuse or because they simply haven't been informed of any different.

[rjag]

Nobody dumped on her! She was informed that her info was incorrect but didn’t seem to care and reiterated what was now a false narrative.

[shoeflack]

I'm going to give the cashier the benefit of the doubt in following the wishes of her employer as opposed to some random customer off the street. If I'm in an entry-level hourly job like that, I'm going to be taking my direction from my boss and my boss alone, not a customer. 

 

Complain to the business owner or the manager if you have an issue, not someone who simply is doing what they've been told by their employer. Having worked many years in front-line retail earlier in my life, customers would come in and try to "inform you" on all sorts of things without realizing that you have literally no power to do anything about it. The end result is just you getting made to look like a fool or unintelligent or whatever, which is never a good feeling when you have no power to do whatever it is that the customer wants.

 

Front line staff (cashiers, etc.) have it rough. Just be respectful to them is all I'm saying. No need to ruin someone's day over a 25 cent bag fee.

[Mike K.]

It sounds like we’re giving business owners and managers a little more leeway than they deserve. The banning of the bag ban is a big deal. Frontline staff across the City should have long ago been educated on what has changed, it’s been a week.

Perhaps the City needs to take the time to educate business owners of the changes, but since they haven’t even bothered to change their own web page pertaining to the ban that’s still supposedly in effect I don’t know if there’s much will to do anything of the sort.

But really, the website needs to be updated. ASAP.

[Nparker]

...the City needs to take the time to educate business owners of the changes...

And if the City isn't going to do it, then it falls on local customers to make sure businesses know the rules have changed.

[vortoozo]

Most businesses are aware by now that the bylaw has changed, but are unwilling to take a step backwards.

The chamber of commerce supported the bylaw, any many businesses have gone on record as indicating that they don't intend to make any changes.

Many residents support banning plastic bags and businesses don't want to be seen as being pushed around by an industry association.

[Nparker]

Businesses are welcome to keep offering paper or reusable bags but they are going to have to justify the charge to the consumer. They can no longer blame the cost of these items on the CoV.

[spanky123]

Businesses are welcome to keep offering paper or reusable bags but they are going to have to justify the charge to the consumer. They can no longer blame the cost of these items on the CoV.

 

Correct. Their choice but don't falsely tell the customer that they are forced to charge $.25 or $2 for a reusable bag.

 

Th Mayor has been tweeting that businesses are supporting the decision to ban plastic bags and charge the fees and thus nothing has changed with the ruling. There may be some truth to that but the City isn't helping by updating their site either.

[Nparker]

...The Mayor has been tweeting that businesses are supporting the decision to ban plastic bags and charge the fees...

If CoV businesses try to charge me fees for bags now, they better be prepared to show me their company policy in writing to back this up.

[Rob Randall]

Not a joke:

Trump Straws - Pack of 10
$15.00

Liberal paper straws don’t work. STAND WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP and buy your pack of recyclable straws today.
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9" long
Pack of 10 identical straws as shown
Laser engraved

 

Made in USA

 

 

https://shop.donaldj...ts/trump-straws

[Rob Randall]

Trump on straws: but what about the plates?

 

https://twitter.com/...358102970327041

Edited by Rob Randall, 19 July 2019 - 09:54 PM.

[todd]

Trump on straws: but what about the plates?
 
https://twitter.com/...358102970327041

Last time I was at a restaurant everything was reusable but the straw. Just picture all the mouths your fork has been in.