What? No More Reusable Bags at Safeway?

Here's my open letter to a reporter for the Boston Globe.

Dear Mr. Abel,

Thanks for your article about the backlash against reusable  shopping bags.  This really concerns me because it may be sending the wrong message, one that people will remember after the pandemic is over.

I'm writing you from San Francisco, where I saw a sign at Safeway saying that as a safeguard against the coronavirus,.
 

I'm glad they're trying to protect the cashiers, but I'm not sure this is the best way to do it.  They have on sterile gloves.  They still take our money, which has the contribution of --well, I just Googled it:

$20 bills are used 75 times per year, or once every 5 days, and last 7.5 years, touching about 550 people

$1 dollar bills are used 110 times a year, or twice a week, and last 4 to 15 years, with an average of 6. That means they touch at least 440 people, an average of 660, and at most 1,650.

 How does that compare with the number of people who have touched my reusaable bag?  Yesterday I bagged my own items--into my reusable bag.

Also, what about customers, who are asked to key in their customer number on a pad?  Hasn't recent research shown that the germiest place for travelers is the check-in kiosk pad?  

Why doesn't someone run a test on where the most germs really congregate?  The self-serve checkout keypad?  The shopping carts used by many customers?  

Why target something that's good for the environment?

Again, thanks for your article.

Tina Martin