Not really thinking too much about it, I made a decision to go buy fabric at IKEA for my drafty windows. Nino warned me via text message: “Love, when was the last time you were at IKEA? It is like a 30 000 square foot hell.”
Of course I had forgotten how plastic that place is, but I did know that the fabric comes unwrapped. I chose a pretty pattern, had three pieces cut by the dude there, who promptly thereafter disappeared behind the counter with my goods.
Taina: Wait a second! You aren’t going to wrap that are you?
Voice from under the counter: Yes. It’s procedure.
Taina: No, I don’t want plastic.
Annoyed face from behind counter: It’s procedure.
Taina thinking that buddy has one more chance: I will not buy the fabric if you put it in plastic.
Buddy: I can’t have you take the fabric without plastic. The stickers may come off and the check out people will be very confused.
Taina thinking that this guy takes me for an absolute moron: I want to speak to a manager.
Guy gets on phone and has candid conversation with two managers: Uh huh. Yes. I assume so. Ok.
Guy who still takes me for a flailing moron: Ok, we are going to make an exception for you, but please keep the fabrics together and don’t lose the stickers. (Which by the way are stuck firmly to the fabric..as stickers do)
Taina successfully checking out at counter: Are you per chance confused? The fabric guy said you wouldn’t be able to deal with this folded fabric and these stickers without a plastic cover.
Check out chick gives me a look like I am a moron: No.
___
So often we just let people walk all over us. The moral of the story is that it is your right to REFUSE and if someone refuses back, call them out on it.
The best thing is that I was having fun (my friend saw right through it and busted me as we walked out). I enjoy this consumer game and most of the time I know I can get what I want. For the simple fact is that their money, is in my pocket.
7 comments
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January 30, 2012 at 8:11 am
Michelle
He he! Good on ya!
At a music festival in Portugal last year I had to sweet talk the police to let me in. First night fine, second night I was fine my boyfriend had trouble & called me to deal with it! Luckily I added a surfrider sticker to my bottle with the image of a turtle choking a plastic bag. 3rd night big problems. A different police officer was not having any it. I asked to speak to some one more important & behold she let me in. (in bad Portuguese…) I quite enjoyed it to! Luckily they didn´t bag check & find my second one of vodka….! Metal cups & bottles also make great clapping machines I discovered!! My bottle didn´t come home in good shape….. neither did I come to think of it!
January 30, 2012 at 10:40 am
Jade-Lauren Cawthray
I love it. Bloody brilliant.
January 30, 2012 at 11:45 am
us
i had the exact same fight, probably with the exact same man, last year at ikea, and despite asking to speak to a manager, he flat out refused to let me have the fabric without the plastic. so i had to leave the fabric. i was so pissed off. ikea is hell enough as it is, but if you actually make it out there, it’s frustrating to not get what you want because of a damn piece of plastic.
January 30, 2012 at 2:20 pm
Plastic Manners
The more I thought about it, I was perplexed why I chose IKEA in the first place instead of some smaller place with organic fabrics. We get so used to shopping somewhere that even being so focused on sustainability, we tend to forget..
January 31, 2012 at 9:41 am
James Binnie
February 3, 2012 at 8:44 pm
kv
I had a similar argument with a cashier at Kohl’s. I just told her I didn’t need a plastic bag and she told me it was store policy and that they might think I stole something. I asked if perhaps my receipt wouldn’t clear that confusion up. I couldn’t talk her out of it, so when she handed me the bag, I immediately took everything out and left it on the counter. I was pissed.
March 23, 2012 at 4:32 pm
hucz
You all have to understand that, yes you are doing a great thing refusing to accept plastic, others (being the large companies, and individuals working for those companies) aren’t as accepting or aware of the damaging effects of plastic, and in some cases just doing their job. So be as pleasant and patient as you can be to those people when you are refusing to accept plastic. Give them notice in advance that you strongly oppose plastic, and prevent situations like these from happening. You don’t have to be annoyed, or get angry in these situations.