Being green can draw weird looks in public, especially when you do some of the things I am in the habit of doing. Most of these are tongue-in-cheek, but quite frankly, I still can’t figure out why some of these behaviours or actions are not yet mainstream where I live.
Let me describe a few for you.
Taking Your Own Cup to the Coffee Shop
This simple act still gets me weird looks from coffee shop clients and barista alike. You would think that people would be used to seeing eco-conscious folk take their own cups for a cup of java, but noooo, apparently it is more fashionable and planet destroying to ask for a disposable one. But then again, I like to set my own trend.
My favourite reusable coffee cup is the KeepCup. You can reuse it thousands of times, and if it ever breaks, you can recycle it in curbside recycling. Try doing that with a styrofoam or plastic coated paper coffee cup!
My hope is that more people take my lead at my local coffee kiosk, partly because it is the right thing to do, and partly because some café offer a small discount off the price of your cuppa. What is not to like about that.
Wearing Gumboots to the Hardware Store
Yes, I must admit that when I am working hard in the garden and I need something urgently, I often forget what I am wearing on my feet and visit the hardware store with muck covered gumboots (aka wellingtons or rubber boots). You should see the funny looks I get as I am pondering over which veggie seedlings to buy, or which bag of organic manure to lug home. It may be okay in the country, but in the urban fringe of Melbourne, it still turns heads, especially when I have just mucked out the chook house!
Travelling on Public Transport with a Climate Change Placard
This one certainly got the most weird looks so far. Ben and I had just attended a climate change rally in the city, and were travelling back to sleepy old Melton on the train. You would have thought that we had two heads by the ogling that we received. It was as if our fellow passengers had never heard of Climate Change! May be they were blissfully unaware as I was before September 2006, but really, who hasn’t heard of Climate Change these days. Denial or what? What’s wrong asking for action on the most single issue affecting mankind?
Using Canvas Shopping Bags instead of Plastic bags
Kim and I still get weird looks, especially from the supermarket checkout chick or rooster from this one (probably more like a groan than anything else). A simple bit of forethought and planning to make sure that you have canvas bags if you go to the shops. How hard is it, honestly?
The look usually starts when they (the cashier) asks “do you want a bag” and I reply, no thanks, I have my own. Just that is enough to get a raise eyebrow or two. Maybe it is my return look of disbelief that I still got “the look”. It bugs me.
I wish our state was a bit more forward thinking like South Australia where all plastic LDPE shopping bags are banned and shoppers have to take their own. It would be just so much easier on the environment and certainly people quickly get used it.
Refusing Bottled Water at a Function
This one gets some serious weird looks. Not drinking water from a plastic bottle? You must be crazy. Yes, that is actually what I have had said to my face. I told them that I was certainly not crazy and that there was nothing wrong with tap water, which I proceed to go and find.
I think it may be time to look in the mirror, because not only is bottled water so expensive compared to tap water, the empty bottles themselves are rarely recycled and take thousands of years to breakdown in the environment. It is a luxury that is just not worth it. Life’s a bitch with a Mitch. You’ll know what I mean after watching the video!
What Happens When “The Look” Stops?
I have probably missed hundreds of examples, because I am just that sort of guy. The one that doesn’t give a hoot what sort of attention I attract when I am different from mainstream. And you know what? It’s okay to be different, and try to lead by example. People take notice, then think a little bit more deeply if they see you doing it repeatedly.
You will know when green living is mainstream when “the look” stops or is seen on the rare occasion. I am sure there are places around Australia and the globe for that matter where the things I listed don’t get a second look or raised eyebrow ever. Now wouldn’t it be nice to live somewhere like that!
Where I live, we are not there yet by a longshot, but it will happen eventually if I have anything to do with it. It will be a massive day of celebration at my house when it does!
So over to you. What green behaviours or actions make you the receiving end of a weird look in public? Oh, and Blue Steel or Ferrari don’t count.
I’m happy to say, no one bats an eye lid here if we take our own coffee cups, the coffee shops give them away and are happy when you bring them back for another, we all use the reusable shopping bags and the shops ask if you have brought your own or if you want them. they are no longer there to be taken. no one minds when I take coffee grinds home for compost, we’ re all a bit greener than we used to be here in blighty xxx
Interesting list. I agree with frugalqueen, using KeepCups wouldn’t be worth a second glance here. Some shops are really good about reusable bags, others will give you a plastic bag before you get a chance to say otherwise. Then when you tell them you’ve got your own bag, they give you a look of bemused disdain and sometimes even throw their plastic bag in the bin! Honestly I don’t see why bringing your own bag should be such a big deal in this day and age. Aldi are really leading the way on this.
when I refuse the plastic bag, napkin and cutlery when I bought some take away lunch (grilled fish in a cardboard box seemed the best of a bad bunch?)… I once got told “don’t be silly, love, it’s free”.
I take my keep cup with me everywhere and yes it gets a few looks but I do enjoy telling people I get a discount on my coffee. We often get those weird looks from checkout staff when we refuse plastic bags for our four or five items. I am not sure why I need a bag if I got it to the checkout with out a bag basket or trolley. The strangest looks I get are when I take plastic mesh bags with me to the green grocer. These are ones that I have saved from many years ago and I use them over and over. The staff know me so don’t comment but often I see shoppers looking at me side ways and if I go somewhere new I get a lot of looks and sometimes questions.
I would think you would get weird looks, without the props Gav. Im not being mean. Its because you smile at people with your whole face. I often get looks as if the say “what”? Showing your happiness in the big smoke seems to be a thing of the past. That, and all that black. What’s with the black clothing people. Its not a funeral, its work!
It’s not exactly a public weird look but I get a lot of comments and weird looks from my neighbours and other people driving past as I’m working in my front yard veggie patch,
It definitely depends where you live.
When we first moved interstate to Melbourne I needed to grab a few things from Coles in Eltham – it’s quite a ‘green’ area. All our possessions (including my reusable bags) were in 2 shipping containers and due to arrive the next day. At the checkout the girl asked me for my bags and as I glanced around, EVERYONE had reusable bags. I left there like a dog with my tail between my legs carrying my PLASTIC bags and almost apologising to the checkout girl for not having my bags!
Great post. I’m so with you I cant believe that in this day and age cheek out peep or store clerks cant believe/ accept that you’ve bought own bag. I don’t know how often I have to repeat myself and say no I have my own bag. Oh yeah you SO get that look!
An other thing I get serious double takes (not in public but in general) when I tell people we don’t own a tv they just cant get over that one!
In South Aust it’s normal to take our own bags to the supermarket as plastics were outlawed a few years ago. I very rarely buy coffee, am too frugal. However, I do get looks when I pull up outside of three of the restaurants in our town, well dressed (in op-shop clothes but who would even know?), grab my empty bucket out from the back of the car, walk into the restaurant where they swap me a full bucket of scraps from the kitchen for my empty bucket. Our chickens and pigs are doing really well on their fine gourmet diet. I think I also get looks when I pick up the litter on the footpaths instead of walking right past it, and one day picked up a wrapper and gave it to the person who dropped it. Got a really weird look that day.