It seems Americans, at least American businesses, have a love affair with bags. Grocery, hardware and department stores bag everything, even single items that already come in a bag.

I try to remember to bring my canvas bags into the store, but even that doesn’t always work. The clerks will put an item in a paper bag and place that in my bag.

One has to be continually watchful. I was distracted the other day when I went to the store for a bottle of wine. Suddenly I found the bottle in a paper bag, within a plastic bag. I usually just grab the bottle by the neck and carry it to the car.

Things often come in containers, dress shirts are in plastic, but that doesn’t stop the clerk from also bagging it. I buy whole bean coffee which is poured into a paper bag. Then I have a tug or war with the barista to keep her from putting that in another bag.

Glass beverage bottles are put in paper bags before being added to the main bag, assuming that a thin piece of paper will keep thick glass bottles from breaking.

If it’s convenience they are after, why do stores place only a few items in each bag, making it necessary to carry many bags to the car?

Compared to the rest of the world, America is in the bag. Perhaps it time we sobered up.