kipper

I get a lot of Ziploc bags due to my once-a-month cooking. While I don't reuse most of them, I do reuse the 2-gallon bags.

CosmosHuman

I remember my grandmother washed out bread bags and reused them.

FLYMSY

Whoa!!! Glad I live in the Free State of New Orleans.

lhrsfo

What on earth are open container laws? What's wrong with just putting a cork in it?

I do remember ski trips in Switzerland as a child when we stayed demi-pension. My parents would never finish the bottle so they'd simply write the room number on it to reappear the following night.

CKA1

Here's my take on it. If it's something that can't be reasonably consumed later (ie pasta, rice, noodles) I don't take it with me. If it's something I'd enjoy later in my hotel room or home, I'll take it. That's steak, chicken, etc.

I can't fathom trying to eat pasta that's six hours old. On the other hand, I've eaten Thai that is still edible after six hours.

As for my grandmother, she's the same way I am. She's been pretty well fed her whole life, and I don't think she's taken food home just because it's uneaten. She'll take home food if it's good to eat, for breakfast or lunch. My grandfather, didn't even go to restaurants where bread came with the meal until he moved in with my family and I'd take him to fancy restaurants. He was a good man, but he preferred buffets, because he would take what he wanted, not what people said he should eat. And none of my family would condone taking food home from a buffet.

As for taking the jelly or condiments off the table, well, that's borderline thievery. You are taking something provided for your use, not provided as your property.

CK.

darthbimmer

Open container laws prohibit carrying an unsealed container of alcohol. In the US it's illegal in public spaces like sidewalks and parks in many jurisdictions (hence the depictions you see in US media of street people drinking cheap booze from a bottle concealed in a brown paper bag) and illegal in a motor vehicle in almost all jurisdictions.

Wikipedia offers a decent overview at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_container_law

cbn42

In the context of the question, open container laws prohibit carrying alcohol in the passenger area of a car, on the ridiculous assumption that if the bottle is open, the driver must be drinking it. I have never heard of these "wine doggy bag" laws, although they seem to be a good idea.

Ancien Maestro

Half the time, when we takeout from a restaurant, we forget about it and leave the takeout overnight in the vehicle. Next day, its got to be thrown out.

RadioGirl

Most of the restaurants we frequent in suburban Sydney (and there are an embarrassing number that consider us regulars) are happy to box up leftovers and will usually offer before we can ask. These include Italian, Indian and various Asian cuisines; places which are not really "fast food" but offer takeaway as well as full table service, so they have the containers available. At Asian and Indian restaurants, RadioBloke and I deliberate over sharing one main course (and finishing it) or two (and taking some home).

One (higher priced, unique dishes, owner as chef) Indian restaurant stopped allowing patrons to take leftovers home on the grounds that improperly stored/reheated food could cause food poisoning. I guess he'd had legal advice. Numerous other restaurants in the same street still allow it, so it certainly isn't a local regulation. One place charges 50 cents for the container.

We haven't asked at some (steak places, for example) where we usually finish our own meals. We don't often eat at the really top end 5 star places, but IME the portion sizes are more appropriate and so the issue hasn't come up.

When I'm not sure of the restaurant's policy and can't finish the meal, I'll say something to the waiter like "that was really delicious, but unfortunately I just can't finish it all" and wait for them to offer to let me take it home.

Cloudship

In the Us, I think there is also an element of not wanting to offend the staff. Sometimes you order something and it turns out you really don't like it, or aren't that thrilled with it. Rather than just say you didn't like it, you say "Oh, I am just stuffed, Wrap it up and I will finish it later for lunch".

darthbimmer

The first post mentioning open container laws did reference them relative to driving, but the same types of laws in the US do very much apply to people on foot in public spaces such as sidewalks. Try walking back to your home or hotel with a half-finished bottle of wine in your hand, and in many jurisdictions the police can cite you for an infraction. It's not always their highest enforcement priority, of course, but if you are doing something else that attracts police attention in a negative way they can and will use the violation as a way to stop, question, search, cite, and possibly arrest you.

Ancien Maestro

There should be container laws as consumers assume that containers are safe to carry food. But, I would opinion that the Styrofoam containers are unsafe, as microwaves zaps off the Styrofoam onto the food in microwaves. I can see the Styrofoam containers deteriorate when cooked in the microwave. This is not the effect intended.

LH4116

In Europe it's generally not accepted to bring your food home from restaurants, but if you ask nicely they'd might let you. I've only done so one time but that was because the restaurant was closing and they were eager to kick me out, rather than give me a few extra minutes to finish my meal. The waiter gave me a paper bag and told me to stuff it with the remaining food on my plate.

CMK10

The law school did an etiquette dinner last night and one of the points made by the speaker was it was considered rude to go on a business dinner and NOT ask for food you didn't eat to take home.

darthbimmer

I'm not sure if you're trying to make a joke or if you seriously misunderstand the purpose of Open Container Laws in the US. The laws have nothing to do with ensuring the safety of containers for consumer use. Their entire purpose is to prohibit undesirable or dangerous consumption of alcohol. Please visit the Wikipedia page I linked to upthread if this is not crystal clear.