Another reason I take my backpack with me everywhere is because most supermarkets don't give out bags. Or rather you can get bags but there is a small fee. I would say it's because of the environment, but every other store in Taiwan gives you a free plastic bag to carry your things. Which is actually a good thing cause those bags get recycled to carry my dog's poop.
Because people at supermarkets need a bag to hold their groceries, usually you will see people have what's in the picture above, a big reusable plastic bag from ikea. As you can see I also have one, but as they are kind of pain, I only bring it with me if I am going to costco. For everything else i have my trusty backpack.
Also you may remember a few years ago the hubbub about the "I'm not a plastic bag" bag. Well that was also very popular here. It was sold in only one high end fashion shop. One location was inside a shopping mall, and caused quite a stir. Many Taiwanese were lined up outside of the mall, and when the doors opened pandemonium broke out as they pushed each other and ran over each other in their race to the store in the mall to buy the bag.
It was quite an event to see and one which I hoped would change Taiwan for the better. What i mean is for me the biggest annoyance I daily face is the lack of lines in Taiwan. Most people just swarm, and cut and it's pandemonium. I guess they are used to it but when your chinese is soft and stuttery, it can be upsetting when people just come up and cut and yell what they want. And like a true American, complaining about it, is easier than actually learning the language.
