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Shoppers accustomed to leaving San Francisco stores with their purchases tucked into disposable plastic bags are in for a bite out of their wallet.

An ordinance set to take effect Oct. 1 requires all merchants to charge 10 cents for every bag they provide—whether paper or plastic—and limits what types of plastic bags can be used to cart out merchandise. The regulations are an expansion of a measure that went into effect in 2007 and applied only the largest retailers, such as Safeway Inc. and Walgreen Co.

The new restrictions are among the nation's most stringent, according to advocacy firm Californians Against Waste. All retailers in San Francisco will only be allowed to distribute paper bags or plastic ones that are at least 2.25 millimeters thick and can be reused 125 times. Customers are free to use their own plastic bags or other reusable sacks. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443921504577644020192370
232.html]
I love it love it love it love it! I shop at two stores, Safeway for a few specific things--mainly sourdough!--and my local United Market for everything else. As I walk into United, I'm joined by a steady stream of customers, about 85% of us carrying our little cloth grocery bags--in my case, each bag with up to 10 plastic bags I had to get elsewhere when I forgot my own in the car (and yes, that includes the hardware store, pet store and all others).

As I stand in line at Safeway, on the other hand, I cringe to watch baggers putting one bottle of milk in a paper bag, then that paper bag into TWO MORE plastic bags. Around here, we know Safeway's mentality. So this gives me a real shiver of delight, and I've little doubt Marin will follow suit soon...at least I hope so!

The second one had me tear up; I hope it touches your humanity, too. The Giants--well, anyone following baseball (or forced to hear about it) knows. So they had a celebration and a parade down Market St. As with many celebrations, there were assholes and idiots in the crowd. The result?

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The I-am-so-thrilled-"X"-won-"X"-that-I-want-to-set-something-on-fire compulsion is well recognized, if not well understood. Surely these firebugs realize they had no more to do with the victory than a local housecat.

Still, it happens every time there's a big win, so we should probably be pleased that it is mostly just trash bins and random bits of paper and wood. But there are also moments that make you wonder exactly what is wrong with people.

Among the objects set ablaze Sunday night was the shoeshine stand of Larry Moore, the dapper, homeless shoe shiner of Market Street. Moore's friend and benefactor, Loren Lopin, says he's been making just enough from his shine business to afford a bed in a weekly single-room-occupancy unit.

But it is going to be tough to afford a bed now. Morons set the chair on his stand ablaze because ... well, there's nothing that says World Series celebration like burning down a homeless man's only source of income.

"I'm as happy as anyone to see the Giants win," Lopin said. "But I don't understand why they need to destroy property." http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Shoeshine-stand-torched-i
n-celebration-3991326.php]

Here he is:

And here's what they did:


Previously Moore, homeless, lived under viaduct, and is a recovering heroin addict, but that is how he ALWAYS showed up to his stand. "'"I'm always amazed at how well-kept he looks,' Lopin said."

That was the story three days ago. The next day:

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If we learned one thing Wednesday, it is that San Francisco loves underdogs. And even more, the kind of persistent underdog who faces a run of adversity, doesn't give up, and prevails against the odds.

That was the theme of the million-strong parade down Market Street for the determined Giants baseball team that won the World Series. And, at the same time, on the corner of Market and New Montgomery, at a battered and burned shoeshine stand, that was the take-away for Larry Moore, the dapper shoeshine guy.

Moore's traveled a rough road, from heroin use, to homelessness, to debilitating back surgery. But giving up is not part of the equation.

And the same can be said of the generous San Franciscans. When Moore's stand was torched by idiotic firebugs in the Sunday night "celebration" of the Giants' World Series win, folks lined up to help.

"He's like a regular fixture in the city," said Jack Lupertino, a chef who works at the Westin. "I know the guy. I see him every day. It hurt my heart to think somebody did something like this."

He wasn't alone. Moore, who became a local celebrity three years ago when he showed up at work each day wearing a coat and tie, even though he was living under a freeway viaduct at the time, has friends he hasn't even met yet. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/nevius/article/Money-pours-in-for-S-F-sh
oeshine-man-3998681.php]
Okay, you ready for your "awww" of the day? I heard about this yesterday on the radio, and the commentator said as people walked by, they handed him money. His take on it was "They're at a celebration, they see some morons do this and think to themselves "what morons"! They realize that there's something concrete they can do to counter-weigh the morons, and reach in their pockets.

Well, they did more than that:

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After the column about the fire appeared, there were more than 120 e-mails offering help. Most wanted to send Moore a donation. (If you'd like to donate, send to The Chronicle at 901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103. Either leave the check blank or address it to me and I will sign it over to a bank account set up.)

But that was only the beginning.

A chair was donated to temporarily replace the one set on fire. On Tuesday Moore had more business than he knew what to do with. And some passers-by just handed him fives, tens, and twenties.

"I don't think I stopped shining shoes until 6 o'clock," Moore said. "And I had 46 people make donations. I got almost $600."

The affirmations just kept coming during the parade Wednesday. People in Giants gear walked up, shook Moore's hand and handed him cash.

"The man's here, trying to do a job," said Jorge Domingo, handing over some folded bills. "He's been here for years."

Three different companies stopped by to offer to rebuild the stand, two of which put their "design teams" on the job.

And then there was the high-tech connection. Megan Hopkins, an employment recruiter, created a crowdfunding portal at www.indiegogo.com/HelpLarry.

In just over 24 hours "we've got damn near $10,000," Hopkins said. "Here's someone trying to work hard and do what's right."Same

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For those of you who don't like "bums like him", here's your cherry; Moore - and he's the first to admit it - misusing money that Chronicle readers contributed when he was laid up from his back surgery some years ago. Enjoy that, because it's the only cherry you'll get. Today:

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Moore's been through hard times. In 2008, he vowed to kick heroin, cold turkey. It took him three weeks, on the street, to do it. He's still grateful to the guy in the delivery truck who sneaked him day-old sandwiches.

He says he's learned and plans to take the windfall, find a place, and pay a year's rent. He's going to take the new shoeshine stand and make it work.

"Don't talk to me about quitting," he said. "I lost my stand three times. I've been put out on the street. I don't even think about quitting."

So if you are passing by, take a look at your shoes. I'll bet you could use a shine.Same

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Hate us and hate our politics all you like; San Franciscans have heart. So do millions of others in every other city, I just wanted to express my pride in these people with one small Tale of the City. (Anyone make the connection?)