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Bags of cashA reader from Glasnevin in Dublin has been touch to complain about the repeated absence of plastic bags from her local Tesco. "On a Monday at the end of August, I went shopping in the Clearwater Tesco and, as I had forgotten my regular bags, asked the man on the till for six plastic bags," she writes. "He proceeded to count out the fairly durable plastic bags that Tesco sells for 35 cent. "I said that I didn't want those bags but the regular bags which cost 22 cent," she continues.
She was told that he had none so asked him could he go and get her some from another till. "Grudgingly he wandered off but returned a couple of minutes later empty handed. I was told that they had no 22 cent plastic bags anywhere in the store as 'the order had not come in'."
She says this sounded unlikely as the store in question is pretty big and must handle complex orders on a daily basis, so she asked him to double-check and off he went again, only to return with exactly six plastic bags which he gave her without a word. Then last Tuesday, more than a week after she had last been in the store, she went back once again without her regular shopping bags. She again asked the person on the till for the 22 cent plastic bags only to be told that there were none anywhere in the shop because the order had not come in. Again.
"I can't understand how such a slick operation could fail on two separate occasions to order something so basic as their own plastic bags," she says. "It is either gross incompetence or convenient forgetfulness as they must be making a handy profit selling the more expensive bags to people who just want the cheaper ones. Surely if they can't get their orders rights, they should be prepared to take the hit and sell the more expensive bags at 22 cent?" It does seem a little strange so we contacted Tesco to find out more. A spokesman accepted that there had been a problem with the supply of plastic bags in the store in question but insisted there was no policy in place to withhold the cheaper bags so the store could sell its bags-for-life instead. He said that Clearwater "has been particularly busy" of late and the supply of plastic bags had run down. He said it was a "very isolated incident" and that the manager of the store was going to reassess the ordering process to ensure it did not happen again.
Brunch brilliantCatherine Corrocher from Marino has been in touch with some good news. "I would like to recommend our local restaurant, Kennedy's Cafe in Fairview Strand, Dublin 3," she writes. "It has only recently opened, but is already a firm favourite. It serves coffees, lunches and dinners. Their cappuccino is the best I've tasted in about a year," she says.
She has also enjoyed "a few wonderful brunches there for about €5 (in the evenings they offer a main meal with a glass of wine for €10). The choice for dinner is limited to two dishes, but if you're coming home from work and are looking for a quick home-cooked meal and a glass of wine to calm down after a day in the office, it is just the thing. On top of that, the staff are very nice and seem to be genuinely interested in how you like the food. It is that rare gem; great food at excellent prices."
So effusive was our reader - who incidentally stresses that she has no personal connection to this cafe but is just "an enthusiastic fan and delighted that we have at last got a decent cafe in the area" - that Pricewatch felt compelled to check it out. It is indeed top-notch and very good value.
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Public transport Public transport is a disgrace, even in Dublin. I cannot travel to work on public transport even though I work in a big urban area. My daughter is a nurse and cannot get to her place of work on public transport because there is no transport up and running to let her arrive at 7.30am. This country needs a public transport service running 24/7 then and only then can people plan to use it. - Helen O'Neill
Sure with the Luas, Luas expansion, Dart refurb and Metro to pay for, it's amazing there is any money left to run the trains outside Dublin. Public transportation outside the M50 is below the standard of most third-world countries, if it exists at all. - Colm
Good valueClara Lara is indeed a great day out for the family, and decent enough on the price front. And as for Independent Pizza, there is no comparison. Great value, even for family of two adults and two children at teatime. - Dave
Ryanair chargesSo, let's get this straight. 1. You pay to have a bag in the hold. 2. You can't check in online if you have a bag for the hold, so you must pay to check it in.
3. You can't check in online if anyone else on your reservation has a bag for the hold. So you'll pay for your bag, pay to check it in and even if you don't have one, you'll pay if any of your friends does. Given the current uncertainty about what you can and can't carry in hand luggage, that's a bit more than just cost-cutting. - Gavin
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