Those Freaking Rubber Bands

[pampal]

they should find a new way to seal the bags, I also cannot get the darn things off

[Zpete]

I have a very small nail clipper on my keyring.

Just carefully snip one strand of rubberband.

Hey presto, all is revealed for eating.

So simple.

Clipper costs bugga all, handy for nails too......LOL

[TBWG]

Hi all

Not only can I not get rubber bands off, but finding that elusive string to pull on rice sacks drives me into a suicidal frenzy that can only be cured by a couple of bottles of Archa.

The boss lady thinks she has married a retard .... Maybe she has something there!

TBWG

[JetsetBkk]

... but finding that elusive string to pull on rice sacks drives me into a suicidal frenzy...

I did find it once and was so exited I forget to remember which bit I pulled.

[chickenslegs]

My husband uses scissors to cut the bag below the band line and leave the things there (the head with rubber band in it and the dirty scissors)

Why is it always the man who has to do the technical work ?

[Brigante7]

I just pull them off!

[Insight]

What I've always found pretty amazing is the way they can wrap the bags up with an elastic band but keep all the air inside like the thing is inflated - no special tools required.

How the flip do they do that???

Of course, when asking the missus I get the response "it's easy!", with no further explanation given...

[mmushr00m]

Insight, I agree 100%

How do they do it? I have tried doing it and it never works, mine are half inflated and limp.

[zorro1]

Yea, good thread and I've wanted to post it myself but was afraid I'd get laughed at. I use the knife method, while the wife nimbly whips it off [the rubber].

but, there is a more user friendly way to tie the bags and it makes opening them much easier.....simply twist the bag top 2 or 3 times, then double it over and place the rubberband over the doubled plastic bag and give it a few wraps and when you want to open it simply pull the open end of the bag and the rubber band flies off quick and easy.

Thanks for that info I tried it and the bag actually exploded.

[Losangels]

Insight, I agree 100%

How do they do it? I have tried doing it and it never works, mine are half inflated and limp.

Yeah mine too

[Cuban]

It seems we seldom use these recovered rubber bands at home as the supply that has built up on the neck of the bottle of Oyster Sauce in the kitchen almost warrants a new wholesale outlet.

My two satang's worth to this thread is the observation that some market traders will use a single rubber band to wrap two or three small plastic bags. I welcome the reduction in waste but should probably offer to give back the rubber bands that we have collected over the preceeding week.

[Zpete]

QUOTE (jaideeguy @ 2008-05-29 15:16:52) Yea, good thread and I've wanted to post it myself but was afraid I'd get laughed at. I use the knife method, while the wife nimbly whips it off [the rubber].

My gal just rolls the rubber off, chucks it in waste bin beside our bed.

Knife, or scissors, <deleted>, noway, I wanna stay entire......

[wade72]

I have meat hooks for hands. Without the wife I would of lost many pounds here.

[uptou]

Its abit like loosing your virginity,after you've done it the first time it starts to become second nature.I can now put a rubber on in the dark,even after a few Changs,but i would ever use scissors to cut one off

Below are the best instructions on the web for putting on a rubber.In fact i'm thinking of putting out an e-book on the subject.

Bring the two loop ends of the rubber together around the plastic bag,& thread one loop end through the other & pull tight.Then pull back on the loop you are pulling tight,& wrap it around the bag in the opposite direction that you threaded through the other loop,or back on itself.Then when you have enough winds around the bag neck,place the loop over the bag head (if you want you can do this so it can easily be got hold of).

Patience is the key....Rome wasnt built in a day.

Good luck.

[Tony Clifton]

My method : Poke and rip.

Why take the rubber band off when you can simply poke a hole and rip the bag just below the rubber band?

[wade72]

My method : Poke and rip.

Why take the rubber band off when you can simply poke a hole and rip the bag just below the rubber band?

Tried it, ended up with scalding hot soup in my lap. I like my way better, I just sit there and look patetic until some kind Thai lady opens it for me. Then I ask her to run and get me a beer.

[grahamhc]

I saw a weird game in a bar a couple of months ago with rubber bands.

The first girl used the edge of her hand to roll an open rubber band into a ball.

The next girl had to use the edge of her hand to unravel it into a flat open rubber band.

If she failed, the next girl tried.

Back onto the topic -- I mostly cheat and use scissors - sometimes on the Rubber Band and sometimes on the opposite end of the bag. (But sometimes I can manage to untie the Rubber Band)

[sangfroid]

Have you ever bought a nice looking bunch of grapes and found that it is made up of small bunches held together by rubber bands? Very inventive Thais are.

[bangkokbert]

I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that even after many years here I have STILL not been able to get those rubber bands off the ubiquitous plastic bags. Can some kind soul attempt to explain how it's done?

Actually it's very easy to remove them.You first have to remove the rubberband from the folded over part of the bag. Then you have to look at how it's locked in place and you then can release the locked position by using your fingers. The main thing is to study how it's tied.

[realmadrid25]

you must be a little slow if you cant get the rubber bands off the bag. there is a certain spot where you just pull and it comes right off. very simple for even a child.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Yea, good thread and I've wanted to post it myself but was afraid I'd get laughed at. I use the knife method, while the wife nimbly whips it off [the rubber].

but, there is a more user friendly way to tie the bags and it makes opening them much easier.....simply twist the bag top 2 or 3 times, then double it over and place the rubberband over the doubled plastic bag and give it a few wraps and when you want to open it simply pull the open end of the bag and the rubber band flies off quick and easy.

Oh ... that makes it very clear

[TheDon]

SOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mahtin]

SOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's already a guy from Sydney using the Popeye avatar

Rubber band solution:

1. Remove clothes.

2. Take bag into hong nahm.

3. Rinse floor.

[Tod Daniels]

Eating food in the glorious "Land 'O Thais" can be fraught with peril, and those pesky small rubber bands are no exceptions.

I eat and/or buy food off the street every day. however, I don't have the luxury (nor the expense) of a thai g/f or (in)significant other to open the bags for me. I finally had one street vendor show me how she fastens the bags and also show me (repeatedly) how to open them.

Usually when a street seller fastens a bag they will first loop the rubber band thru itself, then around the bag trapping air w/the contents inside and finally fold the top over and put the last single loop around it. It is this mythical "last single loop" you must look for. Once that is removed the rubber band will usually without much prodding, unwrap itself from the bag all the way to the initial fastening (where one end of the rubber band was put thru itself to start the sealing process).

I have authored a new book called "Opening Rubber Band Sealed Plastic Bags of Food in Thailand" at the editor's now. It's chocked full of photos and line drawings. I am just waiting to hear back on the advance money. I suggest you reserve your copy now; from the length of this post it's gonna be a best seller.

WARNING: ALWAYS wear safety goggles when operating power tools!!

[TheDon]

I just eat the food with the plastic and rubber band on in one go. Coz Im a MAN

[toptuan]

I just eat the food with the plastic and rubber band on in one go. Coz Im a MAN

And I bet after 24 hours, the evidence will clearly show that the rubber band is still securely tied... Thai ingenuity wins out...

[chickenslegs]

I have authored a new book called "Opening Rubber Band Sealed Plastic Bags of Food in Thailand" at the editor's now. It's chocked full of photos and line drawings. I am just waiting to hear back on the advance money. I suggest you reserve your copy now; from the length of this post it's gonna be a best seller.

WARNING: ALWAYS wear safety goggles when operating power tools!!

This is a great book - just one problem - can't work out how to get it out of the plastic wrapper.

[jfchandler]

Glad someone finally posted on this... (at least recently....)

Never ate food from an inflated, rubber band-tied bag...until I came here for the first time...

Then after I moved here... living and eating every day...I was confronted with the RUBBER BAND dilemma... First few months, after fumbling in frustration, took the high-tech approach.... using scissors to cut off the top of the bag, just below the rubber band... usually while keeping the bag in its serving bowl...just in case anything's going to spill. But I'm not big on soup, so that's usually not a problem...

But lately, after having been here a while, I decided I need to master this g...d.... thing... So I've learned how to at least get the darned things unwrapped down to the last tie.... The first step is just take the top part of the rubber band that's usually looped over the top edge of the bag, and pull it up to come loose...and then unwrap it from around the tied top portion of the bag.... After that... I'm still stumped for now about the last knot/tie....

I always try to save the rubber bands because... and this is another mystery to me... all the packages of kitchen and bathroom trash bags I buy at the stores come with the bags..... but absolutely NO TIES to close them up with when they're filled and ready to take outside. So I decided that my food rubber bands will be recycled as my garbage bag ties... Hence, no cutting or breaking of rubber bands allowed!!!

Anyone likewise want to explain... Why trash bags in Thailand come with NO ties???

[kauailance]

I always find a pretty bar girl to help me!! They really know what they are doing and know the best places for the food.

[HydeParke]

Yes, they sometimes are frustrating, but real easy to do........if this is too much of a problem for you, I am fearful of what else might be a problem for you. Also, yes, a knife does just fine if you are exasperated. Most packaging in Thailand is ridiculous hard to open, but then again, it is very safe from infiltration of 'bad things'.........Hyde Parke

ps the real problems are: businesses that open and cannot make change....STUPID!!!

crossing any street........police are just mannequins programmed to take bribes......