I havent used any type of straw in quite some time. Plastic or paper.
They do nothing for me and I think they are one of the most pointless disposal food packaging items to exist.
Edit: there are many useful applications for straws I simply didn’t think about when posting this. Thanks for the commenters for pointing this out.
Silicon?
I like straws because my husband is disabled and drinking with a straw is much safer than straight from the glass.
But how do you breathe under water while waiting for the Tweety Bird to take the bait?
One of those hollow swamp reed things of course.
🤷♂️ No one is making you use them. I’m more concerned about all the single use non biodegradable plastic. At least straws are available in materials that biodegrade.
That’s kinda what sparked this post. Def against single use plastic whenever possible. Not trying to get political but there’s some news stories about this today…
Straws are for people with tiny hands and full diapers
I like my water bottle with a straw lid, because when I am in bed and can’t sit up easily, it is still not too difficult for me to stay hydrated.
There’s a spot between my frame and mattress where I can wedge one of those big stainless mugs with a straw.
I just need to roll over and sip at it like a hamster. Really great for hangovers.
Living the dream!
That’s pretty brilliant
I don’t mind them in my water bottle with a flip up cap, but yeah, if I’m using a cup a straw seems pretty pointless.
I don’t… like them. Does anybody actively like them? Quick poll, does anybody here pop a can of coke or a glass of water and deliberately go find a straw to put in there?
As far as I can tell straws exist either to drink something too thick to reliably pour out of a glass rim, like a smoothie or a milkshake, or to cirvumvent some limitation, be it accessibility or having to extract liquid from a sealed vessel.
By the same token, who here just brings a large, wobbly paper glass up to their face in a dark movie theatre and tries to repeatedly sip it?
For soft drinks, I would use a straw. Anything else, no. I’m not a fan of how they feel on my teeth and using a straw helps mitigate that.
They’re also a vital part of the bubble tea experience.
Water, in particular, feels like it tastes very weird through a straw. Maybe because it’s so neutral, but the mouthfeel of it changes so much with the vessel and straws just make it seem like someone is powerwashing your mouth to prep you for surgery or something.
It’s not the worst, and I bet the people in this thread reporting that they need straws for mobility or other medical reasons don’t think about it that much, but I think I’d default to flavored drinks if I had to use a straw by default.
I do. I almost never drink something without a straw. But for me, it’s due to medical issues. Straws make my life easier.
I guess I did forget about milkshakes or smoothies. Those do have a solid use case.
Boba? I don’t even know what the “point” would be without a straw tbh
That’s just soup at that point. And to be fair, a boba straw is in the spork continuum anyway.
Bottle of pop. No
Glass of water at a restaurant. Yes
My hands shake and it’s annoying as hell when people stare at me when I’m trying to drink. So I get a straw.
Sure, but then you’re in the accessibility scenario. It’s still a utility thing.
Yeah I guess for boba tea they’re useful. Also if you whiten your teeth and are worried about staining them.
Found the turtle that got one stuck in its nose.
Spitwad blasters. Hard to get a good distance without some sort of directional control and air focus.
They’re nice with blow
The whole debate was the first time I saw Americans for who we really are. Whiney, entitled, and refuse to change for the tiniest, smallest of reasons. Changing literally one of the smallest things I encounter because it helps animals? Nope, gotta literally rage for weeks online about it
It’s how I knew we were fucked when covid hit. What, wear a mask? I think piece of fabric over my face? To help other people who aren’t even me?! Obviously this is the worst thing in the entire history of human kind!
To be fair Europeans have been whining about paper straws and bottle caps since forever too. It’s not a purely American thing.
