We in NJ are overreacting to this new restaurant staple

Alright, I'm certainly going to catch some flack for this one. But we're being overly critical of one specific new trend.

It's happened at restaurants all over throughout the Garden State. You've likely noticed it when going out to dinner.

We're talking about the paper straw here. Let me come right out and say it, it's not a big deal that we have to use paper straws now.

Now if you want to argue that New Jersey is focusing on the wrong things and that in the grand scheme of things there are bigger issues than plastic vs. paper straws, well I won't try and debate you there.

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But in doing an hour on this topic with Dennis on the air this week, I was completely caught off guard by how much New Jerseyans loathed the paper straw.

Look, it's been around for a while now. And if you haven't gotten used to it yet, you probably never will. After all, we used plastic straws for most of our lives.

But I fail to get on board with the idea that the paper straw makes your drink taste different, or that the straw gets mushy if you don't drink your drink quick enough.

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To that, I say... how long is it taking you to drink your drink?!?!? Are you sitting at a restaurant for days on end to finally finish your Coke or Pepsi? I've gotten drinks from fast food joints that use paper straws, not finished the drink, forgotten about it for a few days, found it, drank it and it's been completely fine.

Now if you think I'm crazy for drinking something that has been sitting out for a few days, well, I can't argue with you there. But the drink has tasted the exact same as it did days earlier. And the straw hasn't been mushy and gross.

And by the way, my drink has never tasted any different either.

So if New Jersey wants to save some marine life and make us use paper straws to that I say power to them. It doesn't change my experience. We don't have to lose our minds and freak out over something every time there's a change.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kyle Clark. Any opinions expressed are his own.

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