I can certainly see how it could be frustrating to be without a bag if you need to transport your items on a motorcycle (though you were on a motorcycle trip and no one had a saddle bag they could put the things in?). Extending your experience to 'travellers' at large is a bit much. I'm from one of the dozens of other American cities with a plastic bag ban(yay!) so I think I would be quite non-plussed were I traveling in Austin. :)