Green or Stingy?

So I went to buy some candy to stuff into the kids' Xmas stockings. Above is what my purchases looked like coming out of the store.

Do you see the ends of the candy sticking out? So much so that I had a hard time grabbing the bag's two handles together on the way home!

I noticed that in France (and to some extent, other European countries I have been to), when you ask for something that you expect to be free (as in the US), you may get it but either begrudgingly (e.g., tap water), ill-fittingly (reference picture above), sparingly (e.g., one single napkin instead of a whole wad; two ice cubes instead of a whole cup full), or you have to pay for it. Witnessed at a McDonalds in Brussels last October, where an American Woman (AW) asked for extra ketchup, and the cashier said "15 centimes". The AW said, "what?", when the cashier repeated and the AW said, "what are you saying? I don't understand you", then grabbed the ketchup and started to walk away. Being a good citizen, I interjected and said, she is charging you for the ketchup. The AW was absolutely aghast, and said "I thought that is what she was saying, but I could not believe it!" - I sympathized, as that was my exact reaction too, at a KFC some years ago in London - see the following exchange:

Rae: Can I have some more ketchup please?
KFC Clerk: That will be 15 pence.
R: Excuse me?
KFC C: (exasperated sigh) 15 pence each extra packet.
R: (surprised) I have to pay for those?
KFC C: (losing patience): 15 pence each EXTRA packet.
R: How much is salt?
KFC C: Salt packets are free.
R: (quick on my toes as always) Can I have 12 salt packets?

I wonder, despite the Green and eco-friendly movement just recently gaining momentum elsewhere, that this is just the way the people are brought up here from way back when, that you must not use (nor give out) more than you absolutely need. In a way, I agree - when I was in college, I used to bring enough McDonalds stuff back to the dorms that I never had to buy ketchup, straws or napkins (I remain a fiercely loyal customer there to this date - wonderful memories). Stuff I actually felt entitled to, actually, since I spent good money there to eat in the first place (and often at that too). But imagine all that stuff that people take with them on their trays and then just throw out.

My good friend M. thinks that the French are just stingy. One too many times she has been galled by second-hand giftwrap paper, wrinkles and remnants of scotch tape in all the wrong places. Maybe the wartime mentality of never having enough that has lingered on and passed through this generation - is her theory. I'm not sure. But in any case, I sure wished for a larger bag for the candy because when I went to pick up the girls from school straight afterwards, I had a hard time trying to hide what was inside that itsy bitsy bag!