Does this make sense?

I just stopped at the grocery store to pick up three items for dinner. The checkout clerk started to put the items in a large paper bag at which point I said that I didn't need a bag. He looked at me strangely. "Only three items," I said. Then I realized that if I'd brought in my reusable bag, which was sitting in the back of the car, I'd have gotten a 5-cent rebate. Which I mentioned. He looked at me strangely again. So...because I didn't bring in the bag which I didn't need I didn't take a bag and thus didn't get my nickel rebate. Shaking head.