What's with the huge purse?

I recently saw an article (not a good article necessarily) about why women carry such huge purses, the things they keep in them and why they think they need them as well as an interview with a therapist who suggests that it is a motherly instinct to have everything everyone else might need.  I don't think that's why people carry such large bags, I think it is probably just because it is in style and that there is so much stuff in them because it is easier to just add more than to clean out your purse.  But aside from that, I didn't think much of the article after quickly skimming it during a particularly slow day at the lab.

Today I came across another article that made me realize how serious of a problem this huge purse thing is.  A woman walked by a man in a restaurant and her purse got stuck on his face (it's hard to visualize, but just assume it happened).  She then proceeded to drag him 14 feet before noticing!! 14 feet! If someone added 160 lbs to my shoulder I would not be able to make it 14 feet let alone not notice the addition.  How big was this woman's purse?  And how oblivious is she?  These questions are not answered in the article, it is a medical journal article discussing the injuries the man sustained during the event, but they are the questions I would be asking if I was a local reporter on this case. And, what injuries did the woman sustain during the event?  After lugging 160+lbs around on your shoulder I would think you would have seriously pulled a muscle!

S