I am strictly a returner. Always. Even when I had two small kids.
I once had a guy compliment me for returning my cart when I was parked really far from the corral at the grocery store. He basically said that he'd been watching as he and his wife walked out, and assumed I wasn't going to return it, and made the point to cross paths with me and say something nice about the fact that I did.
It was sort of funny and a little weird at the same time. I mean, I hate unreturned carts too, but dude was invested. If I hadn't been a returner, he was just waiting to pounce and call me out, lol.
This is a pet peeve of mine. I don't judge the ones by the handicap spot b/c our Walmart is like pp mentioned and there is no return area near those spots, but I've watched people literally empty the cart at their car and then turn around and push it so it rolls away into other parking spots or even the driving aisles. I try to grab those on my way in.
The other thing that happens a lot around here are people who will take their carts to the corral but instead of putting it into the corral they'll push it up against one of the sides or the closed back end. I don't get that. You are literally RIGHT THERE, walk around and put it in the right place, don't make the poor employee have to gather the random carts because you were too lazy.
I would just be happy if our grocery store actually had a cart corral in the parking lot. There is none and it irritates me every time I go there. I've never seen another market without one, except for the rinkie dink Piggly Wiggly type grocery store in my small town that had a parking lot that could fit about 10 cars max.
I had a day where I was wrangling the kids in the parking lot (new baby and three year old), and while I was loading the groceries the kids both started screaming. There was an employee of the store helping load groceries for someone about 6 or 7 cars away and he heard them and saw me, and saw that I was losing it. He gestured to me to ask if I'd like him to return the cart for me, and I nodded in relief. So I finished loading the groceries and set the cart to the side while I was buckling the two kids in, and I had some lady come up and start yelling at me asking if I was just going to leave the cart right there. She apparently had already decided that I wasn't going to return it and I just lost it. I told her "Yes as a matter of fact I am", because I just couldn't handle her attitude when I was visibly crying in the parking lot. If she had just asked instead of screamed about the cart, I probably would have explained, but damn woman. I always buckle my kids in before returning my cart, and that day would have been no different if that guy hadn't already offered to return it for me, so it wasn't like I was doing anything out the ordinary to indicate that I wasn't going to return it. Ugh, that encounter still bothers me, and I wonder if she still thinks that I wasn't going to return it, or if she put the pieces together after the guy came over to grab my cart.
I'm a cart returner too. I try to park next to or across from the cart corral to make it easier.
That said, there are two large grocery stores near me that have NO cart corrals in the parking lot to cut down on 'carts stolen by transients' (their words), and that ALSO makes me ragey.
I 100% always return the cart. It makes me sad for society that we now have people who can't problem solve the relatively simple problem of returning a cart while they have kids.
My kids keep the cart collectors employeed at Big Y because they offer to go track down the damn car carts in the parking lot for me. I'd probably pay them myself for that service.
Able-bodied cart non-returners can get bent since they're probably responsible for half the dings and scratches on my car.
It is legitimately difficult for disabled people to return carts sometimes. But there are also a lot of assholes who just can't be bothered to do it...
Post by meshaliuknits on Jun 17, 2017 9:53:35 GMT -5
Of course the cart goes back in the corral. Assuming I take it out of the store which we almost never do at Target.
What I always found interesting is that you go to our plaza here and there are carts all over the f'in place from a variety of stores. You hit that Ikea tho? Allllll the carts get returned. I think I've seen a stray once & it was busted. It's like Ikea is magic.
Post by penguingrrl on Jun 17, 2017 9:53:55 GMT -5
I judge the hell out of non returners and always have. And the kids excuse never made sense to me. Bring them with you or strap them in and then lick the door and bring it back. I promise CPS won't come after you for leave kids safely buckled in the car and walking 15 feet.
Also, what the hell kind of example are you setting for your kids if you don't return it?
And do people really think leaving a cart in a parking lot is creating a job? I guess they fancy themselves job creators in need of tax breaks? Because 1) no, there isn't a specific cart-getter and 2) even if there aren't carts strewn all over someone usually periodically has to get them from the corrals and put them in their usual spot. I see different cashiers at my local TJs doing it all the time, not someone hired just for it.
I don't understand not returning carts. I really can't think of a situation where it was a pain for me to do so (well torrential rain wasn't fun but...). Most everywhere I shop has a ton of corrals and I always park by or across from one. The only place that doesn't is Publix. They have these weird fancy cart corrals but they also have the most staff asking if they can return carts and they always have people wanting to help you take your stuff to your car.
This reminds me of middle school when a girl told me she NEVER puts clothes back or on the return cart after trying on clothes in a dressing room. Didn't even hang them back up because, THAT'S THEIR JOB!
She was a bitch. Probably still is but I don't care about keeping up with her at all.
My H and I drive from NYC to the mountains most weekends. This is the only time I have to deal with as there are no stores with parking lots where we live. We used to stop at one grocery store that all of a sudden stopped having a cart corral after a big snow storm. Half the lot was filled with snow mountains, so I guess they needed as many open parking spaces as possible. But that was like 4 years ago so...? I refuse to be a dick and leave carts hanging out in the parking lot, though, so I always return it. If it's cold out, sometimes my H would even drive to the front of the store to pick me up so I didn't need to walk back through the parking lot.
We have since found a closer grocery store AND it had a cart corral.
But the target we went to last week didn't. The only slope in the sidewalk was right in front of the doors, so I figured I'd just put it right in the cart section of the automatic doors. They didn't open though, so I just left it in front of the doors and walked away feeling like an idiot for failing at life. It was a Friday night, so there were a bunch of teenagers hanging out in the front of the store and I just imagined them making fun of me. Lol
Of course the cart goes back in the corral. Assuming I take it out of the store which we almost never do at Target.
What I always found interesting is that you go to our plaza here and there are carts all over the f'in place from a variety of stores. You hit that Ikea tho? Allllll the carts get returned. I think I've seen a stray once & it was busted. It's like Ikea is magic.
I use carts at target because I buy a million cases of LaCroix when I go. But the Target in Emeryville is THE WORST for cart returns. There are hardly any corrals and there are large planter things in between cars that make it impossible to wheel carts in between cars to take shortcuts. The parking lot is a disaster as a result. Stick to Albany!
I judge the hell out of non returners and always have. And the kids excuse never made sense to me. Bring them with you or strap them in and then lick the door and bring it back. I promise CPS won't come after you for leave kids safely buckled in the car and walking 15 feet.
Also, what the hell kind of example are you setting for your kids if you don't return it?
And do people really think leaving a cart in a parking lot is creating a job? I guess they fancy themselves job creators in need of tax breaks? Because 1) no, there isn't a specific cart-getter and 2) even if there aren't carts strewn all over someone usually periodically has to get them from the corrals and put them in their usual spot. I see different cashiers at my local TJs doing it all the time, not someone hired just for it.
Your calling cps comment reminded me of when ds was about 6 months old. It was cold so I put ds in the car since it was warmer than the outside and went to cars down to return the cart.
A woman starter screaming to call the cops since someone left a baby in the car. I was gone less then 30 seconds. I was so embarrassed. Looking back I realize she was crazy cakes.
I 100% always return the cart. It makes me sad for society that we now have people who can't problem solve the relatively simple problem of returning a cart while they have kids.
probably explains why people don't use trash cans either.
Of course the cart goes back in the corral. Assuming I take it out of the store which we almost never do at Target.
What I always found interesting is that you go to our plaza here and there are carts all over the f'in place from a variety of stores. You hit that Ikea tho? Allllll the carts get returned. I think I've seen a stray once & it was busted. It's like Ikea is magic.
I use carts at target because I buy a million cases of LaCroix when I go. But the Target in Emeryville is THE WORST for cart returns. There are hardly any corrals and there are large planter things in between cars that make it impossible to wheel carts in between cars to take shortcuts. The parking lot is a disaster as a result. Stick to Albany!
The Emeryville parking lot as a whole is a freaking mess.
I judge the hell out of non returners and always have. And the kids excuse never made sense to me. Bring them with you or strap them in and then lick the door and bring it back. I promise CPS won't come after you for leave kids safely buckled in the car and walking 15 feet.
Also, what the hell kind of example are you setting for your kids if you don't return it?
And do people really think leaving a cart in a parking lot is creating a job? I guess they fancy themselves job creators in need of tax breaks? Because 1) no, there isn't a specific cart-getter and 2) even if there aren't carts strewn all over someone usually periodically has to get them from the corrals and put them in their usual spot. I see different cashiers at my local TJs doing it all the time, not someone hired just for it.
Your calling cps comment reminded me of when ds was about 6 months old. It was cold so I put ds in the car since it was warmer than the outside and went to cars down to return the cart.
A woman starter screaming to call the cops since someone left a baby in the car. I was gone less then 30 seconds. I was so embarrassed. Looking back I realize she was crazy cakes.
That's absolutely insane! People have reached the point of hysteria about unaccompanied children, and it's in nobody's best interest!
Of course the cart goes back in the corral. Assuming I take it out of the store which we almost never do at Target.
What I always found interesting is that you go to our plaza here and there are carts all over the f'in place from a variety of stores. You hit that Ikea tho? Allllll the carts get returned. I think I've seen a stray once & it was busted. It's like Ikea is magic.
I use carts at target because I buy a million cases of LaCroix when I go. But the Target in Emeryville is THE WORST for cart returns. There are hardly any corrals and there are large planter things in between cars that make it impossible to wheel carts in between cars to take shortcuts. The parking lot is a disaster as a result. Stick to Albany!
The target in Emeryville is the worst in every possible way. I hate going there on foot. Ugh.
I always return my cart. Now that I have DS, I always park near a corral. Or if H and I are both there we park wherever and one will return the cart while the other gets DS in his car seat.
I had never really thought about the fact that there are never cart corrals near the handicap spaces. I've never judged carts there, though. I just grab one if there's a lose cart and take it inside. It seems like lots of other people do the same thing.
When we have non-quarter carts I purposefully leave them by handicap spaces. Mr. has a much easier time wheeling the cart into the store rather than using his cane. I often see others picking up a cart we just dropped off and we frequently pick them up from there as well.
It never occurred to me to judge someone for not returning their cart. Obviously, if someone just dumps their cart carelessly in a way that can roll around and compromise safety or damage property then they are jerks. But if you stick it in between parking spots and secure it a bit? Meh, the next person can just grab it on the way in. Maybe I haven't seen these empty parking lots that people speak of. Lots are pretty full at the times we shop.
I think this problem could be solved and convenience introduced all around if there was a reliable way to "dock" a cart near more parking spaces. Easier for those coming in who need a cart, easier to drop off, easier on store employees.
Anyway, my judging energy is spent on people who leave their pee on toilet seats.SaveSave
I'm with you. I don't judge, but I return carts because I'm afraid of being judged, and based on this post I would be rather harshly - lol.
I worked at a grocery store in high school and college and the shopping cart thing was basically a non-issue. No one ever bitched about it. The baggers used to ask for roundup duty so they could get outside for a bit.
Obviously the perspective of management was probably a lot different. (FTR, I return mine 99% of the time since the places I shop have tons of cart stalls.)
I have another cart story. I came home from work to find two shopping carts from a grocery store about a mile and a half away in my front yard. I called the store and they picked them up, they weren't fitting in my coupe. I live near a college and I'm guessing college kids.
I have another cart story. I came home from work to find two shopping carts from a grocery store about a mile and a half away in my front yard. I called the store and they picked them up, they weren't fitting in my coupe. I live near a college and I'm guessing college kids.
I read something that said each cart was a couple hundred dollars each. I've always wondered if that was accurate.
I have another cart story. I came home from work to find two shopping carts from a grocery store about a mile and a half away in my front yard. I called the store and they picked them up, they weren't fitting in my coupe. I live near a college and I'm guessing college kids.
I read something that said each cart was a couple hundred dollars each. I've always wondered if that was accurate.
It is true and most stores hire people to drive around locally and retrieve "stolen" carts monthly.
This is one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. I always say people who don't put carts in their corral or bring back to the store are the epitomy of what is wrong today - people only care about themselves and no one else.
I had never really thought about the fact that there are never cart corrals near the handicap spaces. I've never judged carts there, though. I just grab one if there's a lose cart and take it inside. It seems like lots of other people do the same thing.
When we have non-quarter carts I purposefully leave them by handicap spaces. Mr. has a much easier time wheeling the cart into the store rather than using his cane. I often see others picking up a cart we just dropped off and we frequently pick them up from there as well.
One of the groceries here has a cart return place near all the handicap spaces. Just concrete curb wide enough for a cart, not the big corral thing but it's perfect and I thought it was so brilliant when we moved here.