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Do you return shopping carts to the store or parking lot bins?
The purpose of this blog is not to point out that my wife and I are better people than you, although that may be collateral information.
But in today's newspaper on tree shade in parking lots, we ran a photograph that showed a string a shopping carts parked on a sidewalk next to the trees which didn't offer much shade. That raised the issue of whether people (specifically you) leave shopping carts all over the lot, or whether you return them to the store or cart area in the lot. Some at a newsroom meeting said they leave them near their car so the cart rounder-uppers have something to do. Is this making things easier for our fellow rounder-upper? Posted by Steve E. Swenson P.S. My wife and I always return the carts to the right areas. Just FYI 24 comments from 14 users
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posted by
BakoBilly
on Jul 19, 2007 at 10:55 AM
I also leave cart near my car, usually with the front wheels propped on to a planter so that it doesn't roll around. I do not want to leave my small child unattended while I drop off the cart in the cart corral. I also appreciate finding carts left by others near the parking spaces.
posted by
sagefever
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:01 AM
I put them and any others I stumble into ,where they are supposed to be:I don't know where anybody else parks,but if a cart is just left many times our truck won't fit in the space.
posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:05 AM
It depends on the circumstances. Are there cart return areas or do I have to go all the way back up to the store? How hot is it outside? If I don't have AC in my car, that cart ain't goin back. How well does the store take care of their carts? For example, food max has very few functioning seatbelts on their carts (some are so short you couldn't strap in a newspaper) and most are really nasty, so I don't usually return them there, but Trader Joe's has nice carts and I return them. Like I said, it depends. posted by
randomfactor
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:05 AM
I return them to the proper place. Half the time I return one or two others as well. I do so with appropriate epithets as I move those carts out of the handicapped spaces. I've had people leave carts *BEHIND* my car.
posted by
mattloch
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:08 AM
Those carts are in front of Best Buy, which means either:1) somebody just bought something large (and expensive) from Best Buy, so they aren't going to leave their car unattended for a single second, or 2) they're from the Wal-Mart next door, and everybody knows that Wal-Mart doesn't pick up their own damn carts for any reason. They just have more trucked in from a warehouse until the parking lot reaches a saturation level where incoming customers will grab the one next to their car for their shopping. . For the record, if I'm with my son, I send the cart flying into the closest cart area. If it's just me, then I'll run it back to the store. Unless I have something thawing or expensive in the car, then the cart area is good enough. If I find a cart sitting next to the space I just parked in, I'll grab it to use during shopping; unless there's food or trash sitting in it, or it's the middle of summer and the cart's temperature is five degrees from molten. Without a cart area to park it, I'll run it aground in a planter (assuming one's handy). There's nothing worse than coming out of a store to find a rogue cart planted into your car door. posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:18 AM
There's nothing funner than riding a cart (standing on the bottom crossbar) and launching it into the cart return area with a huge CRASH! Those things are practically indestructible. Kind of like an old Tonka Truck.
posted by
pamg
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:19 AM
If the stores don't provide adequate (and relatively close) cart areas, I'll park it in a planter!
posted by
pamg
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:21 AM
Mattloch, why do you assume that a purchase made at Best Buy was a large one? Best Buy carries a lot of small items.
posted by
mattloch
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:29 AM
...which is why I used the adjective "flying" into the cart area, Pete. It looks especially good if you can do it from across the parking lot. But you'd better know which wheel is "dead", or else you'll have to run after it as it hooks towards the car parked next to the cart return area. If you can correctly predict the amount of "draw", and fire it at high speed from more than 50 feet away, you'll get some very impressed looks from any bystanders.I also "ride" the cart (standing on the rear cross-bar and pushing like a skateboard) in the store, and going out to my car. Children idolize you, it drives the women crazy, and the men become sick with envy. posted by
randomfactor
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:31 AM
I bow. I bow.
posted by
mattloch
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Pmag: "Mattloch, why do you assume that a purchase made at Best Buy was a large one? Best Buy carries a lot of small items."Why else would you need a cart for it? Do you use a cart when you go in to pick up a DVD? posted by
pamg
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:33 AM
Hmmmm......Pete, maybe this cart-crashing thing explains why the carts at Food Maxx are in such bad condition! : ) When I was a teen-ager, I worked as a bagger at a grocery store and one of my responsibilities was bringing in the carts. You guys think riding one cart is fun? Try a whole string of them! Woo Woo!! posted by
sagefever
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:39 AM
"Children idolize you, it drives the posted by
johnburnssucks
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Hmmmm......Pete, maybe this cart-crashing thing explains why the carts at Food Maxx are in such bad condition! What really bites is when you get a cart with wheels that have flat spots (this is caused by people getting their carts sideways at high speeds). Ka-THUNK Ka-THUNK Ka-THUNK. It's a terrible ordeal when you get stuck with a cart like that, and it squashes any ideas of riding your cart ala Mattloch. posted by
ProgressivePete2
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:42 AM
I have ridden a line of them. The store I used to work at was at the bottom of an incline too, so after closing it was really fun!As far as foodmaxx carts, I meant they were dirty/disgusting, not smashed up. The seatbelt thing really bugs me though. posted by
pamg
on Jul 19, 2007 at 11:46 AM
So was the store I worked at Pete. I'd ride those carts straight down the hill, through the doors, and into the store and anybody who was in the way had better look out, because there was no stopping those runaway trains!! Fun memories! I agree with you on the dirty/disgusting carts; I was just giving you a hard time. posted by
tchudilowsky
on Jul 19, 2007 at 01:15 PM
I ALWAYS put the cart inside the cart holder in the lot or the store. ALWAYS. It is windy more than not here in Casper and anyone would be a big fat meany not to properly return a cart.
posted by
Hardliner4freedom
on Jul 19, 2007 at 01:20 PM
I park them in a planter about 2/5 of the time, return them to collection stalls 2/5 of the time, and take them completely inside the store where they belong* about 1/5 the time. * (i.e. where carts used to be stored until supermarkets started storing carts outdoors to gain a few measly square feet indoors.)
posted by
drilnliftcrude
on Jul 19, 2007 at 01:42 PM
Doesn't anybody here give their carts to homeless guys?
posted by
AnonCon
on Jul 19, 2007 at 01:49 PM
I do both depending on which is closer. And there is NOTHING (at least not much) worse than seeing what you think is a great parking spot only to find it full of carts!
posted by
mtracy
on Jul 19, 2007 at 04:19 PM
I notice that a person's ass size and the chance of them returning carts are inversely proportional. posted by
gsisola
on Jul 19, 2007 at 08:39 PM
posted by mtracy on Jul 19, 2007 at 04:19 PM ; I notice that a person's ass size and the chance of them returning carts are inversely proportional.
LMAO
You mean people with small asses don't return their carts.... I did not know that !! LOL
posted by
sagefever
on Jul 19, 2007 at 08:46 PM
*and for every rule there is its opposite* I got a big ole behind mtracy but was second post here,,and there goes that rule of thumb...
posted by
Griffon64
on Jul 19, 2007 at 09:20 PM
I return them, always.
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