Do you return the cart to the corral?

[vickyBaby]

I do the same thing Brenda.

And I have a huge ding in my door from someone who didn't bother to put their shopping cart away. Grrrrrr.

 

[Sharon A.]

No flames here Brenda. I do the same thing. I make sure the doors are locked too.

 

[gepetto]

I used to do the same thing, Brenda. Now my oldest is 11 and I make him take the cart back.

 

[Leota]

I hate it when people don't return their carts! Not because I think they're lazy or whatever - but I'm sick of scrapes & dents in my car because someone can't figure out how to put their cart in the corrals that are placed about every 10 cars.... I mean, how hard is it, really?
I shop with my son about 25% of the time now, cuz he's old enough to stay home alone - But even when he was a baby & was with me 90% of the time - I could take the cart back, either with him locked in the car, or on my hip or holding my hand - It didn't seem like such a tough thing.....

No flames here, Brenda - I think you were pretty generous with the time frame, it seems like about 30 seconds to me...

 

[AF Brenda]

That's the day I'm waiting for gepetto!!!!

 

[DVCajun]

I usually return the cart. However, I won't walk far from my car to do so, and under no circumstances will I leave my 1 year old DS in the car while I return the cart. In fact, that was my first thought when I heard about the infant in Texas-- *what* was the mother doing leaving her children alone to return a cart?? I also will not cart DS's 25 pound self with me to return the cart. He's too little to walk with me. When I do leave the cart, I make sure it's anchored against something, like another car. just kidding.

 

[AF Brenda]

The mother in Texas left the baby in the car seat, not buckled in, with the door wide open. A locked door would have prevented that abduction.

 

[DVCajun]

Maybe my vehicle is unique, but I can't lock the doors and leave the vehicle running at the same time (my auto lock doesn't work, and the key is already in the ignition). I'm also not going to leave DS in a hot closed up car for even 30 seconds. To each his own. I'm certainly not flaming others for their choices.

 

[Sharon A.]

Leaving a kid in the car with the engine running even with the doors locked is almost as stupid as leaving the door unlocked altogether. All someone would have to do is break the window and they're gone.

30 seconds in a hot car is not going to hurt anyone. If you're that concerned you could always run the cart back and take even less time.

It's all about common sense. Everything carries a risk, even walking through the parking lot. I mean, somebody could bean you over the head and knock you unconscious and then take off with your kid. Are you going to start wearing a helmet to the grocery store?

 

[ryanpatricksmom]

I return the cart 100% of the time. I have always parked near the corral so it's never been a safety issue. These days my kids are 11 and 23; I only need to worry if they're together!

 

[vickyBaby]

Originally posted by Sharon A.
Are you going to start wearing a helmet to the grocery store?

 

[Boots]

Boots returns her carts too!

 

[shep]

I guess I'd better park in the fire lane so nobody runs me over with their car either.. and then I can push the cart back into the store..

 

[A kid at heart]

I don't always return the cart, I try but sometimes I just can't for whatever reason. I have left my child in the car when I've done it, with the doors locked.
When they get the carts at our stores they use those machines to bring them back.

 

[Bob NC]

I've returned my cart 100% of the time. My kids are now 11 & 7 and I've been doing it since they were 0. I do most of our shopping and most of the time have the kids with me. If it's raining or weather is otherwise bad, I'll park next to one of the corralls. If there isn't a space next to it, hey, I'll just do whatever it takes to return the cart. If it means the kids are in the rain for an extra 15 seconds, well, that ain't gonna kill them. I know everyone will have a different reason for not returning the cart, but let's face it.....If there were a $10 refundable deposit on it you'd return it 100% of the time. This is just another example of people coming up with excuses to get out of doing what they know is right. (Can ya tell I've had damage from stray carts too?)

 

[Dixie Luvr 98]

Well, I was at the Wal-Mart Supercenter today and would have loved to return the cart to the corral. The problem was the corrals were all full to the point that the carts were blocking half of the driving lane

 

[cotye]

I usually do... unless the corral is totally full or really really far away. I just hate it when carts are lying around and hits your car.

 

[Amusement Park Junkie]

100% of the time. This is probably my biggest pet peeve also. I hate seeing the cart ram into cars. It's like most things, people can always come up with an excuse. I don't buy leaving the kids in the car as an excuse. I agree that the safety of the children is more important than a ding or dent. But...How did you get the cart in the first place? Reverse the process. Put the kids in the car. Unload the cart. Put the kids back into the cart and return it. Carry and/or walk the kids back to the car. The same way you got the cart in the first place. DD is now a teen, but when she was a baby and I took her to the store with me, this is what I did. Now that I have everyone riled up, let me add that I still think the majority of the time carts are left by people who are lazy (or don't even think about it) who don't have kids along. Not by parents who have young kids with them.

 

[disykat]

Has anyone else noticed that newer stores seem to be building less cart corrals? We have a two year old Alberton's and the ONLY cart corrals are at the front - not a single one in the rest of the lot. IMO if they had more corrals, more people would return. I would choose a store based on parking and corral availablity - I miss my old store!

 

[dizneegirl]

I was at Walmart just last night... they put in 7, count them, 7, brand new cart corrals, in addition to those already in the parking lot. There were 3 carts in the parking spaces across the aisle from one of the new corrals.

That is pure, unadulterated LAZINESS. To not be able to walk your butt across the aisle to return the cart... there's absolutely NO excuse for it.