Why do people leave shopping carts in the parking lot?

[mikehn]

Are they too lazy to walk it a few extra steps? Everyone is anonymous here so feel free to be honest.

 

[PK Disney Dork]

"Because other people are paid to get them."

Serioulsy I've heard that. And you're right...now in most big parking lots there's a cart que generally every ten spaces or so...and yet they're all over the place!

 

[marlynnp]

Most of the people I see are.
The only time I ever did was when my daughter was an infant and it was raining. I'd put her in the car first then the groceries and I wasn't going to leave her alone in the car while I returned the cart.

 

[C.Ann]

Every store I go to has those outside corrals in the parking lot - at least one in every aisle - and that's where I put mine..

 

[MinnieMe87]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves! I always return mine to either the cart corral or the store. I know what it's like to have to chase them down in the parking lot in the nasty weather to bring them back in the store, so I help out the cart retrievers the best I can. That, and it totally sucks to come out of the store and find a card shoved right up against the side of your car. I don't care what anyone says, they leave scratches!

 

[LaraK]

Oh! A shopping cart thread! It's been about a year since our last one. These get good.

I ALWAYS return my cart. Always.

 

[Magic Mom]

Usually I put mine in the cart lot when I am done, but when I hurt my back a couple of years ago, I didn't even push the cart to the end of the parking space. It was all I could do to get myself into the car and in the store. Pushing the cart any further than to the door of my car was impossible at that point, I was in so much pain.
So now I try not to judge people that leave them out, maybe they have a good reason.

 

[yeartolate]

I put mine away every time with one exception.

Costco. THe parking is so tight and the corrals poorly placed.....usually the person waiting or your spots yells out "I will take your cart"

It must be right because I rarely see alot of freerange carts at Costco.

 

[WDWBarb]

I always return the cart, too. I believe about 60% of people DO return them to their corral. The others?

 

[GoodFairies]

Because they are rude and lazy.

 

[koolaidmoms]

In all honesty the times I did not return it to the store or corral were when my children were very young. I would put them in their car seat and get the car going to warm it up on cold winter days or very hot summer days and I refused to leave my infant in a running car to return a cart. If there were someone passing by I would ask them to if they were heading into the store but I was not leaving my baby in a running car in 20 or below weather or 80 and hotter weather. Yes, even 50 feet was to far for me to be away from the car IMO.

Now when I see a mom loading a child into a car I offer to take the cart back for her. I get so many thank yous and grateful smiles.

 

[crz4mm2]

Lazy? Stupid?
Think they are too good to take them back where they belong?

Am I getting close?


(can you tell that is one of my PET PEEVES??????)

 

[wonderlanne]

i make sure i push the cart as hard as i can into the car with the most obnoxious obama bumper sticker.

kidding.

i take it back, roll it over to the person who is collecting them from the parking lot, or ask the nearest person if they want my cart.

i 'spose some people don't because they're exhausted, they don't care, they have shrapnel in their ankle which prevents them from walking the distance to the cart return, their spouse is screaming at them to hurry up, something like that.

people with children who have just been placed in the car seat get a pass in my book. child safety trumps cart return.

 

[mhsjax]

Like many others here, I did it when I had my 3 kids with me and they were little. I wasn't about to haul 3 little kids with me back up to the store and I darn sure would not leave them it the car. My grocery store usually carries out your groceries and then takes the cart back inside for you. Most of the kids that work there get really upset if you tell them that you don't want help out to your car. They love getting outside.

 

[Magic Mom]

i make sure i push the cart as hard as i can into the car with the most obnoxious obama bumper sticker.

kidding.

.

 

[MoniqueU]

Maybe to help those mothers with 3 kids under the age of five get a cart without having to lug them to the front or lock their kids in the car. I know I always appreciated it. One persons pet peeve is another persons good luck.

 

[OctMtnWoods]

I don't mind if its not put in the cart corral, but please don't leave it IN a parking space. That's annoying.

Growing up, it was a kids job to return the cart to the store front or cart area. Parents probably won't let their kids do that today for fear of being hit or kidnapped. Just a guess on my part.

 

[Nancy]

I do drive up so my cart is never in the lot! (for grocery shopping) In stores where the car goes out with me I will take it to the cart rack or hand it off to the lot boy/girl if they are close enough.

I would think those that don't are half and half, some have small kids in the car, some are lazy.

 

[bcvgal]

Lazy? Stupid?
Think they are too good to take them back where they belong?

Am I getting close?


(can you tell that is one of my PET PEEVES??????)

Totally agree!!!!

 

[chattyann]

I usually try to put them in the cart corral or give to person taking them back into the store. I will say though sometimes I am guilty of not doing it. It truly has nothing to do with me being lazy. I have had three back surgeries, last one was a fusion. Sometimes it takes all I have after walking around the store to just make it to the car. On really bad days I use a scooter, but I always take those back inside.