Why do people leave shopping carts in the parking lot?

[mickeyboat]

I'll go along with this.

Cart corrals were not designed to protect cars - they were desgined to get customers to do something that the store used to pay people to do more regularly. They are in the same category as self-checkout lanes, ATMs and lots of other modern conveniences that are really about businesses shifting work onto consumers.

I hardly consider it work to put something away that I was allowed to use. I consider it being responsible.

 

[Planogirl]

How can anyone think that a shopping cart wouldn't damage a vehicle? Like I've said, we live in a very windy area and those things can move! You can dent a car by opening a car door and I don't see why a cart can't do the same.

By the way, I wonder how long this thread will get?

 

[MushyMushy]

How can anyone think that a shopping cart wouldn't damage a vehicle? Like I've said, we live in a very windy area and those things can move! You can dent a car by opening a car door and I don't see why a cart can't do the same.

By the way, I wonder how long this thread will get?

There are always those who deny the damage they can do. Maybe because their cars haven't been hit, then nobody's have?

These threads usually do get long. People love to vent their cart frustration!

 

[RadioNate]

Wow, pretty judgmental.

Publix in Florida traditionally does not have ANY corrals in the parking lot, so you have to return them back into the store. Now for many years Publix also had the bag boys escort you out to the car, put groceries in and take the carts back. So most Publix shoppers have totally gotten out of the habit of taking their cards back (now it's more hit or miss about them taking your groceries out to the car). I actually never even knew this was an issue until I heard all the raging about it on these boards.

If there's a corral, I return my cart. But if I have kids with me and the weather's too extreme and there's no corral...then no, I'm not taking it back to the front of the store.

And I'd never leave my child in the car for even 5 seconds in the hot Florida summer sun. It's like leaving them in an oven.

Yes, another Publix shopper. We have 2 corrals for the entire lot at our Publix. IF I there is a bagger available to take the groceries out then he can take the cart back but I'm not locking my 15 month old in a car so I can walk 1/2 across the parking lot to the corral or back across a lane of traffic to return my cart. Takes significantly longer than 30 seconds. Sorry, call me lazy or whatever.

I'll leave it on the sidewalk between the parking spaces and the next bagger out and can it back with him (and they do).

 

[bgirldeb]

We did this too a few times only with those greenhouse carts. There was this massive hill right beside one of the dorms, and we had a grand ole time riding those carts down them!

Speaking of riding in carts, when I was in High School, my sister and I worked at the movie theater. One night after closing the theater, about 1 am in the parking lot, a few of us were having fun pushing people around the parking lot in some shopping carts left out, still wearing our theater uniforms.

The best part was when a police car pulled up and the officer rolled down his window to us and gave us "a look", and my sister said "Did I forget to use my turn signal?"

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I once witnessed a cart go flying all the way across the lot only to hit a car that someone obviously parked way off in the corner to avoid getting dinged. It's like that cart had radar! If I could have, I would have stopped it.

I've seen that, too. Not funny for the person whose car is hit, but ironic in that the place can be practically empty, and the cart seems to find that one lone car.

I almost always return my cart. Most of the time, I park right next to the cart corral, so it's very easy. I got into that habit when my kids were little and I didn't want to lock them in the car on a hot day, or keep them outside in the cart on a cold day. Where I shop, the corrals are usually pretty far down the rows, so it's very easy to find a spot next to one unless it's an especially busy day at the store, and the extra 10-15 yard walk is worth it for the convenience.

If there is no corral anywhere near me and the weather is so bad, or my child is sick, or there is some other compelling reason not to search out a corral, I will leave the cart as securely as I can, either with two wheels up on the grass, or at the lowest point I can on the X.

Seems that most of the time if I see someone leave a cart, they have similar reasons, but occasionally I see those lazy farts, no kids, weather is great, corral is 10 feet away, yet they just don't seem to care, and just leave it whereever. They are the annoying ones.

 

[KiKi Mouse]

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.

ITA there is no way I would leave my child alone in the vehicle if the cart corral was too far away.

I also hate pushing carts through deep snow and slush.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

Bald tires? How far had the thief driven it??????

He had a high performance built/bored engine. It was a very fast car. My guess is burnouts in the parking lots.

Back to the subject...
While I don't always return the carts, I do always push them against a curb or pop them up on a curb so they can't roll away, AND when I pull up into the lot I usually grab the buggy that's closest to my car to use. So I'm basically leaving it where I found it.

We did this too a few times only with those greenhouse carts. There was this massive hill right beside one of the dorms, and we had a grand ole time riding those carts down them!

When I was a teenager I was a "freestyler" (tricks on tricked out bicycles... its an extreme sport now). So when I took my first job at Winn Dixie I taught some guys how to do tricks on the buggies!!! We were riding them across the parking lots on 2 wheels, surfing, doing wheelies, even little stunts and jumps with them. We all tried to out-do each other. It was fun till I slipped and had to have stitches, then we all decided it wasn't as fun anymore. It ended my future career as a flatland buggy freestyler...

16 pages...

 

[kgle]

No one is talking about leaving the car running, or even leaving the keys in the car, so I don't know where you got that from. I load my groceries, lock my car, then return the cart (doesn't even take 30 seconds). If I'm parked next to the corral, I don't even have to lock my car, but I have the keys.

Grocery delivery wasn't mentioned for that reason. If you had read it, you would see that grocery delivery was mentioned as an alternative for someone who apparently is in SO MUCH PAIN that she can drive to the store, get her groceries and load her groceries, but can't return the cart...because of the pain.

It doesn't matter if the car is running or not. That's the point. This can branch out to kidnapping a child. Maybe it doesn't take you 30 seconds to return a cart, but it might for other people. No one is trying to make excuses, but its really sad that people are so hell bent on returning carts that they insist you leave your child in the car alone to take it back.

And I did read it thank you Next time you might want to clarify what exactly you are referencing because in your post it seemed you were speaking of both situations.

 

[mickeyboat]

It doesn't matter if the car is running or not. That's the point. This can branch out to kidnapping a child. Maybe it doesn't take you 30 seconds to return a cart, but it might for other people. No one is trying to make excuses, but its really sad that people are so hell bent on returning carts that they insist you leave your child in the car alone to take it back.

And I did read it thank you Next time you might want to clarify what exactly you are referencing because in your post it seemed you were speaking of both situations.

But you didn't leave the child locked in the car when you procured the cart in the first place. Couldn't you just do the opposite when you return it?

 

[rparmfamily]

But you didn't leave the child locked in the car when you procured the cart in the first place. Couldn't you just do the opposite when you return it?

I parked by a cart in the parking lot...

 

[mickeyboat]

I parked by a cart in the parking lot...

Good one!

 

[kgle]

But you didn't leave the child locked in the car when you procured the cart in the first place. Couldn't you just do the opposite when you return it?

Seriously? When I go to the grocery store I carry my son inside or let him walk with me and we get a cart inside of the store. When we go back to my car, I empty the cart. If the weather is nice outside then he sits in the cart with me while I unload and we take the cart back. If its raining terribly or below zero, etc then he goes into the car before I unload and if the corral is too far away then I put it off to the side where I don't think it will turn into a projectile.

As I said before, 99% of the time I do return the cart to the corral. I really try not to go to the store period when the weather is crappy.

 

[Jenvenza]

I helped save a car from a nice ding the other day. I saw a cart going straight for a nice new car and I ran after it with my DD in my arms and stopped it before it hit.

Though I am guilty of not always putting them back. I almost always do, but some days, it just doesnt happen.

 

[MinnieMe87]

I helped save a car from a nice ding the other day. I saw a cart going straight for a nice new car and I ran after it with my DD in my arms and stopped it before it hit.

Though I am guilty of not always putting them back. I almost always do, but some days, it just doesnt happen.

Totally off topic of the thread, but your daughter is the cutest thing!

 

[Magic Mom]

If there is no corral anywhere near me and the weather is so bad, or my child is sick, or there is some other compelling reason not to search out a corral, I will leave the cart as securely as I can, either with two wheels up on the grass, or at the lowest point I can on the X.

And none of that makes you lazy,selfish or demonic....regardless of what the DIS says.

 

[phorsenuf]

Ah, timing is everything. I went to the grocery store after work and I was having a real rough day so I went to pull into a handicapped space (yes, I am disabled and have a placard) as I'm doing so a woman who was also parked in a handicap space in front of mine is walking and putting her cart right in the space I'm pulling in to. So I honk at her and give her one of these She gives me a dirty look and then moves it so its sitting next to the pole between the 2 spots. The entrance to the store is literally 20 yards, if that Which by the way is where I returned my cart to.

 

[PatsMom]

Ah, timing is everything. I went to the grocery store after work and I was having a real rough day so I went to pull into a handicapped space (yes, I am disabled and have a placard) as I'm doing so a woman who was also parked in a handicap space in front of mine is walking and putting her cart right in the space I'm pulling in to. So I honk at her and give her one of these She gives me a dirty look and then moves it so its sitting next to the pole between the 2 spots. The entrance to the store is literally 20 yards, if that Which by the way is where I returned my cart to.

Even worse than leaving the cart in the handicapped spot is leaving it on the stripes that are meant to leave enough room for a wheelchair lift to load and unload. I have a friend who's daughter has spina bifida. She has a van with a side door. Pain in the butt to always have to move the cart but at least you are talking about a child who has an adult to move it for her. Can you imagine how frustrating it must be to be an adult who is alone in a lift van and not have room to unload?

 

[Charade]

I parked by a cart in the parking lot...

Next time park by the corral. There's usually a whole bunch there and would make it easy to return.

 

[robinb]

NOW I have heard everything! Some people don't return their carts because they are afraid that their children will be kidnapped? In the 30 seconds it takes to return the cart? Wow. That takes "Better safe than sorry!" to a whole new level.

OK ... here is something we can all laugh at ... The Cart Whisperer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCorYsc82Lk

His website:
http://nomoreabandonedcarts.com/