Why do people leave shopping carts in the parking lot?

Years ago, there was a 2 year old taken right out of the car in a parking lot while her mother unloaded groceries. I would never, ever take that chance with my kids.

When my kids were little - I had 2 that were 19 months apart - I pushed the cart up between parking spots. Now that they are older, I return it to the corrals.

I have 2 12 months apart... Whenever I shop with both of them I would buckle them in, unload my groceries, lock the car and return the cart.

I have dealt with to many dings and dents over the years from shopping carts from people who dont like to put away the carts.

I am surprised more stores dont go with the $.25 cart return method.
 
I leave the cart in the parking lot cuz...

It does not fit in the back seat.
 
I have 2 12 months apart... Whenever I shop with both of them I would buckle them in, unload my groceries, lock the car and return the cart.

I have dealt with to many dings and dents over the years from shopping carts from people who dont like to put away the carts.

I am surprised more stores dont go with the $.25 cart return method.

It's been a while since I had babies, but that's what I used to do. I remember being paranoid about not laying my keys in the back of the car/trunk and then locking them in (back in the day before lock remotes):)
 
It may be a regional thing. In my 44 yrs of living in New England, shopping here & working here, I've never encountered a store that asks if you need help getting food to your car. I'm also not aware of any stores here that have curb-side pick up of groceries. Last one I saw of those was in the 1970s.

Only place I see people being offered help is at big box stores like Walmart & Kmart if you buy something like a TV or furniture and they bring it to the register for you from the back room on a dolly cart, then bring it to the front door and that's as far as they go. They'll help get it into your car if you need help.

If you ask, I'm sure they would page someone, but it might take 2 pages to go outside.

Again, I'm sure different areas of the country are different since someone mentioned valet parking at a grocery store in Boca. That would NEVER exist here in New England. I think we are cheap & old fashioned here. We don't want our grocery prices going up by paying for these extra "luxuries" like curbside pickup & valet. I don't think we tend to drive cars we are all that concerned about a ding in. Heck, if you live here your car is filthy 6 months out of the year due to snow & road salt/sand anyway. We as a whole aren't polishing our cars in our driveways every Saturday. ;)

Wanted to add, even my elderly parents aren't offered help getting food to the car. I mean you live here, you can clean off the snow, shovel out your car & get to the store, they probably figure you can get the food to the car just fine too. LOL

I think we are a tough breed up here sometimes. lol

Regular grocery chains here don't have valet or pick-up. Just carry out service. We also have parking spots in the front of the parking lot designated for pregnant women.
 

Also don't seem to have those "mom with kids" or "pregnant mom" parking spaces everywhere either. I can think of 2 stores and that's about it. And now that I think of it, I'm not even sure if they still have them. I'll have to check next time.
 
It's been a while since I had babies, but that's what I used to do. I remember being paranoid about not laying my keys in the back of the car/trunk and then locking them in (back in the day before lock remotes):)

lol. I still get worried about that even at the house. I am surprised I havent done that yet. I tend to put my keys on the top of the van when I get them buckled in.
 
Yeah, lock your kids in the car while you return the cart here, and some idiot will call the police. I'm not kidding.
 
Yeah, lock your kids in the car while you return the cart here, and some idiot will call the police. I'm not kidding.

:thumbsup2

Yup. Not only that, but I am notorious for locking my keys in the car. It was a fear of mine that I'd lock my kids AND the keys in the car as infants on a hot day.
 
For those of you who don't want to put your children at risk, do the grocery chains in your area not offer carry out? I can be with my 15 yr old son, and my grocery clerk still asks if I need carry out assistance.

And if it's not offered, could you still ask for it?


Where I shop, I am lucky to get a cashier that can crack a smile, let alone delivery to the car;)

FWIW I have three kids and I do return the carts. I'm trying to think back when they were little and I still returned the carts. Of course when they were little I barely shopped, 3 kids under 5 in a grocery store is grounds for the looney bin.:scared1: I just nursed until they were 7 ;) , easy peasy lemon squeezy. No shopping, no carts to worry about and the kids turned out fine (so far:lmao: )
 
MOMTOMOOTOO -- ewwww! Not an imagine I want rolling around my head. :laughing:

I just don't buy this kids excuse for not returning carts. How on earth did you get them INTO the store in all this foul and rainy miserable weather? :lmao: Kids are a major pain to take grocery shopping, but you still do it and then you're telling me that it's that difficult unloading groceries while they're still in the cart where they've been the entire time, then having them go to the corral for you and back? Please. I'm sure you do far more tedious tasks than that with them several times a day. It's just an excuse because you don't want to take those few extra steps. :rolleyes:

I'm obese and in horrible shape and still manage to be courteous, so it really burns me up seeing people a whole lot more fit than me doing crap like that.
 
Actually, the more I think of it, our Shoprite is pretty tolerant - you are allowed to take the cart HOME, and a van drives around all day long, picking up the carts. The town is only 3 miles, Shoprite is in the middle, and we have a lot of seniors who don't drive.
 
I very rarely see carts not being returned...it's almost like it's a social stigma if you don't do it. I will also say that they almost always ask if you need help.
 
I leave the cart in the parking lot cuz...

It does not fit in the back seat.
Loop a short chain around your back bumper, and use an "S" hook to attach the chain to the cart... ;)

OctMtnWoods said:
You guys do realize you are argueing over returning shopping carts to the store, right? ;)
But isn't this better than arguing over politics? :teeth: And, I wrote this BEFORE I read your signature line!

Kathi OD said:
I just came back from the grocery store. I did NOT put my cart in the corral. There are only 3 corrals in the entire parking lot. All of them at the far end of the row. The way the parking lot is laid out, I would have had to walk to the end of the row I was parked in (toward the store),
Well, then - why not just walk it back to the sidewalk near the store entrance, since by the time you get to that end of the aisle, you're closer to the store than the cart corral anyway?
I like the idea of my local grocery store hiring them and I don't think it's demeaning that one of their jobs is to collect carts in the parking lot.
Nobody ever said, or implied, that collecting carts is a demeaning job for anyone of any cognitive ability. To even think that would be to risk offending the many posters here who return their own carts. Sure, a couple of the employees at a couple of the stores where I shop may be in that category, but MOST of them are not delayed in any way.

OctMtnWoods said:
It may be a regional thing. In my 44 yrs of living in New England, shopping here & working here, I've never encountered a store that asks if you need help getting food to your car.
Market Basket used to ask me, when I was using one of the 'scooter carts'. I bet if you - or your parents - ask at any supermarket, someone will help. Worst case, the better driver can get the car while the other person waits on the sidewalk with the cart. YES, it's illegal to park in a fire lane... but technically, they're not parking ;)
 
I put my cart back. I think this is a petty complaint. I don't waste time worrying about what other people are doing/or not doing and why in this type of thing. Put it back, don't - I don't care.

Don't let your expectations become your disappointments. It's about you.

Child Abusers-that's something to complain about.
 
Wow, 11 pages about this subject. Who knew that this was such a hot topic? :)

It's a minor thing but I am curious how people get their kids to a shopping cart to begin with when they have trouble getting them from the shopping cart to the car? I admit that when DS was small I would sometimes park by a rogue cart just because it was easier. ;)
 
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.

Even if it was just a few spaces away? I've seen this happen. I could understand if it wasn't near by but I don't think 25 ft is all that far.
 
Wow, 11 pages about this subject. Who knew that this was such a hot topic? :)

It's a minor thing but I am curious how people get their kids to a shopping cart to begin with when they have trouble getting them from the shopping cart to the car? I admit that when DS was small I would sometimes park by a rogue cart just because it was easier. ;)

rogue cart...... hehehe
targetcart.JPG
 
This must be what happens to all those carts flying all over the parking lots of America.

BR%20%20cart%20sign%20copy.jpg
 







New Posts









Receive up to $1,000 in Onboard Credit and a Gift Basket!
That’s right — when you book your Disney Cruise with Dreams Unlimited Travel, you’ll receive incredible shipboard credits to spend during your vacation!
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest DIS Tiktok DIS Twitter

Back
Top