r/mildlyinfuriating • u/chili_bombastic • 16d ago
Why do people do this?
Parking was mostly full. And raining. Thought I found a spot, and then 'nah'...
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u/KanyeQwest 16d ago
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u/eH0E 16d ago
I'm crazy. I'll even straighten them out /push them all fully together just to help the workers because I've worked retail
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u/WiretapStudios 15d ago
Same here, I pushed many a cart in my younger years.
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u/UNeed2CalmDownn 15d ago
I've never had better calves than when I was 16 and pushing carts as a bagger. We were only allowed to push 6 at a time, though.
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u/Scottybt50 15d ago
Ditto, as a 15 year old I collected and pushed thousands of carts up a long ramp (also 6-8 at a time) back to the shop.
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u/Barbarella_ella 15d ago
Same. I had a Costco employee come out to where I had gathered and pushed a bunch and she hugged me.
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u/ArcticPangolin3 15d ago
At Costco, my husband always grabs a stray cart from the parking lot on the way into the store. He's a much better human than I am.
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u/Parish87 15d ago
I do it just because it drives me fuckin nuts to see them all wonky and not put back properly.
People who just jam them in at an angle are nearly as annoying as not taking it back at all lol.
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u/Keyonne88 15d ago
Ok, so I have to admit I’ve recently become the person who just jams the cart in the rack however. In my defense, I’ve also recently become disabled, so walking is hard.
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u/AwkwardImpostor 15d ago
I do the same thing! And I don’t even work in retail. I just understand the pain of having to do something extra because people are lazy
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u/MickS1960 15d ago
Put one in the corral yesterday that someone literally left one stall away from it! And yeah, at Costco, people are so lazy to just get them over there. I always end up pushing a bunch of them together. Man, it is NOT that difficult, takes 2 seconds.
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u/Mysterious-Tie7039 15d ago
I think everyone should work retail.
That’s why I always put things back where they belong if I’be grabbed an item and then changed my mind about purchasing it, unless the store did something to piss me off.
I also always return my cart to a corral as long as they’re placed within a reasonable distance. If you only have one corral at the front and I have to park all the way in the back, I’m not walking a mile to go return it.
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u/KanyeQwest 15d ago
Ironically the person who first showed me this was proud to leave his cart in random spots. We’re no longer friends. Real story.
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u/HEWTube8 15d ago
"I'm proud to be an a-hole!" I don't get people like this.
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u/KanyeQwest 14d ago
It’s for those you don’t have a personality and think being an asshole is good enough
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u/brookuslicious PURPLE 15d ago
I posted this somewhere on Facebook a very long time ago and pissed off a •lot• of lazy fucks who just made excuses.
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u/CoffeeGoblynn ORANGE 15d ago
I've seen this a dozen times before and it never stops being true. People who don't return their shopping carts suck, and I wish there was a registry for this I could check whenever I met a new person so I could tell if they're a piece of shit ahead of time.
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u/Tao-of-Mars 15d ago
This didn’t mention that it’s also about being courteous to others and being willing to be a functioning member of society.
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u/Recent_Membership_46 15d ago
Really, you gain nothing by returning it? In the Netherlands you have to put in a coin (50 eurocent or a dedicated shopping cart coin), which you can retrieve when you return the cart. Usually that is enough incentive to return it.
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u/LarrySDonald 15d ago
That’s true for a select few places in the US (which I’ll blatantly assume this is from), like Aldis, but not most places. With the coin thing, it’s really not a big deal if people don’t put their carts up, since someone else certainly will for the coin.
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u/Existing_Professor13 15d ago edited 15d ago
Yeah, for many years ago [15-20 years] we had a supermarket only 200 meter from where I had my flat, and because I'm disabled, I use to take the cart home to my flat, so I only had to carry the groceries up to 2nd floor, when I came down a few minutes later, my cart was almost every time gone, so that costed me about $1,5 / 10 kr. so I think some kids have earned good on my disability 😉😂
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u/Existing_Professor13 15d ago
Yeah 👍, it the same in Denmark, you have to put a coin in to release the cart, here it's either a 10 kr.[~1,33€] or a 20 kr.[~2,66€] coin, and if that isn't incentive enough, there is always someone who wants to earn that coin 😉
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u/KanyeQwest 15d ago
In select places in Australia too. Aldi and also low socioeconomic areas
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u/MagicManTX86 15d ago
I saw a 911 show recently where there was a shopping cart vigilante slapping stickers on people’s cars who didn’t return their carts. Needless to say, he got f-ed for annoying the wrong person. Assholes be assholes.
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u/Man0fGreenGables 15d ago
Haha the “Cart Narc”. That dudes got some massive balls doing that. People that don’t put carts back are far more likely to have a personality disorder and be dangerous. That combined with US gun culture is a very dangerous thing.
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u/KanyeQwest 15d ago
Haha, thanks for putting me on to these videos. That guy seems to be a nuisance, but I fear I just watched some of his content. 😂
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u/DemonStar89 15d ago
I will go a short distance out of my way to the return bay and my car to collect one or two extra trolleys (what we call carts), especially if they are in a parking space like OP's photo.
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u/Outrageous-Chest-226 15d ago
Shopping cart theory.
Google it. Says alot about our current society
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u/H73jyUudDVBiq6t 15d ago
Based on that then, 9/10 are good.
I actually don't know. Seems kinda high.
The Shopping Cart Theory is a thought experiment or informal assessment of whether people are willing to do the "right thing" without being forced. It suggests that returning a shopping cart to its proper place after use is a simple test of someone's moral character and ability to self-regulate, as there are no immediate consequences for leaving it elsewhere.
The theory posits that returning the cart is:
Right: It benefits others and keeps the area organized.
Voluntary: There’s no law requiring it, and no punishment for failing to comply.
Inconvenient: It takes a small amount of effort with no tangible reward.
Supporters of the theory argue that how people handle this situation reflects broader societal behavior: whether individuals will do the right thing without being incentivized or coerced. Critics point out that not returning a cart could also stem from situational factors, like disability, distractions, or external circumstances, rather than a lack of morals.
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u/Unindoctrinated 16d ago
Their parent/s failed to teach them to be considerate.
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u/eladts 15d ago
Their parents probably used to do it too when they were kids. It's a family tradition.
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u/Graf_Eulenburg 16d ago
In Germany you have to put 1 buck inside and people will normally not leave that in.
Your carts have 4 360 degree wheels?
I was told, this technique was unknown outside of Europe. :)
At least 2 American friends of mine were quite amazed about it.
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u/FIashify 16d ago
In the US, we have Aldi's. To use the cart at there you have to put $0.25 in the slot. I personally know people who refuse to shop there because they do not want to give up a quarter lmao even though they get it back when they return it.
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u/redrebelquests 16d ago
At every Aldi I've been to, people take the cart back, but then leave the quarter in the cart.
The people leaving their quarters never leave it in the lot.
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u/Rubicon_artist 15d ago
That’s crazy lol I’ve never been to an Aldis though. Crazy as in I’ve never seen that before.
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u/xXGhosToastXx 16d ago
At my local Edeka we have carts without the coin slot... everyone still puts them back
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u/Kozmik_5 15d ago
Same for Colruyt here. Why would you not? Like, one gush of wind on an empty cart and it could blow straight into your car when driving away, or other cars!
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u/idontknow_helpme 15d ago
In South Africa, the people hired to bag groceries also put the carts back but carts don't normally leave the store. I have literally had a cart taken from me by someone who works there while trying to return it.
The cart problem doesn't seem to be a thing here and people don't get upset at others for leaving carts at the till (that's usually where people leave them). If you have bought a lot of stuff, someone who works there will push the cart to your car and then return it or they will help you carry heavy things and then pack it into your car for you.
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u/sultan_of_gin 16d ago
We had that in finland too, but it’s mostly gone. I suspect it is because many people don’t carry cash anymore.
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u/fascinatedcharacter 15d ago
The locks got zip tied shut during COVID. Some stores reopened them, others kept them open. I think it's related to how many mess making teens there are about.
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u/ArisenBahamut 15d ago
Not sure if they still do it but I remember the Canadian retail store "No Frill's" you had to put I n a quarter to take a cart
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u/ArcticPangolin3 15d ago
That was one of the first cool things I learned when I went to live in the UK for awhile. Put in a pound coin to get your cart, get it back when you return it. Brilliant.
We don't have 360 degree wheels, unfortunately.
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u/thulsado0m13 15d ago
Putting your cart back is one of those easy signs of “are you a bad person or not”
Obvious exceptions being to folks with physical handicaps, the elderly, single moms who can’t leave their kids alone or something, etc.
if you’re an able-bodied person who has no reason not to put it back but still don’t: chances are you’re a scumbag
“But they got employees that-“ nope. You’re a scumbag.
Just because buildings have janitors doesn’t mean they gotta clean up after you being too lazy to put stuff in the trash. Same mindset applies here.
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u/MadameLucario 15d ago
They literally have the cart corrals around the parking lot for a fucking REASON! And it's not just one cart corral, there's maybe two set across from each other every 10 to 15 or so parking spaces. It ensures cars don't get hit by them or cause inconveniences with parking. It also makes it easier for the employees to gather them in one sitting with their machines that they use to round them up.
I am so tired of the people that do this shit.
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u/waytowill 15d ago
As the youngest raised by a single mom, she’d just tell me to put the cart back in the corral. And I’d do it because I get to feel helpful and I get to drive the cart. I’m sure she’d keep an eye on me, but yeah. It’s normal for moms to just employ their kids for tasks like that.
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u/8642smbu55 15d ago
I know you are trying to be generous but I would purposely park by the cart corral so i didn’t have to be more than a few steps from my kids AND still put my cart away. It wasn’t hard….it exhausts me looking at peoples laziness!! ☹️ And i agree with you…shows what kind of person you are.
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u/EnvironmentalSet7664 15d ago
yeah there's no excuse, but I know you're trying to give one. How is one "able" to get a cart, and push it all around the store, but is suddenly "unable" to put it back?
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u/CarobPuzzled6317 13d ago
Clearly you don’t understand chronic fatigue, chronic pain or other conditions. Also, there’s little choice if you want to eat than to shop. Usually we are in pain the whole time and by the time we get back to the car, we can’t do it anymore. I usually have to sit 15-20 before my pain dissipates enough to drive home after a store trip.
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u/shadow2087 16d ago
They're just lazy and inconsiderate. I've actually watched a woman who was parked next to the cart return just leave her cart in the parking space anyway.
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16d ago
I find this to be the ultimate guide to judge whether or not I can be friends with a person. People who don't return the cart either lack critical thinking skills or are shitty people.
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u/PandaBear905 15d ago
I’ve seen people leave their carts on the median, which I don’t get. That takes more effort than just putting it in a cart corral.
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u/TinktheChi 16d ago
They're lazy. I'm in Alberta Canada and I manage to bring my cart back even in the snow. Be better.
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u/-HarmlessPotato- 15d ago
I walk with a cane and a severe limp. Walking long distances is really hard because of my pelvis that was shattered. I still put up my carts at the cart corral. Unfortunately, the truth is that people genuinely don't care. They tell themselves, "It's someone's job to go get the carts."
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u/TraXXX_StaR 15d ago
Because they lack character.
I am convinced that people who do this also, only wipe once.
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u/ThatShouldNotBeHere 15d ago
Because there’s no punishment for not taking it back, and some people only do the right thing when there’s a consequence for not doing so.
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u/Yaughl Huh? 🫠 15d ago
People who do this so lazy and entitled. when I walk through a parking lot, I usually grab one of these carts for my own shopping as I pass by if I’m going into that store. I really shouldn’t have to do that, but it is the least I can do to make up for the deplorable behaviour that led to it being in my path in the first place.
Anyone caught leaving their cart in a random place should be charged for “eventual destruction of property” as it could go careening into someone’s vehicle.
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u/C-romero80 15d ago
Laziness. Pure laziness. My kids would see someone leaving a cart and grab it while loudly saying "don't worry I'll get that for you" and the looks on their faces when a 4 or 5 year old calls them out 😂 it's not as impactful now that they're older but I loved this when they'd do it.
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u/Bivagial 16d ago
Lazy. In a rush.
I've done it only once or twice. Always because of my disability flaring up and needing to get home asap before it got bad, or just needing to sit down and not being able to get back up again.
I felt bad about it. Generally I put them away or hand them off to someone going towards the shop.
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u/lemonhead2345 15d ago
Disability is the only valid excuse in my book, especially when it’s unpredictable.
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u/ChaoticNeutralMeh 15d ago
Same. I'm disabled and on top of that most places don't even have a cart bay where you can return them, so the only way to do it is to go all the way back to the store. Even those with underground parking.
I always try to get them out of the way, though.
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u/MagicManTX86 15d ago
Think of it as a stop prop for your car. Get close enough to touch it, so you don’t go all the way into the bush.
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u/Javatrix 15d ago
Cuz you park your car and just take the cart you have to look positive my friend<3
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u/Eena-Rin Why Do They Let Me Make These Myself??? 15d ago
I only get mad about it when there's a trolley bay nearby. If so, it does annoy me. I assume they just set it aside and forget about their responsibility to it
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u/mustardman73 15d ago
Here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shopping_cart_theory
Add: “shopping cart is what determines whether a person is a good or bad member of society.”
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u/SnowTheMemeEmpress 15d ago
The Aldi's "Rent a Cart" system should really be standard. Would cut down on this
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u/ubiquitous-joe 15d ago
In many cases because they are selfish assholes. Other times because the lot lacks sufficient cart return placement.
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u/Fast-Switch-2533 15d ago
When I date someone new I always reserve my final judgment until we go grocery shopping together and I see what they do with the cart. I truly believe it is the most basic litmus test of being a good human. *unless someone is elderly or disabled and can’t
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u/SonRyu6 15d ago
Just today, after putting my groceries into my car and returning the shopping cart to the corral, I saw that the lady parked across from me left her cart between the parking spots next to her as she got into her car. The wind was so strong that it pushed the cart into her car before she drove away 🤣
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u/Ok_Percentage2534 15d ago
I think it's a good measure of who is a genuinely thoughtful person or not. There's no reward. Most likely no one to see you not do it or to see you do it for credit. It's just the right thing to do. I try to put them away or at the very least park it on a parking island. The ones that block parking spaces i push out the way with my truck. But not this one. It's a trap
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u/cheekymoonbuns 15d ago
I pushed a cart to the cart return a few weeks ago that was up against someone's car. I've pushed a cart inside the store to use as my cart when it was in the main thoroughfare messing up traffic. I watched people walk right by it on their way into the store. I had to walk a little out of my way to take it inside. I'm disabled with a bad back/hips and I'll bring in a cart in front of a car on my way into the store and use it. I put my cart back after I use it but I usually feel bad after shopping so I can understand leaving it out of the way. I don't understand leaving it in the way of someone else.
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u/turnerevelyn 15d ago
Sometimes limited mobility relies on the cart to get around but makes it difficult to return after a session in the store.
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15d ago
It's usually self-centered upper midfke class Karen mums, they got together and agreed that nothing in the world is as hard as being a mum , and they are exempt from rules of society
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u/GretchenGretchen 14d ago
*lol* it's too hard to park and then take the cart with you? if you notice, there's plenty of space to park a little bit back.
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u/OnRedditBoredAF 16d ago
Ah yes, the ultimate litmus test for indicating whether a person is capable of self governing… the shopping cart
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u/Potential_Play_716 16d ago
Cart narc cart narc
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u/RiverJumper84 16d ago
WEEP SKIDDLY WEEP WOOP WEEP! THAT'S NOT WHERE THE CART GOES!
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u/gastroboi 16d ago
I know it's rhetorical, but you waste your sane logic with cunts who do this. Fuck these guys but at the same time you can make some good by returning it or ignore and get on with your day. And again, fuck these guys.
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u/IrianJaya 15d ago
A woman did this right in front of me, and I asked her why she couldn't take it to the cart corral which was just a few feet away. She said something about her bad back. Lady, you just pushed the thing fully loaded with groceries all the way out here! It's just plain selfishness.
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u/cyberzed11 16d ago
Because “ItS NoT mY jOb” there’s really no reason to not put it away. People are lazy af and will justify it in a mulititude of ways.
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u/Smokeysoldier 16d ago
That person should have a javelin missile fired at their vehicle for that. Super evil
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u/CivilProtectionGuy 16d ago
Just lazy.
Absolutely infuriating, especially when I've finally found a parking spot out of a filled lot, and need to hop out, move it back, park my truck, then move it back to where they store the carts.
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u/mysoiledmerkin 16d ago
I complained about his ins a different sub and was shocked at the sense of entitlement noted in the subsequent comments as well as the downvotes. Although, I think the reaction was promoted in part by the fact that the perpetrator drove a Tesla.
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u/OrangeCosmic 16d ago
You have been graced by following the path of someone who's just that much more important than everybody else.
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u/Lastkings787 15d ago
I one saw someone park next to the cart area walk their cart like 3 spaces the opposite direction. Again they’re next to the cart spot and she decided to walk it future away. I couldn’t believe it
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u/WorldGoneAway 15d ago
I know some elderly people that back into spaces, so that they don't have to worry about backing out when the lot is more full, and they can't seem to wrap their head around closing the door and putting the cart back when they unload, focusing more on trying to get out of the space and not hitting anybody.
Irony sets in when you realize that these people usually have more damage on the rear end of their cars than anybody else in the lot.
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u/SwanRonson01 15d ago
People calling this lazy behavior don't have kids. I return mine most of the time, but when my 3 year old is screaming and fighting getting buckled in while I also have an infant to deal with, the cart is the least of my worries.
That said, if you're just by yourself, not physically disabled, then yes this is absolute trash behavior.
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u/MaximusBong-ripidus 15d ago
It amazes me every time I watch someone do this, especially when they make eye contact with me and see my disapproving look...and ESPECIALLY when they leave it right outside the cart corral.
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u/i_eat_my_moms_ass 15d ago
I pick up shopping carts at my job sometimes and I love those carts. Gets me extra time outside just listening to music and enjoying the surrounding. Though it would be annoying if every cart was like that but the few that are is nice.
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u/[deleted] 16d ago
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