When you've finished with your shopping cart in the parking lot, what do you do...

[MOB Karen]

Let us know what you usually do with it once you're done with it. :cloppy:

[LaceyinPgh]

I put it in the little shopping cart "station" or whatever it is called. There is usually one very close. The parking lot is just too packed and busy to leave it someplace.

[MOB Karen]

Ok, I live in Phoenix, Arizona and the parking lots are like 250 degrees. After putting in my groceries and sweating like a pig, I push the damn thing to the side, and get in the air conditioned car as fast as possible trying to avoid a heatstroke. I am not going to the designated spot or back into the store. Judge me if you must. lol :snide:

[ladymelissa]

I always take it to the designated area, even if it is 20 below zero (which is our equivalent to the heat in the south). It is the right thing to do and I don't mind the exercise.

Karen- You could try to park near the cart drop off area.

[AngelinLove]

I take it back to the designated area....I hate when I have to get out and move a cart before I park...or when someones left behind cart rolls into my car!!!

[asm198]

It depends on the weather. If there is precipitation or if it's really icy, I'll park it somewhere that's somewhat safe, if there's not a cart holder nearby. Otherwise, I got to the holder and put it away.

[WebLady]

Nothing personal to anyone that leaves the carts out, but I hate it when I can't find a parking space without a cart in it or around it :irked: I also blame the store for not keeping the lot clean and/or providing adequate cart corrals.

I usually shop at Publix where they have people to help you with your groceries. If for some reason I have to take the cart out myself, I will take it to the little corral thingy or take it back inside.

When DH and I go shopping together, we will take the cart back and I will meet him at the front with the car.

[MOB Karen]

I always take it to the designated area, even if it is 20 below zero (which is our equivalent to the heat in the south). It is the right thing to do and I don't mind the exercise.

Karen- You could try to park near the cart drop off area.

I know. I'm bad, I'll try harder in the future. lol :grinhappy:

[CarlosHoney]

I put it back in the coral. Or, I give it to the parking lot guy/girl. :grinhappy: I've known people that have gotten serious damage to their car's paint because someone let their cart go and it hit their car.

[Orgirl1969]

Leave it and RUN. Ok, I'm a selfish hag. Bad Steph.

[hummingbird521]

If the designated place to take it back to is to far away, then I leave it wherever. If close I take it where it is supposed to go.

[CarlosHoney]

Man, we've got some lazy ladies here!! :p

j/k

[AllyM1]

I put it back in the designated area. I saw a lady once that was parked TWO spaces away from the coral, and she left it in the parking space beside her car. She was so lazy she couldn't walk it TWO spaces over.. I evil eyed her... Those people kill me..

The only other thing that people might not realize is if you leave your cart and it hits someones car, they are going to go after the store and that's a big reason why your prices of merchandise go up.

[WebLady]

... The only other thing that people might not realize is if you leave your cart and it hits someones car, they are going to go after the store and that's a big reason why your prices of merchandise go up.
Good point! I still have to put some of the blame on the store too, especially since they are ultimately responsible. Some people are still going to leave carts just anywhere.

They should have more of the coral things, have people to help take your cart out and bring it back and/or have someone collect the carts from the lot more often.

[AllyM1]

I agree. The thing that puzzles me is that I used to work for a grocery store and they always had 4 people scheduled to do carts the whole day. So basically our lot was always pretty clear of carts. I agree with you that the stores need to take a little more responsibility by having those kids out there bringing the carts in.

[asm198]

Oh, yes. There are a couple of places I shop at that never seem to get their carts. The corals are almost always overflowing. When I see that, I don't bother with them and try to secure it somewhere else so it won't blow away.

The one place I shop at most often has a concrete barrier running down every other row, so I'll try to secure them there. I rarely ever bring them back into the store, but that's because I never hunt for spaces close to the entrance and just park in the first spot I see, even if it's way in the back with no other cars around it.

[ladymelissa]

The only other thing that people might not realize is if you leave your cart and it hits someones car, they are going to go after the store and that's a big reason why your prices of merchandise go up.
At the stores around here there are signs that say the store is not responsible for any damage to vehicles, I am not sure if those signs would hold up in court or not though.

I also ended up in a store in a poorer section of town once and they made you make a $.50 deposit in a cart release machine and you would get your deposit back when you put your cart in the appropriate area! :rofl:

[asm198]

At the stores around here there are signs that say the store is not responsible for any damage to vehicles, I am not sure if those signs would hold up in court or not though.

I also ended up in a store in a poorer section of town once and they made you make a $.50 deposit in a cart release machine and you would get your deposit back when you put your cart in the appropriate area! :rofl:

Aldi's, a discount grocery store (not sure if they have them in your area), does this. I think it's a great idea. I've noticed that their parking lot rarely has carts hanging out in the parking lot. They are almost always stacked neatly by the entrance.

[ladymelissa]

Aldi's, a discount grocery store (not sure if they have them in your area), does this. I think it's a great idea. I've noticed that their parking lot rarely has carts hanging out in the parking lot. They are almost always stacked neatly by the entrance.
We have Aldi's, but that wasn't the name of the store. It had "Food" in the name somewhere, that is the only place I have seen them require a deposit to get a cart, it probably is a good idea though. I found it funny b/c I always take my cart back anyways.

[LaceyinPgh]

At the stores around here there are signs that say the store is not responsible for any damage to vehicles, I am not sure if those signs would hold up in court or not though.
It will hold up because by leaving your car there, you agree to the terms and conditions stipulated. If the sign is posted, you agree that if you leave your car the parking lot you udnerstand that anything that happens to it is your responsiblilty.

I also ended up in a store in a poorer section of town once and they made you make a $.50 deposit in a cart release machine and you would get your deposit back when you put your cart in the appropriate area! :rofl:
This is because in economically depressed areas, things like shopping carts have a tendency to disappear. People don't always have cars to transport their groceries so they walk home taking the carts so they don't have to carry all of the bags. Unfortunately, the cart usually doesn't make it back to its proper place. Also, in very economically depressed area you have homeless issues. The homeless have no place to store their belongings. Everything they own HAS to be kept on their pareson. So it is easier to "borrow" a shopping cart to carry everything around in. I don't know how much shopping carts are, but I can't imagine they are cheap, especially if your store is in a lower income area, where you aren't making a ton of money, your employee turnover is high, and your insurance rates are through the roof.

[ladymelissa]

This is because in economically depressed areas, things like shopping carts have a tendency to disappear. People don't always have cars to transport their groceries so they walk home taking the carts so they don't have to carry all of the bags. Unfortunately, the cart usually doesn't make it back to its proper place. Also, in very economically depressed area you have homeless issues. The homeless have no place to store their belongings. Everything they own HAS to be kept on their pareson. So it is easier to "borrow" a shopping cart to carry everything around in. I don't know how much shopping carts are, but I can't imagine they are cheap, especially if your store is in a lower income area, where you aren't making a ton of money, your employee turnover is high, and your insurance rates are through the roof.
I did think about that, but on the other hand $.50 is such a small amount compared to what a cart would cost.

[LaceyinPgh]

I did think about that, but on the other hand $.50 is such a small amount compared to what a cart would cost.
True, but to get that cart you have to have the fifty cents first. A lot of times that fifty cents in the difference between returning the cart and bus fare to go to work the next morning.

[asm198]

True, but to get that cart you have to have the fifty cents first. A lot of times that fifty cents in the difference between returning the cart and bus fare to go to work the next morning.

Bingo.

Nearly every time I've shopped at places that have that, I leave my quarter in it. I don't need it and someone else might be happy about getting a cart for free.