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Toa_of_Pi

Yes, of course. If I'm near a random cart in the middle of the parking lot, I'll often return that too.


procrast1natrix

I love coming up to someone (ideally with kids) who is almost done emptying a cart and saying, hey I'm headed toward the store anyhow, can I take that cart? I also routinely park at the far end and turn my teenagers out to each walk a separate path, hoovering up carts. Then again, I shop at a member owned co-op store.


fractal_frog

I ask if I may take the cart for them. And I'll grab a stray cart on my way into the store if one presents itself, just to wrangle it.


bangbangracer

I'm not a monster, so I put the shopping cart back where it's supposed to be.


JohannReddit

Unless someone has intentionally parked like a jackass. Then I put the cart in back of them.


hmmwhatsoverhere

This is a great idea.


littleorganbigm

Their home is in the cart corral.


Bugler28

šŸ˜‚


tyynyliinaa

Of course because im a considerate and good person. Im not lazy and dont mind returning it.


hajima_reddit

I return shopping carts because (1) it's not that difficult to do (2) I don't want it to hit *my car*


RedSonGamble

I just like saying cart corral. I feel like a cowboy. My wife wonā€™t let me lasso the carts though


pANDAwithAnOceanView

I do push the cart hard into the stall to make it go weeeeee and then it crashes but lines in perfectly with the cart in front .. it feels like a sport. Then I feel guilty it made noise and walk away. This is me returning a cart 9 times out of 10. The 10th time I really don't want to but I can't make myself ever leave it because I'm convinced this is what separates me from animals. šŸ¤£


Th3MiteeyLambo

Every time I get pissed off when I see someone not do it (unless they're in the handicapped zone, then I help them put it away)


CaptainAwesome06

As someone with handicap plates, I get pissed off when I see carts abandoned in handicap spots.


rangerwags

Me, too, so I always put mine away. But it makes me crazy that there are so rarely any cart corrals anywhere near the handicapped parking spots. By the time I get back to my car after shopping and put the groceries in the trunk, I don't have much energy left to walk halfway down the lot and back to put it away.


CaptainAwesome06

I always figured it's because the handicap spaces are usually near the entrance. If there is no corral, I'll just put it on the sidewalk by the entrance in a way that ensures the wind won't hurl it into the street. I think taking it back into the store is a little excessive, in most cases. But at least I'm not leaving it out where it can scratch a car or prevent someone from parking.


rangerwags

That makes sense.


Embarrassed-Plum-468

Some stores near me wipe down the handles and basket where the kids can sit before they get loaded into the area for folks to grab a cart so thatā€™s why I never bring them back inside the store. I donā€™t wanna put a ā€œdirtyā€ cart where it doesnā€™t belong but Iā€™ll happily return it to a corral


ReticentGuru

The WM Neighborhood Market near me only has ONE corral in their parking lot!


FlightExtension8825

As another person with handicapped plates, I often don't return the cart for reasons relating to my handicap.


CaptainAwesome06

Do you ever ask someone for help with the cart when you are at the register? Or do you just leave your cart in a place that can block or scratch a car?


daiquiri-glacis

Sometimes it's helpful, for someone who would otherwise use a walker.


fractal_frog

In the spot itself? No. Prevents anyone from parking there. In the hashed area next to it? Maybe. It might cause issues if someone has a wheelchair lift on the side and needs that space totally clear.


CaptainAwesome06

If they can't put the cart back, they could always ask an employee for help when they are at the register. Also, if they have a walker I assume the walker was in the cart while they were walking around the store? Or stowed on the scooter? Why can't they stow the walker while returning the cart and then use the walker to get to their car?


procrast1natrix

My mother in law is 90 and lives with us. She has walkers to take for special occasions but walker dependency isn't digital - she doesn't use one at home and only needs it for longer distance. For groceries she prefers to use a cart so she can reach in and touch the things she is shopping for and feel independent. But we aren't animals, so we return the cart when she's done.


Fit-Mall3280

Return question Who do you think is gonna willingly say they donā€™t?? People arenā€™t usually fans of outing themselves


OrcWife420

This is an absolutely fair return question šŸ˜‚ guess thatā€™s why this sub is called no stupid questions though lol


Ridley_Himself

Actually did see a comment not long ago with BS like ā€œitā€™s someoneā€™s job to do it.ā€


smokefan333

I've also seen someone (supposedly) that does that job say that. They said that if customers do it, management will think they don't need them and fire them. Aldi's makes you return your own cart, or you don't get your quarter back! :-šŸ˜±


Xsiah

I've also seen replies from people whose job it is to do it say they don't mind, it's more time that they don't have to deal with stuff inside the store. I just don't want to deal with shopping carts rolling around in the parking lot, and if I expect people not to leave them in my way, obviously I have to participate in the system of putting them back. I've never considered it a moral issue where I'm saving or punishing the employee.


CaptainAwesome06

There was once a question about why people take longer getting out of a parking space when you are waiting to take that spot and the overwhelming reply was, "I'll sit there until you stop waiting on me because I don't like to feel rushed."


MuzzledScreaming

tbh I'd expect that a cart-abandoner is usually enough of a degenerate to not even realize that their behavior is abhorrent


shewy92

This is like those questions that are like "People who don't use your turn signal/turn your brights off, why?"


Curious_Management_4

I dont because as a person who has done carts, I know it is a welcome slower pace break from working in the store.


RedSonGamble

Farther up I said I have sex with my shopping cart after Iā€™m done


lkvwfurry

Yes, only monsters leave the carts in the parking lot. Those people deserve to have bad fortune.


ohmyback1

Captain ziptie may visit them


02K30C1

I do it because I want my quarter back


OrcWife420

I think this idea should be implemented more, itā€™s something Iā€™ve never came across but I also do not travel a lot. in fact first thing that came to my mind was movie ā€œThe Terminalā€ where main character uses the cart return quarters for money by returning carts people didnā€™t return.


Embarrassed-Plum-468

I love that movie! Tom Hanks is an amazing actor


Spirited-Humor-554

Where do you have to pay to get an access to a shopping cart? That sounds wild to me.


02K30C1

Aldi. You put a quarter into a slot on the cart to unlock the cart, and you get it back when you return it. Works great, very few carts left around the parking lot.


Spirited-Humor-554

Never been to it but that still sounds wild to me.


superpoopypoopy

Not wild, itā€™s effective. If you donā€™t have a quarter you can even go in to get one from the cashier to borrow. There are never carts left out at Aldi because of this


Nyanek

works very well in germany. you guys should implement it more


Spirited-Humor-554

Many Americans would shop elsewhere


Nyanek

i dont think thats their number 1 issue with a store


Lee_Troyer

Pretty much everywhere in France. But that's not how it works though, it's not a payment per se, it's more like a deposit. You have to insert a coin to release the cart, and you get your coin back when you return it. That coin doesn't have to be an actual coin, any plastic or metal token of the same size will do. Most stores make cart tokens as promotional items with their logos on it and give them away at the store's reception desk if you need one. People still return their carts to get their token back.


Own-Let2789

Itā€™s the same at Aldi in the US (you get your quarter back)


ohmyback1

Canada


Pesec1

Yes. There is a reason why Shopping Cart Test is a thing.


God_Bless_A_Merkin

Whatā€™s the shopping cart test? (I put them back, too, for the record.)


Pesec1

It is a test to see if an individual will do the right thing that would cause them a minor inconvenience when they believe that there will be no punishment for not doing so. You pay attention whether the person you are with (someone you are dating or a prospective employee) puts the cart in corral (or at least somewhere out of the way) or leaves it on the road. By looking at their actions, you can tell things about their character. Sometimes test is applied to the whole community. In OP's example, the community has failed the test miserably. Something to keep in mind if you were thinking of moving there.


God_Bless_A_Merkin

I can see how that would be a good test.


sneaks_in_a_hammock

It's a litmus test to see if people would do the morally right thing if there are no consequences or benefits. https://www.keithsobus.com/blog/shoppingcarttheory


RedSonGamble

What does it mean if I have sex with the shopping cart?


Curious_Management_4

Irrelevant test. People who have actually done carts know it is welcome busy work and a break from inside.


God_Bless_A_Merkin

Thatā€™s true, lol!


liberal_texan

I always put my cart back, and any I pass by on the way to the corral. I also grab one from the parking lot on my way into the store if I see one.


logicbomb666

Grabbing one on the way into the store is highly underrated. It's a free test drive to see if the cart is up to snuff.


liberal_texan

Yuuup. If I get one from a corral by the store I give it a little shove and see if it coasts straight but itā€™s not as good of a test as wheeling one in from the parking lot.


smokefan333

My mama used to call the ones with a crooked wheel.a "woogedy woogedy" basket.


liberal_texan

Thatā€™s adorable.


smokefan333

When I was little, that's what I thought they were called. It wasn't until I was dating someone who worked at a grocery store that it was just made up.


liberal_texan

I mean, it was called that when you were little, all terms are technically made up.


smokefan333

šŸ˜‰


vibraniummade

Yes, takes maybe 10 seconds. People who don't do it are lazy fucks full of shit.


Carma56

Always. The people who donā€™t are all selfish jerks whose parents were also likely selfish jerks. Thereā€™s a reason cart corrals exist, and when they donā€™t, itā€™s because the store and parking lot are small enough that they expect you to bring your cart back to the front where you got it.


Curious_Management_4

Nope. Just a former person who did carts and enjoyed the break from being inside the store.


Letters-to-Elise

I moved to WA state and it wasnā€™t until I got here I experienced racism and micro aggressions so it is def. a thing here. Also def put the carts back. Mainly because I worry if I left it out it could wheel into someoneā€™s car or take up a spot.


OrcWife420

Oh I definitely see it more now here as Iā€™ve gotten older, in story above I was only 17 so my world was just high school basically. Especially towards Hispanics I see it here.


MysteriousMermaid92

Of course. Even with a toddler, I still return the cart. I always aim to park next to the cart returns.


taniamorse85

I'm disabled, and I use either a quad cane or a wheelchair wherever I go. I also often use disabled parking spaces. There are a lot of assholes who leave their carts in such spaces, and depending on how I'm doing, I may not be able to use other spaces. So, it really pisses me off when people fail to return their carts. Even if I'm using my wheelchair, I return my cart, and yes, I do use a cart when using my chair. If I'm not able to use a disabled parking spot, I'll park near a cart return instead to make it easier on myself.


pcny54

Returning a shopping cart is a little thing. And if your to big for the little things then you're too little for the big things. No respect.Ā  A few years ago I came out of the supermarket to see a shopping cart firmly planted into the drivers door of my new Corvette. So.. There you go.Ā 


BlueberryPiano

I once didn't push my cart all the way into the cart corral. It was over the line, but I didn't push it all the way to the back and nest it with the other buggies already there. I had a newborn (first kid) in the car screaming for attention. That kid is now old enough to work at the grocery store, and yet I still carry the guilt of that day with me. Who are these monsters who don't put their carts away?!


Marpleface

Yes. I am not a jerk.


Due-Season6425

OP, don't worry. It's okay to judge bigots. Back to the core topic. I saw a story on the news about the shopping cart dilemma. I always resented people for leaving carts everywhere. The cart return story opened my eyes a bit. I always assumed it was lazy people leaving carts. The story pointed out that cart return is nearly impossible for parents with really small children and many people with disabilities. These reasons had never crossed my mind. Once again, I was reminded that tolerance, patience, and understanding should guide my thoughts.


SoImaRedditUserNow

YEah that this became a thing seems almost manufactured. One wonders if the original lady who stated this was very calculated, however I don't think it went the way she thought it would. For me whats baffling is the "parent angle" of "well I can't leave my kids in the car while I return it". What parent leaves their kids in the car when returning the cart? You are a monster if you don't have the kiddos in the cart and running full speed towards the corral, with your kids are screaming "FASTER FASTER!!!!!". Thats the best part of the whole shopping trip. What parent doesn't do this?


craymartin

And when you're at max velocity, you hop up onto the back of the cart and coast.


OrcWife420

I didnā€™t understand this either! I always just took my kids with me to return the cart and we would walk back to car or I would find a parking spot right by cart area so I didnā€™t have to hassle. I even return carts when they donā€™t have cart areas like dollar tree or goodwill


phillygirllovesbagel

Two words: Social Responsibility.


madkins007

As a rational and functional human being, I am a part of the Social Contract and will do my part to help our society operate with as little friction as possible. Putting away shipping carts, following traffic laws, picking up my dog's poop, being civil to front-line staff, etc. It takes very little effort or thought to be a good human being.


maisiecelie

Thatā€™s an odd questionā€¦ I mean people should just use their common sense and leave the cart in the designated area not because is the right thing to do, but because you might provoke an accident by leaving carts all over the parking lot. Maybe it sounds silly what Iā€™m trying to say but just imagine, when you were a kid and you left your toys all over the place, Iā€™m sure 1 or 2 redditors here can confirm of an accident to either yourselves or your parents, itā€™s the same thing.


OrcWife420

I was asking because there is a big online debate due to a woman who posted a tik tok about how she doesnā€™t return her carts


maisiecelie

Oh yeah I saw that video, well she might have a point in not leaving her children in the car alone but I takes you like less than a minute for thatā€¦anyways I guess each has their own opinion and in my point of view, itā€™s just the correct thing to do


your_moms_apron

Deep South resident chiming in. Yeah Iā€™ve heard this before, and it sucks. For the record, I always return my cart. Even when I go to the annoying grocery with no cart corrals.


queermichigan

Of course. And if there's a loose one around I'll put that back, and if someone puts a small cart in the big cart side or vice versa I fix it. A tiny way to support my fellow wage slaves āœŠšŸ»


ifoughtpiranhas

bless up, thank you āœŠšŸ»


milk16

My mommy raised a good boy. I'll take my cart back and make a point of taking other peoples back if I see them Leave them by their car as they go to leave. They usually look embarrassed.


K3Y_Mast3r

Yes. Always. And when Iā€™m on my way to the corral Iā€™ll grab other carts on the way and push them in too.


Tailflap747

Mixed. If I'm having a bad pain day, it will stay near handicap parking spaces, as I've been grateful to find one sitting there waiting for me more than once. If I'm having a great day, it goes back inside, because the cart corrals tend to be in weird spots.


shann1021

I always park next to the cart corral so returning it is no prob. I saw the tiktok videos and the solution is simple and obvious. The original poster said that she didnt feel safe walking across the lot with her alone kids in the car. To me this feels like an excuse. I have a toddler as well but I always park next to the return, even if I have to circle the lot for 20 minutes. Problem solved.


RossTheRev

The famous "shopping cart theory"! To answer your question, I like to leave things as I found them, or at least in a tidy fashion, so the shopping cart always gets returned. Also, what a harrowing story!


daradv

Every time. I just walked around the entire store, I can walk 20 feet to a cart corral. Meijer's corral has a side for large carts and small carts and I will often fix people who can't follow directions' carts.


IslandBoyardee

Of course I do. Iā€™m not a piece of shit


Mentalfloss1

I pick one up in the lot, take it in (even if not using one) then return it to the store or corral when finished. Easy.


Holiday_Trainer_2657

I'm in my 70s, use a cane. I put mine back.


iftlatlw

What kind of lazy good for nothing turd doesn't return shopping trolleys?


JustGenericName

We should all put out carts back so none of them roll into another car and scratch someone's paint.


asking_the_things

I put it in the cart corral and if I pass one sitting in a parking spot I'll put it up. I just don't understand what's so hard about it, especially when they get left literally right next to one. Like, why?


AzuleStriker

when i can. if my knee's trying to kill me and i can't, i at least put it where it's accessible but not in the way of any parking spots. but i try to park close to the returns so it's not an issue.


Eponarose

I try to park near the buggy/cart corral so it's easy to do.


Pspaughtamus

When I didn't have to walk with a mobility aid, I would deliberately park no more than two spaces away or across the aisle from a cart corral, even if there were open spots closer to the store, just so I didn't have to make the trek. Fortunately, the local supermarket chain has carryout. Side note: I've seen collapsible carts that you can buy that have baskets you can remove to set in the car, then collapse the frame. I've been thinking about getting one for shopping in other stores, where you can't take the cart out, but have too much to comfortably carry.


henrytabby

Yes of course! Iā€™m noticing the non returners not speaking up here. Iā€™m curious what keeps you from returning them. Laziness? Most likely.


shewy92

I got whiplash reading this post because IDK how racism related to shopping carts. And how you thought racism didn't exist anymore thanks to MLK somehow.


OrcWife420

They only relate to me lol and itā€™s because the shopping cart experience in Louisiana was my first ever experience of racism so this whole shopping cart debate going on online brought up the memory for me. Yes I know it seems incredibly stupid to think that it was gone, thatā€™s why I put that my white privilege and also being only 17 really showed. Racism was just something I had never seen or experienced or even heard about unless it was in the past. I was glad I took that trip, it really opened my eyes to a lot of stuff and I guess that is what is all apart of growing up right?


Biomax315

I put the shopping cart where it's supposed to go because I'm not a self-centered asshole.


Jolteon0

It has nothing to do with racism. It has to do with not being an asshole.


OrcWife420

I know that shopping carts and racism donā€™t correlate. I know that even non racists who are just assholes do this too I was just telling my personal ā€œshopping cart not put awayā€ story is all


MuzzledScreaming

Putting your shopping cart away is a damn near perfect test of character. Doing it is logically your sole responsibility, because you took it out there. However, there is absolutely zero consequence if you shirk that responsibility, and zero reward for fulfilling it. If you put the cart away, it obviously doesn't mean you're a good person in every respect, but if you don't then I am perfectly confident in saying you're an asshole (barring some actual emergency that somehow prevents you from doing so, of course).


babygrlnad

To me, it's a marker of if you're a decent member of society. I see absolutely no reason why you can't put the cart back in the spot designated.


HughJahsso

yes. those who don't are scum of the earth.


catsaway9

I always return my cart, and if there are a few others nearby that I can easily return at the same time I take those with me. If I see any in the area around disabled parking spots (for some reason people always put them there, even though that extra space is needed for ramps, wheelchairs, etc) I go out of my way put those away to free up the space, and likewise if there are carts taking up regular parking spaces I try to move those as well unless there are a bunch. Anything I can do to minimize the time the staff have to spend gathering carts is going to help keep prices down, plus it's just kind to my fellow humans. I've seen the arguments on tiktok about people who have their kids with them, but they could find ways to make it work. The woman who seems to have started the most recent debate claims she was just trying to tell people that being vigilant about what's going on around them is more important than cart etiquette, but the two aren't mutually exclusive. I don't think her argument holds water. She's just selfish and lazy.


virtual_human

Yes.


jet_heller

I see you need to look up the shopping cart morality theory.


Ridley_Himself

To the corral, yes. If everything fits in one bag I just leave the cart at the cart area in the store and carry the stuff to my car. On a side note, of the various stores I go to, the one where I saw, by far, the most carts left in parking spaces was WalMart.


superpoopypoopy

I do the same. It makes it so much easier on them if you can just leave it in the are inside instead of a corral as well. I worked at Walmart and sometimes had to help with carts if there were too many and stuff. Let me tell you, it is not fun, especially since the cart people are allowed to wear shorts but nobody else is, so if I was subbing in for someone I was always in pants in like 80 degree weather pushing them around with nobody caring about being considerate of me or anything. And then I have to walk to the end of Earth just to grab that one cart someone left way out in the parking lot because they parked out there so their car wouldnā€™t get scratched, but then are too lazy to walk the cart back.


Thethrasher488

Every time.


Low-Put-7397

i always do it because if i dont, someone else has to. also i hate thinking of myself of being too fuckin lazy to walk an extra 30 seconds.


CaptainAwesome06

I always put it back. I've seen too many abandoned shopping carts have the wind push them into a car. I have handicapped plates and I almost always see a shopping cart (or scooter) abandoned in the handicapped spots. I don't think having a disability is a good excuse. Those people brought the cart to the car; surely they can put it back. And if they can't, they could have asked for help at the register. In my experience, old people in handicapped spaces are by far the worst offenders.


No-Survey5277

Yup, it takes little effort. Iā€™m sure the lady who had a meltdown would have even more of one if a stray cart hit her vehicle.


nelsreddit

Yes, it's more movement for the bod! Plus, just do it!


Life-LOL

I don't usually even get a cart. I'm just picking up enough for the night.. but if I get a case of water and I know it will be a cart kind of day, not only do I return them, i try to park beside the cart return.


Azilehteb

I will put them in cart return stalls. I will not walk all the way to the store and back though. Iā€™ll just push it to the nearest out of the way of vehicles location. Usually a little strip of mulch or grass.


CoIdNights

this has become such a big thing that thereā€™s even youtube videos about people being confronted about leaving the carts and theyā€™re usually rude which explains why they leave their cart out


prodigy1367

Iā€™m not a piece of shit so yeah.


RocMills

Depending on the weather, I like to take carts back to the store. If it's too fecking hot or raining hard, I'll put it in the nearest corral. I actually kind of like it when people leave a few carts at the handicapped parking spaces, because I usually grab one of those to take in (but return to store when i'm done).


SeleneM19

Everytime. I loathe people who are too lazy to take care of it. If I don't want to put the cart away, I leave it in store and haul the bags out myself. I'm also firmly of the opinion there should be a 3 strikes policy for Costco members who don't put their cart away. So many people stick it so it's half on the curb so it doesn't roll away, which I'm sure helps there not be accidents but omg it's not that hard to put it back! You already spent 30+ minutes walking around the place, just take 2 more to put the cart back.


SilentMaster

I think I pussed out once, but I pushed it up onto the sidewalk directly in front of my car, then put it half into the mulch. So while someone did have to retrieve it, no cars were ever in danger. I don't know why I did it, but as far as I know I've never repeated this offense.


Anxious_Mango_1953

Always do.


pweqpw

I put mine back. Itā€™s been observed in some instance that people who donā€™t put it back will gain a pound each time.


SilverSister22

I do. As a young, naive 20something, a shopping cart nailed my car in a WalMart parking lot. Signs everywhere ā€œnot responsible for damage to vehiclesā€..since I was naive, I didnā€™t press the point. I didnā€™t have the $$ to get it repaired. It was a huge hassle getting it fixed, etc. All because some ass was too lazy or too entitled to put their cart away. I havenā€™t seen it here (I live in rural Texas) but I have heard of stores where you pay a quarter for your cart to be released and then refund the quarter when you return the cart. That sounds like the smartest solution. :)


IAlwaysSayBoo-urns

Yeah, I always prioritize parking near one of the cart corrals to make it easier.


Daburtle

Every time.


PloppyTheSpaceship

Yep. Otherwise you're just being an untidy git.


Improvingmyself971

The day I don't return a shopping cart is when I've been replaced by a doppelganger or robot


barely_a_whisper

Generally. There have been a few times that I was alone with my baby and didn't want to leave them in the car by themselves, and the place was far away. In that case, I pushed it to the most out-of-the-way place I could reach.


Mindofmierda90

Yes. I have class and Iā€™m capable of self governing.


monkey_monkey_monkey

Always because I am not a POS


MyRail5

Always. And usually push other solo carts into line.


WasteNet2532

I aint readin allat. Yes I do. Im also of the age where I can still use the empty shopping cart as a push scooter so its motivation :p


OrcWife420

šŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ I do admit it is a novel for such a simple yes or no question


___HeyGFY___

Yes. People that don't, especially people that leave them in and around the handicap spots, should be strung up by their toenails. You can walk around the entire store for an hour, but you can't walk 20 feet to put your cart in the corral? šŸ–•šŸ–•šŸ»šŸ–•šŸ¼šŸ–•šŸ½šŸ–•šŸ¾šŸ–•šŸæ


Nyanek

i have never seen a not-returned shopping cart IRL. here in germany shopping carts most of the time require you to put a coin in to unlock it, and returning it and locking it gives you the coin back. works really well, people dont wanna lose a buck everytime.


EljayDude

The only time I wouldn't is there's one Costco parking lot near here where a chunk of the lot has no cart returns. It's the strangest thing. I think they originally intended it as an overflow area that wouldn't see much use but it's always crowded.


BridgetteBane

Yes because I'm not a goddamn monster. Not only is it rude to staff, to people who try to pull into a spot but can't bc there is a cart there, but depending on where they are it can also really be a problem for folks who use wheelchairs and such.


_rosalea_

I always return it!!


RecognitionAny6477

I always have and always will return my shopping carts


Dont_Eat_The_Homies

Always


Resident_Cod2244

Thereā€™s a designated cart area for a reason, just return it.


Ok_Paramedic_6676

Yes because I donā€™t want to be on a Cart Narcs YouTube video


Pawsacrossamerica

I noticed at Florida Publix there was nowhere to return the carts? I was flabbergasted. I had to bring it back inside. Flabbergasted!


Upper-Education6450

If Iā€™m being honest it depends on where I am if itā€™s somewhere like Target or Whole Foods I would but Walmart most likely not


LtColShinySides

I always take one from the corral and return it to the corral. I'll take it back into the store if I happen to park close to the door, but I usually don't. My first job was a cart jockey for a grocery store. It can really suck when they're scattered all over the place.


fogobum

I make my wife park uphill if possible, and ride the cart down to the corral. Shouting "YEEHAW!" is optional, but often part of the fun. I have no idea if the wear and tear on the carts outweighs their cost for cart herding.


grmrsan

Mostly. Occasionally especially if I am hurting that day, I let the people who are being paid do it instead.


onetwentyeight

I've always done it and will always do it


RetiredSurvivor

Itā€™s worse in some areas. When I worked near Portland Oregon we had teams that would go out throughout the City to retrieve all of the carts that people walked away from the stores. The numbers were sometimes in the hundreds.


fiizok

I always take my cart to the corral. Sometimes I take other people's carts too.


ohmyback1

Makes it so hard to park because a dingety dang shopping cart is in the way. And yep, my former pastor told me the difference between here and there is...here you are never quite sure who is racist, they kinda hide it. There it's out in the open, no mistake.


Halfbaked9

If you donā€™t put a cart back your just a lazy POS. I grab a cart from outside if one is available and I either leave it in the store or park it in the cart corral.


that-1-chick-u-know

Yes, I return mine. I even parked close to the cart return when my son was tiny so that I could return the cart without being far from him. And if there's a random cart in the parking lot on the way in, I'll grab it to use and then return it. I have no idea why returning my cart is so important to me, but it absolutely is.


nousername56789

Absolutely. Every single time.


Bleu_Rue

Reading this made my skin crawl. Absolutely disgusting that this kind of attitude still exists. I am gobsmacked. Good for you for instantly recognizing it's wrong wrong wrong. I always return my carts because I think it is the height of entitlement and insanely rude not to. I have never in all my 50+ years left a cart in the parking lot, except in the cart stall. And I make sure it's pushed all the way in so it doesn't roll back out. I'm not a model citizen, but I don't liter and I don't leave carts in the parking lot. Two biggest pet peeves.


Nalomeliful

Unless itā€™s pouring rain, yes. Itā€™s rude not to.


Granny_knows_best

This debate has been going on for a while. Social Media has made it so I feel like a slob if I dont return it. Thing is I like to park way way in the back or side, or anywhere that I can get some steps in. So now I just dont use a cart at all.


KoliManja

My rules are simple: If I have to walk more than 20 parking spaces OR if there's no cart corral in the lane that I parked at, I'm not going to return the cart. I just shove it at a safe place, where it won't damage any car. I've nothing against other shoppers. It is the job of the store to provide at least one cart corral in each lane and more if there are more than 20-30 cars in each lane.


malibuklw

Always. When I had little kids I parked right near the cart return so that I wouldnā€™t have to walk away from them. I do it because itā€™s the right thing to do. Stray carts can damage cars, make the employees jobs harder, and can be a real pain when they are blocking spots in a busy lot.


Niznack

As a former retail worker I just wanted to chime in. I respect those who return their carts. But I admire those with the tenacity to return a cart from a different company. I don't know why you brought us at the home depot 3 Walmart carts from 2 miles away but you sir are a master.


shinytwistybouncy

I put it back 98% of the time. 1 percent of the time I hand it to someone else (especially at Aldi, etc), and the last percent is when my kids are both unmanageable and wouldn't make the walk from the cart 'lot' to the car. I never leave it in the middle of the road, though.


Birdy304

Iā€™m old, I park right by the cart return every time so I remember where I parked and so I can return the cart easily.


Embarrassed-Plum-468

I not only return the carts, I also often try to organize them in their little cart corrals so theyā€™re not all over the place and taking up the entire space with only a couple carts. At my grocery store they have both the bigger carts with one big basket and the smaller kind with two levels of smaller baskets. Iā€™ll push the carts together/into each other so when attendants come to collect them theyā€™re all ready to go. Too often the carts are all a mess and the two different styles donā€™t ā€œfitā€ into each other so I just put the smaller ones in one row and bigger carts in anotherā€¦ I just like organizing things and Iā€™m never at the grocery store when Iā€™m in a rush to be anywhere so I donā€™t mind it. Fitting them all together like theyā€™re supposed to be is very satisfying too so itā€™s kinda fun. So yeah I always return the carts and organize them too


Notmyrealname

Yes. Just not to the same super market. I like to mix things up a bit.


No-Cover-8986

I return it to the cart thingie, and put it into the one already in there, if there is another.


pimpcannon

I shop 5-6 days a week as a chef and have literally never not put my cart back. People that donā€™t also litter their cigarette butts 99.4% of the time.


merlinsmushrooms

I always return my cart. I live in Louisiana and I'm multi racial but what my black family calls passe blanc. I was adopted and I'm personally Irish and Mexican but my dad's family is black and they all live down here. They let me get a job working for a guy who's KKK family has been finding ways to off mine for generations(and vice versa) and didn't tell me until the guy started getting really racist and weird. I quit. šŸ˜” I love where I live but I hate to say that amongst the locals racism is alive and well. Oh and it goes in every direction and some you wouldn't even think. Louisiana is weird, dude.


times_zero

If I don't use a outside corral then I usually just put away it in the store, or in the case one local store I'll put it right near the entrance at the front of the store where I know they return them as it's near the bike rack that I use. I'll usually grab some other carts as well if I see any near me. Either way, I've never just left a cart in the parking lot. Otherwise, unless someone has a severe disability/condition, I think just leaving a cart in the parking lot for the average person, to me, seems like the definition of lazy/douchebag move (and FWIW, I say this as someone who is disabled).


Bugler28

Always put it in the cart šŸ›’ corral.


Early_Landscape6387

Yes. I need the exercise so why not?


Inevitable-Fox-6901

Yes. It takes 10 seconds.


Red-Droid-Blue-Droid

Yes


hereitcomesagin

Yes and I am mobility limited.


Icy_Huckleberry_8049

Always. I even take one from the cart corrals outside into the store to use.


jedikelb

I always return my cart, often will gather a stray from the parking lot. The other week, I was hauling some stuff for a friend; on the way back to her house, we stopped at the grocery store and she went in to buy milk. While I was sitting in the car waiting, I was watching for my friend. I watch an elderly woman with an almost empty small cart, slowly make her way to her vehicle, using the cart like a walker. When she gets to her car, she parks the cart in front of her car, slowly makes her way into the driver's seat, and off she goes. So, I get that some people might not return it because of mobility issues, but usually it's just selfish behavior.


espressoboyee

Iā€™ve heard that from a MI 20-year-old that he thought racism was abolished. What? So human behavior has suddenly been fixed? I live in Seattle, but I grew up in the south. Racism is alive and well all throughout the south and Midwest despite the token overrepresentation in TV commercials, TV shows, movies and Star Wars prequels. The deep south like Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi in Georgia, the confederacy reigns.


NN2coolforschool

Yes, always


Im_Balto

It's OK to judge people that don't put the cart up for racist reasons Its also OK to judge people that don't put there cart up for selfish reasons The only thing that's not OK is to not put your cart away like an unwashed 6 year old with no manners


FlipsyChic

I'm such a wonderful person that I put my cart back in the stack at the front of the store, and then carry multiple, heavy, insulated tote bags full of groceries to my car. That way the cart wrangler has less work to do.


Designer-Bid-3155

I shop 90% online. When I do go into stores, I carry in reusable bags and carry them back out to my car. I only use hand baskets, which are increasingly difficult to find. I haven't used a cart in maybe a decade.


sarah47201

I'm disabled and on bad days I try to find a handicap spot with a cart near it and I return it to where I found it. On good days I take it back. I do my best to return them but it's not always possible.


Curious_Management_4

Nope. But thats mostly because ive been one of those people who have done carts in a walmart before. Its not just for black people. They could pull you from any part of the store and it was a great no effort "break" from my work in the tire and lube center. It was just welcome busy work to keep you from the chaos inside. And I got to be ouside in the fresh air, it was great. I was grateful for people that left their carts out.


Such_Grab_6981

Exactly. I pulled carts in for target during holiday seasons..... And that was the most enjoyable part of my job. I got to put earbuds in and get out in the sunshine. It was awesome.