Shopping carts. Buggies. Storage on wheels. Nightmares of steering, rolling, and drifting. You gotta love them. Maybe hate them. I certainly trade them to get a smoother and cleaner one. Helpful at best, frustrating at worst. Carts are a necessity for filling the pantry and fridge with enough goods to avoid daily trips to the store.

How do you break up with your shopping cart? Leave it next to the car, push it across the lot, run it up over a curb to keep it from heading downhill, or return it to the store or cart corral?

I hope you are not one of those who set shopping carts free, never caring to notice how they careen with the wind or crash into vehicles or get in the way of traffic. You’re not, right?

I try to be responsible with my shopping carts. Maintain a good relationship. Most of the time I park near a return cage to help me be a good shopping citizen. If one is unavailable, I will take the cart back to the store. I’ll donate my cart to someone nearby who needs to load up children for the impending shopping adventure. When I arrive at the store, I’ll watch for someone unloading their cart and offer to take it for my own shopping trip. Generally, I think I do pretty well in my cart management skills.

And hey, extra walking means more steps on my mileage chart!

But there are 2 times I will not return my cart.

1. Kiddos. Should I have precious grands or little ones with me, the shopping cart will always lose. Especially if it’s summer and the temps are hot. No one should sit in the car while I push a cart away. Unless the cart corral is beside the car.
2. Senior shoppers. I had never thought about this until my mother-in-law mentioned it. She appreciated people who left a cart by the handicap parking spots, as many folks need to hold onto the cart handle and push it to keep their balance. So I watch for those opportunities. As long as the cart doesn’t block the parking spot, I love to help out.

How about you? When do you not return your shopping cart? Let’s hear some good reasons (laziness does not count, friends, not at all). ;0

Get out there and be a good shopping cart citizen!