Teaching3bears Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Have you ever? I was with my two adult sons who have special needs and behavior challenges in the big store and my cart was quite full of items I had gathered from various sections of the big store. I needed something in the baked goods section and instead of dragging the cart, I parked the cart at the end of the meat section and went to get it. I was away from the cart for 1-2 minutes but when I came back it was gone. I could not find it anywhere. I asked an employee if she had seen it and she suggested going to customer service and they would put out an announcement. This would have been rather inconvenient because it is a big store and I was at the back and customer service is at the front and I had still not gathered items from the middle of the store. Still, I saw no option, so off we went to customer service On the way, I spotted a woman pushing a cart which had a stack of pasta packages which looked suspiciously exactly like the one I had accumulated, but with none of the other 25 items. I started to tell her what had happened to me and she said “that was me”. She said she needed a cart. I asked her where she had put the other stuff, not wanting to re-shop. She led me about 2 aisles away. She had put the refrigerated stuff in a fridge bin and the other stuff on a shelf. She was very kind but a bit embarrassed. I wasn’t mad, more like laughing my head off afterwards. I would never take someone’s full cart like that. It’s funny how I put up with more from others than I ever would have myself! I regularly leave my cart at the end of an aisle to walk and get something and this has never happened to me before! 1 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 (edited) I've also left my cart at the end of an aisle rather than add to the heavy traffic in the aisle. The only time my full cart has been taken was when someone accidentally, absent-mindedly took it, thinking it was theirs. (And I have probably made that mistake once or twice also.) I've also had people hijack my cart when it was still empty, but not when it was full. What that lady did to your cart was really strange. She should have gone to the cart corral or parking lot or waited for an empty cart near the checkout. And she knows it. Her behavior was just random and weird. Edited November 10, 2023 by SKL 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 That is bizarre behavior from the lady who took your cart. Did anyone else see the title of the thread and think we were about to revive the shopping cart return or not kerfluffle? 11 1 17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I have almost hijacked a cart before when the contents seemed similar to my own but then I would see something I don’t buy and momentarily be like, “Wait…why is there a case of Pepsi?” And then realized it wasn’t my cart at all. But this woman taking your cart and removing groceries from it is indeed pretty crazy. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Just now, Rebel said: That is bizarre behavior from the lady who took your cart. Did anyone else see the title of the thread and think we were about to revive the shopping cart return or not kerfluffle? Me! 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 That is totally odd! I have taken someone’s cart before by mistake and that is super embarrassing, especially if they seem to be annoyed about it and not the “laugh it off” type. 😬 I also leave my cart in out of the way spots so I can just run grab stuff. It’s easier than taking a cart down each aisle in stores where people are most notorious for blocking aisles. You know the one. While I’m here, I might as well complain in general about that one store. Shoppers blocking everywhere, people pushing huge trolleys of merchandise, merchandise stacked up 80 feet wide and six feet tall so you can’t get to things, someone mopping. This is why I have to leave my cart and go get things and carry an armload back to my (hopefully still there, lol) cart. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Just now, Rebel said: That is bizarre behavior from the lady who took your cart. Did anyone else see the title of the thread and think we were about to revive the shopping cart return or not kerfluffle? I did. I thought, here we go! 😂 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 No - that is crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I have accidently put stuff into other people's shopping Trolley . Like picked something off the shelf, turned around and put it into a trolley that isn't mine. This happens when one of my kids is pushing the trolley and they have moved off without me noticing. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I’ve grabbed an empty cart that seems to be abandoned in the middle of the store before, but I can’t fathom stealing someone’s full cart, dumping the items and going on my way. How strange. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Two weeks ago DD5 stayed home for school for diarrhea the night before. She’s on the spectrum so that’s fairly common for her. I wasn’t concerned she was actually ill and she wanted something that I typically get at TJ Maxx. As soon as we got a cart and grabbed one thing she asked to go to the bathroom so we left the cart in the back corner near the restroom and took forever in there, as little kids do. When we came out, the cart & whatever DD wanted in it was gone. I was saying, “It’s okay, we’ll just walk to the front and get a new one and pick up the thing you wanted again.” Walked around the corner and there was another mom scooping a 4 year old out of our cart to hand it back. She was at least embarrassed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 43 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said: I have accidently put stuff into other people's shopping Trolley . Like picked something off the shelf, turned around and put it into a trolley that isn't mine. This happens when one of my kids is pushing the trolley and they have moved off without me noticing. If I see a friend in a store, I will try to sneak up on them and put random things in their cart. It is kinda priceless as they try to figure out where the things in their cart that they didn't pick out, came from. Obviously, I know the audience and who will find this as funny as I do. 🤣 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Wow, that is super weird! Really, just bizarre. I mean, if you have to completely unload someone else’s cart, wouldn’t it be just as easy to walk to the front and get your own empty one?! 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 1 hour ago, Teaching3bears said: She had put the refrigerated stuff in a fridge bin and the other stuff on a shelf. Then all that stuff is misplaced and someone has to come along and sort it all. It’s their job, I know, but, gosh, just to dump a whole bunch of stuff in the wrong place is…..inconsiderate. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Wow that is wild. I tend not to leave my cart while I go to another aisle. I don't really like coming across a seemingly abandoned cart blocking the shelf I need, because I don't want to move it and annoy the person who left it. If an aisle is crowded I plan to go back around later, or I go to the next aisle and approach from the other end. I would be so embarrassed if "caught" with another person's cart. And leaving the stuff in random places, not cool at all. At least they put the cold stuff in a cold area. It makes me so mad to see people leaving cold stuff on a random non-cold shelf. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigo Blue Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 1 minute ago, marbel said: At least they put the cold stuff in a cold area. It makes me so mad to see people leaving cold stuff on a random non-cold shelf. I used to work in a grocery store and was sometimes the person that went around collecting all the misplaced stuff and putting it back where it belongs. People put cold frozen meat on a shelf with canned goods. It happened a lot. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teaching3bears Posted November 10, 2023 Author Share Posted November 10, 2023 1 hour ago, Rebel said: That is bizarre behavior from the lady who took your cart. Did anyone else see the title of the thread and think we were about to revive the shopping cart return or not kerfluffle? I thought about the Hive soon after this happened and ‘y’all’s passion for shopping cart controversy! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I was at a store, and parked the cart outside the restroom while I used it. When I came out, the cart was gone. *the employee who unlocked the restroom for me* - took it back to the cart corral. No, it wasn't empty. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 The only time a cart has disappeared was when it was empty, or an employee of the store thought it was abandoned and took it to put things away. When I take my children to the potty I usually tell a nearby employee of the store what I'm doing and they'll give me a good place to hide the cart. It's not guaranteed to work, because I guess stores have strict policies about not wanting unattended carts strewn everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted November 10, 2023 Share Posted November 10, 2023 That’s bizarre. I’d probably struggle not to be a witch about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 I accidentally stole someone's cart, I think, recently. I was at Walmart getting stuff for a campout and noticed at checkout that I had some extra sauces. I thought someone was just a joker until later when I realized I didn't have macaroni, even though I'm sure I put it in the cart. I had to go back to the store, and somebody somewhere had a bland meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 5 hours ago, mmasc said: I mean, if you have to completely unload someone else’s cart, wouldn’t it be just as easy to walk to the front and get your own empty one?! At most stores, if there is a staff nearby, you could request for a cart if you have a handful of stuff and they would help you get one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 (edited) Rabbit trail - the UK is having an enquiry about the management of the pandemic, which has featured lots of officials' WhatsApp messages. Apparently, the then Prime Minister was nicknamed 'Trolley' (shopping cart) due to his habit of veering off in unexpected policy directions, depending on the opinions of whoever last talked to him. Edited November 11, 2023 by Laura Corin 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 We have a grocery store here that was designed by someone who has never shopped in their life. Facing the store, the entrance is the right door and the exit is the left door, same general door frame/foyer. The checkouts are all to the right of the doors, as are the carts. The baskets are halfway down the bank of check outs instead of near the doors. Oh, and the immediate entrance after coming in (which is to the left) is through a narrow channel flanked by the checkouts on the right and a seasonable display to the left. This means coming in or out is a huge cluster of people trying to cross over those who are trying to leave and getting a cart (God help you if you want a basket) takes nimble footwork. After 6 years I finally hit on the trick of just bringing in a cart from the corrals outside. But people get ruthless, and I've seen carts just walk off in the produce aisle where they're still mostly empty and forcing someone to navigate the mess at the front again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eos Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 I do this and I call it the "park and forage" method of shopping cart management. The other lady clearly missed the memo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 2 hours ago, Eos said: I do this and I call it the "park and forage" method of shopping cart management. The other lady clearly missed the memo. Yes to this. Taking a cart by accident is one thing and you usually notice what you did before long. What she did is weird and definitely not shopping behavior etiquette. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 21 hours ago, Indigo Blue said: Then all that stuff is misplaced and someone has to come along and sort it all. It’s their job, I know, but, gosh, just to dump a whole bunch of stuff in the wrong place is…..inconsiderate. I have a friend who works at a small, independent, family-owned grocery store in a medium sized suburb. When the son of the owner joined the business, he brought a bit of a sense of humor to the store operations, and the store has started putting up funny signs and stacking items in ways that poke fun at Things People Do. For a long while they had a bit of display in one freezer section that was the Put it Here if you're Not Going to Buy It Memorial. They allowed a bit of frost to accumulate in that section, put vinyl headstone/RIP stickers on that one door of the freezer, and of course, had all kinds of mismatched freezer goods on the shelves in that section. 😄 (They did take it apart after awhile, because of outdated items and sanitation standards.) My friend said that the campaign of intentionally calling out the silly things people do has been a lot of fun and customers seem to behave themselves better as a result. 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 (edited) 22 hours ago, Indigo Blue said: Then all that stuff is misplaced and someone has to come along and sort it all. It’s their job, I know, but, gosh, just to dump a whole bunch of stuff in the wrong place is…..inconsiderate. Ya know, technically this is true, but so many people use that as an excuse to be slobs in stores and other places. (I'm not implying that you or anyone else here does this.) "Oh, I can leave my half-empty Starbucks cup here on this shelf; a cleaner will take care of it." For a few years I was janitor of the church we attended. A lot of my time was spent cleaning unnecessary messes. Of course I did it with good cheer because, yes, I was being paid to do it. But it was sure nice one day to hear a dad say to his kids "please keep your hands off the [glass] door and use the handle; see all those fingerprints? Miss Margaret has to clean all those up and we don't want to give her more work." It's just common courtesy to not make a mess if it's avoidable, even if there is someone there whose job it is to clean it up. ETA I should be clear - I wasn't just cleaning fingerprints at kid height! Edited November 11, 2023 by marbel 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 Ha! I just got back from a grocery store. I clipped the small bag of goodies I decided not to buy back onto the vertical hanger with clips every 4 inches, thinking one of you might be looking over my shoulder! 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bean Posted November 11, 2023 Share Posted November 11, 2023 That was so incredibly rude of that lady. She should have been embarrassed! You are nicer than me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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