Meh. I’m somewhat obsessive about returning my cart. I don’t care what other people do as long as they don’t just let them roll into another car. Even then, I wouldn’t behave like this guy. I’ve stopped a few roaming carts in my time. But I doubt this guy acts like this when the camera isn’t on.
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I too was confused about who we are being angry at. But I like your solution. Are you perchance from Minnesota? That’s a very Minnesota thing to do.
I got cart-narc-ed once. I am usually very careful to put carts back, but I was having a truly horrendous day. It was 98 degrees outside and I had ice cream and a mentally ill family member melting down in the car. It was a really long way to a cart corral, and I parked the cart neatly where it wasn’t in anyone’s way because I was desperate to get home and try to calm said family member, for which ice cream was going to play a part. Some guy suddenly started screaming at me. I assure you, it didn’t help anything. Be gentle, people, you have no idea what the person you are irritated by is going through. Take the Minnesota option and just put the cart away.
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I think we all know where this is headed. Cart Narcs, the video game! Picture a totally immersive 3-D environment where you either play as a Narc, a Store Clerk, or one of the Outlaws!
A person who leaves their cart in the middle of a handicapped access ramp seem like as good a person to hate as any. I’m not sure I’d go so far as to use their public shaming as a form of entertainment, but different strokes for different folks.
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Everyone.
Also, saying “not returning carts to the corral ensures job security for whoever’s on cart duty,” is like saying throwing garbage out the car window ensures job security for highway litter-picker-uppers.
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Its the job they give to the handicapped folks they employ for tax purposes. Or the teens they employ because being part time and non-union its cheaper to employ 4 of them than 1 adult union member.
And at one notable place its the sole duty of the guy with a clear substance abuse problem who’s repeatedly attacked customers. That guy is union, so its easier and cheaper to pigeon hole him and keep him away from people than it is to get rid of him.
By that measure, I’m ‘chaotic good’; I’ve launched way too many a cart into the proper storage area, if I don’t hop on for a ride, first…
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Me, too. My lawful good-cart son gives me side-eye, but my chaotic neutral-cart daughter approves.
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I might have a touch of ‘chaotic evil’ in there too, because if I saw this guy in my grocery store lot I’d probably “accidentally” run over his foot while coasting right along…
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So his response to inconsiderate behavior is to be an even bigger asshole with a side of misogyny and make money off it with a theme song echoing that of one of the most racist authoritarian shows to ever plague television?
Shaming done wrong.
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Don’t let me near one of those Ikea carts. I’ll ride one of those all around the parking lot.
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Well said; I agree with all of your points ^^ .
In my state, trash pick-up is the job of low-risk convicts trying to earn 15 cents an hour so that they can afford to call their kids.
There’s more than one problem at play here, and justifying being an asshole as providing job security for others isn’t the solution.
My point was it’s largely busy work given to people who are employed for other reasons. No supermarket staffs some one specific to manage carts. Its the sort of thing that gets relegated to the lowest paid employees, or those who aren’t well suited to contact with the public.
Also for the most part it doesn’t seem to happen at all.
Plenty of stores in the Chicago area hire staff just to push carts and to assist customers with loading groceries. Home improvement stores too. Chicago winters necessitate having staff outdoors full time to keep the parking lots clear for the snow plows and such, Work/rest cycles notwithstanding. And the job isn’t limited just to the differently abled.
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Sounds like they’re not just tasked with collecting up carts in the parking lot. And the reason for their employment is not “carts” but “winter”.
Also sounds like low paid, part time, seasonal work.
No, its year round, and the primary purpose is to move the carts with the other tasks being incidental summing less that 10% of the labor. But it is low paid, entry level work.
I guess it comes down to the store’s values. Some stores want to cut down on cluttered parking lots and dont want customers to have to search for carts in the store. Other stores dont give a hoot.
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How sure are you that that’s the primary duty. Cause like I said I’m involved with a lot of supermarkets through work. I’m a beer sales rep and need to cover the off prem sales because we’re short staffed.
A lot of what looks like a primary task in a supermarket isn’t. The guys stocking shelves aren’t primarily stocking shelves. A lot of that is done by vendors. And the person who looks like they’re mostly taking care of the carts is actually mostly doing warehouse work in the back or cleaning. The winter connection makes sense as these are the people usually tasked with shovelling and spreading salt.
