Leaving your grocery cart in parking stalls?

[Spider-Dan]

This poll is about leaving your grocery cart in a parking space after you're done with it (which includes hooking two wheels over a curb).
What do you think of it?

[AQNOR]

I put pretty annoying because if I want that parking space, I have to get out and push the cart aside.   I don't leave my cart in the stall.  I push it somewhere like on a median or on a curb where it doesn't interfere with parking.

[Dave Gray]

I don't feel like my position is reflected.

I don't think it's a huge deal, but I also think it's kind of annoying and I only do it very rarely in specific situations.  I never leave it IN the parking space where a car would go, but sometimes I have to leave it up on the curb or something like that.  Can you clarify the situation?

[pondwater]

I take my cart back 99% of the time. It's a little annoying when people leave them in parking spaces, but it's not that big a deal. However, that "shopping cart theory" that proposes an individual's moral character is determined by whether they return their cart is total bullshit.

And while I'm very much against people getting physical when they can't control their emotions. I find myself hoping that "Cart Narcs" retard gets an epic beatdown for harassing people and putting stickers on their cars. But then again, I think it's by design for likes, clicks, and follows. I think those videos are setup with paid actors.

[Fau Teixeira]

I return my carts .. mostly because it's convenient, BJs has cart returns everywhere, Aldi gets you your quarter back and Big Y has very convenient cart returns as well.

[Brian Fein]

I always return my cart to the store.  But I recognize that, if everyone did it, people would be out of a job.  So I don't care if others do it, but I try to help out where i can

[Spider-Dan]

I don't think it's a huge deal, but I also think it's kind of annoying and I only do it very rarely in specific situations.  I never leave it IN the parking space where a car would go, but sometimes I have to leave it up on the curb or something like that.  Can you clarify the situation?

I wasn't really addressing people who leave their carts randomly around the parking lot (but not in a space).

I intentionally separated "I do this myself" and "Pretty annoying," but I probably should have added an option for the hypocrites out there. 

[Spider-Dan]

As for myself, I always always ALWAYS return my cart to the cart corral or hand it off to another person directly.  As in, I don't think I've ever left a cart around the parking lot in my life.

I'm guessing that the people who "have to" leave their cart around the lot are parents of small children?  (or just monsters)

[Dave Gray]

To answer your question, in general I take my cart back.

As you said, there are kids....you load a baby in a car, it's somewhat weird to then leave that baby if the store is super far away.  (I don't have a baby.)

But in South Florida, we have rain in sudden storms that can be super heavy.  I'm not wont to tack a cart back up to the entrance if it's raining or lightning.  This is the one that affects me the most.

I suppose the other thing could be if the store has a culture of leaving carts around and having someone with a motorized buggy that goes around to collect them.  I usually still take my cart to the corral area, but I could see why one might be less likely if there were 50 other carts around and a guy driving to pick them up anyway.

In none of these scenarios would I leave the cart in a space, though, and I'm always annoyed if a cart is actually where the car is supposed to go.

[Phishfan]

I voted before reading everything. I  also am not accurately reflected.  I never leave it in a parking spot but will hike it onto a median.

[Spider-Dan]

You're allowed to change your vote.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

2nd reason Aldi is the best grocery.  1st is they are inexpensive.

[AQNOR]

2nd reason Aldi is the best grocery.  1st is they are inexpensive.

Love Aldi, and I tend to be very helpful there with carts.   If someone is wheeling their cart back as I'm getting out of my car, I'll just walk up to them, hand them my quarter, and take their cart.   As I'm taking my cart back, if I see someone heading to the carts, I'll offer them my cart in exchange for their quarter.

[Sunstroke]

My grocery store (Fry's, brand of Krogers) has a spot on each row of the parking lot that is designated for cart return. No matter where I park, I am no more than 4 parking spots away, so I always put them there.

I do miss Publix though...not gonna lie.

[Pappy13]

Was listening to the radio on my way into work last week and they talked about this very thing and their take on it was that you could tell a lot about of person by watching what they did with their cart. They surmised that someone who always returned the cart was by nature a thoughtful and curteous person because there's absolutely nothing that forces you to return the cart. You are not going to be arrested. You are not going to be banned from the store. Basically whether you return it to the stall is totally about being curteous to the next person trying to use the cart, parking spot, the folks that work for the store that have to round them up, etc.

I pretty much think this is spot on. If you return them to the stall you generally are a curteous and thoughtful person. If not, not so much. Mind you, I'm not saying you're not a good person if you don't return them, but you're not as curteous and thoughtful as those that do. That's just my opinion.

I voted I don't think it's a big deal, but I've never done it myself. I always return the cart to the stall. 100% of the time.

Anyone ever grabbed another cart that was on your way to the stall and pushed it to the stall as well? I've done this on numerous occasions.