I Pit Those SUV-Sized Shopping Cart/Kiddie Cars and the Parents Who Use Them

[levdrakon]

@Farmwoman

Of course , dear. This is exactly how your world will work.

Your children will be carefully packaged units who get from the nursery, to the carseat, to the daycare, to the classroom through a complex system of pnuematic tubes, ensuring that they never come into contact with people not trained to handle their childish ways or facilities not designed specifically for child-centric activities. At all costs, you must keep your short ones safely at home or in an institution where professionals know how to properly deal with them. I mean, why would anyone want to take their children out into the real world?

Well, since it’s no longer PC to beat your kids, your solution sounds great! I’d even let them raise my taxes to pay for it!

[mack]

@Caricci

I mean right in the checkout line - they’d pull it into the line and then just walk away with it between the check out counter and the candy rack like they were the only people in the store. Surely that can’t be the norm or every person who shops would have to push a cart out of the way, walk back the way they came or be trapped.

Yes, that’s unusual. Even around here.

[BiblioCat]

@nyctea scandiaca

On a side note, if and when I have kids, I will never …

I just love people who condescendingly say, "When I have kids, I will never…
No matter what you fill-in-the-blank with, it’s gonna come back and bite you in the ass.

I’ll never let my baby have a pacifier.
I’ll never let my kids play video games all day long.
I’ll never let my kids drink soda.
I’ll never let my kids watch mindless cartoons.
I’ll never let my kids wear clothes with corporate logos on them.
I’ll never let my kids eat fast food.
I’ll never let my kids eat anything but organic hydroponic veggies.
Yeah, right.

[Farmwoman]

The supermarket is gasp a pretty popular place for mothers and children. In my local mart, you’d be hard pressed to run in there during the work week and find anyone under the age of 70 who is unencumbered by young ones. After 5 pm, the place is overrun with entire families trying to ‘get it done’ after work/school and before dinner hour. Weekends too. If these populations bother you, you should admit that you’re the one with the problem and avoid the market during these hours. Do your shopping in the wee hours. I used to when I was single and too irritated by people not exactly like me to suffer their shuffling ways in the grocery store.

[Farmwoman]

@levdrakon

Well, since it’s no longer PC to beat your kids, your solution sounds great! I’d even let them raise my taxes to pay for it!

sigh I know you’re kidding, but this is the direction I see our society taking. Higher taxes to care for them from cradle to college included.

[Caricci]

I was just glancing back in the thread and discovered that someone mentioned those little mini practice carts from hell. Those truly are the work of Satan and not in a good way! More than once I’ve seen a child run with one, flip it from front to back and end up with it on top of him while he’s flat on his back . And of course they’re all weaving in and out of everyone and scaring all our ankles half to death. Allow me to be perfectly clear - I have NEVER allowed First Grade Caricci to use one and I never will. Okay, well, he’s never asked. I promise you, if required I would resort to telling him that’s for girls only if he did ask.

[Elza_B]

@Farmwoman

Of course , dear. This is exactly how your world will work.

Your children will be carefully packaged units who get from the nursery, to the carseat, to the daycare, to the classroom through a complex system of pnuematic tubes, ensuring that they never come into contact with people not trained to handle their childish ways or facilities not designed specifically for child-centric activities. At all costs, you must keep your short ones safely at home or in an institution where professionals know how to properly deal with them. I mean, why would anyone want to take their children out into the real world?

SHHHHH!

I’m feigning ignorance until August. My HUSBAND is going to do the grocery shopping while I keep the munchkin at home. And MY baby is going to be an angel all the time, no matter where we go. No screaming, screeching, or crying. No running around.

Of course, I’ll probably have to make sure they’re in a straitjacket from age 1 until age 12, but that’s not illegal, is it?

But I can still hate those damn carts even if I end up using one, right?

E.

[Caricci]

@Farmwoman

The supermarket is gasp a pretty popular place for mothers and children. In my local mart, you’d be hard pressed to run in there during the work week and find anyone under the age of 70 who is unencumbered by young ones. After 5 pm, the place is overrun with entire families trying to ‘get it done’ after work/school and before dinner hour. Weekends too. If these populations bother you, you should admit that you’re the one with the problem and avoid the market during these hours. Do your shopping in the wee hours. I used to when I was single and too irritated by people not exactly like me to suffer their shuffling ways in the grocery store.

I like to go at 7 on a Wednesday when my kid’s in Scouts or 4:45 on a Tuesday when my husband has outpatient clients and the kid is at his afterschool program. It’s almost Zenlike. Another great time is Sunday morning when other folks are in church and Spongebob is hailing the magic conch on my TV.

I’m not only irritated by people not exactly like me, I’m irritated by people who ARE.
Caricci, Curmudgeonly since 1963/

[Farmwoman]

@Caricci

I’m not only irritated by people not exactly like me, I’m irritated by people who ARE.

Me too

Funny you mention the state of Zen, since that’s how I deal with the shopping thing. Cart blocks the aisle? I smile serenely and say, “here, honey. Let me move that out of the way for you.” Fat Family stops to chat in the condiments section? “Can you fetch me the large mustard, please? It’s right there next to your shoulder. No, the horseradish one. Tah”

I’ve got my own stress problems. I’m not going to let some stranger get under my skin.

[Caricci]

@Farmwoman

I’ve got my own stress problems. I’m not going to let some stranger get under my skin.

When I go, it’s so wickedly awesomely quiet that I go out of my way to help others. “Sorry to eavesdrop, but they moved the Redi-whip to the back wall.”

Yes, I know where they keep the Redi-whip over at the Shaws Market in Barrington. Call a cop.

[Dangerosa]

My store used to have one of those play areas - it was really the best solution.

One of the stores near me has the personal kiddie carts for the dear ones to push - I don’t like taking my kids there - my ankles get banged up and I spend my time making sure strangers ankles don’t get banged up.

Our “big carts” drive like a mac truck. Never liked them, but there were the best solution for a while at certain places (Target).

We also had our groceries delivered for a while (still do on occation). That was a cool solution for dealing with kids. Internet grocery shopping.

Although I’m married and prefer to go to the store sans children (and usually do) there are times when my children’s father is working late, or out of town, or not feeling well, or off doing something, or needing to get work done at home - and there is no milk in the house and dinner is going to be boiled grass if I can’t get to the store. So they come along. Nyctea - careful of calling down the karma gods - they have a sense of humor when it comes to children and what you claim you will “never” do or make fun of other parents doing while childless (or even once you have children - the second one is different from the first and if you dare take credit for potty training the first by eighteen months, you risk sending the second to college in diapers.)