# Poll: Do you return the grocery cart to its corral? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655 "2004-06-22T16:22:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/81 "2004-06-24T02:28:40Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > I’ve never seen a place in a parking lot that fits the description of #3. Just bring your damn cart back!!! Well I have. And I’m sorry that someone who works at the store has to go there to retrieve my cart, but it’s part of their job, which I’m sure would be the perfect job if only they didn’t have to go into the damn parking lot and find my damn cart and bring it back! Well, I didn’t cross the picket line at all when they went on strike for five months, so I think there’s some cosmic balance there. Plus, the sometimes outrageous prices I pay for their store’s goods must also partially compensate, I suppose. Considering how many times I’ve had to manhandle a bad-wheeled cart around the store because they won’t remove a cart from circulation until it absolutely. will. not. move., I don’t feel so bad at all. I promise no other shoppers were inconvenienced by my placement of my empty cart. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/82 "2004-06-24T02:49:45Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > **I dunno…maybe you drive a real beater and another dent won’t make a difference.** > > /mini hijack > > I can’t speak for the other sinners in this thread but you’re damn straight I drive a (slightly) beat up car. Ya know why? Cars depreciate. I’d have to be 7 kinds of stupid to go out and take out a big loan for something that is going to take me 5 years to pay off, and while I’m in debt for it I get to pay what would almost equal a SECOND car payment a month just to insure the damn thing. Clunkers RULE. My car insurance is $60 a month, it’s totally paid for and next year I’m sending my kid to private school. > > So neener. > > Ok I’m done now. My car isn’t worth a lot of money. It’s 11 years old, it took me twelve months to pay it off. I still would like to keep it looking nice and would prefer not to have it dinged or dented in the parking lot if it’s possible to avoid that. I am proud of my little car’s good condition and would like to maintain it for as long as I can. I don’t like the implication that it doesn’t matter if your trolley hits my car because it doesn’t impair the fuction. Just because you wouldn’t pay to get the dent taken out doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have respect for the property of those who would. As for your earlier comment: > [@](#): > > I almost always do. About the only reason I won’t is if I have my daughter with me; I’m not leaving her unattended to put up a cart, nor do I expect anyone else to who has a child with them. There is an alternative, you know. You can take the child with you while you put the cart away. Obviously this is a massive hassle and a difficult feat to accomplish but with a bit of perseverence and practise, I’m sure even you can manage it. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/83 "2004-06-24T03:27:40Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Well, obviously you don’t care about your car (either that or other people), so you really aren’t dealing with it. You’ve probably never had a nice car dented because some self-centered shopper just couldn’t deal with social politeness AND parenthood at the same time. I dunno…maybe you drive a real beater and another dent won’t make a difference. It still doesn’t explain your lack of consideration for other people. Okay, **Kalhoun** , that’s more than enough. I don’t care how passionate you are about shopping cart etiquette. You’ve lowered your argument to personal insults, and that’s right outta bounds in IMHP. Do _not_ do this again. (And yes, this is a warning.) If you can’t keep your focus on the issue instead of the poster, take it to the Pit. TVeblen ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/84 "2004-06-24T13:35:54Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > **I dunno…maybe you drive a real beater and another dent won’t make a difference.** > > /mini hijack > > I can’t speak for the other sinners in this thread but you’re damn straight I drive a (slightly) beat up car. Ya know why? Cars depreciate. I’d have to be 7 kinds of stupid to go out and take out a big loan for something that is going to take me 5 years to pay off, and while I’m in debt for it I get to pay what would almost equal a SECOND car payment a month just to insure the damn thing. Clunkers RULE. My car insurance is $60 a month, it’s totally paid for and next year I’m sending my kid to private school. um. So what? Just because _you_ don’t care in particular for a having ‘nice’ car, doesn’t mean others don’t. Just because you can’t afford a new car (what with the payments and insurance) doesn’t mean others can’t. Your post seems, to me, that because you don’t care for a nifty car (which, btw, need not be new), then you don’t really have to respect them. Also, spare me with the ‘sinners’ bit. You and the other posted who mentioned having our panties in a wad over shopping carts act as if it’s somthing silly to get upset over. Well, it’s not. It sucks having your car dinged FOR REASONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF OTHER SHOPPERS WERE NOT LAZY. You didn’t mention why it is that you can’t take your child back to the corral. Admit it. You’re lazy and don’t care if your cart hits and dents a car. No skin off your back, right? I wonder if they will teach your child about respect for other’s stuff in that private school. You might look into sitting in that class, if they do. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/85 "2004-06-24T14:13:12Z")
> [@Abbie Carmichael](#): > > **I dunno…maybe you drive a real beater and another dent won’t make a difference.** > > /mini hijack > > I can’t speak for the other sinners in this thread but you’re damn straight I drive a (slightly) beat up car. Ya know why? Cars depreciate. I’d have to be 7 kinds of stupid to go out and take out a big loan for something that is going to take me 5 years to pay off, and while I’m in debt for it I get to pay what would almost equal a SECOND car payment a month just to insure the damn thing. Clunkers RULE. My car insurance is $60 a month, it’s totally paid for and next year I’m sending my kid to private school. > > So neener. > > Ok I’m done now. We have a beater too. It wasn’t a dis. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/86 "2004-06-24T14:20:16Z")
It doesn’t really have anything to do with having a nice car or a beater, or being lazy, or having kids with you, or whether or not it’s raining, or how far away from the cart corral or the store you’ve parked. It’s all about **COMMON COURTESY**. You used the cart, you put it back where it belongs. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/87 "2004-06-24T14:20:48Z")
Our local Shop Rite has a “put in a quarter to get a cart and get it back when you return it.” I always retun my cart and if I see an abandoned one with a quarter in the slot, I return it and pocket the quarter. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/88 "2004-06-24T14:21:57Z")
> [@TVeblen](#): > > Okay, **Kalhoun** , that’s more than enough. I don’t care how passionate you are about shopping cart etiquette. You’ve lowered your argument to personal insults, and that’s right outta bounds in IMHP. Do _not_ do this again. (And yes, this is a warning.) > If you can’t keep your focus on the issue instead of the poster, take it to the Pit. > > TVeblen Why am I being singled out for what everyone else on my side of the argument is doing the same thing??? ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/89 "2004-06-24T14:32:31Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Why am I being singled out for what everyone else on my side of the argument is doing the same thing??? Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/90 "2004-06-24T15:21:26Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Why am I being singled out for what everyone else on my side of the argument is doing the same thing??? It could be said that I behaved as you did. In my case, it’s probably worse because I did it after your warning. That was not cool of me and I appologize. I should know better. Abbie (and others), I am sorry for having gotten off the snark bus in this forum. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/91 "2004-06-24T15:39:06Z")
Yeah, I guess I was in the wrong forum (although I don’t think it warranted a warning. A reminder would have been sufficient). But y’all can bet I’ll borrow Mynn’s husband’s idea next time I see someone leave a cart in a car slot! ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/92 "2004-06-24T16:04:45Z")
Since I live alone, I rarely need enough groceries to require a cart. However when I do need one, I always put it back in the store or corral (whichever is closer). And I always neatly stack the little baskets at the end of the register (where you load your groceries onto the belt to be scanned). It boggles my mind that people find it impossible to do that…there is always a pile of four or five of them, falling all over the place ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/93 "2004-06-24T19:12:37Z")
not mine, Cinnamon’s ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655/94 "2004-06-25T03:37:37Z")
I return it to its corral 99% of the time just to be courteous and not to create a hazard with it. Today I couldn’t; the corral was farther away than I thought; it was very hot; I had popsicles to rush home; and my injured-and-recovering mom was with me and I didn’t want her to sit in the hot car waiting for me to push the damn cart into its little coop. But I swear I do it the rest of the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-do-you-return-the-grocery-cart-to-its-corral/251655.md?page=4)