# Shopping cart question - dangling wire between front wheels **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994 "2024-11-09T19:47:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/1 "2024-11-09T19:47:06Z")
I’ve noticed that shopping carts now have little dangling wires between the two front wheels. Just long enough to touch the ground. “Wire” isn’t quite right. More like small gauge metal cable? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/2 "2024-11-09T19:49:50Z")
For dissipating static charge would be my guess. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/3 "2024-11-09T19:50:04Z")
Because … > **[Why Do Shopping Carts Shock People?](https://www.lightningbugelectric.com/blog/2020/march/why-do-shopping-carts-shock-people-/)** > > Why do people feel a "zap" when they touch shopping carts sometimes? Read our blog for the answer! > If you’re like most people, you’ve headed to the nearest Wal-Mart or grocery store, pulled out a cart and felt that all too familiar “zap.” Perhaps you were even zapped periodically as you walked through the store. What gives? Does this only happen on windy days or is there some other scientific reason for this shocking problem? > Some chains, fortunately, have found a simple fix that you may have never noticed before. Many stores have added a small metal wire to the cart, which hangs down to the ground. This small wire provides a path for the static to travel without having to go through the shopper. Next time you hit the store, look under the cart for this little drag wire! ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/4 "2024-11-09T20:38:39Z")
Frequent grocery store shopper here and I’ve never been shocked anywhere I’ve shopped nor have I ever noticed a wire that drags the ground. Is it obvious or hidden ? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/5 "2024-11-09T20:43:57Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > For dissipating static charge would be my guess. That was my assumption as well. Last week while I was shopping, I was getting zapped by everything. I ended up touching the shelves with a can first before grabbing anything. There’s still an arc, but it doesn’t hurt since it’s not jumping to/from my skin. I do the same thing at work, where I’ll use a paperclip to ground myself before I touch a filing cabinet or safe. Same with my car. Find something grounded (a screw in the door handle works well) and keep a finger on it while getting in and out. Before smart keys that stay in your pocket, I touch the car with my key first. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/6 "2024-11-09T20:45:38Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Frequent grocery store shopper here and I’ve never been shocked anywhere I’ve shopped nor have I ever noticed a wire that drags the ground. Is it obvious or hidden ? I’ve never noticed one either, but I found this picture: > **[Reddit - Please wait for verification](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fexternal-preview.redd.it%2FXKDz1OYC3I7A8BPUHzbzNPiysM-O_OCku8CnplqtOjo.jpg%3Fauto%3Dwebp%26s%3D7130aafbfad5c619616df9c1f45c8d19568a8ecd)** ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/7 "2024-11-09T20:47:08Z")
It is to prevent the build-up of static electricity. Static shock happens very infrequently but some customers freak the hell out when it does. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/8 "2024-11-09T21:42:39Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Frequent grocery store shopper here and I’ve never been shocked anywhere I’ve shopped nor have I ever noticed a wire that drags the ground. Is it obvious or hidden ? I’ve been shocked but not in a while. It may matter what your shoe soles are made of. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/9 "2024-11-09T21:46:33Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Frequent grocery store shopper here and I’ve never been shocked anywhere I’ve shopped nor have I ever noticed a wire that drags the ground. They’re fairly new AFAIK. The store I work at only got them about a year and a half ago. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/10 "2024-11-09T22:34:34Z")
Weird. I’ve gotten static shocks at home, and at the gym, but never at a grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/11 "2024-11-09T23:11:57Z")
I know what it is a sensor that will detect when the cart reaches a no go zone boundary for theft prevention of the cart and presumably groceries. Think invisible fences ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/12 "2024-11-10T00:23:50Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Frequent grocery store shopper here and I’ve never been shocked anywhere I’ve shopped {…} Not by the price of eggs? Of _bacon_??? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/13 "2024-11-10T11:58:45Z")
> [@chela](#): > > I know what it is a sensor that will detect when the cart reaches a no go zone boundary for theft prevention of the cart and presumably groceries. Think invisible fences Probably not. Those are usually connected to a wheel lock. So when the device detects the fence it locks the one wheel it’s attached to. The whole device looks something like a plastic fender or cuff surrounding about half of one wheel. The sensor / antenna is built into the device. **[Grocery store cart wheel lock - Google Image Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=grocery+store+cart+wheel+lock&source=hp&oq=grocery+store+cart+wheel+lock&sclient=img)**. If it was a separate flimsy wire, people would simply cut or break them off first _then_ steal the cart which would no longer detect the fence since its antenna was absent. IMO the folks claiming this is a static dissipater are correct. The tendency to build up static electricity depends on temperature, humidity, floor material, cart wheel material, and customer clothing & shoe material. The first 4 items are local to each store. As a result, some stores in some areas are prone to it, and others are not. I’ve never been static-shocked by anything here in Florida. It used to happen to me routinely in St. Louis, mostly in winter. So it makes sense that some people have no idea this is an issue and have never seen these things while for other people it’s a bigger deal and dissipaters are becoming commonplace in their area. FYI here’s a thread I started a few months ago asking questions on the topic of static shocks in the wild. I learned a few things from folks there and you might too: > [@Static Electric Shocks: Then vs. Now](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electric-shocks-then-vs-now/1002793): > > I was making a comparison in another thread between various routine mild discomforts and receiving a static electric shock from e.g. a doorknob as we all have done. At which point I noticed it seems to have been many years since I’d experienced a static shock. Just my perception, or actual reality? If reality, what’s different now versus 20-50 years ago? Different climates or different interior furnishings or ??? Synthetic versus natural fiber carpets or hard floors or ??? What say you? Do … In which one person mentions Wal\*Mart shopping carts as their big source of static shocks. And in which another provides the remedy for impending shocks: > [@Static Electric Shocks: Then vs. Now](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/static-electric-shocks-then-vs-now/1002793/22): > > If you think you’re about to get a shock, take something metal out of your pocket (a key, or coin, or something), and use that to touch the surface. It’s not the current that hurts, it’s the heat from the arc. If the arc hits the key instead of your skin, no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/14 "2024-11-10T12:15:41Z")
The carts used to zap me all the time, especially on warm dry days. No more. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/15 "2024-11-10T16:01:17Z")
I occasionally get zapped at Walmart when I have a cart and I touch the door handles in the dairy section. Usually in the winter, though, which is when the RH is low. I use my car key to discharge myself before touching the handle. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/16 "2024-11-10T16:15:56Z")
I don’t know if this has anything to do with it, but some stores in my area have an “electric fence” set up so that you cannot take the shopping cart out of the parking lot. Kind of like those invisible fences that keep your dog from leaving the yard. Could the wire have something to do with that? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/17 "2024-11-10T16:27:46Z")
No. That’s a different thing entirely (and a much more expensive technology). ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/18 "2024-11-10T16:40:09Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Weird. I’ve gotten static shocks at home, and at the gym, but never at a grocery store. I almost never get a static shock anywhere, yet others at my workplace complain about getting shocked, particularly in the winter when humidity is lower. It seems to vary quite a bit from one person to another. Birmingham University in the UK says: > **Why do I experience shocks, when my colleagues do not?** > > There are many reasons why this might be so. Firstly, some people are more > sensitive to shocks than others. For most people, the threshold for feeling shocks > is in the range 2,000-4,000V. > > Secondly, you may be storing more static electricity than others. This depends on > the size of your body and feet, and the thickness of your shoe soles! A bigger > body, bigger feet, and thinner shoe soles, means more charge has to be stored > to produce the same voltage. This gives a higher energy electrostatic discharge. > > Thirdly, you may be generating more charge than others. This may be due to the > material of your shoe soles, or the way that you walk. If it happens when sitting, it > may be due to the material of your clothes and/or the material covering the chair. My wardrobe skews strongly toward cotton fabrics and Nike shoes. Maybe my coworkers are wearing synthetics or wool that accumulate more of a charge? ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/19 "2024-11-10T16:44:38Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Weird. I’ve gotten static shocks at home and at the gym, but never at a grocery store. I have never had a grocery cart shock in my life. In fact I almost never get static shocks anywhere. Maybe I have an organic force field surrounding me. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994/20 "2024-11-10T17:40:22Z")
> [@Retzbu\_Tox](#): > > Maybe my coworkers are wearing synthetics or wool that accumulate more of a charge? Footwear matters a lot. I sometimes dance in a gym with a rubbery floor, and the people wearing socks all generate static. Those who are barefoot never do. Those with shoes vary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shopping-cart-question-dangling-wire-between-front-wheels/1009994.md?page=2)