Shopping cart etiquette?

[AmandaYVR]

My problem is that more often there are not enough carts available. What's up with that? Another cutback by the store? Do too many get stolen (which don't have magnets on the wheels) and they don't think they can afford to replace? And how about paying 25 cents to 'borrow' one? There are always people who don't have the right change and need to 'borrow' one from me.
So I'm not a huge stickler for returning carts to the designated rack area where they are supposed to be. I really do think someone has a job, gathering them up. And I used to have friends who worked at a major grocery store and they prefer being outside doing that and getting away from things, than being stuck inside with everyone.
But I never ever leave them taking up a parking spot. Just like your comedian says, they are "the worst humans in the world." I push them in between, up ahead, or up on the curb. My work is done.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

If I have very little, I put the cart back in store and just carry stuff. If I take cart out of store, I put the cart in the cart rack , there's usually a lot of them throughout the parking lot, so to do otherwise it's just laziness in my opinion.

[aWes0MeNeSs]

I always return them to the cart bay, or whatever it's called. I've seen the wind blow carts into cars at a pretty decent speed. Not only do I want to make the employees' lives easier (while people say "it's their job and they get paid to do it", that can go for absolutely ANY inconvenience due to people's laziness and/or lack of respect that you have to deal with at a job, and wouldn't you appreciate it if people made your job easier?), but I also wouldn't want a cart slamming into my car, so I do my part in making sure I put my cart away and will even grab ones that aren't mine if I happen to walk by them. It takes almost no time or effort, so why not? It disappoints me how selfish and lazy people can be.

Slightly unrelated, but I also feel the same way about being careful when opening your door when parked next to another car in a parking lot (I try to park away from other cars for this reason). I don't understand how oblivious and/or self absorbed people can be to slam their door into the car next to them. People need to 1) respect other people's property as they'd like theirs to be respected, 2) pay attention to what they're doing, 3) actually be able to hold onto their door and pay attention to the weather if the wind is their excuse, and 4) don't allow their children to open their own door or park away from other cars if their kids haven't yet learned to be careful (and actually make an effort to teach them to respect other people's property). People are so nonchalant when it comes to damaging other people's property that is worth thousands of dollars, and it's infuriating.

[NearlyNapping]

I always return the cart. If there is a loose one nearby I'll return that also. Someone has to be pretty damn lazy if they can't return a cart. They just pushed it hundreds of feet through the store, but can't push it another 20 feet to return it.

Something just as bad, are people who decide they don't want something, but instead of putting it back where it came from, they just put in on a shelf where it doesn't belong.

Or they drop something or it falls from the shelf, and they just leave it there.

[Daniela1982]

Whatever you say you will never cure lazy ass people of doing this. They also try and squeak into tight parking places just because it's a few steps closer to a store rather than choose a more roomy spot. Then you see them backing in and out while trying to get out of that spot and holding everyone else up going into the lot. These same lazy people who are afraid to walk a few feet to return a cart or to choose a parking space a little bit further out are the same turkey pot pies who complain and ask, "Why can't I lose any weight?"

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I like to try to return the cart to the stall so it doesn't do some damage to ones vehicle see that is always on my mind even thou i don't drive when I'm out shopping i want make sure that grocery cart doesn't hit someones vehicle cause you just never know there is people out there whose trying to gain a penny for the slightest scratch they actually made on their own vehicle , so they see me and they figure well i let the cart go anywhere and this would be moment to try to get a new paint job and you know it we could be in small claims lawsuit or whatever to get that paint job done , i just have little trust in people know days , we live in such a greedy world that all people are out to get something from whom ever they can and if that's a new paint job on their vehicle than that it will be?

[SydneySentinel]

I return the cart most of the time to the cart stall nearby. There are usually multiple stalls in the parking lot so there's not a lot of excuse to to return it, though I can recall at least once in the recent past that I didn't. I think it may have been pouring rain but I can't remember.

[Miristheiss]

I put it back in the cart drop zone.
I also use cart etiquette INSIDE the store and get annoyed at those who do not use it and block isles.
If you want to stop and gawk at products for a bit do not stand NEXT to your cart and block the entire isle.

[wankiam]

in the uk its rare to see any of that... there are staff instore and in the carparks thats sole role is to take trolleys back to the designated trolley parks... if we do see them where they shouldn't be it tends to be because they have been dumped in a river or canal for some reason... also dont American carts have a money slot in them where you have to link them back to anothe trolley to get your 50cents back? most our do so maybe thats a key factor too

[DeeDeeDeVour]

I'd be a liar if I said I always return the carts to their proper locations. So, not always. If the cart return section is far from my car, I'll park the cart near me instead as long as it's not in the way.

[AudreyB88]

I haven't actively thought about this. We have 'parking assistants' that usually take the cart back to the store.

[Meatunnel69]

As an hourly grocery store employee i loooved cart hunting a perfect excuse to go slow and be lazy enjoying the fresh air and sunshine and mild workout. I look out for those boys now as an adult and hide them carts like Easter eggs

[Anonymous]

I like to collect them when i see a person parked in the handicap spot without a sticker i like to surround their car with as many shopping carts as i can find. Lol

[Plitty-Tank]

I usually return the cart but depends on the weather and if I need to be elsewhere quickly or not.

[Anpu23]

I return it, my wife abandons it.

[purplepoppy]

It's rare here to see that.

[Anoniemus]

I return the cart unless if I’m tired

[Jamie05rhs]

I put the cart back where it goes. I'm not a slob.

[Liz_thorne]

I've never seen that

[Anonymous]

I return the cart.