What do you think about the shopping cart litmus test?

[RyanEC]

[purplepoppy]

It makes a good point. Decent humans take other people into consideration when making decisions even if there's no legal reason. Another example is in slow moving traffic do you let drivers from side roads out? There's no legal obligation but most people do it

[Кураж]

I disagree with the premise.
Not returning the cart isn't punishable because it's a little more than a minor inconvenience for others.
To claim that someone who inconveniences others in a minor, and ultimately totally inconsequential way is a "savage" or an "animal" is being ridiculous.

[goaded]

It's about people forcing that minor inconvenience onto someone else, or accepting it for themselves. A test of empathy.

[Кураж]

@goaded People force far more inconvenient things on others without batting an eye.
I don't doubt that lots of those people who wish to deny women reproductive rights or non-heterosexual people the right to marry diligently return carts at the grocery store.
Doesn't mean those people are either good or moral.

With burden is so insignificant, so is the predictive power of the "test".

[goaded]

That's a good point, but something tells me they'd justify not doing it as providing work for the poor, same as tipping really badly after lunch on Sundays because the wait staff "shouldn't be working on the sabbath".

[Jamie05rhs]

@goaded I agree with everything you said here.

[NamerOfStars]

... I had long held that when I ruled the world, one of the first changes I'd make was making leaving shopping carts out a criminal offense, but if it's being used as a character tesh, perdaps I should reconsider. Hmm...

[goaded]

Sounds about right, but all the ones around here have chains that need a coin to separate the carts from each other. I guess too many people failed the test!

[exitseven]

this is a really good example of why democracies ultimately fail. I always return my shopping cart. Even the big cart you use at Home Depot.

[Jamie05rhs]

No. They have cart corrals for a reason. Just don't be a neanderthal and leave it stranded in the middle of the lot where it might roll away or get hit by a car.

[Andres77]

I completely agree.
So fuqing lazy.
Disgusting.

[MountAverage]

Sounds a bit harsh.