What would be a good sign coming out of such people?
When they do not return the grocery cart to the cart corral.
I’d say it’s conditional. At a certain point, it’s on the business themselves. For example, a giant parking lot with one or two cart returns only, in a front corner.
A massive sprawling Walmart parking lot with only one return, and I had to park really far away, and it’s super busy and trying to get the cart to the return requires going through multiple rows? I’m a goodie two shoes who will clean up after others, and tries to improve places… but I’ve got limits with time, effort, and desire to deal with crowds of people in parking lots.
If they have good placement though, then yes, it’s absolutely on the individual.
Unless you have a medical reason for not being able to walk to the front to return it, you’re still an asshole if you don’t.
Not disagreeing with you here, but just for fun, what would you say about a restaurant asking you to wash your own dishes when you’re finished with your meal?
What an outright laughable false equivalency
Moreover, considerate people stack their dishes to the side closest to the walkway.
I’d say, if they make it clear that you don’t need to use their dishes, but if you do, you have to wash them, that you’re an asshole if you don’t wash your dishes afterwards.
This is the kind of balanced, nuanced take that will get you absolutely murderlated with downvotes.
“But I have to walk a bit further!” Is not a reason to be an inconsiderate asshole
I doubt you can judge someone as bad based off that
EDIT: I’m gonna go with better terms here: Not responsible enough and ignorant, I still don’t believe someone can be considered bad as a person for this.
There are two main reasons you wouldn’t return carts to a cart return location:
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Fuck them people
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My time is worth more than this
At the very least the person is inconsiderate, and worst a complete psychopath. Both are not great signs, and all the ones between are also not positive aspects.
You’d think something that small wouldn’t be much of an indication on a person’s overall nature, but it’s nearly always the little things that add up to the whole thing.
Yes. How one thinks of/treats hired help is a big clue.
I understand where you are coming from, but most people who do this at times are more likely just ignorant than even “fuck them people”. In-fact, the walmart near me has a guy waiting outside along with the security most of the time to collect carts once the store closes, so many people are like “he is going to collect all the leftover carts anyways”.
Especially for those who have parked their cars a bit away, I really doubt such people are going to return all the way just to put a cart on the cart return location, rather than just putting the car on the side and just take off with their car.
To make things worse, there are staff on stores often these days that organize and collect leftover carts, so it’s been a while since I have seen a good chunk of people return their carts to their return location, especially from parking lots, unless they are close to that return spot.
Most if not all big box stores have cart corrals out in their parking lots where you are meant to return the carts so that they can be collected more efficiently without having some employee run all over collecting carts. Andtheres the matter of run away carts especially if it’s a windy day. Those carts can really get moving and cause some damage to cars parked out in the lot. No one is saying to take them back to the entrance of the store, simply to put them in the collection point so they don’t wander.
I view not returning carts as inconsiderate or lazy, but most employees I’ve heard discuss this say they don’t mind going out to get carts, because they get the chance to be out of the store for a while.
I stand corrected especially on one area, I just remembered that there are indeed cart corrals out there in the parking lots, unfortunately my walmart has like 1 on a huge parking lot which is really not enough, but it is true that most stores do have a lot of them, if they are nearby a car and that person still doesn’t return the cart, then that’s a problem.
Maybe that’s why I see staff collecting carts, due to the lack of cart corrals, maybe stores that lack enough of them do this instead, but I am also debating within myself about the fact that there are tons of people that still do this mistake with enough cart corrals.
So I personally think the right conclusion would be, such people are not bad, but not responsible and are ignorant. When possible, returning would make life easier for staff that do collect carts too, they don’t have to go all the way to collect all of them. And of course, avoiding the risks of the carts hitting other cars in-case of natural wind, great points that didn’t come to my mind at first.
I think this one wouldn’t go under bad though as I said, it has to be a lot more than not returning cart back to the car corrals to be a bad person…right??
Yeah, I can see it being an issue when there’s a massive parking lot and no return locations. I’m sure some stores did the studies on how much time and workforce it saved to put those corrals out in the lot as most people are inclined to do a bit to help out others.
The newer built stores especially have no problem with this, but the older not so well planned ones are the ones with these issues.
For reasons that I can’t quite fathom, they’ve been taking them away in California. Stores that used to have them, don’t any more.
Often there isn’t even a safe place outside. You could put them up on to the sidewalk in front of the store, but is that the best place? It’s convenient for the workers but it also gets in the way.
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OP doesn’t put his cart back! Shame!
Wow, arguing another perspective (with a valid arguement) made me a victim, RIP
There’s two possible scenarios
- you think your time is more valuable than others, thus making you an asshole
- you simply don’t give a fuck about inconveniencing others, again making you an asshole
It’s actually a great indicator as to their view of the social contract and obligations to others.
Cart Narcs demonstrates that you can lol
deleted by creator
Someone sounds like they are projecting…
I find the people who judge others based on cart return status are the real assholes.
Just put your cart back already.
I had this discussion on here a week or so ago. I guess I’m just lucky enough to live somewhere where the summers are mid 80s and the winters are high 50s. My three friends who got jobs at the local Target all said that the best part of their day was collecting carts.
They still collect carts if you put them where they’re supposed to be, it’s just a safer job, because they are where cars expect them to be instead of all over the parking lot fishing lone carts out of bushes and off medians
And they get to get home to family, or relax, or bed faster without getting yelled at or written up for going over budgeted hours.
I do when I can! (although lately I have been doing a lot of grocery shopping online)
Yeah I mean, I have seen people do that countless times at the walmart near my house for example, I feel like that’s just calling a very high portion of the population to be bad people unfairly.
Okay but…
There’s really no reason not to unless you just give zero shits about the damage a loose cart can do.
That’s exactly the kind of sign you want: it’s a person who thinks “it won’t affect me because I’m leaving, so it’s not my problem.”
Actually as I was explaining to another person, unfortunately, there is a reason.
I am living in Tampa, Florida, the nearby walmart to my house, has a huge parking lot, but a car corral near the entrance and ONE on a huge damn parking lot.
The thing is, while I am not against returning carts when possible in anyway, what can I do if I park my car all the way on the other side on the parking lot and not near the cart corrosal? And the reason I park there is because it’s one of the few parking spots available in a busy day? I am sorry but in such cases, people will just leave the carts on the side and leave with their car.
Not to mention, the damn sun here, it gets absolutely hot here at times, even I don’t see myself walking halfway to the other part of the parking lot just to leave a cart when I already walked all the way from the entrance carrying all of my groceries, I don’t see myself returning in that case.
Again we need to think in practical real-life scenario, so not only should people start returning carts, stores that don’t have enough cart returning points in parking lots especially, should increase them.
I am not saying I don’t return carts because that actually doesn’t apply to me, atleast lately, as I have been mainly ordering stuff online mostly.
I do also want to make it clear, I am in no way giving justifications for those who make these basic mistakes without a genuine reason, I don’t ever see myself not returning a cart when there is indeed a fairly nearby cart corrosal, and unfortunately, there are people who won’t return their cars even if they have a nearby car corral, and i’m not arguing for them!
Yeah… this sounds like someone who is making excuses for their bad behavior instead of owning their mistake and correcting it.
Yeah I already made myself clear, I don’t even do groccery shoppings in-person anymore, but Im leaving this there now 🤷
Not to mention, the damn sun here, it gets absolutely hot here at times, even I don’t see myself walking halfway to the other part of the parking lot just to leave a cart when I already walked all the way from the entrance carrying all of my groceries, I don’t see myself returning in that case.
Lost me here, nope, nooooope nope nope nope. The weather is the least justifiable excuse – Someone has to walk all that way to return that cart in the hot sun if you don’t. If anything, making someone else do it is worse because of that weather.
I also saw you throwing out “but they have employees who do that” in another part of the thread. You wouldn’t throw trash on the ground instead of walking it to a can just because a place has a janitor, I’m sure. It’s exactly the same logic, and the reason you wouldn’t ruin a janitor’s day is the same reason you shouldn’t ruin a cart collector’s day.
I get that your local shop sucks for only having one corral. I really, truly do. But you know what I do when my closest store has practices I can’t deal with? I don’t make someone else clean up after me, I take my money elsewhere.
Lost me here, nope, nooooope nope nope nope. The weather is the least justifiable excuse – Someone has to walk all that way to return that cart in the hot sun if you don’t. If anything, making someone else do it is worse because of that weather.
Interesting, you do realize the employee who collects the carts get them when the store closes, hence at night? It would make 0 sense to do that in the morning because customers will keep coming.
I also saw you throwing out “but they have employees who do that” in another part of the thread. You wouldn’t throw trash on the ground instead of walking it to a can just because a place has a janitor, I’m sure. It’s exactly the same logic, and the reason you wouldn’t ruin a janitor’s day is the same reason you shouldn’t ruin a cart collector’s day.
This is a very bad example and a comparison, why? If I have trash, even if there is not a garbage bin nearby, I can keep it with me until I find one or just take it with me to home and throw it there.
Now with carts, that’s a whole different story, I wish there was a machine where it could carry it for me until I reach to the whole other side of the parking lot, in a very busy moving parking lot with cars, but such magical machine doesn’t exist.
Companies like Walmart earn millions and billions of dollars, maybe they should be installing more cart return points as the customers are the people who are keeping them in business.
I get that your local shop sucks for only having one corral. I really, truly do. But you know what I do when my closest store has practices I can’t deal with? I don’t make someone else clean up after me, I take my money elsewhere.
I already countered the point that I am making someone else do that for me, because first of all, they are just doing their job, and I am not being disrespectful here, but even if you may be okay dealing with the inconvenience the lack of cart return points, I am not, you can’t expect everyone to be okay with something just because you are.
Regarding taking my money elsewhere, that’d be travelling twice as much, which is dooable, I have a car, but that just makes 0 sense, i’m wasting double the time of mine, and there is no guarantee walmart has enough cart return points there too, considering another person said walmart has been removing them on california, if they are doing that there, then I don’t expect it to be any better.
Also, asking me to do that for a damn cart, seriously? And the employee is just doing their job, they will do it anyways even if I go or not, and please, don’t compare that again with trash, it’s a whole different story, because you make it sound like I am the type of person who throws trash on the ground wantedly near a place where there is a garbage can, so I can watch the janitor pick it, that is crazy.
I’ve crossed a parking lot and a street in the snow to return it before. If I pushed it there I’m getting it back. Simple as.
Do you think it’s fair to think that just because you are able to, others can too? I’ve been living in Canada before moving to florida, opposite weather here, extremely hot, I try to stay cool as much as possible, it’s good that you “crossed a parking lot at a street” (assuming that is long distance, don’t extactly understand the meaning here), but I am not you man, different people, scenarios, circumstances.
I know people are going to downvote this for me lol, again I ain’t justifying for those who actually don’t return when there is actually a cart corral nearby, but I am not trying to justify my own actions or argue for those who make this mistake without a genuine reason wantedly, in-fact as I’'ve mentioned in several other comments in this thread, I do online shopping mostly these days, so this does not even apply to me.
I am simply trying to discuss from another not so popular perspective here in this thread.
I am also wondering if people have different definitions of what “bad” could be, because to me, this is more about lack of responsibility and ignorance when you are able to return a cart, but you still don’t. If I saw someone doing this without a genuine reason like I have stated before, I don’t think that’d still make them a bad as a person, I’d consider them not so responsible and kindly ask them to return it.
Aldi has entered the chat.
I actually took the five minutes to look at all 10 Walmart stores in Tampa on Google Earth, and I can see more than one cart corral from space… How are you missing them in person?
Sigh, I live near Tampa, I don’t live there, not in the main city/area (outer part near to Tampa for added context. I don’t think Ill give my exact location here though.
So if the cart corral was in you immediate vicinity you would bother to return it?
You could just carry the groceries through the store and not even use the cart at all…
Or maybe it’s because I have a special needs child and I can’t always leave them alone, even for a minute or two?
When you make snap judgments based on initial appearance, that’s precisely the kind of error you can make.
What error, exactly? If someone makes a choice and doesn’t take responsibility for that choice, there’s no error in judgment calling that person irresponsible. Mitigating circumstances like a person’s childcare situation are only mitigating circumstances because there was irresponsibility in the first place to mitigate. It’s still irresponsibility. There was no error.
. Mitigating circumstances like a person’s childcare situation are only mitigating circumstances because there was irresponsibility in the first place to mitigate. It’s still irresponsibility.
I took the cart into the store to shop with my cognitively disabled child. This was a responsible decision.
Due to my child’s medical disability and changing circumstances resulting in a behavior meltdown, I had to take him back to the car and stay with him, to prevent elopement that could put him and others at risk. This was a responsible decision. Due to the changing circumstances, I can’t return the shopping cart to a particular location.
At no point do I abdicate responsibility. My first responsibility is to the safety of my child, and others who might suffer if he elopes. If you think I’m a bad person who “gives zero shits” because I put that first, then I call that error.
If you want to live in you self-righteous bubble and judge people from afar without knowing jack squat about their circumstances, I call that error. I’m sure my situation is not unique; issues must come up all the time with children, pets, the elderly that necessitate putting a shopping cart aside and attending to the needs of others, and it’s not always possible to return the shopping cart.
I can’t stop you from making an error, of course, but I’d hope than when the error is explained to you, you’d commit to avoiding it.
Red flags aren’t always accurate. That’s the point, it’s a quick gut check, not a foolproof way to analyze someone’s worth. Your neighbor who stares too long and had red stains on his shirt could be a surgeon with myopia, but there are some red flags.
Then we should probably call it a “red flag” instead of a “dead giveaway” (per post title) :-)
I rarely see that and I definitely judge people when I do see it. Maybe you just live somewhere where anti-social behaviour is normalised?
I mean… you asked people for red flags that someone is a bad person, not ‘what actions make someone a bad person’.
I think they’re right and Cart Narc did all the field research for us.
This is such a strange phenomenon to me. In all the countries I’ve lived in, all but a few select stores have a dongle on each cart that takes a coin to unlock it from the chain of other carts. It’s perhaps the cost of a back of toilet paper, but that seems to be sufficient for it to be exceedingly rare to see an abandoned cart. One can only imagine that any such carts are quick prey for enterprising teens looking for a quick boost to their candy fund.
Oh man. I live not too far from a Walmart (about 3 miles by car, but 1 by foot with shortcuts). Recently, someone in my neighborhood has started walking to Walmart, filling their cart, then just bringing the cart home with them and abandoning it on the access road in our neighborhood. We are 6 carts deep and my anger towards the perpetrator grows every day.
“You can easily judge a person’s character by how they treats those who can do nothing for them.”
… or something really close to that. I’m too lazy to look up the actual quote right now.
Mean to animals
Reminder that eating animals is unnecessary and cruel
don’t worry, people don’t eat penguins except in extreme circumstances. even if you were a penguin, you’d be pretty much safe.
If they’re mean to waiters, cashiers, janitors, etc.
Additionally, whether they think someone has money, influential friends, etc determines whether or not they treat a person well.
Being unable to admit they are wrong or don’t know something. I feel like it’s one of those traits that snowballs into someone coming off as obnoxious and elitist
God, reading all these comments while baked in a hammock was a trip. I highly recommend the cart saga.
Everyone can be a friend when it’s easy and convenient. It’s during the bad times, when they suffer and it’s not so easy to keep cool, that their true values or lack of come to light.
Haha yup, that’s when the true color comes out!
Animals don’t like them.
My special needs kid is terrified of pets. And they react in kind – animals that are sweet toward a smiling, calm person will lose it in his presence.
Is anybody “bad” here? This seems like the worst kind of judgment based on initial appearances, rather than understanding.
Haha this can be a good one, especially dogs, they are great at sensing people. But they are living things too, and they can be wrong as well. Also sometimes we could misunderstand them, maybe it’s not that they don’t like someone, maybe they are hesitant towards new people because of a bad history with humans until the dog met it’s current owner. A lot could be applied.
Absolutely. I was thinking of my own experiences where I saw animals I knew react very negatively meeting someone I didn’t. In one instance, the guy later turned out to be abusive, in another, dude was a rapist.
But it certainly isn’t a universal truth.
Hitler is a good guy then?
LOL
Not to bring Trump into everything, but yeah… Trump supporters. Bonus level of shittiness if they have a maga hat.
I’d say it’s when they get angry when you tell them the impact their behavior is having on you, instead of actually trying to have a discussion and sort the problem out.
Or they get angry with you for enforcing your boundries.
Or they gaslight you about your boundaries…
My personal favorite is when they gaslight you about whose “fault” it was. Failing to recognize that boundaries were only enforced because of decisions they made.
“I didn’t even know I had this boundary until I met you so, yeah, it’s not my fault this is happening…”
Literal blood on their hands, bodies falling out of their ceilings and closets, and/or being a billionaire.
Folks who opt not to clean up after their dogs. Particularly in public areas.
I can’t stand this. Nobody wants dog shit on their lawn. If I can pick up big piles of shit from my dog you can too.
“I call them how I see them.”
“I’m just brutally honest.”
“I’m just telling it like it is.”
These phrases are used exclusively by rude, obnoxious, condescending assholes trying to justify being shitty to other people for no reason.
“I like people/politicians who tell it is like it is!”
This always means expressing popular grievance with a particular style that scapegoats everyone else for a group’s problems.
They don’t like animals.
What kind of animals? I’m not crazy about badgers.
good god, and you feel like you can just admit that for everyone to see?
classic example of Internet anonymity making people feel they no longer need to follow social norms.
I’m usually against emoji as a comment, but: 😂
I’ll allow an exception or two, as long as it’s not dogs (unless the person has had a negative interaction with dogs).
Edit: Badgers are adorable and I can’t imagine what kind of nuisance they are as someone who lives in the US. Maybe like a groundhog? They’re kind of cute but so destructive.
