Who knew there was shopping basket security

[Familyshopper]

Is it me or has this shopping basket etiquette always been in place 🤷‍♀️

I went shopping for a few bits on a local supermarket but as usual I forgot my bags but instead of wasting money & plastic I decided against buying a bag & didn’t fancy juggling my shopping to the car so I took a basket to my car, a security guard came charging after me telling me I wasn’t allowed to remove the basket, I told him I’m taking my shopping to my car & I would be returning it straight away.

I mean seriously I don’t want another plastic bag in the house let alone a big metal basket aibu to think this rule is crazy or is it an unspoken rule that I’ve never been informed of

This is a thing, they lose loads of them. Some supermarkets have security tags in the baskets. Apparently they are very expensive to replace.

It's always been in place hasn't it? In Aldi they don't let you take a basket to the packing area.

When England adopted a 5p bag charge in 2015, rather than behave rationally many people started stealing the baskets instead. Some stores even had to put the electronic tags on them, they were losing so many.

Just use a small trolley instead. In many places they either have a coin deposit or electronic wheel locking to stop them being pinched.

In pre covid times I had a little collapsible picnic basket much like the ones in the picture. I'd take that in with me, use it to do my shopping then repack it at the checkout.
I was never questioned about it at all and found it much easier than bags. Whether it was allowed or not I don't know but I always wondered why nobody else seemed to use their own baskets.

This has always been “a thing”.

Like a PP says, some supermarkets even have security tags on their baskets to alert security if you attempt to take one out!

Think about it OP, have you ever seen anyone else taking a basket to their car? Now you know why not.

How do you know it has always been a thing where does it tell you this ? We are encouraged not to use bags even the bags for life are not recyclable & not environmentally friendly so I don’t quite catch the point in it my supermarket does not have security tags on the baskets & I haven’t noticed these anywhere else & neither have I noticed any baskets thrown into canals but I have seen plenty of trolleys maybe something for you to think about

In pre covid times I had a little collapsible picnic basket much like the ones in the picture
That's a very good idea. I'm having one of those.

Always been a thing - trolleys and baskets are expensive, they don't want people walking off with them.
Sometimes if you ask they let you take them to the car (local lidl does with those plastic hybrid trolley/basket. One security guard said 'No' so I asked him to carry the stuff to the car.
I'm amazed at how few people take bags to the supermarket now, buy tons of bags for life and throw them - it is a covid thing?

I would never try that. It's definitely a thing for supermarkets to want to keep the baskets in the shop, or everyone would be doing it and not bothering to bring them back.
People wouldn't chuck it in the canal they'd take it home and use it in the garden or something probably.

I use my own bag walking around the local convenience store, I empty it at the checkout and then put my shopping straight back in so I don't need to touch any of the baskets they provide.

I'm surprised more people don't do it

Lidl baskets on wheels have tags in.

I am thinking an actual shopping basket of my own might be a good idea.

Yabu. No shops let you remove the basket from the store. If I forget my bags I use a trolley even if I don't need a trolley full, unless it's little enough that I can stack it and carry as one armful.

I’ve just tried to stop using the plastic kind but I tend to forget my bags when I just nip for a few bits when I do my main click & collect I usually have them but last lockdown I used to stick to the same few bags & dettol them after, I once asked an assistant who was spraying the trolleys down to spray my bag after shopping he looked at me gone out

then always leave some sort of bag in your car or handbag

It’s only a good idea if they let you do the shop & scan our home bargains actually has a sign up saying you are not allowed to put things in your own bags before checkout

20 years ago shopping baskets were used by many in my halls at uni to take washing down to the laundrette.... very handy apparently! (No, I didn’t have one, I had a big ugly plastic laundry basket as provided by my mum - thanks mum!)

Funny thing. I live near a reasonably large Tesco and a small block of flats. I have observed over the years what we call a communal trolley. It's left outside the main entrance and various families are seen pushing it there and back with their shopping. Whatever failsafe system they supposedly have to stop trolleys leaving the grounds clearly doesn't work, but their ingenuity makes me laugh.

I went to B&Q a few weeks back for a big bag of pebbles and the nice security man let me take the pull along basket to my car as I was struggling. He watched me carefully to make sure I brought it back though.

@MadameBlobby

Lidl baskets on wheels have tags in.

I am thinking an actual shopping basket of my own might be a good idea.

God yeah. I tried to take a lidl basket out the shop once and the alarm went off. Mortified! 😁. I was only taking it to the car and back. They let me when I explained.

@KihoBebiluPute

Yabu. No shops let you remove the basket from the store. If I forget my bags I use a trolley even if I don't need a trolley full, unless it's little enough that I can stack it and carry as one armful.

Have you been to every shop to test that statement? My local tesco allows people to take baskets to the car.

When I was at uni we had a communal Sainsbury’s trolley. I can report the “trolley grids” they have at some supermarkets with signs saying if you try to push the trolley over them it’ll get stuck are fake news. They go over no problem.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's been caught out by the alarms in the Lidls baskets. I was heavily pregnant at the time and literally almost pissed my pants

My local lidl are fine with this. They have the little baskets on wheels, I always just give the security guard the heads up that I’m wheeling my shopping to the car and will pass the basket back-never had an issue. I’m with you OP.

@WitchQueenofDarkness

I use my own bag walking around the local convenience store, I empty it at the checkout and then put my shopping straight back in so I don't need to touch any of the baskets they provide.

I'm surprised more people don't do it

Probably because unfortunately this is what shoplifters do, certainly in our shop anyway. Anyone putting shopping in carrier bags instead of a basket will arouse suspicion. Not saying you are of course

@Familyshopper

Is it me or has this shopping basket etiquette always been in place 🤷‍♀️

I went shopping for a few bits on a local supermarket but as usual I forgot my bags but instead of wasting money & plastic I decided against buying a bag & didn’t fancy juggling my shopping to the car so I took a basket to my car, a security guard came charging after me telling me I wasn’t allowed to remove the basket, I told him I’m taking my shopping to my car & I would be returning it straight away.

I mean seriously I don’t want another plastic bag in the house let alone a big metal basket aibu to think this rule is crazy or is it an unspoken rule that I’ve never been informed of

Perfectly reasonable rul2.

I'm sure you were 100% gonna walk back to thw shop and not just leave it by your car or in the Torrey return too

@Covidcovid

When I was at uni we had a communal Sainsbury’s trolley. I can report the “trolley grids” they have at some supermarkets with signs saying if you try to push the trolley over them it’ll get stuck are fake news. They go over no problem.

They're not fake it depends what they are though, some are just a magnet so if you pick it up it will be far off.