Shopping trolley theory - be honest!

[texasholden]

The theory is that if you return it you’re a good person and if you don’t then you’re a shit person.

Shopping Cart Theory suggests the ultimate way to test moral goodness is to see whether or not someone will do the “right” thing in the absence of accountability, consequence, or reward.

Have you ever not bothered?

I always put mine back and often sort out the stack when it's all out of kilter.

I'm morally dodgy in other ways, though.

I always put mine back, even if two children in tow, raining, parked miles away and suffering with a mobility issue.

BUT I have to say, I think it's less to do with moral "goodness " and more to do with being a "rule-follower". I would feel so anxious if i didn't return it - can't even express what exactly i'm worried would happen if I didn't! Does that make me a good person or just a worrier?
🤷🏻‍♀️

Ours all require a coin except M&S and Waitrose

I have always returned them but appreciate it can be a bit of a nightmare for those with mobility issues or those with toddlers/babies. So I don't judge those who don't return them or think they are morally right or wrong or whatever. Actually it was helpful when my kids were very small if someone left a trolley near the p&c spaces because in my local Tesco the shelters are nowhere near these spaces.

It's nothing like blocking access and dropping litter.

And what do you do when you collect the trolley before your shop? Leave your child in the car? Take them with you?

The getting the trolley is no different to putting it back. You’re just lazy and entitled basically.

Ah, it seems you're being deliberately rude/obtuse. I hadn't realised, I thought you were having a genuine discussion. Silly me!

I park in one of the baby parking spaces, and walk along a long pavement. The walk to the shop isn't short as you pass a range of little stalls and shops.
The trolleys are in the front of the shop all lined up when I collect them.

My toddler is very safe on the path, no need to cross roads or walk in the car park.

To drop a trolley back in a nearby bay, this would mean walking kids in the middle of a busy carpark or leaving them in the car.

Or doing a big, extra walk to the shop and back. Definitely not fun in the rain, as there's no shelter.

When there are trolley attendants (often who have seen me with 2 kids and are walking over, or will be over soon), I leave the trolley safely by a post.

Do you understand that when you're rude to anyone with a different opinion, you won't get people responding with a range of replies and experiences? You'll get many people telling you they do just what you're insisting is right. Bit of a boring post then isn't it.

Yes, cos its kinda like littering, I try to live a life that doesn't negatively affect people around me, no littering, wear headphones, clear up after yourself in fast food restaurants etc

@Crumpleton There's a big row of trolleys at the front of the store, which we can walk to without traffic dodging.

I could drop trolley back here with kids in tow, this is true, but it's quite a long and unsheltered walk and it's not unusual for at least 1 kid to be unsettled by the time the shop is done.

I do mostly online shop, but sometimes I want to get out of the house and quite enjoy browsing shelves. Yellow sticker food also very much appreciated during mat leave!

I return it the bays in the carpark, I am not going to leave it in an empty space nor in the way of a car so it would be quicker to take it back then work out where to leave it in the first place

Ah this made me laugh - thanks!

Are you not taking this a little too seriously?

I don't think is always wrong to leave it. At out supermarket the P&C carpark is quite far from the trolleys, so the 'done thing' is to leave your trolley for the next person. I also know people who intentionally leave them, as a small way to force the supermarkets to employ more people, believing this will help local employment (they also refuse to use self serve for thesame reason).

Well I return them and if there’s others just pushed in any old how I like to stack them all properly so I must be feckin marvellous!

Always returned, screaming babies in tow or not. Same as picking up my litter and thankong the bus driver, wouldn't occur to me not to.

I’ve always returned it. I don’t want to cause an accident by it blowing into the road or similar; plus small children are much less visible with trolleys littered around. It’s the decent thing to do.

I told someone off for not returning the trolley correctly once because said trolley went rogue and nearly rolled into a parked car. Wasn't my car, but that's just an example of how someone's carelessness could affect someone else. If you don't return your trolley you're a twat in my books.

I was once putting my trolley back when the attendant told me it was better for him if they were left dotted around the car park as it kept him in a job.

This is such a funny thread. Stores ain’t gonna employ more people because some of you refuse to use self serve- they also won’t keep someone in a job if you are too lazy and entitled to put your trolley back.
Supermarkets don’t base their staff structure on the behaviour of customers- they base it on saving money. They do this in a calculated way. It makes more problems for colleagues & and then effectively the customer.

They are not going to employ more but they are going to have to keep some people employed.

No! It really makes no difference. If the £ speaks - the role is removed unfortunately.

And yet there are still people collecting trollies at my local supermarket.

Yeah, for now. We never know what’s around the corner- one thing is for sure tho -it’s not to do with customer behaviour.

The ones who have tokens / pounds for the trollies don't tend to employ trolley collectors.
I think they just hope people will return to the shelter places!

Don't believe that for a second