AIBU to object to an older child sitting directly in a food trolley?

[KidsDoBetter]

Local m&s food hall. An older lady (presumably) grandma - is wheeling around one of the small size metal shopping trolleys. Inside it is a girl about 8 cross-legged (she takes up most of the space obvs) wearing a pair of crocs. The soles of which are filthy (as indeed would be mine). Chatting away and delighted with herself. It was lovely she was enjoying being with her granny. No signs of disability (later saw them in car park).

As they stood beside me I did say “that looks like fun but you do know people put their food in there and you’ve got your shoes in it”. Grandma tutted and said “forget about it” in a slight non-sequitur . But it’s gross right. This was not a baby / toddler seat trolley. Nor was the child any younger than 7 max …

Urgh - may all your energy you put into the world come back to you.

You are an incredibly nasty human being.
If something so simple leads you to immediately start calling people common tramps it says much more about your own personality.

You know rats and birds piss and shit all over the trolleys don’t you? As well as the warehouses and lorries that store everything?

I can’t believe you said something.

OP had nothing to say about injury risk, however. Her concern is solely about hygiene, and most of the replies correctly point out that this is something of a stable door and horse bolting situation.

You think trolleys are hygienic? I’d never have food directly touching it unless it was something i would wash or peel before using. Trolleys sit outside in all weathers, can have rubbish and bits of food sitting in them for days etc. why are shoes any worse?

This.

If I am doing scan as I go, then my bags are definitely in the trolley, but even if it's a usual "pay at the till" shop then I often put them in the trolley.

I worked in a supermarket a few years ago and sometimes had the task of the flower displays. I used a trolley to transport the empty flower buckets outside to tip the dirty water down the drain. Trolleys were commonly used as means of moving the deliveries around the store. They are not "clean".

Most things, inside and outside my house, have probably got germs on them, so as long as I use a bit of common sense across the board, I will be fine.

Most handles of trolleys and door handles and self service screens will have E. coli on them @KidsDoBetter trust me…. Even some of your shopping will have it on them, llike the tins and cans and bottles that are on the shelves.

I agree with you OP, but sadly we’re in a minority.

I do, for safety reasons not hygiene.

I tell my DC that they're taking big to go inside the trolley, and if they had an accident, it could be serious. I dread to think what head injury etc might occur if they fell out onto the hard supermarket floor.

It’s a bit naive to assume trolleys are clean. Chicken packaging is almost always contaminated for instance. I can’t imagine a child can add much more than is already there,

Well I suppose it's an easy target for you to have a go when it's just a grandma and small child.

You're being unreasonable if you put unwrapped food into a trolley that is kept outside and open to pollution, detritus and wildlife.

A little girls shoes are minor in comparison.

My thoughts:
I assume all trolleys are dirty
its a safety issue
grandma’s response was not a non- sequitur.

Agree.

Food hygiene standards exist for a reason.

It’s never occurred to me that my trolley might be sterile, or even particularly clean. Are you really concerned about hygiene here?

The child might well have SN.

If you really wanted to say something, then I think you should have spoken to a member of staff instead of trying to police customers yourself. Defo agree trolleys are quite grim anyway.

But what food is in there that isn’ either packaged or you would wash anyway? You don’t really know what might have been running over the trollies or the food in storage.

I am more concerned having heard about the safety aspects of it.

Not my trolley, not my problem.

I don’t like to see this either op, more for the safety concerns over anything. There are trolleys specifically for small children and disabled people and if someone is not disabled or two big to fit in the child part of a trolley then they should be walking.

god get a life op honestly.

I hate seeing children sat inside trolleys. I have the same problem when people sit their babies on tables in cafes and restaurants.

I rarely take mine in the shops maybe once a year and it's absolute needs must if we are on holiday maybe. I would be all for more supermarkets providing a good number of safe disability trolleys for children. I only ever see one lonely wheelchair friendly trolley.

Says somebody who does-or has done-the exact same thing.

Says somebody who does-or has done-the exact same thing.

Filthy.