Our parking lot =/= cart return

[bhskittykatt]

Wasn't entirely sure where to put this...

Our parking lot is not a shopping cart return. Especially since we're a motel, and don't have shopping carts.

This is what we have right now:



It's remarkable, really. Other MOD and I added a couple to it today, but otherwise, the guests have set up this neat little "cart return" in the corner of out lot. Normally they're just strewn randomly about our property. Someone has ordered these, though. They get some small, minuscule amount of credit for that.

Except...they're not our carts and don't belong on our property at all. I suppose the "Magical Cart Fairy" is going to return them?

The two types of green ones were taken from the place up the street, but the black ones traveled over a mile to reach us. And we have TWO of those!

I'm borrowing Hubby's truck on Thursday (I'm also borrowing Hubby) to return them. I'm going to call the stores first, though, to warn them we're coming. Two crazy people in an old POS truck loaded with carts is going to get some looks for sure.

[Bright_Star]

You know they'll make a return, right?...lol.

[bhskittykatt]

You know they'll make a return, right?...lol.

I know. They always do. It's an uphill battle, I'll admit.

[BrenDAnn]

I understand the ones from the place up the street...sort of. The ones from a mile away though? Wow! Is there a bus stop or something nearby you that people might be wheeling the carts to?

[Shalom]

Why is it your responsibility to return these? Call the stores whose carts they are, and tell them to send someone down to get them if they want them back. If they're still here after a week, you'll either dispose of them or start charging for storage...

[MoonCat]

I bet if you asked your average store what one item is shoplifted most, it wouldn't occur to them to say "shopping carts."

I've seen carts in my neighborhood from stores that are 20-30 blocks away. They're probably left out somewhere and people just keep grabbing them & taking them farther away.

I even saw one from a store that closed at least 10 years ago.

[Slayer]

Argh, my street looks like this. It's all houses except the part up the street that has apartments. They're too fucking lazy to bring the carts back after they use them. It makes the street look so disgusting. And the store isn't even far; it's across the two-lane street! $!$#% and most of them use it to carry two or three bags. Why a cart?!

I'd rather the store bring back the pay-coin system so I can stop seeing them. Or charge them with theft *sigh*

Sorry to rant on your thread. I just hate it so much.

[LillFilly]

I agree that once the cart leaves property it should be considered theft. If you have to walk your groceries home, get a personal carriage.

[gremcint]

I've always wondered how much it would cost to buy your own full sized shopping cart that I can take to and from the store with me.

[Raveni]

IIRC, they are about $200 plus shipping.

Which is why some stores pay people to hunt down their carts for them.

[taxguykarl]

I'm going to call the stores first, though, to warn them we're coming. Two crazy people in an old POS truck loaded with carts is going to get some looks for sure.

Let the stores reclaim their carts--Raveni is about right (about the price).

At a Jewel in one of my old Chicago neighborhoods, there was a perimeter fence and uniformed guards to prevent cart thefts.

[bhskittykatt]

The stores won't reclaim them. I mean, sometimes they will. But we've already put a couple calls in to them. And I'm stick of them in our lot.

I could be a douche and push them over into Restaurant's parking lot, but that would be rude.

And we've tried telling the guests to take them back. The guests deny it. Even though we know which ones are doing it.

[Pagan]

I'd never steal one since I always seem to find the one with the wonky wheel....

I bet if you asked your average store what one item is shoplifted most, it wouldn't occur to them to say "shopping carts."

And hand baskets, given how many stores around here have put sensor tags on them!

The stores won't reclaim them. I mean, sometimes they will. But we've already put a couple calls in to them. And I'm stick of them in our lot.

Guess they're not really all that worried about their bottom line then?

[ThirdGenRetail]

I bet if you asked your average store what one item is shoplifted most, it wouldn't occur to them to say "shopping carts."

I've seen carts in my neighborhood from stores that are 20-30 blocks away. They're probably left out somewhere and people just keep grabbing them & taking them farther away.

I even saw one from a store that closed at least 10 years ago.

My Red Vest has gone through so VERY many hand baskets... It's at the point where they now put security tags on them. They didn't put them on ALL of the baskets, though, and we STILL have the problem of 'vanishing baskets.'

We also once had a cart from the automotive store across the boulevard from us... We had it for something like two or three weeks, and people were actually grabbing it to shop! One of our carts also managed to make it across the boulevard to the Ghetto Cat parking lot across the street...

[bhskittykatt]

We also once had a cart from the automotive store across the boulevard from us... We had it for something like two or three weeks, and people were actually grabbing it to shop! One of our carts also managed to make it across the boulevard to the Ghetto Cat parking lot across the street...

Once, I grabbed a cart at one of the local grocery stores, and I noticed it looked different. Right now I can't remember what it said on the handle, but I remember marveling that it wasn't from any chain we had in town.