I Witnessed a Miracle From the Car Gods!

"Tripper" (tripe46)
02/13/2015 at 11:59 • Filed to: None

Rant/Story - I'm sure most Oppos and other motor vehicle enthusiasts would agree that lazy people who beach their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot should be shot:) Each time I visit a grocery store I take a cart with me on the way into the store in hopes that it will offset the likely hood of my car (or anyone else's car) being struck.

When I see someone blatantly leave a cart I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something to the effect of "You can walk your fat ass all the way around the store to load your cart up with double stuffed Oreos, but you can't walk 50ft back to the front of the store to drop off your cart!" However I don't scream across parking lots because I like people to believe that I am a rational, civilized member of society.

Anyway on to the story. It was particularly cold and windy in the suburbs of Philadelphia last night, and as my fiance pulled the cooper into the back of the grocery store parking lot I commented on the above average number of beached carts. Obviously the weather plays a role in the increased number of car hating lazy people, and I said "So many cars are going to get hit because of the wind". Before I even got that sentence out of my mount I heard a gust of wind and the horrifying sound of a shopping car traveling without a pilot at high speed. When saw the cart, I noticed it's path...Headed straight for a brand spanking new ATS. I'm not even a fan of the ATS, but I couldn't just stand by and watch as a perfectly good car is assaulted by one of these rogue shopping carts. I heard my fiance chuckle as I took of running, knowing damn well I was way too far away to catch the cart before it hit the Caddy.

As I ran the cart kept online with the car. The parking lot has been recently repaved, so there was no hope for a pothole or rock to send the cart off course. At the last second the cart veered right, just enough to miss the car and slam into a cement island so hard that the cart flipped over forwards! I inspected the area where it veered right, no stones, no imperfections, and I didn't hear or feel the wind change directions. Perhaps one of the front wheels locked up (as they do) just in the nick of time, or perhaps it was one of the car gods thinking "not this poor car, not today!"

DISCUSSION (14)

FJ80WaitinForaLSV8 > Tripper
02/13/2015 at 12:02

I just make sure I beach my car on something it can break free from. Such as those concrete/shrub islands or those things that keep you from pulling forward in your parking spot.

spanfucker retire bitch > Tripper
02/13/2015 at 12:06

You don't even need to return it to the store. They have car corrals at every grocery store I've ever shopped at.

I've seen people less than 20 feet away from a corral and still just leave it next to/in front of their vehicles.

A tire iron to their side of their head is too nice.

Transit > Tripper
02/13/2015 at 12:10

I like the Aldi strategy. You can get a cart for a quarter, which is returned when you put the cart back. Never seen a loose cart in their lot, ever.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > spanfucker retire bitch
02/13/2015 at 12:22

I worked PT cashier at "Bullseye" for a while, and being male, I was assigned to wrangle carts. (I actually didn't mind it. It was more exercise than standing behind a register, and we had a neat robot to push the carts around. When it worked anyway... And so long as it wasn't raining or snowing it was nice to be outside.) I have seen people walk their cart right NEXT to the corrals and leave it.

Not IN.

NEXT TO.

Why? Because there were already carts there, but they needed pushed together and weren't lined up to do them all at once.

I hate lazy people.

spanfucker retire bitch > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/13/2015 at 12:26

Yes, I see that a lot too. It's so infuriating. If there are already carts there when I come to the one of those corrals, I line up at least 3 or so, and just smash them right into the rear.

You know, like I'm some kind of freakish man-ape with muscles to move my arms with.

Tripper > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/13/2015 at 12:35

I worked at a grocery store as a young buck too, probably why it bothers me so much!

Tripper > spanfucker retire bitch
02/13/2015 at 12:36

Yup it's ridiculous, lazylazylazy

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Transit
02/13/2015 at 12:36

You're right. If it was a nickel I'd leave it, but I go back for the quarter 100/100 times at Aldi. What sucks is when somebody is walking up and they come to take the cart directly from you so they can use it, but they don't have a quarter. Like I'm the bad guy now because I want my quarter back and don't want to let you use it for free. Taking somebody's cart like that at Aldi is a total caveman move, zero etiquette, absolutely savagery.

Tripper > Transit
02/13/2015 at 12:36

No Aldi's near me but that is a great idea!

Takuro Spirit > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/13/2015 at 12:38

I will spend a few precious seconds actually lining up all the carts and "nesting" them properly, inserting mine last.

Because I am weird like that.

No, I have never worked at a store with cats, why do you ask?

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit
02/13/2015 at 12:41

It's important for carts to be nested for safety and warmth.

If they are left out on their own, they panic and attack things. Especially when it's windy. They are really only scared and looking for a warm place to rest.

cazzyodo > Tripper
02/13/2015 at 13:09

Last month, I went to turn into a spot and some elderly lady was taking her time getting out of her car. So I waited, in no rush. She got out of the car and milled around the spot, I couldn't see why.

She pushed a cart out of the spot.

Ok, so she is taking one with her...that's nice and actually really convenient for her then. Works for me.

Then she was trying to get another one out of the spot. There were three carts in this spot and this old lady was working to move them for me! She was having trouble because there was a few inches of snow on the ground, too.

My gf hopped out and went to help. Before I could do or say anything, the lady made her way into the store with her collar turned way up to fight off the wind.

I passed the lady in the grocery store and thanked her for being so considerate. She was very confused at first (understandably so) and then said that she thought I would have been mad for taking so long! I couldn't believe that. I told her it was quite the opposite and to have a great evening.

GTI Sprinks > Tripper
02/13/2015 at 13:58

Thirding this. Worked up front as cashier and kart-gopher. Absolutely loathe people not leaving carts in the corral or better yet, just pitching them in there without any sense of order. Everytime i put a cart in and it's just carts scattered everywhere i will push them all together to help the person who comes by later and pulls them in. Common decency.

ranwhenparked > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/13/2015 at 22:38

I worked at an Acme in high school and used beg to be put on cart duty. Partly because it got be outside and away from customers and other employees for a while, and partly because as a car person, I liked knowing the job was at least done correctly and all the wayward carts were tucked away safely for at least a little while.