There is hardly a day that I am not taking shopping carts back to the cart return area. People just leave the carts in the parking lot, when the cart return area is only a few steps away.
Returning the shopping cart “is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-governing,” according to Upworthy. It determines whether you are totally arrogant and expect someone else to do things for you. Upworthy also states that “the shopping cart represents itself as the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it. You must return the shopping cart out of the goodness of your own heart. You must return the shopping cart because it is the right thing to do. Because it is correct.”
Returning the cart is easy and unless you are in a torrential downpour, have a dire emergency, or are having a mental meltdown, there is no reason why you shouldn’t do it.
The problem is, there is no law to say you must take the cart back to the return area. You will not get arrested or be fined, but most people do it because they are thoughtful. It determines whether a person is a good or bad member of society and to me, it would be a good sign as to whether you want to spend the rest of your life with that person.
According to Maralee McKee, founder of The Etiquette School of America in Orlando, Florida, abandoned carts can roll away and ding a car. How would you feel if your car was damaged because someone did not take their cart back?
I was in the parking lot when a middle-aged, good-looking but arrogant man proceeded to leave his cart on the side. I took the cart and looked him in the eyes and said, “I will take your cart back to the return area for you.” He looked at me and walked away, saying nothing. My judgment of what kind of person he is was nailed into my head forever!
So take your cart back to the return area because it is the right thing to do!
Express line limits:
When the sign says “10 items or less,” Joseph Welsh, a national grocery store consultant from Las Vegas, says if you have a few (1 or 2) more than 10, it’s ok. But it is not acceptable to stand in line with a cart full of groceries in the “10 or less” line.
Abandoning groceries:
If you change your mind, it is better to give the item back to the cashier to put away instead of leaving them on a shelf somewhere, especially if the item is perishable. Grocery stores have such a problem with items that they are unable to sell because of items left around, so please be courteous.
Sampling a grape:
I see people standing in front of the grapes and sampling them. I have been to the fields of strawberries in California. The fruits are packed right after they are picked. That is why you should always wash fruits before eating them. They may have residues of chemicals and dirt.
I keep telling the story of my son, who went to the store to buy some fruit. He was hungry so started to eat them in the car on the way home and broke out with a skin rash because he did not wash them. I would say wait until you get home, wash the grapes and then sample them.
Run to grab something you forgot:
If you have items on the conveyor belt and remembered something you forgot to get, it is ok to walk fast to get that item while your other items are being scanned. But be courteous and let the person behind you know that you forgot something and will be right back.
Checking for expiration dates:
Don’t spend so much time or block the area off checking expiration dates, but it’s ok to do that, especially if your family takes forever to finish, say, a gallon of milk. I buy lactose-free milk as it has been super pasteurized and its expiration date is 2-3 months.
I am guilty of checking the stamp dates of items like tofu and prepared okara, as those items have a short period before the tofu gets slimy or the okara gets sour.
Non-food bites:
Next in line with the person who does not put his grocery cart back where it belongs, is a person who treats their waiter or waitress badly at a restaurant. This person can be labeled as arrogant and rude. He or she looks down on people as inferior, and in my book and they are not good candidates for a mate.
I had dinner at a very fancy French restaurant with someone who wanted me to work for him. He gave the waiter a bad time and returned his appetizer twice. I knew I could not work for a person like that and thanked him, but said I did not want to leave the job I had at that time.
So be nice! It is easier to do than being a jerk!
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.