Anonymous Rude Shopping Cart People

Another type of rude people is the Anonymous Rude Shopping Cart People.

What makes them rude is the same quality that makes other people rude. They think they are the only people in this world, or that other people in this world are lesser beings than them and must clean up after them.

This describes people who litter, people who don't refill the (coffee machine / copy machine / paper towel dispenser, whatever), and today it describes people who are rude with shopping carts.

There are two kinds of rudeness that I see people perform with these very useful tools.

One breach of implied shopping cart etiquette is performed while actively using the cart. I refer to the time when you park the cart in preparation of piling sundry items into the cart.

People do not park their carts with other people in mind, and sometimes not even themselves. They are pushing the cart down the aisle, thinking whatever random thoughts pile into their minds, and they spot something they like. “Oh look, chocolate coated crunchy puffs!” Their cart stops immediately wherever it is, so the unaware shopper can inspect this box of death closer .

Usually their cart was in the direct middle of the aisle (where most people push their carts), and they are now standing to the side of it. There’s no way you can push your cart around them. You stand there, feebly trying to get their attention without being rude to them, and eventually give up and either nudge their cart with yours, or ask them to move for you.

Fifteen feet later, you have to ask someone else to move, and ten feet later, two other people are staring each other down, unwilling to move their carts.

I try to set a good example when I shop. I try to be aware of other shoppers around me, and to push my cart to one side as I pick out my goods – and give people enough room to move around me without having to ask me to move.

Other shoppers ask me to move perhaps once every visit to the store, and I have to ask people to move for me upwards of ten or fifteen times.

The second kind of rudeness is what people do with their carts when they are done. They do all manner of things with them to discard them for the least effort, even if it means making someone else have to move it in order to get in to their car, or move their car away.

Someone left their shopping cart directly behind our car. There’s no way we can get into our car and drive away without pushing their cart somewhere. Where, exactly? Behind someone else’s car, so they can move it? How about into the shopping cart return area? Sure! Since I’m probably going to push my own shopping cart there anyhow, why don’t I also push this arrogant jerk’s cart there also? That makes great sense.

I have to wonder what is going through that person’s mind as he’s putting his cart behind some unknown person’s car, and drives off. I bet his only thought is, “I hope the owner of this car doesn’t see me doing this.”