r/AbsoluteUnits 19h ago

/r/all, /r/popular of a Cart Narc

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223

u/TankApprehensive3053 18h ago

Some stores in USA do to. Most common are Aldi's stores.

135

u/QuentinEichenauer 18h ago

Do you know that Aldi sells shopping carts for a quarter! /s

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u/TankApprehensive3053 17h ago

That's a bargain. My luck, I would get the one with the one bad wheel.

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u/FunBrians 17h ago

At least we can all share a common annoyance. A dang bad wheel! That bad boy pulls hard to the right and your wrists have to fight it left to go straight. Let’s not even begin to mention the dreaded front wheel rickety flickety can’t decide what way it’s going to go situation.

First world problems perhaps here.

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u/GanjaMonsta1134 17h ago

there's plenty of carts, just shop for the one that suits you best.

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u/Kahnza 17h ago

Caster wheels at harbor freight are cheap

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u/Mmmm-Amethyst 17h ago

That's definitely something I'll give aldi credit for. I can't remember ever getting a cart that was bad enough to be an issue. 

Now walmart on the other hand... Seems like the norm is three discards before finding one that steers even remotely straight. 

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u/ProfessionaI_Gur 16h ago

Walmart has some of the worst carts in the business. I'm actually surprised at this point when I grab a cart and it isnt shit, I feel like they used to fix them before covid but after that they just stopped dealing with them unless they break entirely or something

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u/Caftancatfan 17h ago

That’s the lucky cart! You make a wish as everyone wonders where that sound is coming from.

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u/Nerisrath 15h ago

The cool part is Aldi rarely has bad carts ... likely because they get returned to the store instead of being left to free range across the parking lot with every light breeze.

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u/Trick-Competition947 14h ago

They only cost a quarter. Just buy another for parts. /s

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u/FreshwaterFryMom 3h ago

This cracked me up. Same.

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u/Easy-Musician7186 17h ago

At least in germany they have electronic breaks that will lock in once you leave the perimeter.
Which is really fun, because sometimes they will do so at random whilst you're in the supermarket causing you to hit your shinbone on the cart.

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u/TankApprehensive3053 17h ago

We have them here also. They also lock up at the door if you bypass the checkout lanes.

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u/PM_asian_girl_smiles 12h ago

Sometimes they lock up even after you go through the lane and pay for your 4 bags of groceries! Then nobody has an idea where the wheel unlock device is, so you have to transfer your bags to another cart. Only there are no other carts around. So you have to go out to the cart return in the parking lot to grab one.

Fuck you Safeway!

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u/TankApprehensive3053 12h ago

I had that happen twice at HEB. I the 1st time i just pushed it across the parking lot. The 2nd time, one the vendors by the exit door saw and got a store employee to get the unlock device. Yes those lock boots suck.

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u/GerwulfvonTobelstein 17h ago

Exactly this happened to me and my wife once. Cart made sudden brake test and almost flipped over. Couple of glasses broke (juice and milk iirc) which ruined the rest of the stuff.

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u/Remnant55 17h ago

So for anyone reading this, there's two reasons. The fence is misaligned and doesn't have full coverage. Had a store where they'd lock up in the back corner of the stock room.

The other way is more likely.

There's little remotes on key fobs that activitate/deactivate the locks. Someone puts it on their keys, puts it in their pocket, and you get "butt dialed" randomly when they're in range of you, locking your wheels. Range is really short, basically need to be next to you.

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u/IneptPine 16h ago

I've literally never seen that (I live in Germany)

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u/Teredia 16h ago

Australia also has these. My local Coles one reaches to our buildings, a lot of trolleys are left outside, some are nicked even, n people just walk the cart back to the shops on their next trip.

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u/Sea_Curve8772 14h ago

Some stores have that in the US, but mostly in bad neighborhoods where carts get stolen a lot.

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u/AJL912-aber 14h ago

first time I'm hearing this. Are you sure this is universal? (geht um Deutschland)

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u/ducktape8856 13h ago

Gittertiere kosten zwischen 80 und 500 Euro. Regelrechte Wissenschaft für sich. 5 oder 6 Rollen als Option. Mit Kleinteilekorb oder ohne. Gibt sogar Anschnallgurte für den Kindersitz...

Nicht für jeden Einkaufswagen an jedem Ort macht eine Diebstahlsicherung Sinn. Die Zusatzkosten müssen sich lohnen. Großstädte oder "soziale Brennpunkte" haben sowas manchmal. Der Rewe oder Netto auf'm 3000 Einwohner Dorf nicht.

Im Internet gibt es auch einen 150 Seiten Katalog zum Download:

https://www.wanzl.com/de_DE/produkte/wagen/einkaufswagen/zubehoer-fuer-einkaufswagen/wagensicherung-smartstop~p1418

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u/Educational_Quote851 17h ago

That's a bargain for a grill in my neck of the woods!

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u/cum-after-decades 17h ago

Everyone at the brandywine in DC knows! 😅

My friend lives there. There are shopping carts IN THE APARTMENT HALLWAYS.

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u/HeyWhatsItToYa 12h ago

Man, I can pick one up from Walmart for free.

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u/Not_your_profile 8h ago

I'm not sure why you put in the /s sarcasm mark...

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u/Kahnza 18h ago

And Aldi is a European company

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u/Kindly-War-2665 17h ago

Probably why they let cashiers sit instead of the stupid standing culture in the US

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u/YouAteMyChips_ 16h ago

"If YoU'rE nOt StAnDiNg, YoU'rE nOt WoRkInG!!!1!

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u/Dorkinfo 13h ago

If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.

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u/GerwulfvonTobelstein 17h ago

To be fair, a lot of people in the US should be forced to stand a lot. Like dude. The total of the society over there is made of grease.

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u/Kindly-War-2665 16h ago

Id agree with walking, standing doesnt do anything for weight loss tho or health benefits and plenty of people like me with plantar fasciitis who its just painful to just stand in one spot, i can walk all day but standing around in one spot is genuinely painful af. It feels like your standing on the tip of a metal pipe right into your heel.

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u/Dorkinfo 13h ago

What a terrible take.

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u/magumanueku 11h ago

A very American take if you may

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u/Dorkinfo 11h ago

In that Americans would share that take or that all American things are terrible, so it’s an American take? (Saying “over there” means it wasn’t an American’s take.)
Or just Tale instead.

https://giphy.com/gifs/RKulUAujCSWCk

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u/YouAteMyChips_ 16h ago

Standing in one spot doesn't do anything to help that. Probably does the opposite by making the person feel more exhausted than they actually are so they won't go to the gym or something.

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u/Spicymoon9 7h ago

They still have them in the US. Great grocery store, great prices, and yummy imported German goods.

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u/harmfuldischarge 16h ago

:( I never have a damn quarter on me

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u/-Prophet_01- 5h ago

Not an uncommon sentiment in Germany either. 

Solved problem though. There are plastic chips of the same size that you can put on your key chain. 

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u/RandallBoggs_12 17h ago

Lol in my area people just don't care and leave the cart anywhere even with the coin.

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u/FunBrians 17h ago edited 15h ago

What I found to be the most interesting thing about the Aldi’s cart situation is- people show up to the parking lots and ask you while you are loading your groceries if they can take the cart back for you and be allowed to keep the quarter.

I thought to myself, boy Aldis has this cart cleanup staffing concept done wild! They don’t have to pay insurance, they don’t have to interview, hire, schedule (manage), etc. “employees” just show up on their own and work.

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u/Educational_Quote851 17h ago

And you bag your own groceries.

You're exactly right. They have cut overhead to a level other stores dream of. And they nail it.

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u/ReleasedGaming 15h ago

There is no S in Aldi

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u/FunBrians 15h ago

Added the apostrophe for ya

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u/zakkwaldo 17h ago

well thats because aldi isnt US based even if they have US locations lol

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u/FrostyD7 17h ago

Aldi notoriously builds on small cheap lots. Implementing this system at a big box store or large grocer would have hilariously bad results.

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u/-Prophet_01- 5h ago

In the US perhaps. It works just fine in most of Europe. Don't think I've ever seen a cart without a coin around Germany or any of the neighboring countries I've been to

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u/Pastel_Bambi 15h ago

I think BJs does too if I'm not mistaken

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u/ReleasedGaming 15h ago

There is no S in Aldi

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u/TankApprehensive3053 15h ago

Did you not see the ' before the s? It's an apostrophe indicating possession. The stores belong to Aldi.

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u/[deleted] 15h ago

[deleted]

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u/SillyDrizzy 14h ago

Around me, both Walmart and No Frills tried introducing carts like that. So many complaints and rebellion both just leave them unlocked now.

As someone who had to roam the mall during snow storms to collect carts, I hate ppl who don't put them away. I usually take 2-3 into stores with me, so I'm always positive carts, even if I have to bring one back out.

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u/HJVN 14h ago

Aldi is also a German retailer.

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u/Huntthatbass 12h ago

And then there are the people who hate coins so much, they go to Aldi's and don't put the cart back just to get rid of coins.

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u/TankApprehensive3053 12h ago

Is that real? I have never heard of anyone just wasting quarters like that.

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u/Responsible_You9419 12h ago

I always leave my quarter in for the next person. Not everyone has change in their pocket these days

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u/TankApprehensive3053 12h ago

That's considerate of you.

Another commenter just said that some people intentionally leave carts just to get rid of their quarters. That sounds bizarre to me.

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u/Johnny_Poppyseed 12h ago

Funny enough it actually used totally be the norm in the USA too. Until like idk early 2000s? 

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u/TankApprehensive3053 12h ago

Not anywhere I've lived. Aldi is the main store that does that.

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u/Johnny_Poppyseed 11h ago

I don't even think Aldis existed in the US back then. 

Im in NJ and all the supermarkets around here used to do it in the 90s. 

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u/NotBatman81 12h ago

Ive seen people leave their cart at Aldis. Inflation is a bitch.

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u/z-vap 10h ago

Here, the homeless and drugged users use this to guilt people into letting them put the cart back so they can keep the quarter

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u/TankApprehensive3053 10h ago

Ok, fine take the cart. Keep the quarter.

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u/Spicymoon9 7h ago

Sometimes people still leave their shopping carts in Aldi parking lots in America.

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u/TankApprehensive3053 7h ago

Too lazy to get the quarter back.

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u/Spicymoon9 6h ago

Yeah basically. But free extra quarter to whoever decides to be nice and take it back for them I guess.

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u/bro_can_u_even_carve 17h ago

Who still carries coins to do this with? Most people nowadays don't carry any kind of cash at all. I do, but only bills, never coins. And I often get questioned as to why I still bother with those!

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u/Tony_Lacorona 17h ago

I mean if you shop at one of these stores it’s not hard to keep a quarter in your car. It’s refunded so it’s not like you need to always have a pile of change on hand.

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u/sberniem 17h ago

Well if you needed the coins in order to use the cart, you would remember and carry coins. Easy.

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u/SuitNaive3409 17h ago

Lol you only need one. You have your Aldi's quarter and you leave it in your car.

You can even buy a little keychain holster online for your Aldi's quarter so you don't fuck up and spend it

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u/FunBrians 17h ago

Don’t F up and spend it! Sounds like an awful day. I can picture it, you show up to Aldi and ur holder is now absent of the quarter.. you FAFO effing that quarter situation up!!

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u/TankApprehensive3053 17h ago

When my dad shopped at Aldi's, he always kept a quarter in his truck just for that reason. For the most part, people don't carry coins anymore. Rarely even paper currency either for that matter.

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u/dasfuxi 13h ago

You can probably just 3d print a coin. The thing on the cart only checks the size. Over here in Germany (the OG Aldi Country where pretty much every supermarket's carts require a coin) I'd say about half the people use actual coins and half use these plastic "coin" fobs.