It all started back in the day with the "pole" on the shopping cart. You have all seen them, that fuckin' 10 foot pole on the cart that you slam into the exit door frame with when you forget the cart has the pole. That pissed people off and they took to the streets to demand change.
Then, when people bitched about that, science and technology improved and you were allowed to exit the store with the cart, but could not get past the iron corral they had right on the sidewalk in front of the store. The opening was only about a foot wide and you were screwed. You had to unload your bags right there, tying up cart and pedestrian traffic trying to exit the store.
They've Tried It All!
Then some genius invented the "quarter system". Remember that bright idea? You put a quarter into the cart to unleash it from the other carts, then when you are done shopping, you reconnect it to another cart and your quarter pops back out. There were a few glitches with this system. First of all, if I wanted to steal a cart, I think a quarter is a fuckin' bargain for a $200.00 cart, that did not stop anyone. A fuckin' bum could panhandle a quarter in about 10 seconds. Then there were times you did not have a quarter on you. You'd dig through your pockets, the change tray in the car and finally have to go in the store and get change to shop, that sucked ass and people got pissed.
The latest technology is the best. They have this magnetic field around the perimeter of the store and a device installed on each of the wheels of the carts whick locks up the wheels of the cart which prevents it from moving. The only problem with this technology is that the store by my home has the perimeter zone way too small. The other day the parking lot was packed and I had to park further from the store than usual. $200 and an overflowing cart later, I leave the store headed for my car when the fuckin' cart locks up and drags ground like the EXXON VALDEZ, only I wasn't drunk and steering this ship. I actually had to leave a full cart of groceries in the middle of the lot, sprint to my car and drive my car to my cart for the groceries. What the hell is that all about????
We've come a long way in shopping cart technology, but it all still sucks!
16 comments:
Wow! I've heard of this but thankfully that's not the case at the grocery store near my house. I'd be pretty ticked off if I had to lug my groceries because of my cart not being able to penetrate through that magnetic shield. Too bizarre!
Not a grocery-cart-preventative-theft measure, but have you heard of the RFIDs (Radio Frequency IDs) they're starting to put on grocery items? Its so big scary companies like Wal-Mart (aka, the DEVIL) can do demographic tracking on what you're buying and tag specific advertisements for your shopping habits. Crazy.
Magentic shiiiieeeld!
MUSE, i have heard of that, it's nuts!!!
I love the Preakness, some of my craziest memories took place at Pimlico!!!! :)
Are you kidding? That's just stupid!
Although I wish I could get my hands on this ingenius technology and switch it to keep certain people out!
Did you steal that cart just for this story?
I never heard of such new fancy cart technology, what, is this too fancy for us people out here in Oreeeeegon? :op
Charlie, your mission has been identified. You must build the newest, coolest, no-one-can-steal-this-motherfucking-shopping-cart!! :)
what about our homeless. they wont be able to have the shopping carts now. they wont be able to carry their homes and clothes!
Damn Corporate America!
Poor homeless!! Of course that damn corporate america would find some way to rob them too!!! figures.
Thank God here in Boca Raton,FL we have Valet parking and no hi-tech shopping carts. It is like shopping at the Gucci store at our local Publix's (grocery store)!
I hope this info does not come south. I will have to order my groceries from home delivery services.
Jeez. Is stealing shopping carts a big thing in your neck of the woods? I've never heard of any of these things. There aren't any devices on the carts here. I'd hate to go shopping and have to deal with all that crap. It's so frustrating.
All I know is they created those metal detectors for a reason and now they go off and they just wave you on. It's almost as if they're saying, "Go ahead, take something. We're only sorta looking."
I want to see a shopping trolley drag race, see what times they can do down the quarter. Failing that, a souped up turbo charged trolley - now there's an idea...
I've never heard of that crazy cart technology, either. But that's not what amazed me about this post....$200 for a shopping cart?! That's crazy. I'm in the wrong business. I need to get into Shopping Cart Manufacturing.
I just want a cart that the wheels all work and go in the same fucking direction!!!!! Is that too much to ask?!!
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