shopping carts

Didn't get a chance to blog yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to wish my mom a happy birthday as well yesterday. Happy Birthday, Mom! (And yes, that's right. Kevin's wife, mother, and mother in-law all have birthdays within 5 days of each other! Most people tell him that is one tough week to live up to, but he says it's easier this way because he won't be able to forget any of the birthdays since they're right in a row. Plus, the women in his life really don't expect or demand much, if anything, for their birthdays. I think that makes it a lot easier on him!)

I saw an OCD parking lot security guard at the grocery store yesterday. They have a ton of security guards that just roam the parking lots and watch everything you do. Trust me, when you're borrowing someone's car and having a difficult time trying to figure out how to open the trunk so you end up looking very suspicious, they will sit and watch you like a hawk. Anyway, you have to pay 100 forint to get a grocery cart at the stores, which is returned to you upon the return of your cart. I went to go get a cart, and he was sticking in 100 ft coins into various carts to unlock them so that he could arrange them into evenly filled rows of carts. I inevitably messed up his system because they were uneven once I took my cart. Must have been a boring day in the parking lot...no one stealing cars or whatnot.

I know there is a store or two in the US who have a similar sort of system for the carts. I really think it's a good idea. How many times could I not pull into a parking spot or open my door because some lazy person didn't walk the extra ten feet to put the cart in the stall? Okay, there might be a few other reasons than just sheer laziness, but that's what it is for most people. I was shopping with someone a few years ago who didn't go put the cart back. I mentioned something about it and the response was, "They pay people to go get the carts and bring them into the store." I still don't think they should have to go chase down your cart! Anyway, I ended up putting it back for that person because I thought it was rude. There was no reason why they couldn't have done it. Sorry for getting on my soapbox there.

AND, I have to say I think I can count on one hand the number of carts I have seen in the middle of the parking lot around here. That even includes IKEA, which is the only place I have been to thus far where you don't have to pay for the carts.

But before signing off, I must say that there is one thing that really bugs me about shopping carts here... They are so difficult to navigate and steer through the store! No joke! All four wheels can turn (instead of only the front two), and it tends to always want to turn left. You have to prepare 100 feet in advance if you plan on turning the cart to the right so that you can start to swing that baby around. Okay, so maybe it's not 100 feet, but I do have to get a head start. And why is it that I always seem to get the cart with one bum wheel that gives me terrible problems?!