“Dear Gabbie” is written with the simple hope of bringing a few smiles to your day and is not meant to replace the advice of professionals… especially your mom!

Dear Gabbie:

Why do some people insist on leaving their shopping carts next to other people’s cars instead of putting them in the cart corrals?

Dear Parking Lot Ponderer,

First, a shout out to grocery chain Aldi for being proactive in dealing with the “rogue carts in the parking lot” problem! For those not familiar, Aldi shopping carts are accessed by inserting a quarter in the cart lock and then retrieving the quarter by returning the cart to the corral. Super smart!

Now, let me share “The Shopping Cart Theory” from a Google AI search.

“[This] theory suggests that a person’s willingness to return a shopping cart to its designated spot reveals something about their moral character and capacity for self-governance. It posits that returning the cart, despite the lack of consequences for not doing so, is an indicator of a person’s willingness to act responsibly and considerately, even when not obligated to do so.”

Readers, please note that today’s “Dear Gabbie” question isn’t asking what to do about carts-in-the-wild, but rather why people do this. I think the above theory gives us insight that the cart-by-the-car leaver might not be the most responsible or considerate person. That’s not a problem we can solve (darn it). Of course, there’s always the small possibility an emergency caused a shopper to prioritize speed over common courtesy. But that’s a few-and-far-between occurrence. 

And, even though it wasn’t asked, I’m going to answer the question you might be thinking. The answer is “Yes!” You know you really should take a few extra seconds and push that cart back to the corral. JUST DO IT! Then, by all means, treat your responsible, considerate self to a special delicacy of your choosing. You deserve it! P.S. Thanks for doing that! We’re all glad that we share the world with YOU.

Happy Shopping!

Gabbie