Archived Guest Shenanigans with Carts

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Deli Ninja

Formerly Softlines Ninja (Now in Deli Flavor)!
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Oct 2, 2012
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Is it just me or have people gotten less intelligent when it comes to using carts this year? I've seen a lot more awkward and dangerous use of carts, I know, but has anyone else?
I've seen:
  • young adults and teens in general riding in the basket,
  • children riding on the underside of carts,
  • children standing up in carts more often and
  • kids in general climbing all over carts with little to no supervision (getting in and out of the seat/basket, for example).

How do you deal with it when a guest is letting their kid do something dangerous? I had one child actually pull an empty cart over sideways on top of them fairly recently and I was naturally afraid the kid might have been hurt. Thankfully, no blood and nothing broken, but I suspect that there was bruising later. I stopped asking kids to sit down unless the parent is obviously struggling to get their kid to sit down a long time ago. It just doesn't seem worth the evil looks you inevitably get approximately 75% of the time.
 
I've noticed too that kids ride under the cart with their arms spread out as if they were flying.
 
I ignore it. It's none of my business, although it might be spot's business if they try sue spot for anything injuries their kids inflict upon themselves.
 
Is it just me or have people gotten less intelligent when it comes to using carts this year? I've seen a lot more awkward and dangerous use of carts, I know, but has anyone else?
I've seen:
  • young adults and teens in general riding in the basket,
  • children riding on the underside of carts,
  • children standing up in carts more often and
  • kids in general climbing all over carts with little to no supervision (getting in and out of the seat/basket, for example).

How do you deal with it when a guest is letting their kid do something dangerous? I had one child actually pull an empty cart over sideways on top of them fairly recently and I was naturally afraid the kid might have been hurt. Thankfully, no blood and nothing broken, but I suspect that there was bruising later. I stopped asking kids to sit down unless the parent is obviously struggling to get their kid to sit down a long time ago. It just doesn't seem worth the evil looks you inevitably get approximately 75% of the time.
They call it cart surfing, very unsafe for kids. Use stickers in spill stations to remind guests.
 
I have noticed more kids standing in carts as well but I don't say anything. My reason is I just want to avoid a parent saying something back.
 
The old carts had a bar across the underside that blocked anything large. The new ones don't so now we have cart surfers.
At FA, I can't tell you how many ice packs I've made for kids who have had their fingers/hands pinched or run over.
 
I have tried the not saying anything approach, but have gotten reminders from two different SrTLs that I need to be saying something. I don't mind doing it if the guest has already asked Johnny to sit down a couple of times, and then goes to pay and Johnny starts trying to get up again. Usually the guest is grateful that I am saying something. Then there are the kids that get in and out of the cards on their own, or start playing crack the whip with the cart in front of the lanes....ugh.

It's a hard act to balance. I really want to tell some of these people that the absolute last sound I want to hear is their child's head hitting the floor like a watermelon. Maybe then they would pay attention and think about what they are letting their kids do.
 
I used to go around and say things but then I decided it wasn't worth it anymore parents got mad ETLS didn't even pay attention anymore so why bother.
 
At my first store in a upscale shopping area, I would find garbage bags filled with beer cans left in carts in the lot.

At my last store, I just clocked out when my LOD pulls me over to his desk (I was very lucky) and says that the nearby retirement apartment complex just called and they were livid at us and complaining about all the Target carts on their property. We found out that a bunch of their residents were using our carts to take their purchases across the street and up a steep hill to the complex then up the elevator to the top floors and parking the carts in the hallways.

After management gave him an earful, my LOD told them calmly if they didn't return the carts themselves within a week, he would call the police and file a complaint against the complex and the residents for removing Target property off grounds.
 
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I've seen the teenagers riding in the cart, whining they were too tired to walk, and the parents letting them get away with it, actually helping them get in the cart.

There was one day when I was leaving, there was an empty flat up in the express lane, and a 6 month old crawling onto it and under it, and the parents not paying a bit of attention to it. Probably hoping something would happen to make them rich at the expense of the child.

The one thing that really gets me is the number of parents who have their kids push the cart when the kid can't see over the handle of the cart. Most of the time when I hear a spill call...it doesn't surprise me that the kid ran into the shelf or display because they didn't know it was there. Nevermind how many times they run into other guests and their carts in the aisle.....fun fun fun.....
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys! Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner.

I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and start speaking up again and see what my experiences are, maybe go for a month and then decide where to go with it from there. It couldn't hurt... right? XD
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys! Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner.

I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and start speaking up again and see what my experiences are, maybe go for a month and then decide where to go with it from there. It couldn't hurt... right? XD
Go for it!
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys! Sorry I didn't get back to this sooner.

I've decided that I'm going to go ahead and start speaking up again and see what my experiences are, maybe go for a month and then decide where to go with it from there. It couldn't hurt... right? XD
Still better wear your chain mail underneath your red shirt.
 
The first store I worked at I was getting ran over by carts, run into. I had bruises up and down my body. The guests there were a rough bunch! Im glad im at a more peaceful location now lol
 
Definitely speak up. If nothing else, it can lead to very fun guest interactions.

I had an ETL once ask a child very nicely if she could sit down, because he was afraid she might fall and get hurt and he didn't want that to happen. The child, immensely pleased with the sticker she was offered as a bribe, promptly sat down. The mother, on the other hand, threw a gigantic hissy fit.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TELL MY CHILD WHAT TO DO? DON'T YOU THINK I CAN DO THAT?!?!"
"Well, you haven't given me any reason to think you can, so... no?"

Maybe you had to be there. But it was great. She was redder than the cart, but couldn't come up with anything else to say at that point. Best part is, said ETL was in the STL's office for a status the next day when the woman called to complain to the STL. Apparently he was just cracking up laughing as the woman was screaming at the STL over the phone.
 
On a totally unrelated, I-never-did-that-how-dare-you-accuse-me note...

I've... uh... been told... that if you have a sloped parking lot and take one of the big red kiddie carts to the top and hop on the back, it will spin 360s all the way down the hill. :cough:
 
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