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Comic idea 4
3 years ago
General
Groceries are loaded into the back of the car; A takes the shopping cart to the cart corral. Passing a young mother who had been in line in front of us inside the store, he offers to take her cart as she had just finished loading up her own vehicle.
Some dude sees this, smiles at A and just leaves his cart in the middle of the lot for A to take as well.
Upon return...
A: I guess he thought I worked here.
M: You should have kicked the cart so it wheeled straight into his truck.
A: I should have smiled back and just left it there.
M: Although...I try to remember to consciously do nice things for older guys. Hold open doors, smile at them, things like that. Lots of people will help old women, mothers, pretty younger women. But guys are told "You figure it out" and nobody cares about their problems. But I want them to see that someone thinks--
A: Someone thinks "You're an ugly old man and I feel sorry for you so I'm helping you"?
M: ...(sputters something that sounds like a denial, and then sulks)
Some dude sees this, smiles at A and just leaves his cart in the middle of the lot for A to take as well.
Upon return...
A: I guess he thought I worked here.
M: You should have kicked the cart so it wheeled straight into his truck.
A: I should have smiled back and just left it there.
M: Although...I try to remember to consciously do nice things for older guys. Hold open doors, smile at them, things like that. Lots of people will help old women, mothers, pretty younger women. But guys are told "You figure it out" and nobody cares about their problems. But I want them to see that someone thinks--
A: Someone thinks "You're an ugly old man and I feel sorry for you so I'm helping you"?
M: ...(sputters something that sounds like a denial, and then sulks)
If I see someone who looks like they need a hand (elderly, handicapped, mother with a struggling child et cetera), I'll hand them my cart. If they just climbed down out of a Monster Truck I couldn't even climb into, they can kiss my pink and shiny. Likewise, the able-bodied bum who shuffles up to me demanding my cart, I always say, "It cost me a quarter; I want it back." I have had one moron threaten me, but with 14 years of security and training under my belt, I don't take that lightly. "Did you get up this morning and tell yourself, ''Today is a good day to die'?"
Lately, I'm walking on a cane and have a handicapped hang tag on the mirror. I use the electric cart, which is free, anyway...
The only attempts to modify shoppers' behavior made in most stores here is to put a fancy brake on one of the front wheels that senses when it crosses a border in the parking lot, locks up and prevents theft of the cart.