Pay For Shopping Cart Debate Continues - Canadians Pay $1

Well by buddy Charley back in California seems to think that the story behind the pay for shopping cart use, is still of interest, so he sent me another link to a story in the San Jose Mercury news. It seems that some people see this as a joke of some type, while others are getting down right vindictive and feel the cops should arrest any homeless person pushing a stolen shopping cart around.

In this new tale it states:

Memo to the presidential candidates: Grasping for an issue to light a new fire during this interminable primary conflagration? Need an issue that’ll rile people up anew and spur them to action? I’ve got just the thing - shopping carts. Last week I wrote a column blasting coin-operated locking shopping carts, which showed up by mistake at my local Safeway. Since then, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing and I’m drowning in e-mail. Some people were so angry all they could do was growl and sputter into the phone.

A few samples from my in-basket:

“Attitudes like yours are what other countries dislike about ‘Ugly Americans.’ “

“Climb back on the turnip truck.”

“THIS IS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER READ IN THIS PAPER AND THERE IS CERTAINLY A LOT OF GARBAGE EVERYDAY.”

I won’t address the other daily garbage, but why so much passion and vitriol? We’re not talking about the Beijing Olympics or soaring gasoline prices. We’re talking about the simple, lowly shopping cart.

So in my previous article located here I received a reader comment from Bob Wilson who said:

Hey Ron,

You think a quarter is bad. Some stores are now demanding a Loonie to use their carts, but you do get it back. A Loonie is a Canadian one dollar coin. I guess some people still won’t return the cart for 25 cents but for a dollar….

So the fun continues between our friends in Canada and those of us here in the U.S. who seem to feel we shouldn’t have to pay anything to use a shopping cart.

Comments welcome.

Oh……another thought? Maybe Obama and Clinton should charge us to listen to their campaign speeches. After all, it seems that both candidates have been accused of stealing speeches from others. Would you pay a buck to hear either of the candidates speak?

Full SJ Merc article is here.

[tags]shopping, carts, steal, charge, canada, 1 dollar, homeless, [/tags]