Do you ever look at the contents of other people's trolleys and wonder about the selection?

Question

I only ask because, when I was working in an asylum seekers hostel, the team decided to provide condoms on request to our residents.
Preparing a party, I went to the supermarket with my (ethnically different) step-son. In our trolley there were six bottles of wine, a crate of beer, 400 cigarettes AND 24 packets of condoms.
The eyebrows of the woman at the cash desk disappeared above her hair-line. She looked from me to my step-son and then back to me. I said, 'We're having a party.' I could hardly have said the truth: 'The condoms are for work!'

A shopping trolley is a large basket on wheels which we peasants in the UK use to collect our purchases during our wander round the supermarket. We pay for the items and then wheel the trollex out to the car and load the boot (trunk). If we have had to pay a deposit on the trolley, we take it back and collect the deposit. If we have not paid a deposit, only conscientious shoppers park the trolley in the designated place, others leave them just anywhere, usually the spot you want to reverse into.

Answer 1

oh god all the time, im a nosey bird. i like the tale you tell, it made me titter

Answer 2

I used to work at a checkout and most of the time you ignore what people buy but once or twice I've had a guy getting porn magazines and toilet roll and it's like, mmm, wonder what you're up to later on? In this mans case he was a regular and I still remember seeing him the next day and trying to make conversation... but don't worry! You will probably never see the cashier again!

Answer 3

I would have asked if I could join the party! I always look in other people's trolleys. Always wondering why I didn't see all the nice things in their trolleys on the shelves. Of course i'm too lazy to go back and look for them

Answer 4

Yes, I do, and it is very funny. One can tell a lot about another person by what is in his or her trolley.
I've never seen a selection such as you had, but, that is a good thing. I would have been laughing my head off. I love to play "guess who these people are by what they have in the trolley."
I went Sunday morning to the grocery, and there were two little old men ahead of me. One bought two donuts, one bought one. So, one was taking the donuts home to share with the infirm wife[she had to be unable to come with him, or she would have been there, telling him what donuts to buy]. The other man was single, and on a budget.
A man in front of me a few weeks back had a 12-pack of beer, and every microwave cheap dinner in the case in the trolley. So, single, not wanting to date.
Female, two kids hanging of the trolley. Mac and cheese, hamburger helper, soda. No meat, no veggies. So, single working Mom with spoiled kids.
Older couple, with every veggie and fruit available, no meat, a lot of juice. Man was pale, and just standing there watching wife unload onto the belt. So, man just had heart attack, they are eating healthy now.
Try to guess this one: 3 donuts, 3 bananas, a sack of frozen crab legs, a box of expensive novelty ice cream, a bag of Wavy Lay's potato chips, and the 2 local Sunday papers.
Vote my answer best and I'll tell you!

Answer 5

When I am the till and I waiting my turn I do have right good nose in the trolley of the person in front, I stand there thinking thats looks nice or oooh thats a bit posh, I hate it when their trolley is full of veg and green stuff and mines full of cakes and crisps, you cant help it. I can never wait either till there is sufficient room on the conveyor belt for all my stuff I just keep piling it up until its two foot high!!! They have bought in self service tills now so might be better off using them they are brill me and boyfriend fight over who is going to do it!!

Answer 6

Sometimes I do, but mostly I don't have time because I'm running through the store like a maniac trying to cram two weeks' worth of groceries into my cart and pacifying my bored, sceaming soon-to-be two year old! On the rare occasion I get to shop alone, yes--I do check out other people's carts. Especially guys who appear single, or rednecks. What those two groups (most of them--certainly not all) of people buy is hysterical. Beer, pork rinds, huge steaks, cigarettes, absolutely NO vegetables, potato chips, sweets/junk food, cheap cuts of hamburger, etc. I love watching people and wondering what their story is. I wish I had more time to do it!

Answer 7

I always wonder why the contents of the shopping trolley in front are so much healthier than the load of junk in mine! I just love cake!!!!

Answer 8

I think a lot about this. I don‘t look over other peoples carts, but once, I found a (male) friend at the supermarket and he started going through all my things! He even asked me about my sanitary napkins and if I had my period! Other thing, I work in advertising, and every time you found a client in a supermarket (I live in a small city), you had to make sure you had their product in your cart.
Too much hassle. I don‘t even like going to the supermarket anymore.

Answer 9

I'm fascinated by other people's shopping carriages and I dare say I'd have had to ask about yours!

Mostly, though, it's beverages that get me. Two liter bottle of soda in particular. I think it's partly because I take the subway to the grocery store and can't imagine giving up precious space (and weight) limitations to accommodate sugar water.

I also wonder about the folks who buy carts full of bathroom tissue or canned beef stew or frozen dinners. OK, I wonder about it all!!

Answer 10

Good story. Have you noticed that the obese only seem to eat stuff that will make them even fatter, OAP couples obsessing about everything (esp.what gets packed where) & little old ladies who stand for ages apparently considering the merits of 2 unrelated products (eg.bacon or custard) as if one is a direct substitute for the other ?

Answer 11

Yes, and when they load to pay, always wonder about the choclates, crisps and forzen dinners. Especialy if they are a little overwieght