Grocery carts are everywhere!?

Question

My apartment complex is several blocks down from a grocery store and my neighbors have been bringing home their groceries and then leaving the carts in the complex.

There's one lady in particular that I think uses them to cart her laundry around and after she's done, she leaves it right by the elevator (which happens to face my living room window). There are currently two upstairs by the elevator and one under the stairwell on the 1st floor. The other night I went and pushed the cart in front of her door and left a note asking her not to do it anymore and mentioned how trashy it makes the complex look. No dice, the next morning it was back by the elevator.

The next day, I called the office to complain about the lady and see if they could remove the carts. The manager said OK but now it's 3 days later and all the carts are still there! What do I do?

Correction: I know she uses them (I've seen her pushing the empty ones to the elevator) I was just spectulating as to what she was always using them for. I just thought that maybe letting her know that it is inconsiderate would give her some kind of clue and she would stop leaving them there. Guess some people just can't take a not-so-subtle hint.

Answer 1

Taking the grocery cart off of the store campus is theft. Your neighbors may not realize it or care, though. I've seen it happen, too. I also live in an apartment complex near a grocery store. Across the street from it is a bus stop where I've seen the occasional cart. However, I guess my neighbors are just smart. (Well, we're a seminary community and the students all have bachelor's degrees, as it's a master's program. Also, most of the student's spouses have bachelor's degrees and we all have common sense.) Anyway, I think it's just as much of the grocery store's problem as well. Contact the head manager and explain the situation. Some grocery stores have a system where one has to rent the cart for a quarter. The quarter is plugged into a little reciprocal on the cart, and the key that is on the attached cart pops out and the cart is loose. If one wants his quarter back, s/he has to put the key of another cart into the device on the cart. (Aldi, a chain of mostly store brand products uses this method. They also make customers buy bags, a nickel for paper and a dime for plasic, I think, which is also a great earth friendly idea, too.However, I have a large canvas bag that I take with me when I walk to the local grocery and extra paper bags when I go there or other places. Plastic bags are very poor quality and very earth unfriendly.)

Sorry. I'm digressing.

Also, call the manager again. It is his or her responsiblity to keep the complex looking good. For one, it deters possible renters and could even cause current renters to move. If I lived in a complex and felt as though it was not being properly cared for, especially after complaints and comments to the manager(s), I would look into moving. However, we've been blessed. While the actual management and maintainence of the complex is contracted to an outside company, there is somebody at school who is in charge of making sure things get done. Although, just because we ask for something, doesn't mean it's going to happen. My husband and I learned one term that no smoking in the building's hallways did not mean that one couldn't smoke inside the apartments. Even though I smoked at the time, I was an outdoor smoker and the indoor smoke, ironically, bothered me. My husband raised, well, hell several times and it didn't get banned. Thankfully, though the guy left.

When you talk to the manager, you could also remind him/her that it is an eyesore on the complex and just makes it look unkempt and that it could deter tenants from living there-- Current and future.

Answer 2

Call the manager of the supermarket and tell them to come get their carts. Those shopping carts aren't cheap and the supermarket certainly doesn't want them disappearing or getting damaged. You might also mention to them that this is an ongoing problem. Who knows, maybe they'll send someone through the complex every once in a while to collect the carts.

If this is a large problem, there are also systems available that prevent carts from being removed from the supermarkets property. Basically, they bury a wire around the perimeter of the parking lot. When a shopping cart is rolled over the wire, one or more of the wheels lock up. The cart can't be moved until it's reset by a store employee.

If you don't get anywhere with the store manager, you should voice your concerns again with your apartment manager. Let them know that this is affecting the enjoyment of your apartment and that if it can't be taken care of, you'll have to look for another place to live.

Also, some cities and counties have a "shopping cart hotline" where you can report abandoned carts. Someone from the city comes out, picks up the carts, brings them to a collection area, and calls the store manager to come pick them up (the store is charged a fee before they get their carts back). You might call City Hall and ask if this is something available in your area.

I would not attempt to resolve it with someone you "think" is causing the problem. First of all, they may or may not be the culprit, and there may be others that are doing this. Second, it's not your battle to fight. There are people who get paid to deal with this problem, and you should make them do their job. Leaving nasty notes for your neighbors simply encourages nasty replies. Eventually the back and forth will get to a point where you don't want to deal with it any more, and you'll ask the apartment manager involved anyway. Then, at that point, the manager will be faced with trying to instantly solve a problem that took weeks/months to manifest.

Answer 3

Calling the store wont do anything! I mean what is the manager going "keep an eye out" for this suspicious woman and refuse her a shopping cart? That has law suit written all over it. You need to take matters into your own hands! Get a crescent wrench and a socket set and loosen up those wheels until they are just about to come off and let that lady know you mean business! Sounds like she needs to learn the hard way.

Answer 4

I would again contact your apartment manager and revoice your complaint. I would also contact the grocery store manager and let them know this is an ongoing problem (they do want their carts at their store for their shoppers). You might also contact the local police department and the housing authoritiy in your area, not so much to complain but to advise them that there is an issue with these carts and they should be both aware and informed of it.

Best of Luck

Answer 5

I agree with the people above first it is theft and second the store would really love to get their carts back.
I would call the stores notifying them of the where abouts of the carts and who is responsible.
however you still need to have a sit down with your manager and find out why they want their place to look like that??

Answer 6

I would call the manager back. Call the grocery store and tell them that all of their carts are at your apartment.

I laughed at this for a moment but I bet its very annoying. You could always push them out onto the sidewalk. You could also call the police.

Answer 7

Isn't that sad, maybe you should help them carry somethings and then tell them how ignorant they are cause they make the store lock them up and then you have to pay more for groceries and such cause they have to buy another cart or hire yet another poor soul to gather what we could have gathered individually since we do use them, they should be returned they are not ours.

Answer 8

I agree, call the grocery store.

Your neighbor may be mentally ill though, or she may have physical problems which don't allow her to carry anything heavy.

As a last resort, you could go to Bed Bath n Beyond and buy her one of those carts with wheels and leave it for her as a present at her door.

Answer 9

Look for the Store's name on the cart and call the company directly. They will come and pick them up. Good luck! How annoying....

Answer 10

Call the grocery store. Those carts are surprisingly
expensive!