This is unironically how i judge if someone is a decent person. It costs you nothing, and requires minimum effort, and yet most people I meet just can't be bothered. I don't even work in retail, nor have I ever, but it just annoys the hell outta me that people are that inconsiderate. It's not like Sam Walton himself is asking you to put the cart away for him. When you don't do it some minimum wage employee has to chase them down. You're not better than them. You're capable of doing the minimal task asked of you.

As previously stated, I've met way to many people like this. Pox on the Earth. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I worked at grocery stores for 7 years in my late teens and early 20s. People who don't use cart corrals deserve nothing.

They say that it's the ultimate test of selflessness, because it doesn't benefit you and there's no recognition for it.

But does it cancel out the selflessness if I'm now thinking that every time I return a cart? "If someone sees me, they'll know how selfless I am..."

So do I if I want my money back

And I'm European

I argue that empathy, and the sympathy and compassion that flow from it, are the only things a person can be rightly judged by. It matters not one's wealth, race, skill, ambition, charm, etc. Those are nice to have and can make life easier, but they don't make a person better or worse. It only matters that they care about others, and anyone that cares about others and acts like it is a great person even if mistakes have been made.

If you think you're a loser because you don't have a girl/boyfriend and live with your parents or something but you care about others, you are a far greater person than Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or anyone like that to be certain.

You need to check out the cart narcs on YouTube!! They record themselves calling people out on not returning their carts, and the petty reactions from the lazy bones. They even have hood magnets for the unrepentant!! https://youtube.com/@CartNarcs

I bring loose carts into the store on my way in, usually don't use a cart since I bring bags

actual marriage material

I still feel bad about the one time I didn't return a shopping cart.

A creepy guy was hitting on me and wouldn't take no for an answer, didn't feel safe to go anywhere but in my car and the fuck out of there.

It wasn't until I moved and had a Wegmans that I pretty much never see a cart outside of their sheds. The couple times I have seen it was at the "entitled rich people" location. Wegmans has enough cart returns around that you have absolutely no excuse. They even put the reserved spots for pregnant and those with children right next to the returns so it is easier for them.

Grocery store owner: "Looks like customer altruism is ramping up again, time to lay off some more employees!"

Ah the good ol shopping cart litmus test

Putting the cart in the corral is a little pleasure for me if there aren't too many carts in it. I stand back a little and push it in and watch it go with glee like a small child.

Better than crack.