PLEASE KOKUA!
In Hawaiian "kokua" (Ko Koo Ah) means to help, cooperate, assist, support, care about one another and well....you get the meaning right? I do believe that courtesy may just be a part of this wonderful word that rolls off the tongue with sincerity and depth.
We had gone to Lowe's Home Improvement Store this morning to get a few needed things for our home. After we shopped we grabbed a Hot Dog from Woody's Hot Dog Stand outside of Lowe's. We took everything to the car and sat inside chowing down on our hot dogs, chips and root beer.
And then......I saw this lady dump her shopping cart on the little grassy area next to another who apparently was just as lazy to walk the few steps to the cart station. Now, I can understand if they don't have a cart station on every isle and expect you to take the cart all the way to the front of the store two blocks away. But take a look. The carts are hogging up a parking space and they are surely going to bang someones car if it 'happens' to roll off.
We ate, watched, snapped a shot of the carts. Then the guy two stalls down from us is just about to dump his super duper flat dolly next to us until.....he looks up to see both my husband and I with full mouths of hot dog glaring at him. He smiles, turns around and walks ten steps to the cart station.
The unarrestable crime is when we look in our rear view mirror for cops while going over the speed limit.
The shopping cart dilema occurs when no one is looking and we dump our carts and take off....knowing that cart may damage a car it bumps into. Or causes the next parker to turn halfway into a stall only to realize they have to jump out to move the cart.
Please kokua!
Take those extra steps to the shopping cart return center to burn off that hot dog you just ate.
© 2008 Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman, All rights reserved
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Mahalo, Sally, it only takes a moment to return things to their places. I know that I would enjoy working with you because you take care of the details. Little things are important to take care of before they become big things.
I once watched a guy unload his groceries and just leave his cart sitting and drove away. I was sitting in my car waiting for my daughter. The cart started rolling slowly, then picked up speed and bashed into a parked car. Really damaged a little toyota. I waited for the owner to come out and told her what happened and gave her my number as a witness, but I couldn't really describe the car. She said she was going to turn it in to her insurance. Really irresponsible as well as lazy.
Hey Sally, I am glad to know that this is a universal phenomenon. I always return the carts where they belong, here in LA they actually have people with trucks picking them up, because people bring them to their Appartments, Condominiums etc. it anoys me. The "chariots" belong in their corrals.
Sally, I love that word! Kokua. It is amazing to me what people do when they think no one is watching. Great post.
Good reminder. We say we have no time to exercise and yet just the extra steps we can take to put the back in place is exercise.
Morning Sally.
Spometimes I just want to say, "Girl, you have been in my head again!" We like many others I am sure, think so much alike. What a wonderful world this would be if only everyone would take the extra step to do what is right.
Sally,
I try to put those carts back. When I shop alone - I do.
When my children are with me I have to make a choice of chasing them into the car safely or putting back to cart. Once they are in the car, I have to make a choice of leaving them unattended or putting the cart back. So...Yes,
I have been guilty of not putting them back. Sorry.
Hi Sally - I've seen too many people do just what you wrote about. And most are not in the scenario Marlene described above me. People with kids do have to make those choices, and I completely understand those. It's the ones who truly are too lazy to put the cart in the cart station, which I notice many times is just a few parking spaces away. And some of those same people have no qualms about just leaving their cart against someone's car or worse yet, right behind another car.
The Golden Rule works so well in so many situations, including this one.
Ann
Hi Sally, well girlfriend this doesn't just happen in Hawaii, I see it all the time too. You're so cool to point out such a simple thing we can to do help each other out.
It is a national epidemic Sally. Especially bad in a hilly parking lot on a windy day. Watch out for speeding carts!
Hi Sally,
We have a grocery store here that you have to pay a quarter to use the carts. They are hooked up on chains, you get your quarter back when you return it. It Works! :)
Sally--Atleast they hooked the wheels over a curb so they won't blow into other cars and cause damage. No one should be in such a big hurry that they fail to show courtesy to others.
This always bugs me too. I figure it's a few steps of exercise that I badly need to put my cart where it belongs.
Sally, I always park as far away from those 'stray' carts, as possible. I always have visions of coming back to my car and the cart has made its way into my headlights or into the side of the door.
I have often walked stray carts to their proper place. I just don't understand why people can't take the extra steps.
You should see our parking lots in the Winter. Those carts make their way up, to the top of 3 or 4 foot high hills.... do you think it's easier putting them up there, then to walk them to their rightful place? There should be a law against this. These are probably also the people who park in the handicapped parking spaces, because they can't take two or three extra steps to the door.
Sally,
I heard a speaker say that our time is just as valuable as the next person's -- no more, no less. That concept has helped me to be patient and gracious in long lines because the "me me me" mentality gets put to boot---everyone else in the line has deadlines, another appointment, et cetera. I think this could apply as here as well--- it's selfish to think that I'm too busy to put away my cart, maybe someone else has the time to (barring also having kids present). We all have busy lives, and the extra step makes all the difference.
Sally, what you need to do is snap a few pictures of people doing this and put them up on a bulletin board inside the store :) :)
I believe the minority is the one who actually returns a cart - universal laziness!
Sally, suffice it to say that I'm with you on this one and I have witnesses that can attest to it. Imagine people looking out for just a little more than themselves?
I see this so much. There will always be lazy people...
Sally, I've seen it too, all too often--what a shame. Here they don't bring them to a curb, they usually just get put behind someone else's car! At some of the stores they hire "cart kids." Don't you think we end up paying for them?
Sally - I'll go one step further than George on this one....I say flip video them and then upload it to You Tube!
This happens everywhere as folks are in a hurry or just plain lazy. A sign of the times I guess.
Don't you just love the Hot Dogs at the Home Improvement stores? Costco too!!!!
Maria: I agree.. thanks!
Virginia: I watched from my office in horror as a cart rolled right down and smacked my bumper. They rolled the cart from the other side of the shopping center..unloaded and left it on the sidewalk.
Edre: And it's us...the consumer that pays higher prices for merchandise because the store has yet another....allocated expense ..
Susan: Ah...the unarrestable crimes :)
Gita; Yup...and everything has its place.
Hal: Yup....and to do what's right.
Marlene: So...how did you get the kids to the cart to begin with? Wouldn't it be the same way around? Sorry...but I'm one of those that really gets into detail.
Some people are truly laze and unconcerned with the world around them.Luckily we have people like you to set great examples and who make all the difference in the world. Thank you.
HI Ann! Yup....just gotta wonder if any even consider the harm that it may cause...roll out hit a car...cause an accident...hit another kid walking....damage another's car. There are alternatives. Like being mindful.
Missy: I bet it's worse in many other places. I just shake my head. Especially at places like Costco....MANY cart stations...
Paddy: Sickening isn't it? I would definitely be upset if someones cart hit mine. I really don't understand those that fly their door open and hit anothers car with their door. No respect I tell ya!
Suzanne: They should have them all over....then again ....some would rather lose their quarter than walk a few steps. :)
Teri: I've seen instances...like the picture...where another car pulls in an oops...accidentally bangs it...it comes off that curb and bangs their car a good one....or else the other car its in between.
Ann: Believe me....it's much needed excercise by many...especially after eating one of those yummy hot dogs!
Sylvie: I'm one of those that gets out...wheels two of em out....and wait for my husband to park and we both wheel them up....we keep the best wheeler one to shop :)
Audrey: I thought back to when my kids were small (long time ago) and i put it back even then....while carrying one on each hip after. Here's another story....I went to get a chocolate donut and on the way back started having contractions....sped through a school zone....and got caught.....did the going into labor eliminate me from being a responsible citizen? I think back to that...and always am mindful about .....how I affect other people.
George: That's pretty funny! Yup...and then what?
Gary: Yup....a minority indeed.
Kevin: It's all in the manner of how I handle things. If I cut corners with a shopping cart...how do I conduct my business? That's a question to ask the shopping cart leavers.
Christina: Yeah....there's always going to be the ones who refuse to be respectful ....let alone mindful.
Carole: Exactly! WE all pay for others and their believing their entitled...
Donna: That's funny...I just lost my flip and had to get another one on Sunday...but hey...it was half price!
Cameron: I love Woody's ...we had bratwurst. :)
Terrie: I do believe you are mindful as well...thanks.
Hi, Sally, I guess the Hawaiian's love of the land doesn't apply to shopping carts! I think you're right that people don't do that when others are watching them - only when they can skulk off unnoticed.
Sally, sometimes when you see this it makes you wonder what else they do half way. Sounds like a life not well spent. Just put them back! It's one of my pet peeves!
Hi Sally,
Here is the scoop on the details.
I park the car. Get the kids out of the car. We all walk into the store safely - they hold my hands. I grab a cart in the store that is lined up in the 'cart storage area' in the store. I shop, fill the cart with what it is I need to buy- typically when I am using a cart it is when I am buying groceries for a family of four. I pay at the register.
We walk safely to the car - the rule is they hold the side of the cart (if they are not inside it - my son is still small enough to sit in the front of the cart) and walk with me to the car. I park the cart next to the car.
I first have them get into the car and buckle up, (there is no dilly-dallying around the parking lot for them - too many vehicles are driving in and out of parking spots, and up and down the rows. Kids are short so vehicles like SUV's may not see them and they may get hit by one). I unload the stuff I just bought into the trunk. If the outside 'cart storage thing' is close, I walk the cart to this and load it in to put it away. If it is not close and I have to walk across the parking lot to put it away, I choose not to leave my kids unattended.
It's all about my kids.
There are your details. ;-D
Thanks for listening.
Sharon: Yup...and that's the bottom line.
Linda: I agree...it may be the secret to being a detail oriented person :)
Marlene: Sounds like your concern is for your kids...understandable...thanks for coming back to respond.
Sally- it appears this is my 3rd time of reading this post so guess I should comment :) If people don't leave shopping carts lying around how would the Homeless find them to use? OK, OK, you have a point.....and it only takes an extra minute to put the cart into the designated spot, but the best part of the message for me was the exercise to get rid of my hot dog which I'm eating while commenting of course.....LOL :)
I bet those are the same folks who wait 5 minutes to get a stall 20 feet closer to the entrance.