The two young men quickly pushed the shopping cart across the store. As they turned down an aisle, they looked around them to see if anyone was watching. Seeing that no one was (they didn’t see me), they parked the shopping cart in the aisle and walked away.
As I passed by the shopping cart, I noticed that there were several packages of meat inside – steaks, pork chops, etc.
Did they plan on buying the meat, but then suddenly realize that they didn’t have enough cash? That was my first thought. Or, as I thought today before writing this, did they sneak it away from a fellow shopper as a mean prank?
I truly hope it was not the latter of the two, but either one would be unacceptable, as both are very disrespectful.
All too often I see merchandise and goods thrown around the store, left there for someone else to put away. It’s not unusual to go through the check out lane and see produce, meat and dairy products lying on top of the gum and candy bars.
What is so hard about putting things back yourself, or at the very least handing it to the cashier so that it can be re-shelved quickly before going bad? That is one reason why I rarely buy anything from the front row of the dairy aisle or from the top layer of meat.
It’s not just groceries and merchandise that people leave for someone else to take care of. It’s shopping carts, trash, dog feces…you name it. If it takes energy to be picked up or put away, they’ll leave it for someone else to do.
A few weeks ago, I was traveling down a local highway. The center median was a landfill; covered in fast food bags, cups, napkins, cans, etc. The street is not a trash can. Why do people insist on throwing their trash out their car windows? Can they not wait until they reach a gas station or their home, where they can properly dispose of it?
I don’t understand the laziness and disrespect of people these days. Whatever happened to being good, thoughtful and considerate?
Why are people no longer taught morals, values and respect? Why are they instead, taught that they should be the receiver of everything, but the giver of nothing?
I just don’t understand…
Me - Who am I? 
I’ve been in a store, tired, cranky, and decided I got the wrong thing or didn’t need what I picked up. I always put it back after remembering someone else is going to have to clean up after me, and it bothers me too much to just leave it lie.
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Thank you. You were tired and cranky, yet you still took the time to put it back. That’s the way everyone should be.
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It makes a difference when I think about how my action or inaction is going to impact others. You’re right. We should all be like that.
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I dont understand either. “Not my problem” seems to be a theme these days 😦
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Yes it does. You are exactly right.
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The lack of respect that people have for others and their property has always amazed me. Very sad.
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Yes, very sad indeed.
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Ooooo emma geeee! You have just stepped on one of my soap boxes. I will use personal restraint NOT to write a diatribe here.
I see grocery carts outside that people just leave where they can easily bang into someone’s car. Take them back people. Gawd some people are so lazy! Without expanding this subject, which I’d very much like to do because the ire burns within me … I will instead reveal something personal and weird.
I am working on this issue and have made great progress. Nope, haven’t needed to see a therapist … but here’s what I have done almost every time I go to the grocery store. (Not the last few times because I’ve worked hard to resist.). I have straightened products, put back stuff on shelves where that particular product belongs, pulled moldy or rotting fruit to the side of the rest of the good fruit, organized the shopping carts so they are all pushed in nicely and snuggly together with the matching carts going together … holy criminy, I’ve had to stop this OCD BS! I don’t count numbers or avoid stepping on cracks or have to wash my hands a bazillion times or stop in the road because I think I’ve hit someone’s body … but no, no I’ve been that weird person to make sure things match and go together in the store! I don’t work in a grocery store but I have done this countless times. It’s been a hard habit to break and YOU are the first person I’ve ever revealed this little weirdness to.
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I don’t think it’s weird at all. What you are doing is something that I also have to restrain myself from doing. I’ll put shopping carts back, close refrigerated doors that are left open and fix shelves that are in obvious disarray, but you certainly go above and beyond. I’m actually quite surprised that no one has yet to give some type of gift card or reward for your work. I would if I were the store manager. That’s all very kind of you, however I would imagine that your grocery trips are verrrry lengthy because of it. 🙂 Thank you for carin enough and taking the time to fix and clean up other people’s messes.
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Like I said, I’ve in the restraint card. I no longer do this. Yes, it did make my trips to the g-store longer. I had to give myself pep talks that it was ok for me not to organize every disarray that I saw. So, now, I only organize an item if it’s directly in my site and it’s what I’m focused on purchasing … otherwise, this was TOO much OCD!!!!
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I’m sure that shopping is much less stressful for you now. I used to, and still occasionally, struggle with OCD and it can be extremely frustrating. It’s great that you do what you do still. It’s very kind. The bright side about calming down the OCD though is that you’re letting the employees have work to do.
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Ha ha! LOL! Those poor grocery workers probably have too much on their plate already! 😉
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Isn’t that the truth! And mainly because of this topic right here.
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I do all of those also – and make money at it. My store requires a quarter deposit for each cart, and people are still too lazy to put them anywhere except the handicap spots.
Inside, I take the can of beans back to the canned vegetable section – where I find a jar of Cheeze Whiz, which I return – and find a bunch of bananas…. The wife has to whistle for me when she’s ready to leave – and I straighten the magazine rack. 😆
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We could fix the store together! You one side … me the other! KIDDING! 😉
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I am always very honest with the cashier if I hand her an item “I’m sorry, I’ve changed my mind and was too lazy to walk back across the store” I figure I deserve to be embarrassed by my laziness! And, the pile by the cashier, I gather it and hand it over to her and tell her it was at the end… then at least it can be re-shelved. 🙂
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That is very courteous of you. Thank you for not just hiding it on one of the shelves, like so many others do. I’m sure that the cashier appreciates that and the fact that you hand them the pile that others have left is even better.
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