Monday, February 09, 2009

Difference #2


#2. The Shopping Carts

I believe I've briefly mentioned this before, but I thought you might enjoy a picture. Here are the shopping carts from our local Albert Heijn all locked up. You have to insert a 50 euro cent coin in order to get a cart out (see picture below). When you return the cart and lock it back up your coin pops back out. I used to carry a 50 euro coin in my pocket but I rarely use a cart so I don't carry one any more. Instead Jimmy will usually push one of the really small carts (which is free) and I put a basket (also free) on the back of the stroller where Jimmy usually sits.

What's interesting is there is a grocery store inside the mall here and it's not unusual for people to use the shopping cart from the grocery store in the whole mall. I first thought it was rather funny to see people pushing a shopping cart around the mall!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you have Aldi stores there?

You have to insert a quarter to get a cart... it's the same concept. Big Lots have even started getting those type of the carts too...

I enjoy reading your Blog!

I am a mother! said...

How interesting!

Sara and Dustin said...

We have the same thing in most stores in Canada, too. I think it's a royal pain - but I can see why they'd want to. But we don't push the carts around the mall - that's what we do in Grenada.

L said...

Wow... how funny... and smart!

Rachel Q said...

I wouldn't mind it, and I wouldn't blame them for wanting to do it here in Cali. I saw in the paper just how much it cost to round up all the carts from homeless or lazy people taking them all over town. Expensive!! Maybe it would create jobs for them--finding and returning them would earn money! I bet stores would get a lot of grief if they tried to implement it here, though. There are also grocery stores in malls in Australia--kind of fun. I enjoy your "differences" posts!

Rachel Q said...

I wouldn't mind it, and I wouldn't blame them for wanting to do it here in Cali. I saw in the paper just how much it cost to round up all the carts from homeless or lazy people taking them all over town. Expensive!! Maybe it would create jobs for them--finding and returning them would earn money! I bet stores would get a lot of grief if they tried to implement it here, though. There are also grocery stores in malls in Australia--kind of fun. I enjoy your "differences" posts!

the speers said...

I love your pic of the carts...what a fun angle! :D that's so weird that you have to pay for the carts--and that people use them in the whole mall...although it would be SO nice to have a grocery store in the mall...hum...i might have more reasons to go to the mall, i mean grocery store! :D lol