Regarding shopping cart retrieval , grocery stores are negligent in allowing their shopping carts to be easily removed from their property, not victims. It is not “onerous” to require them to be responsible. It is no different than a person leaving their car unlocked and being surprised to find it stolen. It is just common sense.
Stores in other regions and other countries have been using
shopping cart theft prevention techniques for decades. If our local Santa Cruz
Market can and does have a theft removal system, I’m quite sure all the big
stores and smaller stores can figure it out. It’s not as if this is a new
phenomenon that has never been encountered before.
Prevention is the key. In addition to stores taking
responsibility to prevent the unlawful removal of carts in the first place, why
not create a discounted personal cart program that would allow low-income
residents to get their own fold-up cart that they can keep at home and reuse as
needed? Shopping cart pick-up services are a Band-Aid approach that is wasteful
of fossil fuels, creates needless air pollution and traffic, all for eye sores
that have already been created. We are tired of shopping carts junking up our
neighborhoods. Please deal with it now!