Shopping Cart Courtesy; A pet Peave

Rant Mode On

In a recent letter to the editor in the local Bird Cage Liner, Amanda Wright waxed eloquent on the inconsiderate low life scumbags that are apparently too lazy to return their shopping cart to the front of the store or any one of a number of cart corrals located in the parking lots.

Note; Amandas letter is the last on the page and by the tone of commenters there are plenty of people that feel the same way. Way to go Amanda!

This has been a sore spot for me for a long time. numerous times over the years I have encountered parking spaces blocked by carts. There have been untold numbers of times when it is obvious that someone left a cart against my vehicle while I shopped. I have also found carts bumped up against my car that had to have rolled into it from a distance with enough force to at least scratch the paint.

Those carts are provided by the merchant for our convenience. And no they do not do it for free. Yes the cost of purchasing the carts is reflected in the price of merchandise sold at that location. The payroll for Cart Wranglers and repair for broken or damaged carts is also included in the the cost of the products as well.

Many people do not realize that businesses spend thousands upon thousands of dollars every year to maintain that fleet of carts. When rude, inconsiderate and otherwise lowlife shoppers abuse the system it will always result in price increases.

What it boils down to is respect.

People that do not return a cart to the store or place it in a corral are demonstrating that they have no respect for someone else's property.

As a side note it would seem that these lowlifes as always, are thankfully in the minority. Yes the parking lots are strewn with the graffiti (re: shopping carts) of the rude and inconsiderate but there always seems to be far more carts in the corrals than are scattered around the parking lot. This would indicate that there are far more considerate shoppers than there are rude inconsiderate lowlife scumbags.

Yes I really do think that those who refuse to properly handled their carts are rude inconsiderate lowlife scumbags.

Over the years I have seen more than one "handicapped" person take their cart back to the store front or to a corral, so I know there is no excuse for any apparently healthy person not to do likewise.

And While I am in Rant Mode

Another thing that really ticks me off to no end is the use of profanity in public places.

Just recently Mrs. Gun and I were dining at one of our favorite spots when 3 young men (late teens/early 20's) came in and sat near us. It did not matter which of the 3 spoke, their conversation could be heard by everyone in the place and every third word started with "F" and ended with "ed" "er", "ing" and/or was prefaced with "mother".

There were several elder citizens present and many were clearly uncomfortable with the situation. This of course did not phase these stalwart young Lincolnites, either they didn't care or did not notice.

I have no objection to the language that one chooses to use except that one should be considerate of the audience where those words are uttered.

Yes I do

Yes I have and do on occasion vocalize any number of epithets. There is a difference between the "back row of a truck stop" and a family diner though.

As a measure I figure if it is not something I would say in front of my Grandmother it is not anything I want to say in public in front of anyone else's Grandmother either.

Again it is a sign of lack of Respect

People that chose to regale us with their limited and vulgar vocabulary demonstrate that they have no caring or compassion for those around them and are not deserving of the respect they think they are cultivating.

I also think it is indicative of little education.

No it is not only the young among us are not the only culprits either. Over the years I encountered any number of older men and women that orate with a vocabulary replete with obscenities.

What is really laughable about this is that these purveyors of profanity think they are impressing those around them with all of their creative uses of the "F" word. They fail to realize that a majority of people within ear shot of their foul mouth think just the opposite.

No people not only do most of us not want to hear how many times you can creatively use the word in the same sentence, you cease to have any credibility on anything you are discussing even if you have a PhD. on the subject.

Feedback for On-line Auctions

Yes I sometimes shop the on-line auctions. Not Often, but when I do I am serious about what I am looking for and usually find it.

Something has changed since I first signed up for some of them (E-bay in particular) years ago.

Just take a look at the conditions set by a large number of sellers on their auction pages;

"Postive feedback will be left after buyer leaves positive feedback."

Or words to that exact effect.

So what the hell is that about ?????

eBay sellers get the crap out of your ears and listen up

If I "win" your auction you are obligated, let me type that again OBLIGATED to leave feedback as soon as my payment is received in your greedy little mitts. If it's late say so, If it is on time say so. Tell the truth. That is all that is required.

Sellers pay attention here;

I did my part. I paid for your product and your outrageous shipping and handling charges within the proscribe time. That is all I am required to do for positive feedback. I earned it. Leave it!!!

This is not how it has evolved. It seems there are a lot of sellers on the auctions that are so swelled up with their own pathetic egos that they hold positive feedback due me hostage until I figuratively bend over and lick their boots lauding lavish praise for their ability to eventually get my "win" to my mailbox.

This peeve has been ticking me off for quite a while and I am not the only one that has these same thoughts either.

Alphecca addressed this same thing awhile back. I won't link to the exact post as the feedback tirade was only a small part of a large article on multiple topics. I will excerpt some of what Jeff had to say though.

...... And here's the thing; they will not leave positive feedback until I do, until I receive the books and leave gushing feedback to them.

I've already done exactly what any buyer has to do. I bid and won on the books and within seconds of winning, I paid for the books.........

.......The customer is always wrong until he/she first proves worthy of the seller's praise! What the hell is that all about? .........

Exactly my point what the hell is that all about?

I have decided that in the future should I do any on-line auction shopping (as a buyer) I will not leave feedback for any seller that has not first left feedback for me. That is the way the system was set up to work.

And for those sellers that have the audacity to include in your conditions of sale "Seller will post feedback after buyer leaves positive feedback", unless yours is the only one of a kind and no one else is selling it and I just have to have it, know that I will not abide by that particular term of sale.

In other words hell will freeze over before I leave a seller feedback that hasn't first left it for me first.

Hypocritical ????? ...... well you can think that, but I am not the one holding someone else's reputation hostage. If my payment is late or I haven't met the terms as a buyer the seller should say it and say it first. To hold feedback from me after I have positively fulfilled my obligation to the seller, until I buy you a happy meal, a dozen roses and kiss your ass on main street at high noon is blatantly dishonest, disgusting and repugnant.