Shopping Cart Heaven

Call me part Swiss, but I return my shopping cart in parking lots, no matter what the weather.  Stray shopping carts look untidy, block parking spaces and you should generally put things that you borrow back where you found them, or at least where the owner expects them to be. Not to mention the higher prices when stores pass the cost of stolen carts along to consumers.

Well, for people like me, Swiss shopping is Nirvana.  They have a system that makes sure shopping carts are properly returned.  We could use this back home!

To borrow a cart, simply slide either a franc coin or a two franc coin into a slot near the handle.  This in turn pushes out a “key” which is attached by a chain to the cart in front of it. Commence shopping and being stunned by the prices in Switzerland. After unloading your expensive provisions, return your cart, replace the key into your shopping cart by grabbing the chain from the cart before yours.  Insert the “key” back into your cart, and your coin is unceremoniously ejected from the slot.

I have heard that some less fortunate people try to help shoppers by returning carts and collecting the franc coin in return. That’s one way to earn some cash, I guess!

And, while I don’t need reading glasses yet, the Swiss store Coop has ingeniously added a magnifying glass to some of their carts to help us old folks read the tiny print on packages.  I think it may be even smaller here since all packaging requires the directions and contents in three languages.

Happy Swiss Shopping!

Top photo courtesy of Gary Wescott
The Turtle Expedition, Unltd.
Writer, Photographer, Producer
www.TurtleExpedition.com <http://www.TurtleExpedition.com>