Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Grocery Shopping.... it's an experience Part I

The task of grocery shopping brings me to a rant of some sort. Today was no exception. First and foremost, upon entering the store, Thomas and I did the grocery cart shuffle. Have you ever done this? Perhaps you question what it is? (consider yourself lucky if you've never heard of it or done it!) Without further adieu, the grocery cart shuffle is when it takes ten minutes to find a cart that works. Maybe I am just a pathetic fool, but I can never pick a working cart from the get go. Today's shuffle went this way. I pulled out the first cart and started to push it when I realized it was making a rattling sound. Though I would soon find out that this was probably the most benign of the misfit bunch, I nixed it. I proceeded to get the second cart. Oooh it looked good. The next chosen cart had wheels that looked okay. I moved it a few inches and it sounded good. Then I happened to notice some foreign substance on the baby seat - forget it. Thomas wasn't sitting in - well who knows what!?! I hoped the next try would yield more success. Upon a quick evaluation, I put Thomas in the seat. We were ready to roll, or so I thought. Nope, this was a stinker too. It had a warped wheel. Finally, (I am sweating out of frustration) the next carriage seemed fine. I put Thomas in and ugh (wtf!!!) the safety belt wouldn't clasp. Now I am po'd to say the least. Completely annoyed, I grabbed any old cart. Luckily the seat belt worked, the wheels, were smooth, and it wasn't making any funny sounds. I put Thomas in the seat, buckled him in and then tried not to think about how many living bacteria were making their residence on this cart!!! (I'll save it for another post, though) Perhaps grocery carts should have to receive inspection stickers similar to vehicle inspections. lol What do you think? Until my next grocery shopping rant....

27 comments:

Misty said...

The stickers might make your life easier.

And in Utah now - - at some stores, they have wipes for the carts. To disinfect them. And, if all else fails, I whip out my bottle of Purell!

kim-d said...

I hate grocery shopping--HATE.IT. My cart never starts to gimp until I'm on the opposite end of the store from the rest of the carts; then it starts in with a vengeance. And then there's the fact that one grocery store never has everything I want. I've learned to do without rather than go to a second store. The only saving grace of a trip to the grocery store happens if I get in line behind a little kid sitting in the cart whose Mom is busy unloading her cart, and I'm the next choice of peek-a-boo partner. That makes me smile!

I definitely feel your pain on those filthy carts!

tricki_nicki said...

I've resorted to shopping online at Safeway.com. Taking my three little boys shopping isn't my idea of fun, and I have better things to do at night than grocery shop! I hear you sister! Grocery shopping sucks!

Amy said...

I hate grocery shopping..I hate it even more when I get a crappy cart...so totally feeling your rant today...:-)

Laski said...

From one pathetic fool to another. I think I am a magnet for funky carts. How bad am I--I carry disinfectant wipes in my purse for carts (and hand sanitizer).

K.M.L said...

I hate annoying carts too. Why don't they ever seem like they fix them or get rid of the bad ones!? Seriously...I'm with ya on this one :)

Angela said...

Ugh I do hate that. Luckily my husband does the shopping,but only because he has to.

Robyn said...

I just wish the buckle would keep them in the seat. Mags stood up pushed the belt down and tries stepping into the full basket today. I thought it was tight enough.

Corey~living and loving said...

oh man...I sooooooooo can relate to this. carts are a pain.

and...the germ factor freaks me out. I have to bring a clorox wipe with me.

Kellan said...

That sticker idea is great! I always get the crumby, wobbly wheel cart myself - always!! I seldom search for another one, though - I am not patient enough for that. Cute story - see you later , Amy. Kellan

Anonymous said...

My 10 mintues of part 1 is trying to figure out how to put a 4,3,and 1 year old in the cart and still manage to put food in it!
Ohh and I live with germ-X in my purse along with a few anti-bacteria wipes!

KG said...

I think that ALL of the grocery carts are pieces of shizzle. That's the only way I can understand how I always end up with a cart that is totally worthless. My favorite is the cart that makes a really loud noise so that people stare at you.

Are You Serious! said...

♥ I went shopping today for a couple of things like milk! And got a retarded cart. It kept pulling to the right! Very annoying! I think we should just start labeling them ourselves! :)

Our stores all have disinfective wipes too! It's very nice!

jenny said...

you are onto something with your stickers! i hate bum carts. i always get one with like one wheel that stops turning halfway through the store!

Beth from the Funny Farm said...

No way! We taxpayers would end up paying for the carts! ;-)

I hate grocery shopping. I have gotten into the habit of going to our little local store and picking up one or two meals at a time and cooking it up the same or next day. I waste less I have found doing this.

girlymom said...

Grocery shopping makes me very grumpy! My hubby will come home and say that I should get out and go do something alone, ya know for myself...like maybe go get groceries~ Ha~ I'd rather stick my head in a snow drift...ya know if I want to be alone. Ugh.

I have bad luck picking carts too, then people look at me when I have the "noisy" cart, as if I made it squeaky! Ugh Ugh.

Amber said...

I have something very pathetic to tell you...I don't go grocery shopping alone, ever. When I was in CT a friend and I would always go together and now in ID Big Daddy always goes with me. I get too frustrated and mad. I decided it was best to have company with me after I snapped one day and spent several minutes telling an elderly cashier that she should know better than be mean to an elderly customer. I think the phrase "SO LAY OFF" was used more than once. I commend you for going with a kid.

Mary said...

The stop & shop near me has wips now for the carts.

Lizzy in the Burbs said...

An inspection process, what a great idea! I have bad cart karma, too, and always seem to choose the one that veers to the left or right and then I'm accidentally bumping people in the rear end and saying, "Oops! I didn't do that, the cart did, sorry!".

Lizzy

Janice {Run Far} said...

I always get stuck with the loud rickety cart- Maybe I will start doing to Grocery Cart shuffle. I hate hate hate grocery shopping, Not sure why exactly but I hate it.

kimmy said...

I love grocery shopping...when I am by myself. Taking the kids usually takes me twice as long. Now that they have those little carts for the kids to push around I have to always be on the look-out so that my achilles tendon doesn't get hit!

Kimmy

Melissa said...

am I sick for liking grocery shopping. I find it relazing to walk up and down the ailses just looking for what I need. Also my kid doens't mind being in her car seat so I can kind of take me time. But still...there must be something wrong with me :)

♥♥♥ A- Licious ♥♥♥ said...

sounds good to me!

i have one of those cart carrier things i put doodles in - thank God!

;o)

xoxooxx

♥♥♥ A- Licious ♥♥♥ said...

sorry cart carrier COVERS

;o)

Amy said...

ICK! The carts are always so gross! That's why I shop when my kids are in school. Not that I really want to give up my free time to go to the grocery store, but really I can't handle the drama anymore!

Zoe said...

I carry wipes in my bag in case I forget Ava's cart cover. When I was in nursing school we cultured a grocery cart...can i just tell you...EWWWWWW

Unknown said...

You will hate me for this, but I've rarely needed a shopping cart. I live in an urban center and do most of my shopping in markets and specialty stores...I pick up a few things every 2 or 3 days. Occasionally, we hit up the big stores, but maybe only a handful of times have I needed a cart. Like Costco - but their carts are pretty good! The world of botched carts is foreign to me! I bet if I lived in the suburb of the suburbs, things would be totally different.