OKAY, I am about DONE with these dolts who use the shopping carts to bring stuff up to their apartments, but don't think that PERHAPS someone ELSE may need a cart for their things. They just set the cart in the hall like the fairy freaking godmother will bring it down for them. The weekends are horrible for this. Sucks to come home with a car full of groceries only to find no flipping carts available. GEESH, people STOP HOGGING THE CARTS!

I think most just figure that it's too much trouble to return them and that what we pay the guys in the trucks to do. When I lived in a tower I remember the weekends were the worst! Then again I think most of them are just inconsiderate jerks!

Blahh, I hate those things (I know there is a thread somewhere about this, lol). I don't even use them but they still seem to annoy the living sh&t out of me. There's usually one or two just sitting on my floor (there's only 6 apartments) and numerous times they've ended up in front of my door. HATE them. Hate lazy people.

If these carts just happen to show up directly in front of the offending neighbors doorways, I wonder what would happen? Maybe if the wheels wouldn't roll too? lol

I have something to add about these shopping carts.

Today as I am trying to find a spot at the Yokosuka Commissary, I notice in the parking lot, there are shopping carts all over the place. I am not just talking 1, or 2. On the left side of me was 4 all piled up on the grass curb. In front of me, looking down with the cars parked along them, 2 carts, just sitting beside a car. To the right of me, was another 3 on the curb/grass. Now as I am looking to the right, I see they actually have the CART storage boxes. So I drive around still looking for a spot, and drive by the parking storage boxes, and 1 cart was in there. Now I am on a completely different isle, and see 2 other carts, leaned up against cars.

You have to be kidding me people!

When did we get SO DAMN lazy to leave carts leaned up against cars.

I dont even take my own groceries out. I always have someone do it for me, and tip them $5.00

I feel its only right, since those baggers work for tips only or so they say, but never the less, who do you think gets stuck with having to go and get all these carts? I'm just guessing but I bet those baggers that dont make a salary.

Maybe thats why no baggers as they are out doing the cars, and see this crap clean it up. Maybe they have the mindset, "Thats not my job.." "Im not getting paid to go and clean up other peoples laziness.."

To some degree I dont blame them.

My younger sister had a job in the grocery store, doing bagging. It was her first job. She got a straight salary and tips. But it was also her responsibility she said, to go and have to clean up the parking lot sometimes, and retrieve all the carts left in the cart storage areas.

Q: Does anyone know if your suppose to be doing that? Where is Amber at on this discussion. She used to bag groceries there. Maybe she can enlighten us.

I just think the underlying problem is with the lazy people we have shopping onbase. You have a cart storage, less than 50 feet from you, but you ignore it, and jump in your car, thinking no one is around, who cares.

(I know there is a thread somewhere about this, lol).

From what Elizabeth quoted, yes there was a thread about this already.

Here are 2 that referenced this problem in the past.

Utility Carts at Towers
http://www.japanbases.com/forums/aft/1243.aspx

Your neighbors suck because...?
http://www.japanbases.com/forums/af...fpg/2.aspx

People are just lazy I think. However, I do have a confession to make: I have left carts on a curb (a handful of times) when my newborn and toddler were strapped in the car as I loaded the groceries out of the cart and into my car. I didn't want to leave them alone while I sprinted the cart to the storage area. Its just too difficult to push a cart to the storage while juggling a purse/diaper bag, a crazy toddler, and a newborn. ah, I feel better having confessed... Thats my story...and I stand by my decision. But I definitely don't agree with leaving them parked next to cars, etc. for no good reason but laziness. Now that my "crazy" toddler is older and more helpful, we race eachother to the cart storage

Oh yeah, and I live on the 1st floor of one of the towers and the cart storage is right outside my front door. I can attest to the fact that there are hardly ever more than 2 carts in it. I don't use them (I'm the one hauling my groceries in a huge beach wagon) LOL But every now and then I'll hear a loud crash outside my door and am surprised that someone brought one back.

Does anyone know the reason why we have baggers at all of the Commissaries? Not just the one here, but any Commissary that you go to. It's actually a health issue. Having rusty carts in the store is not a very good thing, I guess. It must be an East coast thing since I didn't see it at any regular store in Washington or California.

I know they have them in San Diego. At first I felt bad because these little old ladies would bag my groceries and load them into my car whether I wanted them to or not. (I felt bad because I was a healthy adult fully capable) so one day I asked them why they have to walk me out to my car and they said it was because it was part of their job to make sure the carts came back inside. hmmm....now there's an idea

Kate, I have a young baby, so I can relate about not taking the cart back to the storage area. I do it all the time. I'm NOT going to leave my baby unattended, & I have trouble carrying him while juggling everything else. I think part of the problem is that there often aren't enough of these storage areas for carts. I haven't been to Yokosuka yet, so I don't know the situation there, but that's certainly the case at the commissary here. However, some other off-base stores have plenty of storage areas. When they do, I'm able to quickly swing the cart over & get it out of everyone's way. I know the commissary needs lots of parking spaces, but if they had more places to put the carts, this wouldn't be such a problem.

Leaving carts in the towers happens all the time in Ikego also. I deliver newspapers for my son on Thursdays and it seems to be the same apartments who have their own "personal" cart that is always outside of their door. I think if it happened on my floor, I would push the cart directly in front of the door so that when people came out, they would be confronted with their cart ...

Maybe if you added a little note thanking the lazy jerks for watching the cart for everyone. Or maybe just put all of the carts in the tower in front of their door, lol

Oh believe me, I've scooted the cart in front of their door sometimes. But they just can't take a hint.

There's a cart today on my floor. Think it's been a while, like always. I refuse to move it --so sorry in advance to the people who need them. :-/

Whenever I can't take my cart back, I also ask the bagger to go with me.

Honestly, I think it's ridiculus to have them work only for tips. Seems like a waste of time and man power. Give them a salary and make them clean up stuff. Really! Especially for cleaning up the aisle and putting things back where they belong. It makes me uncomfortable to see all those baggers sitting their gossiping with eachother.

And sometimes I hate that I "have" to tip. Sometimes the only money I have is to pay my groceries. I don't have extra to pay them too. And do people really just want a $1.00 tip or whatever change I might have in my purse? And why should I have to pay them?

Sometimes I'd rather bag my own groceries. There have been times where they've squished my bread or mixed cans and boxes and gotten squished stuff too.

Though I have to admit I do appreicate them at times when my hands are full and I can't do it myself

And yes, people should take their carts down. I'm the person who when taking my cart, I grab whatever carts are nearby. Whatever we can all do to help!

Someone left a cart in front of my door last week. I went out of my way to take the cart across the street to another tower. That is my policy now. If I see a cart adrift on my floor, I give the cart to some other needy tower. Then I can laugh at them when they complain that we don't have carts anymore. Ha!

LOL, I just saw 2 on our floor last night.

Been here a while and this is a continuing problem with no solution in sight other people using common courtesy and being respectful of others. The other problem is a general lack of enforcement on situations like this. It's not a Security problem, but could be if one of those carts gets loose into the parking lot on a windy day and slams into a car. Other than that The Commodore recommends you police your own towers. Maybe you could "enlist" the olders kids to keep their eye on things.

I was just ranting about this the other day! We just got to Saesbo, but spent 3 years in Yokosuka where carts were a big problem in my building as well. They are here too!!! MY new building here is just that, new. It's half empty and there are only 2 carts! I'm 6 months pregnant with a husband on sea duty, so I lug groceries home by myself. There are never carts when I need them! It's frustrating. There are times we go days and not one cart is in the lobby. I wonder if people seriously hoard them in their houses! lol However, my neighbor in Yoko used to take the cart to the elevator, call it up to the 8th floor, then push the cart in, hit the first floor, and send it down by itself! USed to make me SO mad!!! I mean at least they sent it down, but I imagine that card might take a few rides until someone else decides to push it to the cart return.

I don't live in a tower but what if they did something like this:

Set up in each tower so many carts that you have to pay a Quarter or 100 yen to use and you get your money back when you return the cart?  This way people use the cart and it has to be returned for others to use?  If it's left out on the floors someone else can take it back and get a little extra pocket change.

...unfortunately the majority of our society only thinks of themself most of the time!

I have had so many problems with this. The people who did it just recently moved, so we will see if anyone else decides to take up for them. The would leave the cart all the time on the floor, other times they would leave it FULL OF TRASH on our floor for days. Yeah, it would smell AWFUL! We left a note a couple times, I even called housing once. A couple times someone in our building (I am guessing the people on our floor but can't say for sure) would put the cart in the elevator and just leave it. I found this at my floor which is why I assume it was them, but I can't say for sure. Also, a couple times, I have found a cart full of trash down by the dumpster. Again, can't say for sure it was the people on our floor, but it is a good guess! Now, I haven't found 1 cart in my building in the past month, I don't know if they took them all away or what but I never have 1, just have to make multiple trips by hand

Today was my first time driving to the Commissary and I got to my car, unloaded my groceries, strapped my kids in and then noticed that not one cart thing was in the parking lot close enough that I could put the cart back and keep an eye on my kids in the car. I was pissed. I had to load the kids back in, walk the cart back in the store, and carry the kids back out to the car. I also did tip the baggers but they never said anything about helping me out to the car. I did not know they did that. I was really annoyed with the commissary today.

Posted By Navywife99 on 01-08-2012 10:04 AM

I don't live in a tower but what if they did something like this:

Set up in each tower so many carts that you have to pay a Quarter or 100 yen to use and you get your money back when you return the cart?  This way people use the cart and it has to be returned for others to use?  If it's left out on the floors someone else can take it back and get a little extra pocket change.

That's good incentive.  LIKE!

I'm about to order this: h**p://www.flyingbuffalo.net/hookandgo/

Posted By magicshelly on 01-08-2012 6:55 PM
Today was my first time driving to the Commissary and I got to my car, unloaded my groceries, strapped my kids in and then noticed that not one cart thing was in the parking lot close enough that I could put the cart back and keep an eye on my kids in the car. I was pissed. I had to load the kids back in, walk the cart back in the store, and carry the kids back out to the car. I also did tip the baggers but they never said anything about helping me out to the car. I did not know they did that. I was really annoyed with the commissary today.

Unless I go through self-checkout or the express lane I have never had the baggers not take the groceries to the car.  There is also a large sign next to the exit door that states something along the lines of "Commissary shopping carts are not allowed outside the commissary."  That is why there is no cart corral.

Did you go through the regular check out lane? 

Really? They didn't help you out to the car? They're usually VERY VERY VERY insistent about it. Like to the point of being pushy.

However, if you went through the express lane or the self-checkout lane, then they don't help you to your car unless you request it. Next time, if no one offers to help you, simply ask the cashier for help to the car and they'll find someone. I've never had a problem finding a bagger to help. Usually I have a problem when I tell them I don't need any help. Then they get snippy with me.

I don't tip the baggers until the job is done, groceries in the car to my satisfaction, then I hand them the tip.  If I don't get help to the car, they simply don't get paid and I save $.

I think I went through the expess line, it was my first shopping by myself I really could not get much food because I had the car seat in the big part of the cart and my son in the front. Next time I go the kids will stay with my sitter.

When we first moved into our tower, luckily my DH was with us. We had a lot of stuff too! But now, I want a wagon too! thats a good idea and it will be easier to manuver than a cart IMO

People are lazy, they have come to except to be waited, more of the entitlement mentality. As for the baggers, if they are hot looking Filipinas I tip otherwise you are SOL.

The lazy baggers (in the non-express lanes) will ask if you want help taking your groceries out. Well YEAH! - what am I paying you a tip for? I like that idea of tipping out at the car and not before - gonna try that one. I was also annoyed at the commissary today due to the stockout of yogurt AGAIN. And couldn't rouse anyone who could tell me when the next shipment will be in. I know, I know - the Japanese holiday blah blah blah - but what is their excuse for all the other times it happens during the year? There - I'm done with my rant

Posted By Donna on 01-10-2012 4:10 PM
The lazy baggers (in the non-express lanes) will ask if you want help taking your groceries out. Well YEAH! - what am I paying you a tip for? I like that idea of tipping out at the car and not before - gonna try that one. I was also annoyed at the commissary today due to the stockout of yogurt AGAIN. And couldn't rouse anyone who could tell me when the next shipment will be in. I know, I know - the Japanese holiday blah blah blah - but what is their excuse for all the other times it happens during the year? There - I'm done with my rant

I'm pretty new to life here (just arrived OCT 2011), but I hear a lot has to do with whether the battle-group is ported or deployed.  It can mean that a few thousand more customers are shopping when they are here, and the opposite when deployed.  Makes sense though.  Just wish they could coordinate with the ship's schedules to order more on those occasions, but that information might not be available to the commissary due to OpSec.  Just guessing here.

Frank, yes sir, you hit the nail on the head. My staff and I bend over backwards to keep the shelves full. Items like yogurt, with a short shelf life obviously cause the most headaches for us. We simply can't keep a few months on hand. 1) it would spoil, 2) we don't have the space. This store is undersized for the population of the base. Building a new one is being discussed, but that's many years down the road. We do the best we can with what we have to work with. I can't hire more people (DoD wide 10% budget cuts sound familiar?) Have an issue with the Commissary, let me know and I can get something done about it, much more productive than ranting here, don't you think? (Not sure how we eneded up here from shopping carts in the towers though).

I always tip the baggers, but have never tipped before they walk me out. We are retired Army and spent seven years in Germany and now we are here. I have never been treated poorly by a bagger. In fact, they have been friendly most of the time.