XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.books   
   From: lcraver@home.ca   
      
   On Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:57:08 -0600, Greg Goss  wrote:   
      
   >Supermarkets in really rich communities still don't need deposits.   
   >Medium-rich supermarkets want a quarter to unlock the cart.  Poor to   
   >middle-class supermarkets want (in my country) a dollar coin.   
   >Supermarkets in really poor areas have the carts barricaded to the   
   >area next to the entrance, and you have to bring your vehicle to the   
   >cart.   
      
   Hmmm my suburb is not considered poor but our carts are typically   
   $1.00. For the record, when you return your cart you get your coin   
   back so it's not really a rental but a deposit.   
      
   >   
   >The WalMart about six miles from me is in a poorer neighborhood than   
   >where I live.  It has electronic wheel locks that provide a similar   
   >effect to that barricade.  But I was surprised that the wheels lock up   
   >if you take the cart into the rest of the mall instead of to your car.   
      
   Wouldn't it be cheaper and equally effective for Walmart if instead of   
   using a radio device to lock the wheels they simply used a timer that   
   locked after  2-3 hours?   
      
   This would accomodate legitimate shoppers while stopping most who   
   would take the carts outside the lot. Our store is about 3 blocks from   
   a Walmart and we find left carts outside our store 2 or 3 times a   
   month and I actually had to e-mail Walmart's international offices to   
   get a reply from the local store to get a phone # I could call to tell   
   them to pick up their bl**dy carts. Their local store phone   
   switchboard was less than cooperative which amazed me given these   
   carts cost in the $1200-1500 range apiece so you would think the store   
   managers would be motivated to get them back!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)