LETTER – Finding a shopping cart at stores is getting to be a challenge
(Image: Mel Rothenburger photo)
I live on the North Shore (not the Shore) and try and shop here as much as possible.
I went to Shoppers a few days ago. I tried to find a cart for my goods but none were found. Hmmm? Oh well I will just get a few things and make do until I go to Safeway to get the things I couldn’t get at Shoppers.
I get to Safeway and surprise, only little shopping carts. So much for the bi weekly stocking up on groceries. I finished off at the $1 store for a couple of things. OOOps, forgot that they don’t let their carts go out of the store(smart move) so I had to buy a bag for my stuff.
The general consensus, when the stores were asked about this lack of shopping carts was, “it’s the homeless people”. They take them. To replace the lost carts costs thousands of dollars, a cost that will be passed onto the consumer who actually work for a living and pay for groceries.
The only people who benefit are the ones who stole the cart in the first place. I thought stealing was a criminal offense with consequences. When I asked a store employee why they just don’t take a truck around town and retrieve all their buggies, he said it would be dangerous and unethical.
Are you kidding me? So now not only are we not able to shop with honestly earned money but we have to subsidize those who steal. Even the store where you have to pay for the buggy has issues with “folks” coming in at night and cutting the carts loose.
I know if I had something stolen and found somebody with it, I would take it back using what ever means I have at my disposal. If it said Safeway on it, Safeway owns it not the person who stole it.
I drove around to see if what was said was true. In a very short time I saw numerous people pushing shopping carts full of “stuff”, using them for shelters or filling them with trash and a few carts were in the river.
MELODY FORMANSKI
EDITOR’S NOTE: In 2017, police began confiscating stolen shopping carts and returning them to the stores. Due to public concern for the homeless, the operation was ended.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
If You call TLC Cart Recovery at 250.574.3364 they will arrange pick up.
Safeway had a device that locked the buggy when it was being taken off their lot, but the buggy nappers just broke the devices. No sense tracking if we can’t take them back anyway. Can you imagine the kerfuffle that would go up if we tried to take the stolen carts back from the “poor street people”? What a Bugaboo that would be…
Melody, a LOT of patrons feel this way about shopping carts and theft of same.
Maybe there has been an in camera meeting at City Hall about this growing problem.
Carts, complete with bonafide CoK logos might be supplied as a supplemental item on this year’s budget. The buggies, complete with GPS tracking and RFID technology would create a more distinctive flair and show the voters that some thought has been put into it.
Any ideas on the name for such a buggy?