Abandoned Shopping Trolleys

[Electrochem]

I wish more councils would do this!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-59745453

I have seen a few supermarkets where the wheels on the trolley lock if someone tries to take them outside the perimeter of the shop. I would imagine that there is something like an induction loop that activates the lock on the wheels.

[wolf63]

Money was raised for charity using abandoned shopping trolleys in 2020.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/perth-kinross/2813280/perth-trolley-calendar/

[Hopkirk]

Perhaps AI technology could create homing trolleys.

[emmie]

good plan Hopkirk, wonder if it would work....

[barry1010]

Why aren't people seen pushing them outside of the supermarket boundary charged with theft?

[barry1010]

And people that abandon them outside the supermarket boundary charged with flytipping?

[emmie]

i saw one tramp yesterday with about 20 large bags of who knows what in them, perhaps his belongings, pushing a shopping trolley, what could you charge him with....

[barry1010]

Theft of shopping trolley, emmie.

[davebro]

Aldi baskets are security tagged so that an alarm goes off if they are taken out of the store, maybe something similar could be done with trollies in the car park.

[emmie]

doubt he had the money, he was dressed in a way that suggests a tramp, homeless perhaps.

[barry1010]

emmie, common sense would be employed - not everyone who commits is charged with it.

I am fed up of everyone being blamed except the people who actually did it. People helping themselves to shopping trolleys, blame the supermarket. People killing children, blame the social workers. Crime on the rise, blame the police.

[youngmafbog]

Hmmm, most ASDA stores these days have the wheel lock on them so I'm wondering why such a problem here? In addition when I someone has taken one somehow (usually appear in the morning so probably drunks as they are left outside) I have called and its shifted pretty quickly.

And yes I agree Barry. Trouble is its easy to point to ASDA (and clearly making a political point by calling them multi-national conglomerates) but catching the thief takes time and effort.

[youngmafbog]

Emmie, I am not sure theft should be ignored because someone has opted to live outside of the community.

If a Harold half inches a trolley they should be bought up before the beak.

[davebro]

I think the courts are near breaking point & the police under-resourced. Is it really worth their time & effort over a shopping trolley?

Mind you - you could once get transported for nicking a loaf of bread!

[youngmafbog]

I believe in zero tolerance Dave. Otherwise why have the law?

[davebro]

zero tolerance is an unrealistic dream these days

[youngmafbog]

I'm afraid you are right, but IMHO it shouldn't be and with the right leadership it could be done.

The Police, or prosecution should not be able to decide which laws to uphold and which to fully enforce. If the law is not to be enforced then remove it - why have the pretence?

[davebro]

hm - not sure how that could work. If I'm not prosecuted for nicking a bar of chocolate from the Spar can I be excused for pocketing a £2000 diamond ring at H Samuel?

[Ken4155]

The shopping trolley the tramp was using to carry his worldly possessions isn't abandoned, is it? It's actually being put to good use and the tramp may not have visited the store to get the trolley. He could have found it abandoned at the foot of an incline or in a field, alongside it's twin. He may even have rescued it from the canal.
There but for good fortune...............

[davebro]

yeah but then he would be HANDLING stolen goods. :))

[Ken4155]

^
To paraphrase Sharon Stone, "What you gonna do, arrest him?"