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Thread: Push or pull the shopping cart? Why?

  1. #1
    Senior Member herbgeek's Avatar
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    Push or pull the shopping cart? Why?

    I've noticed 3 different ways people handle shopping carts: 1) push from the front 2) pull from the back end and 3) pull by holding the side.

    I'm a pusher. I can see where I'm going, and navigate around other people better.

    I understand the pull from the back end way (ie you aren't pushing the cart into traffic when you can't see if anyone is there), but the pull from the side one baffles me. When someone is holding the cart on the side and pulling it, they take up the entire aisle so that no one else can get through. And I would think it would be harder to make the cart do corners in this position (maybe I'm wrong).

    Which way do you handle the shopping cart and why? Particularly interested in hearing those who do #3 so I understand it better, and then I won't get quite so aggravated.

  2. #2
    Senior Member bekkilyn's Avatar
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    Weird...I've never seen anyone use the holding the side method. Usually I see people not doing anything with their carts and just leaving them in the middle of the aisle while they and their 50 bajillion family members stand idly all around it blocking the aisle completely, and who then just stare at you when you say "excuse me" in order to attempt to pass.

    I usually push, though sometimes when running into the above (sadly, not literally), I've had occasions where it was just easier to pull the cart to get back out of the aisle than to deal with trying to push through. I'd find it awkward to pull the cart the whole time though. The wheels going all different directions wouldn't cooperate.

  3. #3
    Senior Member razz's Avatar
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    Funny question to think about but I push the cart.

    Not to derail the thread but what is challenging is having a toddler sitting in a cart that is blocking the aisle with the supervising adult some distance away and preoccupied while I am trying to pass through or seeing a woman's purse lying on top of a cart with no idea to whom it belongs and trying to move the cart to get by without anyone questioning my motives.

  4. #4
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    I try to practice standing upright with really good posture, just resting my hands on the cart handle. I noticed one day that I was seriously slumping over the handles... Bad for my back!

  5. #5
    rodeosweetheart
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    Now if you were down South, you would call it a buggy.

  6. #6
    Mrs-M
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    I've witnessed all three ways in my day! I'm a pusher (all the way)! But, (heavy on the but), you know those nifty little wire carts? The ones with four wheels? Like this.


    I think (if I used one) I would alternate between pushing and pulling. (Would most likely pull more). However, IMO, pulling an actual full-sized shopping cart by the front is about as backwards as pulling a baby stroller backwards!

    Nevertheless, to answer the "why" as to all of this, pushing IMO seems like the most logical and easiest method. When shopping, one is constantly moving ahead (forward), so it makes the most sense to me to push your cart forward while standing behind it. Easy to see ahead of you, easy to navigate, and everything you've selected (or forgot to select) is right in front of you all the time.

    Plus, when my kids were little (babies), I could keep an eye on them all the time, as opposed to having said chicken-legged kid at the opposite end of the cart, grabbing and glomming onto everything they set their eyes on.

  7. #7
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    The older I get and the more painful my knee, the more I appreciate a nice shopping cart to act like a cane and save me from hauling loads of stuff around a store.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Mrs. Hermit's Avatar
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    I guess I do all 3! Most times, if I know the store and what I want, I push the cart. If I am traveling slowly looking for something, or in an unfamiliar store, I pull the cart. That lets me be close to the shelves without leaving the cart in the middle of the aisle. If I am managing 2 carts, I push one and pull the other along side. I find the 2nd cart easier to steer from the side. When all my children were small, I would put them in the cart I was pushing, and the groceries went in the cart I was pulling from the side. That way I could keep an eye on the kids, and still get my shopping done.
    Mrs. Hermit

  9. #9
    Moderator Float On's Avatar
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    I'm a 'push'er who likes to keep the cart in motion. I hate grocery shopping so go with my list and attack! When my 2 regular stores change their layouts or move products around it will ruin my mood for the rest of the day.
    Float On: My "Happy Place" is on my little kayak in the coves of Table Rock Lake.

  10. #10
    Mrs-M
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    Now, who's ready to talk shopping cart design with me?

    Here's one idea I have for a better designed shopping cart best suited for moms. How about a sit down and pedal version? Let's hear it for good-ol' exercise! Anyhow, my cart would consist of two separate carts joined together, with the drivers area smack dab in the middle of the two. The rear cart (compartment) would be for rugrats, equipped with double height side and end walls to keep wandering hands at bay and kids safely inside (identical steel basket grate style), while the front would be for groceries.

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