Shopping trolleys: why are they so hard?

I've been living in the UK on and off since 1990. I have a British passport. My children were born here. I can make a roast that can compete with the best of them.

Why the heck can't I steer a British shopping trolley?

I am resigned to the fact that "things are harder here". When I first opened a bank account, I went to the branch where I lived. Bad move. On a lunch break one day, when I needed to withdraw more money than allowed by the ATM, I had to travel 40 minutes from my work place in order to complete the transaction. The systems were not "connected".

The Esso station down the road just installed pay at the pump. This is 2010, people are finally considering NOT using petrol.

But the shopping carts I just don't get. I vividly remember my first dealing with a British shopping cart. In the confusion of searching for grocery items at Tesco, I didn't notice the shopping cart had a mind of its own. After spending hours trying to figure out where the cornstarch was and that fairy liquid was for "washing up" dishes (not clothes), I went to make my way to the register.

I pushed the shopping cart straight. It went left. I tried to correct it and directed it right. It still went left. I tightened my shoulders and put all my weight in to it as if I was pushing a twin stroller with very heavy twins up a very steep hill. It finally went straight.

I must have screwed up my face because I got some strange looks from fellow shoppers. Then I bumped into an old age pensioner. When I said I was sorry, he said "it's OK love, I have trouble with them too," and he winked at me.

A decade later, and the shopping carts aren't any better. Try steering one of those carts when you are eight months pregnant with a toddler in tow. I'm not, but a friend of mine is, and she is so traumatised by the carts that she's started using Tesco online (she's American too).

Is this a conspiracy? Who makes these things anyway and does it really need to be this hard?

This post was written by Susanna, an Expat Mums founder. You can read more at her blog, A Modern Mother.

credit: Frank Eleveld

Comments

[Amy @ Bitchin' Wives Club]

I couldn't agree more. The shopping cart here are stupid. They swerve all over the place and god forbid you should have to push on across an inclined sidewalk (like the one right outside our local Waitrose)... I don't get at all why they don't have fixed back wheels like they do in the States. *exasperated sigh*

[Calif Lorna]

Now that you mention it, the trolleys here in the States are absolutely fine. I hadn't really paid that much attention before, but you're completely right, they are terrible in the UK.

[geekymummy]

I had a dodgy trolley at Target the other day (wire around the wheels) and was instantly reminded of Britain! I returned the offending cart for a nice functional one. Didn't realize it was because they had fixed back wheels though, interesting!

[Florida Girl in Sydney]

Why why why????? Why are Australian shopping carts four wheel drive??? It is so ridiculous.

Sorry but American trolleys are the only way to go, when will the rest of the world catch onto this?

[Michelle]

I was chuckling all the way through this. I agree COMPLETELY. When I go back to the states and grab a trolley I totally over-steer it the first aisle because I am so used to manhandling the things.

[Expat Mum]

Hmmmm. I was advised at Costco (Chicago) the other day to go to the front of my trolley and drag it by the front since (and I quote) "No one knows how to make decent carts".
World War III - the battle of the supermarket trolleys/carts.

[Samantha@Living In The Sun]

I live in portugal some times with the same problem several months ago i was in a super market here and my trolley had a mind of it's own, tried to turn left it went straight on into some shelves. I think there is on companny that makes these things world wide because they are all the same

[Rachel - Planet-Cards]

Absolutely loved this post! I don't think it's only UK shopping trolleys, I've noticed this in a few countries! Now, I tend to base my shopping preferences on the quality of the trolleys!!! How ridiculous, but they are quite possibly one of the only things that really gets me riled...

[Jayne]

supermarkets like Tesco dont maintain there trollys trust me i used to work for them !