but I finally had no choice but to go grocery shopping. I was out of bread, milk and (gasp) dogfood! So after work, I trudged to the grocery store in 87 degree heat.....walking uphill 20 miles. No....wait....just kidding about that last part. Even though I felt like I'd done that.Now I am able to walk.....I just no longer do it well. With my bad knee and my bad hip (I know I sound like Grandpa McCoy) I cannot walk for long periods of time. So I opt for the riding grocery buggy. When these things work well, they are fantastic! I can get my shopping done twice as fast because they move faster than I can walk. That's when they work well.
Most stores only have 2 or 3 of them available. Some of them have definitely seen better days. A lot of stores have a problem with PARENTS letting their kids play with them (take them for a ride through-out the store, terrorizing small children and seniors on foot.) So, the problem with going shopping late in the day is that the buggies are basically pooped. You may walk in and find them all neatly lined up with their cords plugged in getting charged, but that doesn't mean that they have been sitting there more than 5 minutes. It seems like I have a greatest knack for picking the buggy that will die halfway through the store at the farthest point from help. I will usually have a full basket when this happens. One time a checker rescued me by bringing me another cart and we swapped out the groceries from my totally dead buggy to the other one.
Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to ride one of these things when its nearly dead? A snail moves faster. I'm serious. They barely move and you inch your way toward the front of the store so you can unload your groceries. Grass grows faster than these things move. But.....ahhhh when they are working well and fully charged.....you breeze down the aisles, the wind whipping your hair back as scenery of cereal boxes and canned goods whiz by. Why....just the joy of it makes you forget about all the high prices of the items being offered.
Unfortunately, today was another day in which I chose the buggy that died within minutes of me taking it. Since I wasn't getting a lot, I continued to use it and inched my way through shopping. The red light blinking and the beep beep signal convinced me I'd better forget the last few things and head for the check out. I must have been a pretty pitiful sight. No wonder that 3 year old was looking at me strangely. I don't want to think about it.
14 comments:
While I've been known to look longingly at the riding carts from time to time, I haven't had to resort to them...yet. I suspect that when that time comes, I'll have the same luck you do, because now I always seem to pick the buggy with one wheel that doesn't roll and makes the whole thing pull to one side or the other.
Like Linda above, I have not resorted to the motorized carts yet...but I know that day is coming. Also like her, I cannot choose a cart without a mechanical issue. My favorite issue is a loud noise screeching from one of the wheels every time I move it...that happens to me alot. But it totally figures...I hate shopping of any kind, just the way you do.
Chin UP! Big hugs dear friend. :)
Sounds like me and the push carts. I always seem to pick the one that either will not go or the ones that sound like the wheels are about to fall off!
I had to laugh reading this. THey have motorized carts for old ppl for the ROAD here... crazy...
I haven't had to resort to using a motorized grocery buggy yet, but they are looking better and better these days with all my aches and pains. I guess there's no way of knowing when you pick one out if it will die on you; but I'd die too...of embarrassment. I hate going shopping more and more these days.... ~Joy
I had no idea those grocery buggies could be so unreliable. Forewarned is forearmed, I guess . . .
Before John's knee replacement surgery he often chose to use the cart in large stores so he wouldn't have to walk so far, and just as you noted, more often than not they "ran out of gas" long before we made it back to the check out counter, or they puddled along so slowly that it would have been faster to drag him down the aisles by his foot! I really think store managers should stay on top of the use and recharging of these things so they truely can be a benefit to those who need them instead of one more cause of frustration. Wish I lived closer, we'd shop together. I can hobble along pretty good when I have a cart in front of me for support! :-)
Have you tried leaning forward and going "VAROOOM!" real loud?
LIFE IS GOOD has been shut down! Let's grab two motorized carts and head for the liquor aisle!!
Hey Val, thanks for stopping by to visit. I enjoyed reading your posts, I like the idea above give me one of those carts and let me at the liqour aisle!
Bad knee and bad hip doesn't sound like much fun!!! My father-in-law has to use those sometimes because he has such bad bulging discs in his back that he can't walk far. However, if I ever saw a kid riding one of those I would have a fit, they're for people who need them, not for joyriding!!!
My Mom must use one of those as well. I understand how frustrating it can be. It is a shame that they are not more rotated out.
So far, I've gotten by with Percoset and leaning on the grocery cart handle. But if I don't have my surgery soon, I'll be joining you in that motorized whatchamacallit. And thanks for the early morning advice!
You would think that the carts would have routine maintenance to check them for power. It's just good customer relations, but that is lacking in many stores unfortunately. Sorry you keep getting the bum one.
I have talked to so many store managers about their scooters. I've run into so many problems with my mom because of a store either not having them, having enough, having broken ones, or having uncharged ones.
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