Meet Cart Narcs: Modern Day Heroes or Insufferable A-holes?

Why do think some people don’t put their shopping cart in a cart corral when they’re done using it? The answer is “because they’re lazy”. Now, they won’t ADMIT that’s the reason. In fact, non-returners will come up with hundreds of other reasons they leave their cart out in the parking lot. “I have a medical condition”, they may protest despite the fact that they just WALKED around the inside of Wal-Mart for a full hour and returning the cart would’ve only took 15 seconds. “But it’s cold outside!” Sorry, it wasn’t so cold that you couldn’t GO TO THE STORE in the first place, it’s not too cold for that extra 30 steps to be a responsible member of civil society.

So, I’m pretty “pro-putting-your-cart-back”. But I’m not sure I can fully condone the Cart Narcs and what their YouTube channel is all about. Publicly shaming shopping cart malingerers sure SOUNDS like something I would agree with on paper. And, it turns out to be pretty hilarious when actually put into practice out in the field. My only reservation is that it will probably lead, eventually, to someone being shot in the face by a puffy, spittle-spewing laggard.

There’s a depressing predictability to these encounters: first, confusion. Understandably. Followed by bemusement, white-hot rage and then threats of violence. But then, the FIFTH stage sets in: realization that you’re going to end up in a YouTube video that will be seen 75 thousand times.

Stage 6: Recognition that if you’d just said sorry politely and put the cart back to begin with they wouldn’t have had anything worth posting.

Stage 7: Recognition. Of the fact you’re a lazy, angry jerk.