12 December 2016

Are you sick of shopping trolleys in your streets?

| thebadtouch
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trolleys02

The exponential increase in the number of shopping trolleys dumped in Australian streets is a disgrace. They litter the streets and can cause panel damage to parked cars. They are dumped in waterways, on roadsides and nature strips. They make our towns and suburbs look untidy and unloved.

In addition to being eyesores, especially when dumped in enviro-sensitive areas such as alongside streams or in nearby recreational bushland spaces, these trolleys are a hazard to pedestrians and traffic and cost retailers millions of dollars a year to replace, repair or return to the store.

If, like me, you’re sick of the sight of trolleys in your suburb then I encourage you to please sign the petition I’ve started on Change.org. 7

Feel free to share this link too. The more people who sign, the more Coles and Woolworths will have to take notice.

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FB said :

I don’t really think this is a viable solution. It’s a bit like punishing the many for the sins of the few. My local Woolies (Kippax) has coin trolleys. I avoid the place because of this and shop elsewhere. I often don’t have a coin on me when I just drop in and every time I try to return the trolley to the trolley bay it’s blocked etc.
I think the retailers know this so won’t implement it nationwide. As a result retailers are not going to implement the change themself.

The law and penalties are pretty clear regarding trolleys
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/city-services/city_rangers/changes_to_shopping_trolley_legislation_litter_act_2004
They just need to be enforced more.

Forget the fine for littering – these people are stealing, and should be treated accordingly.

I’m more worried about how much each of these missing shopping trolleys is adding to my grocery bill. They cost a few hundred dollars each to replace, and guess who’s paying for that? Everyone who buys groceries.

Perhaps they should just start prosecuting the people who walk off with them, usually people who take the trolley most of the way home before unloading their shopping – I often see trolleys abandoned along the Athllon Dr side of those dodgy suburbs of Swinger Hill and Mawson.

carnardly said :

You know what – if you don’t like them use your smarts. Dob them in to trolley trackers. Each of the major shops have one.

You might win yourself $1000 and they’re usually picked up pretty quickly.

Your suggestion is great in theory. In practise, it sucks, because to keep on top the abandonments, I need to submit something to trolleytrackers, fixmystreet or the Coles equivalent about six times a week, every week. Does that sound reasonable to you? It’s the same people leaving their trolleys in the same spots after every shopping trip. There are makeshift collection points 2 to 3 km away from the shops! Also, they don’t make it convenient to report trolleys and I find I’m typing in the same info again and again to report trolleys in the same area but on different streets.

I get annoyed not because of any “danger”, but because it tells me that my community is full of morons.

gbates said :

I previously worked at a shopping centre with a stolen trolley problem. Eventually it became a trial site for electronic trolley locks which disable the trolley when it leaves the site. It seemed to fix the issue and was likely cost effective – supermarket trolleys are surprisingly expensive.

They had this in Cairns when I was there recently. Nil shopping trolleys in the streets.

london said :

Yes I am also sick of seeing trolleys around the streets. I would like a dob in number and see people fined. How lazy they are. I see young and older people pushing trolleys down the street. One day when walking even saw a young couple pushing one with a matress on over near Franklin. But if it’s too hard to push the trolley into collection points in car parks I don’t suppose there’s much hope of stopping them being left in streets.It’s just the same as those who throw rubbish everywhere. No respect.

“One day when walking even saw a young couple pushing one with a mattress on over near Franklin.”
Probably chavs on a camping trip.

Yes I am also sick of seeing trolleys around the streets. I would like a dob in number and see people fined. How lazy they are. I see young and older people pushing trolleys down the street. One day when walking even saw a young couple pushing one with a matress on over near Franklin. But if it’s too hard to push the trolley into collection points in car parks I don’t suppose there’s much hope of stopping them being left in streets.It’s just the same as those who throw rubbish everywhere. No respect.

Simple – issue the owner with a, say, $5k fine for each trolley found, $100 of which goes to the person reporting it.

Watch how quickly they put coin locks on them!

And yes, of course they’d pass the costs on to the consumer, but if the fine’s set high enough the rise in prices would soon make them uncompetitive with rivals whose trolleys had coin locks.

hazards to pedestrians and the like? oh please – go for a gold logie elsewhere.

You know what – if you don’t like them use your smarts. Dob them in to trolley trackers. Each of the major shops have one. You might win yourself $1000 and they’re usually picked up pretty quickly.

http://www.trolleytracker.com.au/reportatrolley/tabid/61/default.aspx

rommeldog56 said :

damien haas said :

They are indeed a blight.

Excellent post with some ways to report the problem here:

https://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/the-shopping-trolley/

I wonder if trolleys will be able to be taken onto the tram as that would encourage tram usage by people who need to shop.

If so, that might help to ease the blight of abandoned shopping trolleys by spreading the visual impact across a wider area.

There – who says the tram won’t be useful after all !.

“….. spreading the visual impact across a wider area.”
Excellent idea.
In fact, the trams would compliment empty ACTION buses as they move air between suburbs.

Evilomlap said :

Antagonist said :

Evilomlap said :

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It doesn’t work very well at the Jamison ALDI, because there’s a Coles next door. Mostly, people just grab a Coles trolley to use in ALDI.

Works fine at Aldi Chisholm which also has a Coles next door. It also works fine at Aldi Tuggeranong which is right next to a Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Target who all provide free trolleys. Take a guess which trolleys get abandoned and which ones do not? Hint: I have never seen an abandoned Aldi trolley before – not ever.

LOL I love your name on here, it’s perfectly apt. I guess us Northsiders are just the trolley-thieving cheapskates of the grocery shopping world 🙂

Yeah I should be nicer to Alexandra. I like her articles 🙂

damien haas said :

They are indeed a blight.

Excellent post with some ways to report the problem here:

https://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/the-shopping-trolley/

I wonder if trolleys will be able to be taken onto the tram as that would encourage tram usage by people who need to shop.

If so, that might help to ease the blight of abandoned shopping trolleys by spreading the visual impact across a wider area.

There – who says the tram won’t be useful after all !.

octagonalman10:44 pm 12 Aug 15

There’s some higher tech solutions that attempt to lock the wheel when the trolley is taken out of bounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x0KpjZtg-A

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1883986

I previously worked at a shopping centre with a stolen trolley problem. Eventually it became a trial site for electronic trolley locks which disable the trolley when it leaves the site. It seemed to fix the issue and was likely cost effective – supermarket trolleys are surprisingly expensive.

Short answer is yes…. I see trolleys up to 3km away from Gungahlin shops and often I see them being pushed with a single bag in them. I have also seen people push the trolley 2km, then get on a bus that they could have caught at 0km. I’m getting sick of weekly reports to fixmystreet. I guess the longer answer is “yes” too.

They make excellent gates for wild pig traps. Or so i’m told.

Exponential!!!!! Oh No!!!!!!!!!! From 2 to 2 million in a few days. Well, actually, maybe we can sell them to the rest of Australia if they are reproducing at that rate. Then the rest of the world, then the universe. Woohoo.

Antagonist said :

Evilomlap said :

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It doesn’t work very well at the Jamison ALDI, because there’s a Coles next door. Mostly, people just grab a Coles trolley to use in ALDI.

Works fine at Aldi Chisholm which also has a Coles next door. It also works fine at Aldi Tuggeranong which is right next to a Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Target who all provide free trolleys. Take a guess which trolleys get abandoned and which ones do not? Hint: I have never seen an abandoned Aldi trolley before – not ever.

LOL I love your name on here, it’s perfectly apt. I guess us Northsiders are just the trolley-thieving cheapskates of the grocery shopping world 🙂

Firstly – I don’t see abandoned trolleys as that big an issue.

Secondly – what are the rules with the coin operated system? I thought there was a time when all supermarkets in the ACT were forced to do this?? It’s now very inconsistent, as pointed out. At Belco and Jamison, for example, it’s a huge rookie mistake to take the Aldi trolleys. Supabarn at Civic and Crace do not have the coin system – but Supabarn Kaleen does! Why?

damien haas said :

They are indeed a blight.

Excellent post with some ways to report the problem here:

https://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/the-shopping-trolley/

For a wonderful moment or two I thought your opening sentence was referring to trams!

Alexandra Craig3:09 pm 12 Aug 15

Antagonist said :

Evilomlap said :

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It doesn’t work very well at the Jamison ALDI, because there’s a Coles next door. Mostly, people just grab a Coles trolley to use in ALDI.

Works fine at Aldi Chisholm which also has a Coles next door. It also works fine at Aldi Tuggeranong which is right next to a Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Target who all provide free trolleys. Take a guess which trolleys get abandoned and which ones do not? Hint: I have never seen an abandoned Aldi trolley before – not ever.

Alexandra Craig said :

It’s not just Aldi. Coles Manuka have them I’m pretty sure, as do Woolworths Dickson. I’ve seen abandoned trolleys in both areas.

With coins in them? Yeah, right. I’m calling you out on it, too.

Don’t know. I don’t go up and inspect them. But chances are, they don’t have coins but rather those little plastic fake coin things that you can get. Woolworths make them with their own branding on the side. I have a couple somewhere, they attach to a keyring.

They are indeed a blight.

Excellent post with some ways to report the problem here:

https://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/2014/04/21/the-shopping-trolley/

Evilomlap said :

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It doesn’t work very well at the Jamison ALDI, because there’s a Coles next door. Mostly, people just grab a Coles trolley to use in ALDI.

Works fine at Aldi Chisholm which also has a Coles next door. It also works fine at Aldi Tuggeranong which is right next to a Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Target who all provide free trolleys. Take a guess which trolleys get abandoned and which ones do not? Hint: I have never seen an abandoned Aldi trolley before – not ever.

Alexandra Craig said :

It’s not just Aldi. Coles Manuka have them I’m pretty sure, as do Woolworths Dickson. I’ve seen abandoned trolleys in both areas.

With coins in them? Yeah, right. I’m calling you out on it, too.

On a related topic, has anyone noticed that in the Canberra Centre car park underground underneath Superbarn, the first few rows of trolley return bays are all for Supabarn trolleys, with the Aldi one relegated to further away? Why is this so? Aldi and Supabarn are about the same distance from the car park entrance.

Alexandra Craig12:50 pm 12 Aug 15

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It’s not just Aldi. Coles Manuka have them I’m pretty sure, as do Woolworths Dickson. I’ve seen abandoned trolleys in both areas.

Antagonist said :

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

It doesn’t work very well at the Jamison ALDI, because there’s a Coles next door. Mostly, people just grab a Coles trolley to use in ALDI.

Or if they are hopelessly disorganised and lacking in any kind of forward planning (like me) they do the dancing juggling act of trying to carry as much as possible in their arms. (Picture an idiot standing in an aisle carrying toilet paper, dishwasher tablets, four cans of tuna and a box of biscuits staring at the tissues and doing a sort of tetris-like visualisation in his mind while thinking ‘I suppose I don’t really need tissues’ and you get the idea…)

Alexandra Craig said :

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

The coin-op system as used by Aldi is not there to discourage theft. It provides an incentive to return the trolley to the store when they are finished with it. It also saves money on having to pay trolley collectors. If you don’t think it works, just ask yourself how many abandoned ALDI trolleys you have seen in carparks? Now ask yourself how many abandoned Coleworths trolleys you have seen abandoned. It is also interesting to note that ALDIs trolleys are always in *much* better condition than any trolley you will find in Coleworths. The system not only works, but it works exceptionally well. Coleworths would do well to follow ALDI’s lead.

Holden Caulfield11:14 am 12 Aug 15

How much does a trolley fetch on the black market?

Alexandra Craig10:10 am 12 Aug 15

I thought we already had coin operated trolleys. Either way, I don’t think they work. If I am going to steal a trolley I won’t be concerned about losing a few dollars.

FB said :

Off topic, There is actually a young boy of about 12 or so who hangs around the Kippax Wollies car park and kinda tangles the trolleys in the trolley bay, requiring you have another coin and a bit of patience to untangle it and return your trolley. Quite a few just give up and dump the trolley. They boy then returns the trolley for his own gain. I sat in the car and amusedly watched him do this for half an hour. In that time he managed get about 6 trolleys. Now assuming they were all $1 coins and not $2 then he got $6 in 30 mins. $12 an hour untaxed for a kid is a jackpot!

Genius 🙂

Back in the late 80s and early 90s, they used to have the coin-op trolleys out in Quangers at the Riverside Plaza. There used to be an old duck that would go around the carpark asking people for their trolleys. At 20 cents a throw we were quite happy for her to take the trolley away for us. It was rumoured that she had made thousands of dollars by the time she was done.

STOP THE TROLLEYS!

I don’t really think this is a viable solution. It’s a bit like punishing the many for the sins of the few. My local Woolies (Kippax) has coin trolleys. I avoid the place because of this and shop elsewhere. I often don’t have a coin on me when I just drop in and every time I try to return the trolley to the trolley bay it’s blocked etc.
I think the retailers know this so won’t implement it nationwide. As a result retailers are not going to implement the change themself. The law and penalties are pretty clear regarding trolleys
http://www.tams.act.gov.au/city-services/city_rangers/changes_to_shopping_trolley_legislation_litter_act_2004
They just need to be enforced more.
Off topic, There is actually a young boy of about 12 or so who hangs around the Kippax Wollies car park and kinda tangles the trolleys in the trolley bay, requiring you have another coin and a bit of patience to untangle it and return your trolley. Quite a few just give up and dump the trolley. They boy then returns the trolley for his own gain. I sat in the car and amusedly watched him do this for half an hour. In that time he managed get about 6 trolleys. Now assuming they were all $1 coins and not $2 then he got $6 in 30 mins. $12 an hour untaxed for a kid is a jackpot!

neanderthalsis8:54 am 12 Aug 15

“The more people who sign, the more Coles and Woolworths will have to take notice.”

It is not Coles and Woolies that are dumping the trolley’s, it is a small number of degenerates, university students and reprobates who push them home laden with frozen pies, 2 minute noodles and bags of crisps and then dump them. How about we petition TAMS to issue littering notices to those who dump them instead?

I do agree with Grail that more should be done to prevent trolleys from leaving the shopping centres. The ACT government leaving foot paths to crumble into disrepair seems to discourage this.

How about steering clear of the emotive language?

“Hello Rioters! I have an idea for clearing up all those shopping trolleys abandoned in the streets and dumped in our waterways. The major supermarket chains should introduce coin-operated trolleys like Aldi, so users are compelled to return them! Sign my petition here …”

That works a whole lot better for me, and I feel happy about signing the petition and I can convince myself that I’ve taken meaningful action!

Slacktivism at its finest 😀

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