segovia Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Is it me or does the Heights area have a problem with abandoned grocery carts outside apartments, on sidewalks and in ditches? Is it considered a theft (misdemeanor) in Houston with the removal of a cart from the premises? IMHO...stray carts become a public safety issue suggesting that signs of neighborhood deterioration, if not promptly addressed, will lead to further decay, crime and loss of security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 The Fiesta on Dunlavy has a pickup truck that they use to drive around and collect carts from the neighborhood that get borrowed by their patrons to take groceries home.` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Yeah - that Fiesta truck makes the rounds through midtown/Binz neighborhoods. When I lived there, I would always see people using the carts to take groceries home, but not many just sitting around (I figure it's intended as a service since a lot of other places put those locking mechanism on carts once they leave the lot).I see plenty of abandoned ones south of the medical center (coming from the Kirby Fiesta, I assume). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I guess Harold Hurtt isn't making HPD officers to pick up the carts anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I bet those run-away carts are expensive to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooch Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 IMHO...stray carts become a public safety issue suggesting that signs of neighborhood deterioration, if not promptly addressed, will lead to further decay, crime and loss of security.I've never felt threatened by a shopping cart, but I suppose they could attack at any moment endangering the safety of the public. I see far fewer folks pushing their groceries home in the carts than I did ten years ago. At first I thought this practice was odd, but have grown to like it because it's unique. You won't see that in Katy or the "new and improved" Bellaire. It's just another waning part of Heights culture that being squeezed out by 'gentrification'.The Fiesta guy is goes around daily and collects them up from around the hood. Seriously, what does it hurt?Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiefbmg Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 got a few in my area, not far from kroger on 11th...does look trashy_thought about going around the neighborhood with my truck and dropping them off in the parking lot..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 I've never felt threatened by a shopping cart, but I suppose they could attack at any moment endangering the safety of the public. I see far fewer folks pushing their groceries home in the carts than I did ten years ago. At first I thought this practice was odd, but have grown to like it because it's unique. You won't see that in Katy or the "new and improved" Bellaire. It's just another waning part of Heights culture that being squeezed out by 'gentrification'.The Fiesta guy is goes around daily and collects them up from around the hood. Seriously, what does it hurt?Dave.Frankly I think its a great idea and encourages shopping from your pedestrian shoppers. Particularly in the area around Dunlavy, there are a lot of Hispanic laborers and some families that don't have cars, so its perfect for the neighborhood. Fiesta does the responsible and intelligent thing and just brings the carts home rather than chastising their customers or installing wheel locks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 In Canada, the Safeways have carts to rent, for 25 cents, they operate kind of like those airport carts....when you return your cart, your quarter is refunded. Reminds me of the old "coke" bottles, refunded for change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Never notice them. I guess I am not as attuned to 'further decay, crime and loss of security' as others. I will say that chiefbmg had the best post on the topic. When the problem becomes bad enough, he suggests that he will pick up his keys and do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
segovia Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 We could round them up and have a yearly "Heights Grocery Cart Derby" off Heights Blvd. We could have teams representing the local neighborhoods, i.e., Houston Heights, Woodland Heights, Sunset Heights, etc. Of course, any monies from donations or fees go to designated charities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverartfox Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Those carts are all over Eastwood, Broadmoor and adjacent neighborhoods. Some of them sit on the grassy strips between curbs and sidewalks, on vacant lots, in railroad right-of-ways, etc., for months. Many are from the nearby Kroger store on Polk. The management there obviously doesn't care about recovering or maintaining them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Those carts are all over Eastwood, Broadmoor and adjacent neighborhoods. Some of them sit on the grassy strips between curbs and sidewalks, on vacant lots, in railroad right-of-ways, etc., for months. Many are from the nearby Kroger store on Polk. The management there obviously doesn't care about recovering or maintaining them.They should be replaced then. The management that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Porchman Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 The Fiesta on North Shep has cart patrol, as well. Think, one pickup, that ususally only has to hit a handful of apt. complexes, instead of numerous cars that might have driven to and from the store. Fiesta is very green. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 The Fiesta on North Shep has cart patrol, as well. Think, one pickup, that ususally only has to hit a handful of apt. complexes, instead of numerous cars that might have driven to and from the store. Fiesta is very green.Amazing the relevant services that you can afford to provide when you're not paying a guitarist to come down to the store and play every Saturday (*cough* Kroger on Gray) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barracuda Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 The carts do provide a method for those without vehicles to carry their groceries home, so it seems reasonable to me. Fiesta, etc., just need to encourage shoppers to bring the carts back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 The carts do provide a method for those without vehicles to carry their groceries home, so it seems reasonable to me. Fiesta, etc., just need to encourage shoppers to bring the carts back.Good luck with that. I mean come on... if one NEEDS the buggy to take their groceries home... you really think they'll bring it back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan the Man Posted January 10, 2009 Share Posted January 10, 2009 There was a guy who was driving around Houston, collecting abandoned grocery carts, then selling them back to the stores for less than their replacement cost.Everbody won - the city gets cleaned up, the stores get their carts back, and the retriever makes a little cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLLegalien Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 If they are left in the street (not pulled into a driveway, etc) then you can call 311. They will come by and pick them up if they are notified that the cart may be interfering with traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutfieldDan Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I've never felt threatened by a shopping cart, but I suppose they could attack at any moment endangering the safety of the public. I see far fewer folks pushing their groceries home in the carts than I did ten years ago. At first I thought this practice was odd, but have grown to like it because it's unique. You won't see that in Katy or the "new and improved" Bellaire. It's just another waning part of Heights culture that being squeezed out by 'gentrification'. The Fiesta guy is goes around daily and collects them up from around the hood. Seriously, what does it hurt? Dave. I'ts unique? Part of the Height's culture? You've got to be kidding... Do you appreciate trash in the neighborhood? When the Heights was growing in the early 20th century I doubt that grocery carts and trash were part of the culture. The people that lived here then were hard working, and honest. They sent their kids to fight in WWII. It was only when the neighborhood declined that grocery carts and other trash appeared. It's not culture, it's being irresponsible. I often go for a run on Heights Blvd and when I see an abandoned grocery cart, I wheel it back to Krogers. I took one Fiesta cart back to the store in a pickup truck that was abandoned in Halbert Park for about two weeks in September. It makes me wonder who the lazy jerks are that feel it's ok to simply leave the cart somewhere and trash the neighborhood. Folding shopping carts are a much better choice for taking groceries home, and they can be purchased for about $20 on amazon.com. I wonder how much of a struggle it is to wheel a large shopping cart along uneven sidewalks for any great distance. Whenever I see anyone doing that I think they're an idiot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have seen folks wheeling their own (maybe folding) carts for groceries. They didn't seem to hold as much, though..I agree that dumping the carts wherever is irresponsible, though once someone gets one home I wonder how many options there are for storage.And I'm not sure that spending $20 + shipping on an internet site is in the cards for some folks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy76 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Typical of the way our society/culture is going, this thread has turned into a how else are the poor people wih no cars going to get their groceries home discussion(well among a few). We should feel sorry for them and turn a blind eye. They are stealing grocery carts and leaving them along the side of the public roads contributing to urban blight. Just as some tend to want to ignore or sympathize with illegal immigrants who are putting a heavier burden on the rest of us in so many ways. We have little carts here at work that fold up for carrying pland or documents on those would work fine. However if you need to go spend $150 on grocieries or more and can't haul them home you should be able to afford transport or know someone that can transport you would think.Where I work in the Westchase district the sidewalks and roadways are often loaded with grocery carts from Kohls, Target, Randalls, etc. I suppose due to the abundance of Apartment complexes in the area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 We have little carts here at work that fold up for carrying pland or documents on those would work fine. However if you need to go spend $150 on grocieries or more and can't haul them home you should be able to afford transport or know someone that can transport you would think.I am not standing up for people who litter grocery carts, but I can't agree with that statement. Are you saying less fortunate folks without cars need to make more trips to the grocery store? Or prioritize finances for an automobile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy76 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I am not standing up for people who litter grocery carts, but I can't agree with that statement. Are you saying less fortunate folks without cars need to make more trips to the grocery store? Or prioritize finances for an automobile?No, just that their misfortune or whatever is not an excuse to steal and litter.Obviously feeding your family trumps other things so I can not judge someone I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heights CPA Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I am not standing up for people who litter grocery carts, but I can't agree with that statement. Are you saying less fortunate folks without cars need to make more trips to the grocery store? Or prioritize finances for an automobile?Perhaps if we licensed them, inspected them and required insurance, they would take some pride in ownership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Typical of the way our society/culture is going, this thread has turned into a how else are the poor people wih no cars going to get their groceries home discussion(well among a few). We should feel sorry for them and turn a blind eye. They are stealing grocery carts and leaving them along the side of the public roads contributing to urban blight. Just as some tend to want to ignore or sympathize with illegal immigrants who are putting a heavier burden on the rest of us in so many ways. We have little carts here at work that fold up for carrying pland or documents on those would work fine. However if you need to go spend $150 on grocieries or more and can't haul them home you should be able to afford transport or know someone that can transport you would think.Where I work in the Westchase district the sidewalks and roadways are often loaded with grocery carts from Kohls, Target, Randalls, etc. I suppose due to the abundance of Apartment complexes in the area.If companies want to open grocery stores in areas that service people that are lower-income, they need to do the responsible thing and have a pickup truck retrieve carts from the neighborhood. Fiesta understands this and Kroger does not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasVines Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I had some friends that lived in some apartments in Westchase right at Westheimer and Gessner in the mid 80s and so many carts would build up it would block the areas to get to the apartments then the kids would play on like they were bigwheels or derby cars early on the weekends.....they would get back by piling them against the people doing its doors or smashing them into them late at night coming in from partying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutfieldDan Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 If companies want to open grocery stores in areas that service people that are lower-income, they need to do the responsible thing and have a pickup truck retrieve carts from the neighborhood. Fiesta understands this and Kroger does not.Fiesta is the same as Kroger. I picked up a Fiesta cart myself. Why don't you do the responsible thing and help return them? Maybe we should think of it as a community responsibility, not just Kroger's or Fiesta's responsibility. And isn't it also the person's responsibility to return the cart they took?I said it above. An inexpensive folding cart would be the responsible way to take groceries home if you can't drive them home. They only cost about $20, and can be used over and over. I don't think there are very many who can't afford that. When I see someone pushing a cart on the sidewalk full of groceries, it's not been a homeless person. OTOH, we do see the homeless using grocery carts for their stuff. I don't think they would let Fiesta have it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucesw Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have noticed this in the past around a Fiesta near me and when I've seen them being collected the guy is driving a truck with a Fiesta logo. It seems to be less of a problem now; maybe the Fiesta employee is coming around more often or maybe the big apartment complexes have taken steps? Most of the carts in that store are in pretty wretched shape - maybe that discourages pushing them a couple of blocks. On the positive side, the people using the carts this way aren't driving a gas guzzling SUV a block and a half to pick u a half gallon of milk or a fume-belching older car they can't afford to keep tuned up and they're getting some exercise out of it. That Fiesta is the closest grocery store to me but it's a small store with poor produce so I seldom shop there but when my car is in the shop and I need some things, I borrow my neighbor's Little Red Wagon (she used to take care of kids in her home occasionally), take my re-usable shopping bags from WF and make the trek. I don't even use one of their shopping carts in the store. Maybe the purchase of a reusable grocery cart should be covered by the Lone Star card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyHatch Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Another good solution is to do as the old folks home on 19th street does. They have made arrangements with the Kroger on 20th to come by and pick up the grocery carts that their occupants use to transport the groceries back to their apartments. The building has all the carts corralled in the back for the weekly pick up. As far as the random carts laying around, my favorite is when I see kids pushing them full speed, usually with their buddy inside the part where the groceries go, and launching them over the curb ala jackass. Excellent entertainment value for my dollar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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