"Why would anyone steal a shopping cart? It's like stealing a two-year-old" - Erma Bombeck
Project 365: #54
I remember before we moved a German friend from South Africa telling me about the trolleys (shopping carts/luggage trolleys) in Germany. I did think it was a bit anal, as you have to pay for your trolley. But, I have come to appreciate this, and am sure I will miss it! They are all chained together, and you pay a deposit of a 1 euro or 50 c coin into the slot to release your trolley, which you receive back when you return it. It does mean that there are not very many errant trolleys lying around, that trolleys generally don't get stolen, and provided you have a coin in your handbag, you are guaranteed a trolley. There are some good marketing ploys (which I have succumbed to) that make 1 euro-sized tokens that you can keep with your car keys or in your purse.
One does wonder at the extent of trolley theft here previously??? Anyhow, I have come to enjoy the way things are done here...and how these self-policing systems seem to work. I suppose it is a bit like paying the car-guard to return your trolley for you, except that you actually get your money back! After all, a euro is clearly more valuable than a trolley!
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