I approached a woman and offered her a loonie in exchange for her shopping cart. She took my money, I took her cart. A few seconds later I noticed the cart didn’t have a loonie in it, so I trailed her.
As she climbed into her truck I said, “This cart doesn’t have a loonie in it.” I thought she’d say, “I’m sorry, I forgot” and return my money. Instead, she shrugged, shut the door, and smirked at me through her window. I stood there for a moment, stunned. She stole my loonie! My precious, saved-especially-for-shopping-carts loonie!
I think about this experience often because it makes me leery during other money/cart trades. I also feel bad that someone compromised her integrity over a loonie. I mean, if you need a loonie that bad, just ask. I’ll give you one.
Or will I?
A few weeks ago, someone approached me asking for a cart trade and, to my dismay, I found myself with a handful of dimes. Now, I know that ten dimes equal a loonie – but that was my precious, saved-especially-for-shopping-carts loonie!
So I had to go to the bank to get another loonie to keep in my cup-holder.
My next grocery trip someone else approached me all bubbly and smiles, holding out four quarters. I groaned and said, “But then I’ll have to find another loonie.” Her face fell; I felt like a jerk and handed over my cart.
I wish I didn’t mind doling out loonies. I wish I didn’t have to fight to acquire and keep my own precious, saved-especially-for-shopping-carts loonie. I wish other people would get their own loonies. I wish I could go to the grocery store without facing the shopping cart dilemma: be sweet or be savvy?
Superstore here in Calgary has created a key tag token shaped exactly like a loonie that clips to your keychain to use in their shopping carts. It works in other carts too! They sell it for like $3 and the money goes to Charity. Ill try and find you one!
ReplyDeleteThank, M! I've actually had those tokens in the past but I still feel like a jerk when I say, "Sorry, I've got a token in my cart." Someone else also suggested that - apparently we can get them at the cashier at Extra Foods too!
ReplyDeleteA loonie? It's only a quarter here! I don't think you should feel like a jerk. The store doesn't have to use locking carts; they're the ones being a jerk to people who only have dimes.
ReplyDelete