Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.

I worked at a grocery store, and there was a guy whose only job was to gather carts. So putting them back yourself took away his job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.

I worked at a grocery store, and there was a guy whose only job was to gather carts. So putting them back yourself took away his job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.

I worked at a grocery store, and there was a guy whose only job was to gather carts. So putting them back yourself took away his job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

This drives me NUTS! Our vacation house is in one of the most expensive beach areas on the east coast and going to the grocery store here drives me insane because 9/10 people just leave their cart strewn about wherever. The entitlement of the people who do this drive me nuts. I don’t see it in less ritzy areas and I’m appalled by it. The people who do this take up extra parking spots in a crowded area by not putting their carts back and they create way more work for the poor employees who get tasked to go around and collect them from all over. I’ve started teaching my kids that this is an easy lesson in how to tell if someone is a good person or not, and now we all watch as we are leaving who puts them back. It’s absolutely antisocial behavior to think civility doesn’t apply to you.

Rant aside, OP I think you were fine to do the right thing, and I also think that dad wasn’t a jerk either given the circumstances. Unlike the grocery carts, I don’t think this one is so black and white!

Agree. I also use the shopping cart point to teach my kids about laziness/entitlement/inconsideration.

I have no problem with the dad's parking though, if his task only took a few minutes. The odds of anyone needing the fire lane in that window are vanishingly small. Parking in a handicapped spot is a different story.

Anonymous wrote:The one time I finally went ahead did just that, the school sent an email the next day about not parking in the bus lane during the day.

Anonymous wrote:I would’ve done what you did, OP. You don’t know if a bus or another vehicle authorized to use that area could show up when you’re there. What if another grade is returning from a field trip by bus at that time? What if a school maintenance van showed up right then to fix an issue at school? I used to work at a school and these vehicles are coming and going all the time. No parent will know the whole schedule. The dad who parked there got lucky.

About holding the door…I’d hold the door if I knew the person was another parent. If I didn’t know who they were, I wouldn’t.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

This drives me NUTS! Our vacation house is in one of the most expensive beach areas on the east coast and going to the grocery store here drives me insane because 9/10 people just leave their cart strewn about wherever. The entitlement of the people who do this drive me nuts. I don’t see it in less ritzy areas and I’m appalled by it. The people who do this take up extra parking spots in a crowded area by not putting their carts back and they create way more work for the poor employees who get tasked to go around and collect them from all over. I’ve started teaching my kids that this is an easy lesson in how to tell if someone is a good person or not, and now we all watch as we are leaving who puts them back. It’s absolutely antisocial behavior to think civility doesn’t apply to you.

Rant aside, OP I think you were fine to do the right thing, and I also think that dad wasn’t a jerk either given the circumstances. Unlike the grocery carts, I don’t think this one is so black and white!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.

Returning shopping carts could cause unemployment for cart wranglers. Please don't return your shopping carts, if you care about these highly skilled employees.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called being a man OP. and yes, women could do with a little more of it.

I’m a woman and I’ve done what that guy did. Agree with pp, it’s common sense.

Do you also park in red curb fire lanes because you're just going to be a minute?

Fire lanes are meant to be potentially used at any time. Bus lanes aren't. Our school doesn't even have visitor parking, so I always use the bus lane.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s called being a man OP. and yes, women could do with a little more of it.

I’m a woman and I’ve done what that guy did. Agree with pp, it’s common sense.

Do you also park in red curb fire lanes because you're just going to be a minute?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, this reminds me of the Shopping Cart Theory - a concept suggesting that returning a grocery cart to a designated corral evaluates moral character. Because returning the cart yields no reward and skipping it carries no punishment, this voluntary act measures a person's civic duty, empathy, and personal discipline.

Here's the AI overview:
Unsupervised Integrity: It tests whether an individual will do the right thing simply because it is correct, rather than to avoid penalties

Empathy: It shows consideration for store employees and fellow shoppers who rely on clear parking spots and orderly cart returns

Ownership vs. Entitlement: Leaving a cart in a parking space demonstrates entitlement (the expectation that someone else will handle it), while returning it demonstrates ownership of responsibilities

Declining to return the shopping cart does inconvenience someone though- the worker who has to corral all the carts at the end of the day. Parking in the fire lane in OP’s example actually caused 0 harm to anyone.