It's not the worst crime, but not returning the supermarket trolley says something about a person. But what exactly? Shoppers avoid the cart return aisles for various reasons…It might be too far from where they parked, they might have a child to wrangle, bad weather, or they might have physical limitations. Or, they may simply believe it's the job of the supermarket employee to fetch their used cart.
Avid cart returnees might be motivated by social pressure—they fear a disapproving glance from others — or precedent. If no other carts have been tossed aside, they don't want to be first. Others aren't necessarily concerned with such factors. Their needs (to get home/remain with their child/stay dry) overrides societal guidelines.
Old school teachers
1. At grammar school in England in the 1950s, my physics teacher wrote on my report: "I would have a lot more confidence in David's ability to do physics if he had less confidence in himself." Some years later in revisiting my old school the same teacher asked me what I was doing in life. I suggested he sit down before replying: "Teaching physics!"
2. When David Michell was at high school in the late 1950s, he was in what was purported to be the top biology class. He writes: "Our teacher, who was English and looked and spoke like Winston Churchill, was clearly bitterly disappointed in the results of the exam from the so-called 'top' biology class. He went on to say, however, that the results confirmed his long-held theory that not only the cream came to the top, but also the SCUM!"
3. Amanda writes: "It was the night of my school ball in 1985, I was all dressed up and looking forward to a fun night. The school principal was greeting everyone at the door. He shook his finger at me and said, 'If you don't get an A bursary this year I will murder you'. I got a B bursary, thankfully he didn't carry out his threat."
