A warning about the new shopping carts!

I had a shocker today as I exited a new TJ MAXX. I'd just been to my osteopath for an adjustment (ribs and midline particularly affected due to angina), and was briskly walking to the exit with my cart. There was a set of doors, a middle foyer and then the outer doors. As I arrived at the inner doors and went into the foyer, my cart came to a full stop, and I rammed my body into the handle into my sternum and ribs, right in the breast area.

PAINFUL!!! I was mad. And then I thought of our heart sisters who may have had some open heart surgery and what if...what if...for them! Holy hell, this could send you back to the hospital! I had a few words with the manager who only seemed interested in the clerk who was supposed to warn me about them (something tells me this wasn't the first time).

So be forewarned - it's not business as usual at this new store, who has figured out how to stop people from taking carts out to their cars. (And what about the handicapped?). Any person would have EVERY EXPECTATION that the cart would continue to roll - because the DO, at every other store!

Be careful friends. This was FUNKY.
Best to you ~ Mary

By Artista
Reply 3483955
October 24, 2012 at 4:06 am
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Sheesh! Although I admit it is a pet peeve of mine when people take carts out and leave them right there at/between a parking space- it would be detrimental for me to carry my goods out to my car if heavier than a bag. Wow... Guess they cut the cart persons's job or no one wanted to do it.

I often take one from a lot in or have my kids put it in cart corral. This is a first I've heard of a store doing this! Could really hurt someone and if so... A lawyer may make them rethink it. I like Aldi's procedure of paying for cart and getting the money back when you put it back in right spot!!!!

By yarnkitty
Reply 3484118
October 24, 2012 at 7:18 am
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Wow! I would be shocked too! I need the cart to take stuff to the car unless I buy something pretty small. Walking about is enough for me without adding the carrying. What are they planning to do for people who need assistance?

By Huskiefan
Reply 3485564
October 24, 2012 at 2:43 pm
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Mary, I hope you are ok!! Is there some kind of a device in the cart that stops the wheels from rolling or something? I have never heard of a store where you could not use the cart to wheel your purchases to your car! I suspect that TJ Maxx will lose some business over this.

I also hope you will contact their corporate office and tell them of your experience and of the possible injury to heart patients.

Thank you for the heads up.

By irish-heart
Reply 3486008
October 24, 2012 at 5:36 pm
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maybe we ALL should contact head office on behaf of all our heart sisters, and others ie handicapped,and people with young children,
im sure the store will be receiving a lot of complaints, but it's best to go to the top with issues like this, then if someone gets hurt they will be in a lot of trouble.. Mary if you would post the address of the store i will send them a e-mail Thanks.Diane..

By MaryLG
Reply 3486138 · In reply to 3486008 by irish-heart
October 24, 2012 at 6:22 pm
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Here's the address - it's a NEW store.

Cupertino Crossroads SC
20730 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
408-973-9297

the carts have some kind of magnetic locking wheels when you arrive at the door. I'm doing OK but I can imagine that others wouldn't be so lucky! I hope it's not a wave of the future! I think if they have these kind of carts, they should have the vertical poles attached with a reminder message, or perhaps an audible recording as customers approach the doorway, such as "caution, carts stop abruptly at the door"...

xoxo Mary

By Jifizap
Reply 3486327
October 24, 2012 at 7:55 pm
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Wow, I've never heard of a cart you can't take out of the store. One of our local grocery stores has carts you cannot take out of the parking lot - there are yellow stripes on the ground indicating where the carts can't go, and the carts stop abruptly at those places. That is a much better idea - why in the world would they stop you from taking a cart to your car? Thanks for the warning!

By KAKLeon
Reply 3486580
October 24, 2012 at 9:45 pm
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Hi Mary -- yeow, did that ever sound painful!! So sorry. Good for you to take it to management. I will be on guard for sure!

You raise a memory I just have to share. TWICE (yes, two times) I have run into the open latch of a chain link fence gate. You know the kind on a playground or such? Right in the sternum. Talk about a blue streak of profanity!!!

It's these things non-cardiac patients would never even dream of!
K

By MARYCORINNE
Reply 3486949
October 25, 2012 at 12:31 am
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This just happened to us at ROSS. My daughter was stopped dead in her tracks when she got to the door due to the pole on the cart. And I no help because I run by the security towers at the door because of my ICD.
Thanks for the tip Mary, I appreciate the "heads up" on one more thing to have to worry about as I drag my tired body through stores.

Question?? Was that store address for the corporate headquarters? I would like to write them as well.

Take care all, MC

By Huskiefan
Reply 3489329
October 25, 2012 at 6:26 pm
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Here is the contact info for TJ Maxx corporate headquarters. I urge all of us to write or call.

TJX's Corporate Headquarters are located in Framingham, Massachusetts:

The TJX Companies, Inc.
770 Cochituate Road
Framingham, MA 01701
Main Number: 508-390-1000

By kittysheart
Reply 3489652
October 25, 2012 at 8:36 pm
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Some dollar stores in area have a new method for the carts is to attach a large pole halfway up to the ceiling. This way they can tell how many shoppers left in the store before closing time and it prevents them from leaving the store with the cart. This is more human that what Mary LG went through and I hope you were okay. Sounds like that really could have hurt you internally as well as bruising on the outside. The downside to this of course is we will buy only the item needed not if we have to carry many or heavy bags to the car. Folks with our kind of problems need those carts to go to the car. ShopRite in NJ has little cart huts a few in every row of parking that are coin operated and in order to retrieve your quarter back, you have to hook chain into next cart's box and coin pops out. This is a super idea because it helps the shopper and yet carts go back to cart hut because people want their coin back. In my area, there are many considerate shoppers as if they see someone needing a cart, they give their finished used cart to the next shopper just parked to go into the store a kind of pay it forward thing.

By goingstrong
Reply 3490144
October 25, 2012 at 11:43 pm
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The only way to deal with that since the manager didn't seem to care is two-fold: (1) go to the media - they love this stuff or tell them you WILL write a letter to the editor & mention the store by name - and (2) threaten legal action. Hey, all it takes is a bruise and I bet you have standing in court.

Since the address is already posted below, I intend to do just that! I have no desire to sue nor would I, but the callous disregard of the manager of that store really _ _ _ _ _ _ me off!
Lynn

By MaryLG
Reply 3490280 · In reply to 3490144 by goingstrong
October 26, 2012 at 1:10 am
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Hey Lynn!

Whoa! I appreciate having back up, A LOT, but I wouldn't say he was callous...it was more like he was a young guy who has no clue. I'm relatively sure he's had complaints, 'cause he looked frustrated, like it was something he couldn't do any about, but it wasn't like he could change anything. This was a corporate thing. And I'm sure, corporate offices are more concerned with 1) how to keep the carts in the store and 2) how to avoid spending human time rounding them up.

I am pretty sure they have absolutely NO CONCEPT of what this could do to someone who has had open heart surgery and has sternal wires, etc etc. Even a year or more later, some people are in big pain! So I think this "improvement" if you will, was proposed and signed off on, by someone who has NO IDEA of what kind of damage they can do to a person (or if a woman had had a mastectomy, etc etc.).

For that reason, it should be escalated to the PR department and the executive suite. I wouldn't call the media just yet. (I mean, I don't want to be the one interviewed on World News Tonight ~ much as I'd love to meet Diane Sawyer and George S.!

I have the sense that, who knows, perhaps Sr. Management could get it and then change how this thing is handled. One start would be to print out this thread and mail it to Sr. Management (corporate).

Anyway, yes, it's an issue. I agree though. This is an improvement that needs to be stopped if possible!
Best, Mary

By goingstrong
Reply 3491259
October 26, 2012 at 11:21 am
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Yes, Mary you are correct. I forgot to say, the top paragraph on my response was from my daughter who is perhaps a 'wee bit radical and extremely opinionated!" I meant to credit that statement to her. I had shared your story with her.

I'm much less of an activist, although have been know to write letters of protest! ha

Lynn

By MaryLG
Reply 3517256 · In reply to 3517082 by Siun
November 5, 2012 at 11:32 am
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Siun, You crack me up. As my Dad used to say... (oh, never mind).

David, I am thrilled you have such a strong and hearty chest, with all those ripply muscles and strong bones that keep you from feeling pain. I hope the mat of chest hair has grown back thick and silky with a springy protective layer, too!

(Note, in our area, seemingly "accidents" that actually hurt people, do happen! And I've heard of some our own WOMEN HEART people right here on this board (gasp) who have actually had PAIN following open heart, and have had their sternal wires break, and they had to go back in under surgery and FIX THEM!)

Ok, I'll put my inner tiger, uh, kitty, back in her cage. MEOW! xooxo M

By Siun
Reply 3517640 · In reply to 3517256 by MaryLG
November 5, 2012 at 1:50 pm
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Ah Mary

Like you, I am so glad we have such a big manly man who is willing to educate we little ladies on the finer points of heart disease. Gosh, I don't know what we'd do without him.

;->

By fdwatchdog
Reply 3643844
December 22, 2012 at 6:31 am
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My mother just had a terrible accident at Walgreens San Carlos, Calif. when she tried to push a shopping cart going into Walgreens. The cart had been abandoned after it locked on another customer so when my mother tried to push it she fell when the cart jerked to the side. She broke her hip and needed surgery yesterday. At 85 the prognosis is not good. Many months of rehab in her future and her independence is gone forever. So sad for this avoidable accident to happen late in her life. She has lived alone for over 20 years, climbing stairs daily, driving, walking and enjoying life. This will force her to sell her home and relocate into assisted living. The ambulance was there assssing her injuries for nearly a half hour and Walgreens management never even bothered to check on her condition while she laid on the ground outside their store. I spoke to David Steffan, the store manger on the phone to complain about the danger and he admitted he saw the ambulance but didn't bother to investigate further. Be careful when using carts that have this anti-theft device on them that locks up the front wheels. It really does catch you off guard. I think we all have a reasonable expectation that a shopping cart will roll when you begin to push it. So, when it stalls abruptly and the wheels stop moving the cart has a tendency to fall over with you holding onto the handle! Use caution.

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