The Grossest Customer Cart Behavior, According To Grocery Store Workers

Working at a grocery store or supermarket is a pretty thankless job. The pay tends to be low, and many find the work itself mind-numbing. Plus, since the birth of the American grocery cart, customers have made it a problem. One of the worst, grossest things customers do is to leave random trash in their carts, and grocery store workers aren't afraid to sound off about it online.

While sometimes the trash involves small items, like receipts, more often it's food or worse. One worker on Reddit implored customers to "stop leaving your fast food trash, sample cups, and used tissues in the carts. I'm not a janitor, and it's not hard to clean up after yourself." In another Reddit post, a worker said, " ... We have garbage cans all over the store and outside the store; stop getting food or drinks at the food court, taking two bites of it and then dumping it back in the shopping cart for us to pick up for you." This worker added that they have seen fast food bags, liquor bottles, and even full bags of trash from people's homes.

The disgusting things people leave in carts go well beyond this list. One of the most horrifying, according to staff, is dirty diapers. This is particularly problematic, as it's hazardous for workers to handle, so extra safety precautions like gloves must be used. This is not only time-consuming, but also super gross to deal with. To those out there still thinking it isn't a real issue to leave a candy wrapper or two behind, keep in mind that trashy shopping carts aren't just inconvenient, but downright dangerous to our health.

Most shopping carts are already super nasty, and this is made worse by food or human waste. A study from the University of Arizona found that harmful bacteria showed up on 72% of shopping carts tested. The majority of those bacteria-positive carts were also positive for E. coli. Not only are people handling the carts and then potentially touching their faces, but the carts also touch their groceries. The longer waste is left in carts, especially in the sun, the more bacteria can flourish. So a little piece of trash could actually endanger people.

Plus, other shoppers find it just as gross as the staff. People write into newspapers complaining of this icky occurrence, and often post about it online. As one Redditor said, "Every grocery store I've ever been in has a garbage bin sitting at the entrance/exit area near the carts, so I can't understand why it's so common to find food wrappers, sanitizer wipes, store flyers, or other trash left behind."

To prevent litter carts, just throw your garbage in the store's publicly-accessible trash cans before heading to the parking lot. If you can't find a trash can, ask an employee where you can toss it, and they'll likely help you rather than face the dreaded trash cart situation. If you really can't find one, take your trash home with you for the good of all society. Another general hygiene tip for shoppers is to sanitize carts with wipes before use, for your health and that of others. Just please don't leave the used sanitization wipes in the cart. Yes, people sometimes do that, too.