'We live in a society': Karen leaves her cart behind a parked car and man in the car returns the favor, sparks discussion on the 'shopping cart theory'

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Dec 27, 2024 10:00 AM EST

More times than not, the internet brings the silliest most nonsensical and sometimes even dark-humored point to the table. However, every now and then the internet (and by saying "the internet" we just mean literally everyone on the internet, the cyber masses, if you will) discuss something that starts to make a lot of dang sense. Take, for example, the "shopping cart theory." This was decided by discussions online and it is the theory that you can judge a person's ethics by whether or not they return the shopping cart to its designated area or not. And, think about it, that totally makes sense. A person who just lets their cart roll into the middle of the parking lot and doesn't think twice about it is a selfish person who thinks the world revolves around them. It's their world (probably a Karen) and according to them, everyone else is just living in it and should do whatever the Karen says… 

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    199 U
    via Unsplash+ (and Oxana Melis)

  • So when a guy went to Reddit to vent about a Karen leaving a cart by his parked car, the internet brought back the “shopping cart theory” into the spotlight. 

     

    This guy drives an electric vehicle and was sitting in his car at a charing port while it was charging. The charger happened to be in a grocery store parking lot, but he was not in anybody's way—he was parked in a designated parking spot for EV's to charge at. And yet, a Karen comes barreling out of the grocery store, with ONE thing in her cart, mind you, and went out of her way to make sure her cart was parked right close and cozy to this man's car. So, naturally, he got out and showed her the same courtesy. She was driving a fancy Mercedes-Benz, so it was even more satisfying when he watched her back right into the cart. 

     

    The shopping cart theory in this case showed that this woman was 100% a Karen and she paid the petty price for it. 

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    We live in a society Last night I needed to charge my FEV at a grocery store. The charger was in use, but the charging space opened up and I snagged it. So I'm sitting in my car, freezing my a off, when a customer pushes her cart between my car and the one using the charger. I was watching closely because I had little else to do and I wanted to know if they dented my car. The person wedges the cart between the charger cable and my car, lifts one bag and a baguette out of it, and walks away. They
    via CustomerOK9mm9mm
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    Mind you, they passed one cart coral walking from the store to my spot. Their car was only a few spots away from another cart coral. I was miffed. I got out of my car, took the cart, and rolled it behind their Mercedes S class. It was about 4 feet away. I waved, and walked back to my car. About 2 minutes later I see the cart rolling across the lot as the Benz backed up. Oops. Not actually my intention. Sorry not sorry.
    via CustomerOK9mm9mm
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    Gamboh "The shopping cart theory is an internet meme which judges a person's ethics by whether they return a shopping cart to its designated cart corral or deposit area. The concept became viral online after a 2020 Internet meme which posits that shopping carts present a litmus test for a person's capability of self-control and governance, as well as a way to judge one's moral character. '
    via Gamboh
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    katmndoo I had someone parked next to me load their groceries then park the cart behind my car. I did the same as you moved the cart where it - rightfully belonged - right behind their car. I really hope they scratched the crop out of their car when they backed up.
    via katmndoo
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    Helpful_Hat_836 bro i feel like this is some lowkey justice league behavior for grocery store etiquette violators. like, if ur gonna abandon the cart and ignore the coral 4 feet away, u deserve a little karmic tap on the benz. u didn't push the cart into em, it just found its way there... nature healing itself. respect
    via Helpful_Hat_836
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    rositamaria1886 I was unloading my groceries from the cart into the side door of my car and a lady, who must have owned the car next to mine, yelled at me, Just What Do You Think You Are Doing???!!! I turned around and yelled right back, I'm putting groceries in MY CAR, are you doing? As I backed her up. Some people are so fg r de and don't look before they open their gd stupid mouths!
    via rositamaria1886
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    Dear Efficiency_3616 people are so lazy nowadays. creating more work for others, selfish behavior hope that benz got scratched
    via Dear_Efficiency_3616
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    Worldly-Wedding-7305 I think most of us have a familiar tale. My car was chug chugga chug running when it happened to me. Big chrome bumpers on that truck, so I just put it in reverse and pushed it to her car and pulled off... as I'm slowly leaving, I hear a wham and she got out screaming, looking for whatever AH left a cart behind her car. Karma did, sunshine.. karma.
    via Worldly-Wedding-7305
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    sylviaca Stories like this make me want to keep a pack of zip ties in my car so I can try to attach the cart to their car somehow.
    via sylviaca
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    Speed Racer 1968 I had someone dive in front of us to get a parking spot at a grocery store in South Carolina near Hilton Head. When we came out, their car was still there (head to head with a car in the opposite space and vehicles on either side). I took our.shopping cart and flipped it upside down behind theirs. I hope they had fun with that!
    via SpeedRacer_1968
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    Kaper225555 I must use the electric mobility scooters to do any shopping. If I am by myself, it is a gamble if I actually get a charged cart in the store. So I usually only go shopping if my grandson is with me. (He goes into the store and brings one out to me. If there isn't one available, then we can't go shopping that day. ). Then he will drive the cart back into the store and plug it in to continue charging. But if I go by myself (sometimes I can't wait for him to go with me) then I have to
    via Kaper225555
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    If there is no cart in the store, I'm in big trouble. I can't walk back out to the car without sitting down for a rest. But no stores have benches for me to sit on anymore. But if there are carts there, when I am done shopping, I have to leave the cart in the parking lot. There is no way I can drive the cart back
    via Kaper225555
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    into the store and then walk back to my car. I just can't make that trip twice. But I always park the cart in the handicap space and make sure it isn't in the way of anyone trying to park there. And I figure that the people who need that cart are so happy when they see that there is one available for them!
    via Kaper225555

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