The universal human impulse to throw shopping carts into running water
All kinds of garbage, actually, but particularly shopping carts. And bicycles.
When I hiked a lot, I was astonished at the things I used to find in the woods. Like way, way back in the woods. A whole-ass engine block was one.
We lived beside a creek for years and were forever finding garbage in it. I remember a refrigerator once. They could have dumped it anywhere along our backroad, but it was always into running water.
That’s got to be something deep in the human psyche.
Today, as I came over the bridge where I took this picture, there were two boys playing a line into the water.
“What on earth are you doing?” says I.
“Magnet fishing.”
“Oh! For scrap? What’s the best thing you’ve ever pulled up?”
The lead boy looked excited and said, “a bicycle wheel!”
Posted: February 17th, 2025 under personal.
Comments: 10
Comments
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: February 17, 2025, 7:55 pm
Interesting. I don’t recall ever having that particular urge. When seeing running water my urge was to pee in it. One of the proudest achievements in my life was peeing over Iguazú Falls when I was about 11.
I’m glad to say that I outgrew that particular quirk.
Comment from Anonymous
Time: February 17, 2025, 8:09 pm
How very Thomas Kinkade of you Uncle Al.
Comment from Surly Ermine
Time: February 17, 2025, 8:23 pm
☝️That was me. I don’t internet well.
Comment from Uncle Al
Time: February 17, 2025, 10:42 pm
@Surly E — I’m afraid I don’t get the Kinkade joke, except perhaps that he was called the Painter of Light and at age 11 I was the Tainter with Light Yellow.
Comment from dissent555
Time: February 17, 2025, 11:42 pm
ah, to be an archeologist 5 to 10 thousand years from now …
… except for the Morlocks, that is …
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: February 18, 2025, 1:32 am
Found an old safe one time, big honker, painted like the sort they’d have made in the 187+’s.
Closed and locked of course.
Should have looked around to see if Geraldo was lurking behind a stand of birches I suppose.
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: February 18, 2025, 1:34 am
What are British shopping carts like? Besides American SUV-size carts, I only know Japanese ones which (seriously) are designed to hold the plastic basket Americans carry around when you only want a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread or something bulky and light.
Comment from deborahhh
Time: February 18, 2025, 3:48 am
Stoaty has such interesting readers.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: February 18, 2025, 6:12 am
British shopping carts are no different to American ones best I can recall. There’s a shallow one and a deep one.
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: February 18, 2025, 4:28 pm
Thank you Stoatie.
I realize no one cares but me, but I was curious. Whenever I visit a foreign country I love to visit a grocery store. I mean, things can be SO different. It’s not all frozen pizza and Budweiser out there.
Anyhow here’s a picture of a typical Japanese grocery cart.
https://tengcaster.en.made-in-china.com/product/VjkQmcCyluWO/China-Shopping-Trolley-Japanese-Style-90L-Shopping-Cart-Supermarket-Trolley.html
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