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Shopping trolleys which can't be taken out of the car park....

Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
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in General Discussion #1
....how does that work then? Is there magic stuff under the supermarket car park which allows them to work? Or is there a ring of magic stuff around the perimiter which locks the wheels? If so, could you lift the trolley over the magic ring and make off with it? (not that I want to - I'm just intrigued!)
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    Hobbit FeetHobbit Feet Posts: 18,798
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    #2
    Theft deterrent systems are becoming popular in many shopping centers. An electronic system works by locking one of the wheels, usually one on the front, when the cart is rolled out of a designated area. Each shopping cart is fitted with an electronic locking wheel, or ‘boot’. A transmitter with a thin wire is placed around the perimeter of the parking lot. The boot locks when the cart leaves the designated area. Often a line is painted in front of the broadcast range to warn customers that their cart will stop when rolled past the line. The locked wheel is usually unlocked with a portable electronic device carried by store staff called a “CartKey” that sends a signal to the boot, unlocking the wheel.”



    Apparently :)

    (well in the States anyway)
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    Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
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    #3
    Ooh! Thanks. I often wondered! :D
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    Steve_WhelanSteve_Whelan Posts: 1,986
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    #4
    They are quite common in the US, they use either a Radio Controlled or electro magnetic break lock, when you go out of range of the transmitter or cross the perrimiter of the store carpark the breaks lock rendering the trolley unuseable.

    To slow someone gave a better expanation while i was typing.
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    BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    #5
    A few weeks ago some young wags thought it would be great fun to push nearly all my local tesco trolleys over the line :D
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    Hobbit FeetHobbit Feet Posts: 18,798
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    #6
    Steve_Whelan wrote: »
    They are quite common in the US, they use either a Radio Controlled or electro magnetic break lock, when you go out of range of the transmitter or cross the perrimiter of the store carpark the breaks lock rendering the trolley unuseable.

    To slow someone gave a better expanation while i was typing.

    Yeah but I cheated ;)
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    embyemby Posts: 7,837
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    #7
    Hobbit Feet wrote: »
    Apparently :)

    (well in the States anyway)

    The trollies in our local Tesco have a sign on them saying they will stop moving [or something along those lines] if they're taken outside of the car park.
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    Hobbit FeetHobbit Feet Posts: 18,798
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    #8
    emby wrote: »
    The trollies in our local Tesco have a sign on them saying they will stop moving [or something along those lines] if they're taken outside of the car park.

    Yeah ours too, but the info I got was American, I presume that ours work on the same principle though. :)
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    embyemby Posts: 7,837
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    #9
    Hobbit Feet wrote: »
    Yeah ours too, but the info I got was American, I presume that ours work on the same principle though. :)

    Yeh, ever been really adventurous and pushed the trolly outside the bounds of the car park? :eek:
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,187
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    #10
    Don't they tend to use those in supermarkets where you don't have to put a pound in the trolley?

    Don't think I've ever seen a trolley with those 'magic wheels' in anywhere other than Tesco, which is the only supermarket near me that doesn't use pound coin locks.
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    Hobbit FeetHobbit Feet Posts: 18,798
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    #11
    emby wrote: »
    Yeh, ever been really adventurous and pushed the trolly outside the bounds of the car park? :eek:

    I daren't in case they self destruct :eek:
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    newda898newda898 Posts: 5,466
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    #12
    A Tesco near me, years ago, relied on a magnetic system. The whole place was surrounded by flower beds and stuff with any exits lined with one of those magnetic grids which you'd have to push the trolley across. Of course once you hit it, the trolley would stop dead.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,411
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    #13
    I can think of 2 Asda's near me which use these too, and they're also trolleys you dont have to put a £ into
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    UKMikeyUKMikey Posts: 28,728
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    #14
    Imagine if a system like this malfunctioned. It'd bring the whole supermarket to a standstill.
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    Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
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    #15
    UKMikey wrote: »
    Imagine if a system like this malfunctioned. It'd bring the whole supermarket to a standstill.

    Ha ha - I bet the supermarket managers have nightmares about that! :D
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
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    #16
    This all seems very complicated. Why not just attach them to the trolley parks with bungee cords only long enough to reach the edge of the car park.

    The big advantage of this is they'd all automatically park themselves when you empty them and let go :p
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    Deb ArkleDeb Arkle Posts: 12,584
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    #17
    Aspartame wrote: »
    This all seems very complicated. Why not just attach them to the trolley parks with bungee cords only long enough to reach the edge of the car park.

    The big advantage of this is they'd all automatically park themselves when you empty them and let go :p

    And add a thick layer of grease to the ground, like in It's a Knockout! :D
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    big_satsumabig_satsuma Posts: 387
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    #18
    Thats interesting, I've never heard of this. The closest I've ever seen are at Waitrose where the rubber wheels get stuck in a rubber mat, almost like a verticaly striped rubber mat.
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    BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    #19
    Deb Arkle wrote: »
    Ha ha - I bet the supermarket managers have nightmares about that! :D
    Ber wrote: »
    A few weeks ago some young wags thought it would be great fun to push nearly all my local tesco trolleys over the line :D

    ;) I seem to remember the trollywallys being very peed off that morning!
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    ginockginock Posts: 1,329
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    #20
    The Asda near me has this system... it doesn't work having tested it. Its all to promote fear in the shopper!
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,145
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    #21
    I had my little one in the trolly at asda the other day, and needed to go the big boots across the retail park, thought I'd try pushing the trolley over (save getting the pram out etc), got about 5 foot past the 'line of no return' and thought I was well away, then it just stopped! Sodding thing, wouldn't go back to the line either!!!
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    ginockginock Posts: 1,329
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    #22
    bazaar1 wrote: »
    I had my little one in the trolly at asda the other day, and needed to go the big boots across the retail park, thought I'd try pushing the trolley over (save getting the pram out etc), got about 5 foot past the 'line of no return' and thought I was well away, then it just stopped! Sodding thing, wouldn't go back to the line either!!!

    I am so trying that this weekend! Good god I need a life... anyone got one spare??
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,455
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    #23
    Half of these 'your trolley will stop working signs' around here are complete lies and just a deterrent.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,121
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    #24
    Confusing wrote: »
    Half of these 'your trolley will stop working signs' around here are complete lies and just a deterrent.

    I love the way you said "half". I bet the other half have immobilised trolleys just over the line that you put there testing this theory :)
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    marc822marc822 Posts: 3,118
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    #25
    I used to live 0.5 of a mile from sainsburys and a neighbour 3 doors down would bring a trolley home every week and the push the thing down the road and it used to stop outside my house. i kept pushing it back and they kept doing the same. So i picked up the trolley and threw it in their garden, never did it again. Im sure i wasnt the only one getting annoyed as a big van used to turn up to collect the trolleys at 6 in the morning so someone was reporting them.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,341
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    #26
    Aspartame wrote: »
    This all seems very complicated. Why not just attach them to the trolley parks with bungee cords only long enough to reach the edge of the car park.

    The big advantage of this is they'd all automatically park themselves when you empty them and let go :p

    In my experience, people CAN'T tell the difference between a trolley bad AND car park or're just deliberately ignorant and leave the trolley in the car park, the pricks!
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