My first job was a cart collector at a major retailer. I originally applied to be a cashier, but the interviewer informed me that I would be pushing carts instead, (I did this for about a year and a half before moving up in the company), I was fine with pushing carts, but I had no idea what I was up for.
The job consisted of not only pushing very heavy shopping carts 10-15 at a time, but it also consisted of helping customers lug heavy TV's, furniture, etc., to their vehicles. we also had other responsibilities, such as getting bags for the cash registers, emptying the trash barrels, cleaning spills, shoveling snow out of the entrances and fire exits, spreading salt on the sidewalks, and other things.
We were in charge of close to 1,000 shopping carts, and they all had to be collected by closing time. The indoor cart storage areas held about 600, the rest had to be lined up neatly in designated outdoor areas. The parking lot is around 2 acres, (rough estimate), so getting to the carts is a chore in itself.
Now, to the dirty part, We had to work in temperatures ranging from -25 to 100 degrees, pouring rain and driving snow, (a few times we worked in heavy blizzards), and in case you didn't know, shopping carts are extremly difficult to push in the snow, even an inch will slow you down to a snail's pace, (3-4 inches, you have to push one at a time), and If you don't wear winter boots with aggressive tread, you can forget about pushing ANY carts.
The carts get dirty, too. Food spills in them, babies poop in them, and on occasion you will find a dirty diaper in the bottom of a carriage. after a shift your hands are so full of germs and dirt, you need to wash your hands twice.
So, if you ask me, being a Retail Store Shopping Cart Wrangler is DEFINITLEY a Dirty Job.
Mike, I think you would make an excellent cart pusher, and I'd like to see you behind a row of carts someday.
Thank you for highlighting the honest jobs that don't often get recognition.
