The Original Post
So I don’t know if Aldis are everywhere or not. Their carts require you to put a quarter in them to use them but you get your quarter back when you return them. It’s to convince people to push their carts back to the front of the store rather than leaving them in the parking lot etc. An unspoken rule is if someone grabs your cart from you before you turn it in they give you a quarter for it. This lady asked for my cart and I asked if she had a quarter she said no so I shrugged and turned it in to get my quarter back. She got really upset and some other people kinda side eyed me and it made me feel like a jerk. I don’t keep change or use cash and I just keep the quarter in my center console for when I shop there. So to me if I gave the cart for free I would be SOL the next time I shopped there.
What Reddit Said
Reddit overwhelmingly supported OP’s decision to keep her quarter. Most users emphasized that Aldi cart etiquette requires offering payment when asking for someone’s cart. However, they noted that many people politely decline the quarter as a courtesy.
Commenters stressed that OP had no obligation to give away her cart for free. In fact, many pointed out that people who don’t carry cash specifically keep quarters for Aldi shopping. Therefore, asking someone to sacrifice their quarter without compensation was unreasonable.
The Verdict
The overwhelming consensus: OP is Not the Asshole (NTA). This aldi cart quarter etiquette situation highlights proper social etiquette in retail settings. Moreover, Reddit agreed that the stranger was rude for expecting free cart access without following basic courtesy rules in public disputes.
Original post from r/AmItheAsshole (2,528 upvotes, 793 comments)