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Shopping cart abuse in Torgau: Citizens are horrified!
Torgau has been fighting against the misuse of shopping carts for years. Citizens and market managers ask for insight.
Shopping cart abuse in Torgau: Citizens are horrified!
A well-known problem is causing discontent in Torgau: the misuse of shopping carts provided in the Prima shopping park (PEP). This issue has been plaguing the city and the PEP in particular for five years. According to torgauerzeitung.de, the problem continued in the last week of October, when around 35 shopping carts of the Kauflands were parked at Zinnaer Straße 18 to 26. Although the cars are regularly returned to the PEP, they still show up at this collection point again and again.
The measures taken to curb this problem, such as laying grass pavers at the transition to the northwest district in September of the previous year, are only having a limited effect. While these bricks actually discourage some citizens, especially those with walkers or strollers, from taking the carts home, they allow others to continue making taking their shopping carts hassle-free. PEP center manager Michael Bünnagel regularly receives feedback from citizens and calls from market managers at Obi, Kaufland and Netto about the accumulated carts. Bünnagel appeals to customers to understand that this is not an isolated case in Torgau Nordwest.
What is misuse?
It is interesting how the phenomenon is viewed from a legal perspective. The term “misuse” describes the use of property for purposes other than those intended. This means that shopping carts intended for shopping are being misused by citizens for their own transport. Wikipedia gives various examples where things are no longer used for their original purpose, such as the conversion of living space or other assets. In Torgau, this clearly affects shopping carts that are used by citizens in a context other than the intended one.
The problem is addressed through various measures and regular checks. However, these have so far not been very effective, considering that the shopping carts are worth around 350 euros and are regularly used by EU citizens to transport their purchases. This fact makes the problem even more pressing, as sustainable management of retailers' property is important.
Further regulations and their effects
The general legal situation surrounding such problems is also crucial. In many federal states, including North Rhine-Westphalia, there are laws intended to prevent misuse. As [haufe.de](https://www.haufe.de/immobilien/verwaltung/weckent Fremdungsverbot-buerger-gegen-scharfe-regelen_258_337654.html) shows, regulations are set out in the garage regulations or similar regulations to ensure that real estate or objects are not used for purposes that are not intended. Even if shopping carts are not considered real estate or living space in the strictest sense, such regulations raise an interesting question about consumer responsibility.
Finally, it remains to be seen whether the measures taken to curb the misuse of shopping carts will bear fruit in the long term. The hope remains that citizens will understand and treat the resources made available respectfully. It is important that both retailers and citizens work together on a solution to make Torgau a little friendlier.