Update:
If you’re gonna push someone around in a shopping cart in the neighborhood, you better schedule it on your to-do list. According to City Councilor Ed Flynn, Stop and Shop has committed to updating its carts to an electronic system in 2023. See the tweet below.
See the original letter below:
Stop & Shop
713 E Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127
Re: Stop & Shop shopping carts in the South Boston neighborhood
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing today regarding issues related to Stop & Shop’s shopping carts in the South Boston neighborhood. I have received a few complaints from neighbors in South Boston, who have unfortunately experienced multiple incidents wherein either young adults leaving restaurants and bars or teenagers are using shopping carts to careen through the streets. This is very concerning to Councilor Flaherty and I, both from a public safety and personal property perspective.
One cart with teenagers riding inside recently rode the shopping cart down the pedestrian ramp from the I Street side of the Tynan School down towards the parking lot on East 4th St, subsequently crashing into a neighbor’s new vehicle. This was caught on video outside the Tynan School after midnight. Unfortunately, another cart crashed into their car in the weeks just prior to this video as well.
We have been following up with Captain Boyle from Boston Police C-6 and Principal Gant at the Tynan School to provide footage from security cameras to the police to pay more attention to the area, as well as the neighbor’s insurance carrier. We have also reached out to other City Departments to see what improvements can be done at the school and at the bottom of the ramp to deter this behavior.
Meanwhile, in the interest of public safety, personal property and quality of life issues, I would like to respectfully request that Stop & Shop work to address this matter by looking to maintain their shopping carts on-site, perhaps via technological upgrades and an electronic system, and prevent them from being taken off premise. This is an issue that requires multiple partners to work together. We ask that Stop & Shop, as a critical part of the South Boston community, to please step up as a good neighbor and be part of the solution.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our offices directly.
Sincerely,
Ed Flynn (Boston City Council President, District 2) and Michael Flaherty (Boston City Councilor at-Large)
Recently City Councilor Ed Flynn wrote a letter to Walgreens re: Arbitrary Closings of the Pharmacy
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Why is the this grocery store’s problem to solve? Aren’t all the teens and young adults you cite the ones breaking the law? You respectfully request S&S be a part of the solution, but your whole letter is predicated on the carts being the root of the problem, not the people.
The problem is not stop shop, it’s people acting there age and not animals
…the Suffolk County DA, he’ll tell you: “There are too many shopping carts on our streets.”
I’d tell the councilors to look down D St for any “strays”, but…apparently that’s not part of our neighborhood anymore…or…something.
We just lost thousands of (“potential”) votes (as in “unclear as to how many of these ‘Americans’ are actually even eligible”…but I digress) …pretty much gave them away in the name of “equity”…or….something. But, hey, this letter-writing tear you’re on is impressive.
Ok, that’s a lie.
A joke. This HAS to be a joke right now. My God we’re so screwed.
This letter is a joke right? How about you spend your time and our tax dollars solving the public health crisis on Mass & Cass instead of worrying about kids on carts.
The adolescents and young adults who are riding the Stop & Shop Carts through the streets or wherever, and causing damage, that practice needs to be stopped. First of all, people who shop in Stop & Shop need to use those carts for shopping for groceries, and, secondly of all, the young people riding in those cars through the neighborhood have not only caused damage to property, but they could end up physically injuring themselves and/or others.
Having said all of the above, I think it’s up to ordinary people in the community, as well as city councilors, etc., to put a stop to it.
So let me get this straight. It’s the supermarkets fault for the people that live in the area who steal the shopping carts and then when they get to wherever they are renting or living with government assistance, they just push the carriage down the street or leave it right there on the sidewalk. People are constantly taking shopping carts as if they are their own and not returning them. The store has had to order more and more because of the carriage theft. It gets to a point when there are almost jo fair rates in the store for people to use and it is only the fault of these people who are selfish and lazy. I don’t feel bad for people complaining about the carriages all over the streets or the people who can’t use any when they go shopping as it is their own neighbors causing this.