An Open Letter

Dear Mr. Shopping Cart Wheel Designer,

Judging from this very informative website, the "wire basket trolley", also known as a shopping cart, has been in existence since the late 1930's.

Given that you've had approximately 70 years to perfect the design of the wheels used on shopping carts, I'm having trouble understanding why they can't perform their task properly.

For example, last night I had the "U-Turn Cart" which, unless you apply Herculean force to one side of the shopping cart handle, will only go in circles. This is not useful unless you happen to be in a circular grocery store, but as most stores have arranged themselves using the aisle format it becomes frustrating rather quickly.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Why didn't you just grab another cart?"

I did. After replacing the "U-Turn Cart", I grabbed the oft-discussed "Wobbly Wheel Cart". This cart is unique in that the wheel-wobbles per second increase with the forward speed of the cart.

Bicycle wheels don't get wobbly or force you to ride only in circles.

I'm hoping that at some point in my lifetime I'll be able to say, "Golly, I remember when shopping cart wheels used to vibrate like..." and then my wife will admonish me.