forsyth | Get 'em While They're Young

At several retailers, I've seen little shopping carts for kids to push around. Which is fine, gives the kids something to do and they can feel useful, or play bumper cars with them. At least at first blush. But it's a little creepy when you think about it, especially now that many of them are putting little flags on poles on the carts, presumably so parents can see the cart over shelves. Which too would be fine, but the ones I've seen, notably at Petco and Harris Teeter, say "Customer in training" on them.

And that's what hits the creepy line for me. I guess the shopping carts were teaching kids to be little consumers anyways before, but to blatantly proclaim they're trying to hook the kids when they're small enough to push one of those micro-carts, it just feels sleazy and blatant.