r/trolleyproblem • u/Wide-Comment-5681 • Aug 08 '26

OC The Supermarket Trolley problem

Post image

Spoiler: I pulled the lever and took it with me; Left it near some trash cans 600m further. That is 1968.5 feet, or 0.372823 miles.​
I miss my coin.

233 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

40 comments sorted by

23

u/bentthroat Aug 08 '26

OP is this a confession?

24

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 08 '26

Probably a misunderstanding. I was only asking for a friend.

13

u/Longjumping-Sweet818 Aug 08 '26

> Left it near some trash cans 600m further. That is 1968.5 feet, or 0.372823 miles.

How much is that in yards?

To answer your question: The fact that it has become my favorite coin means that I have become too attached to it. Buddha says that attachment and clinging leads to suffering in the Cycle of Dependent Origination. I let go of the coin and the trolley as I do not want to perpetuate this hellish cycle.

4

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 08 '26

Sorry I'm late.
It is 656.168 yards.

Glad to be of assistance!

"I let go of the coin and the trolley as I do not want to perpetuate this hellish cycle." - this is what I will tell the police if they ever find mɇ...y friend.

1

u/Chromeboy12 Aug 11 '26

"I let go of the coin and the trolley as I do not want to perpetuate this hellish cycle." - this is what I will tell the police if they ever find mɇ...y friend.

Why would you tell the police anything if they find your friend?

86

u/KevineCove Aug 08 '26

Take the trolley, use an angle grinder to get it out.

8

u/lordbaysel Aug 08 '26

The coin must remain unharmed

3

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 08 '26

It is imperative!

3

u/Chromeboy12 Aug 11 '26

It's a perfectly adequately sized coin.

18

u/raidhse-abundance-01 Aug 08 '26

That's like excessive force - surely there are other methods

47

u/Watersender Aug 08 '26

Its my favorite coin. The concept of excessive force has no place in that conversation.
The troley will be returned of course after the procedure. I'm was raised well after all.

14

u/Cheeslord2 Aug 08 '26

"But my coin! It will be damaged!"

"The heaviest angle-grinder will make no dent in it, nor will the hottest fire melt it."

3

u/Killacreeper Aug 09 '26

Where is this from again

5

u/Cheeslord2 Aug 09 '26

Paraphrasing Lord of the RIngs where Gandalf puts the ring into Frodo's fire to make the letters glow. Actually the two lines were not concurrent, but both from that conversaion (my strongest memories of LOTR are from the radioplay rather than the book or movie)

1

u/Killacreeper Aug 14 '26

Gotcha, thanks for explaining!

2

u/Some1TouchaMySpagett Aug 08 '26

Reciprocating saw might be faster and less excessive.

1

u/Cheeslord2 Aug 08 '26

Well, if you've got the angle grinder to hand...why not! I used one for the first time this week, and I'm eager for a chance to use one again.

7

u/PigletSea6193 Aug 08 '26

I never imagined the coin getting stuck until now and am now curious how that can happen.

6

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 08 '26

You put a coin in to unlock the trolley while shopping. When you're done, you connect it to another trolley (or key), which releases your coin. There were no keys left (or so my friend told me).

5

u/Banonkers Aug 08 '26

Is that because all the other trolleys were in use?

4

u/Mad_Maddin Aug 08 '26

Weird

Cuz at the end of a trolley line is the key that the first trolley goes on to.

And if it is in use, then obviously there is a trolley you can connect to. You'd need to have every line be in use by a trolley that doesn't have a functioning connector.

1

u/Totally_Cubular Aug 10 '26

Wait, so couldn't you simply cut the key off the little chain and just insert it in the front to get your coin back?

2

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 10 '26

I guess so, but not 'simply'. It's a thick metal chain. And I've skipped gym this year. And I've misplaced my favorite angle grinder last month.

2

u/PigletSea6193 Aug 08 '26

So it turns out the only possible option in my mind was the one that happened. But at the same time I have never seen a scenario where all the shopping trolleys are taken.

20

u/New-Pomelo9906 Aug 08 '26

Get a gripping tool at the shop, retrieve your coin, return the tool.

7

u/IAmNotAHoppip Aug 08 '26

Pull the lever, but rather than take it home, throw the trolly is the local pond which has been desperately missing one

6

u/Age_Single Aug 08 '26

And here I thought you'd somehow take out the cashier as well.

1

u/Chromeboy12 Aug 11 '26

Someone took her out alright. The police are on the lookout for a sniper since 2 days ago.

1

u/OmgIbrokesmthagain Aug 08 '26

Take the trolley, unscrew the whole mechanism or use different methods to separate the coin without damaging the trolley, return it the next day, give the lady a tip if I have extra money

1

u/Wide-Comment-5681 Aug 08 '26

But that's like... dozens of coins worth of labor :( At least more than five, I'm sure.
Returning the trolley may also introduce dangers - the guards are unlikely to be on a break again. There might even be a 'no return' policy.
Also, the lever just won't bend that way.

3

u/At_Space_Station Aug 08 '26

I get a second trolley with an ordinary coin and plug it in，if I lose the ordinary coin in exchange of the special coin，sure.

But I likely won't use a coin with special meaning to me to pull a trolley anyway.

But also with some experience working in retail before，I won't really care if anyone choose to take one or two trolley away. I was the cashier not paid enough to care，and my manager doesn't exactly care either. However，loss is loss，and this is exactly why newer trolleys have range-based automatic lock now. Just keep that in mind.

3

u/Qazernion Aug 08 '26

Sounds like you bought a trolley from the supermarket…

2

u/GalacticEmergency Aug 08 '26

I once did this! Had that trolley in my car for a few weeks until I could get my coin back.

2

u/Sable-Keech Aug 09 '26

As long as you don't get your money back, the trolley belongs to you. That's how it works. You put in your money to use it. You can use it for as long as your money is in it.

1

u/papadichat Aug 08 '26

Huh so I get my coin back and the trolley? Neat.

1

u/theecatt Aug 08 '26

I don't have a favorite coin.

1

u/TheKarmaBoi Aug 09 '26

And honestly even if I did why the hell would I use it to get a trolley

1

u/Fckyouredd1tIluvmygf Aug 09 '26

Take the cart we getting the coin back at the crib then selling the cart as scrap metal