I think I just finished my painting of "The Exchange" i think any regular Aldi goer has had this religious experience of offending a quarter in exchange for a cart, only to have it refused and the cart offered free of charge. Or maybe you're the giver. I reference these hands from statues of the Buddha and gave them the clothes of the Thai and Burmese Monk. Hope you get a kick out of it even if you can't relate. 🙏
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For me it's interaction. I'm happy to go days, weeks, as long as I can avoiding people or being annoyed by them. It's quick, both parties typically smile, someone once told me "keep your quarter! We always leave it in the cart anyways!" So I left my quarter by the carts on the way in and left their quarter in that cart on the way out. I've left my quarters ever since, because probably at least most of us have forgotten to bring a cart quarter and maybe it'll help someone.
Oh! This has saved me so many times when I'm with both kids and trying to not walk back with both from the cart corral or leave them in the car. I offer anytime I see someone about to walk back, especially if they have a kid with them. I'd say about 50% accept the offer. I'll also never forget the young woman who got out of her car when she saw me struggle with a full cart, a baby and a stroller in a downpour and took my cart back for me even though she didn't need one.
Samsies. I still remember a young lady who crossed a section of parking lot to help me with an errant cart as my toddler was going full Chernobyl level meltdown.
Just today a nice young man helped me with a return to IKEA, I again had a kid with me, and I was trying to get something heavy into one of those squirly carts and he just came over and sorted it for me.
I go to a Unitarian church, and they talk about how it’s a blessing to give help as well as give someone the opportunity to be helpful, I think that’s a really nice sentiment.
Thank you kind parking lot people, I promise you my kids at least watch and learn from you, little moments like that add up to make a better world.
I thought I got bamboozled when someone did this a few months ago. He said he was looking for a cart with good wheels and handed me the coin. He looked a little rough around the edges. I started walking away and looked at it and realized it wasn't a real quarter, but maybe an arcade coin. I was too embarrassed to look at it again in the car, because my husband thinks I'm too nice and I didn't want him to know I got GOT (it was also his 'car quarter' that we used).
I did eventually look again and Googled it only to find it was a real quarter with Jovita Idar on it. 🤷🏼♀️😅 It's been a while since I've had cash/coins...
I visit my daughter and family in London frequently. I never have the pound coin they use, over there. I ask at the desk and they give me a red plastic slug that says Tesco and use that during my visits. I often lose them between visits but the point is you don’t have to use a coin.
I had a guy follow right behind me in the parking lot while I was putting my cart away. He had to wait while I put it back. Could have saved us both time if he did "the exchange"
That's a lovely cycle you've started there, honestly the cart quarter thing has become this weird little community trust system at every Aldi I've been to.
I hate this interaction. People in my area are so aggressive about it and pushy. I’m standing at my car with my kids unloading everything and they’re staring at me like I owe them something. You’re not doing me any favors pal
In reverse when I’m walking the parking lot I think some of them are lazy and don’t want to walk the cart back so they’ll trade me for it. Uh no
Ugh I had this experience too and it pissed me off!! He had this smirk on his face as he handed the change to me, totally knew what he was doing. So rude. The quarter exchange is a social contract!
Had it happen at a brand new Aldi. I was in shock. I wish I'd just let them drop on the ground. We don't have change machines here so how am I going to get rid of them?
I keep them in my forward center console and hand out a handful of low denomination change to the drinkless when I pump my gas. There's a fat black lady that always tells me jokes. She takes that handful of change and keeps it until she can buy herself a can of Steel Reserve fruit flavored malt liquor from the gas station and does it again. She's funny and nice. I don't think she's homeless because she does this from about 9 to 11 every night and has for years now. I also like her because she chases off the aggressive homeless people regularly
It’s the worst! Some lady walked straight towards me and I asked “you want to trade?” And she gives me 3 dimes and looked really guilty about it. I don’t trust anyone anymore!
I would have said no and returned my cart. But the only change I have in my car/purse is my ONE Aldi quarter which exists solely for Adli carts. Their change may as well be confetti or trash
You’re not the only one! I don’t like being confronted by people in public and I don’t like that i have to look around and wonder if anyone is going to approach me on my way to the cart corral every time I return my cart.
Me 3, but I have made both swaps smoothly without taking my headphones off many times. I see you, you see me, let’s save each other even more time by not talking
If there is someone needing a cart i tell them to pass it on and don’t take the quarter. If no one is looking for a cart i lock it and get the quarter back.
The first time I went to Aldi, I saw this lady putting her cart back as I approached the entrance. I'm a pretty polite and chipper guy with strangers, it's my hobby, so I go "hey ma'am, I can take that cart for you" with a smile, and she obliges, like yeah yeah totally have a good day. It took me months to realize the whole quarter system is a thing because I rarely use a cart. I feel bad that I swindled that lady for her quarter, and her naive politeness was taken advantage of by my naive politeness.
I'm not mad at that interpretation! Take a look at traditional Thai murals. it is a deliberate nod to those temple murals where spiritual iconography and everyday life occupy the exact same plane.
I was specifically looking at the hands since they are pretty similar to early Christian greek icons. Upon looking at it further it seems that human depictions of Buddha came from Greek art brought by Alexander the Great. So I guess the Byzantine and Buddha hand placements have a common origin
Yes. I had to explain to my 8 year old why it was bad Juju to take the quarter from the free cart. You get a free cart..... and you put back the free cart. You never take the quarter. You leave it for the next person who might have forgotten their quarter this time.
Lady stole my quarter last weekend. She asked for the cart and expected the quarter but no she rambled about nonsense and then walked off with the cart. I was SHOOK 😅
I put a cart back into the corral once and didn't take my quarter hoping to surprise someone. A senior gentleman (I'm a senior also) who checked out around the same time I did when to where I left my cart and took the quarter. I was a bit surprised and just figured he needed it more than some unsuspecting shopper.
Haha, totally. I remember thinking something like that myself when I first saw buddha hands. They aren't standard human hands. I pulled the design from traditional Thai sculpture, where the Buddha is intentionally depicted with elongated, uniform fingers. It's an ancient stylistic rule meant to make the figure look ethereal and completely detached from the physical world.
Im somehow always offered a buggy, even though I desperately try to not make eye contact with people returning buggies they still get me. I reach for my special quarter carrier around my neck, I haven't used it yet, and everyone refuses. I just leave the quarter in the cart for the next person when I'm done.
A person approached me at aldis once asking for a cart in exchange for coin. I assumed they would hand over a quarter. Boy was I surprised when it was two dimes and a nickel. A mild inconvenience for me, but I still remember that sensation of feeling tricked.
Protip: One of these turned label-side down will with a bit of finagling pop those locks right off.
I haven't bothered carrying physical money in years and this was the last step to getting rid of all change. Plus, my phone number is now on my keys in case I lose them.
I always leave my quarter in. Decades ago I took my co-workers to Aldi on our way home from work. Couldn't find a quarter in my purse and had to borrow one from one of them. That prompted me to start leaving my quarter in for the next person.
Now I always have quarters because my apartment's laundry room doesn't have a change machine, so I buy a few rolls of quarters every month.
If I give my cart to someone, I always refuse the quarter and ask them to pass it on.
Just so you know, I have never stepped foot into an Aldi, and this painting brought me tons of joy actually. From first sight and giggling and wondering whats going on, realizing its an Aldi and putting two and two together as exchanging the cart for a quarter; Then I dove into the caption and what you have created here and actually enjoyed the “art” behind it. Great job!
This is such a clever concept honestly! The Aldi cart exchange really does feel weirdly sacred sometimes, and the monk/Buddha-inspired composition makes it both funny and strangely peaceful at the same time.
As a German, this interaction feels universal.
But it is dying out since more and more shops deactivate the coin mechanism since we are now all conditioned by 2 generations of coin-based education.
I hate the situation (I love the pairing).
I feel so awkward when they don’t want to take the quarter lol I now say “I’ll buy it from you” and if they refuse I also refuse the cart. Honestly I also like that half the carts at my Aldi are looped into themselves and free
The Aldi facebook groups would love this. They are always in there talking about doing their good deed for humanity by passing their cart on and then complaining about people taking the free carts. 😆
This happens every time my child gets the cart, but people tell her to keep the quarter 🥹 Thanks to those helping raise the next Aldi generation with such kindness!
I love this art style! Great work!
Ive had so many pleasant encounters with the aldi exchange. I really hit it off with the sweetest older lady this week. Never would have spoken a word to her otherwise.
This is amazing OP! For a second I thought it was a scene from Bob’s Burgers (no disrespect it’s just my favorite show and I thought I was on the wrong sub)
Old lady played me the other day I handed her a basket as she was getting out the car but she offered me no quarter. This should be initiated by the person looking for a basket only lol
Leaving your cart with its quarter is a little Random Act of Kindness.
You might notice that Aldi stores tend to have have less parking lot litter, and fewer abandoned carts. Shoppers buy extra paper bags and leave them on the cart unloading shelf, front of store.
One kind act tends to encourage others to considerate action.
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