I have had this happen at other stores over the years. BTW, it wasn't like a static shock, more like a low-voltage, continuous shock. Tingly and unpleasant -- like sticking your tongue on a 9-volt battery.

Shocking... blame Walmart!

I get shocked at Costco... a lot. Not only by the prices, but some days, the static discharge is more than other days. I think its just the wheels turning that create static. Its fun to shock people though!

Yes, I've had this happen to me with many new shopping carts.

The problem is they're painted. The paint means there's very little metal to touch. The wheels build up static electricity as the cart is moved. Rather than being able to discharge the small amount in them the moment you don't touch the handle the static charge builds until it can overcome the dielectric properties of the paint.

If you find a non-painted part of the cart (or just make one :) you can hold onto it and solve the problem. Of course, you'll build charge instead and will have to remember to often touch other metal items to pass it on (hopefully they're grounded).

This could be alleviated by putting grounding straps on the carts. Some places do this already by welding a chain to the carts that drags on the ground (it might not be for the purpose, but those carts won't shock you because the static will be dissipated anyways).

Yep. Happens to us all the time. I have only noticed it at Walmart.

It's the sign of the apocalypse! Next, our beds will shock us!

*Puts on tinfoil hat*

This was a major issue when the new Wal-Mart in Mexico MO opened. They finally corrected the issue by putting a small ground strap on the front center of each cart that constantly drags the floor, discharging the static buildup. It was a combination of painted carts that don't allow discharge to dissipate easily, along with a floor coating that seems to create a larger than normal amount of static buildup. Our local Wal-Mart just finished a remodel, but I have yet to see the same problem. There is some variable that is different between the two stores, but I don't know what it is.

For me it's Costco, all the time, I have to wrap my hands in something like a cloth to push the damn cart, its horrible. I never shop at walmart. The last time I went to Costco it seemed to either not happen or happen less, I do not know what they changed.

I used to get this at Sam's Club. It felt as if the cart was pricking my finger, then I realized it was shocks.

I get shocked at Target all the time. Sometimes by their "special offers", but mostly thanks to static.

And reading the description from the OP... i was expecting a full blown sexploration scene any minute... "I began to touch different parts of the cart while pushing it to see if there was something to this..."

My mind is irrevocably dirtied I guess.

I know I should be quiet, but why are you all shopping Wal-Mart?? Are you still not aware of the hundreds of businesses it forces out when one opens? The low wages they pay and poor benefits? COME ON, go to another store and be able to sleep at night.

What are the new carts made out of? Someone should take a picture. Maybe they are using a new type of plastic wheel and plastic bearings and there is a lack of grounding?

Or is this happening somewhere down south where it is very dry?

Very little information here as always..

Could it be that they're the kinds of carts that lock if you go to far in the parking lot? Maybe the mechanism that locks them is malfunctioning? Who knows. That's weird though.

@PLATTWORX:

How can I be aware of what doesn't exist?

WalMart doesn't push out local stores (There's just as many as before WalMart existed in my city, in fact, after WalMart appeared, more new stores moved in closer to them), WalMart pays average wages, and WalMart gives above average benefits. I have never yet met an unhappy WalMart worker, and I've been there at 3 am chatting with the employees--they could have easily confided displeasure with their job in me rather than literally tearing about the store for 15 minutes to help me find things (Something Zeller's employees have never done for me).

WalMart is also plagued by people trying to force them into unacceptable locations. This has happened to all the WalMarts around here except the one in my city. The reasons are always absolutely pathetic (From "A WalMart makes the view we have from our church retreat ugly (put in a Zeller's instead)." to "WalMart will cause more traffic on the 4 lane street. Put it at the city limits where there's only a two lane road instead.")

That's always been what I have found out when I investigated anything to do with WalMart. I also know that while I shop at WalMart for many items, the only business they are taking away is business other places deserve to lose: Other retailers not only don't provide such good service, but they charge for grocery bags now, in addition to the other stores being a pain in the ass about allowing local sports teams to make money via BBQ sales at the door (WalMart has these all the time). Clearly I'm going to shop where my business is appreciated and where my community is supported.

This has happened to me at a Walmart located in Chesterfield, Mi. It would get so bad, my wife would take over pushing the cart. For some reason, she didn't get the shocks as much. One thing I noticed was that it only happened in the grocery section. I never got zapped when pushing the cart in other areas of the store.

@shepd: I tale it Walmart is paying you good money to perpetuate the lie.

They kind of hurt when you are using the ones with the thicker plastic handle and the electricity builds up enough to jump through the plastic. (BTW, how is this possible? It happens, but I've always thought that plastic, esp thicker plastic is a pretty good insulator)

@I Love New Jersey:

No, WalMart is the best thing that happened here. Because of WalMart other retailers were forced to actually compete. Because of WalMart and it's 24-hour shopping other retailers are now open past 8 pm on weekdays and 6 pm of weekends. You are welcome to keep believing the groupthink that WalMart ruins communities, but it's just a pack of lies.

Me, I'll stick to facts rather than BS. Would you like me to link you to some? I can dig them up for you if you'd like. There's also an entire episode of PTBS that explains the WalMart hate phenomenon and exposes the horrid racism that backs it.

@PLATTWORX: We have the same effect here, Walmart didn't kill off any stores here, in fact since the Super Walmart is being built a whole new plaza has sprung up bringing more jobs and more opportunities to our dying city and more competition to the area which means lower prices for consumers. Walmart has been in our area for 15 years or more (they are simply building a new store to replace the old) but really, I haven't seen any stores close as a direct result of Walmart coming to our town. Most of the stores that closed here were closed across the whole US like Media Play or were a result of company restructuring as a whole. We have plenty of local shops and they are all still there as well.

If Walmart wasn't here in this area we would all be drinking overpriced, expired 4$ gallons of milk from Kmart (shudder)!

I'm more worried about what they did with the old carts. tons of metal just...gone! did they recycle it or just trash it (shopping carts are VERY recyclable, but you don't make much money on it.)

@PLATTWORX: Are you kidding me? What about people who can't *afford* to go anywhere else? What about people who don't have a car and can't *get* anywhere else? I guess a lot of people here don't really think of those living in poverty when posting from an upper middle class POV, but don't assume that everyone has the privilege of having different options. A lot of people just shop where they can, and for a lot of people, that store is Walmart.

@PLATTWORX: Walmart initially caused an impact on local stores. It really hurt the grocery stores the worst. Over the years it seems to have evened out a bit. The local Walmarts are the domain of white trash and immigrants, everyone else shops somewhere else. So everyone else seems to be creating enough sales to keep smaller and local stores open. Bonus, I don't have to listen to the 6 screaming kids of some land manatee.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the new anti-theft locking carts? You know, the ones you can't push out of the parking lot. What mechanism are they using to lock the wheels? I would expect *something* mechanical/electric has something to do with it.

I can't vouch for Walmart, as I don't shop there, but my local supermarket does this to me all the time. The worst part is that I like to listen to my iPod as I shop, and the shock goes up the headphone cord and through the earbuds right into my ear. Forget waterboarding, this could be our new 'enhanced interrogation technique'.

I for one am THRILLED to know it is not just me!

@bohemian: The rather abrasive language aside*, that's a good point. Could the set of people typically deriding Walmart and its shoppers while simultaneously saying Walmart is evil and must go away handle a retail environment where Walmart suddenly disappeared?

* I did get a chuckle out of "land manatee", though.

the new carts at the wal mart grocery in el paso shocks the crap out of everyone, its a newer store and every cart shocks people.

@pkoutoul:

This phenomenon has nothing to do with WalMart per se; it has to do with shopping carts and static electricity. I've experienced it quite a bit in many different stores in Las Vegas due to low humidity. Not only do the carts shock you, but the refrigerator doors and other metal objects in the store do as well.

YES! Farmville Virginia. Yet another reason not to shop at WalMarx

@bohemian:
Good for you! How many more stereotypes can you fit into 1 post?

I'm asian, make good money, not fit but not sporting the cankle look yet, and I shop at the local Walmart. Prices are cheaper! Yes, for somethings, I will go to local shops for. When I used to live up in Washington, I would try and get special occassion steaks and roasts from Green Valley meats. I probably wont be buying a 5 piece dining room set from them, but I did buy my patio furniture from Walmart.

The Walmart near me has exceptional service. The cashiers are friendly and there are people around who are willing to help me. The lines aren't too long; the self checkout is easy to use. For most needs, they are there. Plus, they are open 24 hours a day, which fits my weird schedules.

Walmart bashing is in. Its hip, but ultimately, Walmart is here to stay. Don't push your religious beliefs on me! Let ME push MY socio-economical/political beliefs on YOU!

@shepd: "I also know that while I shop at WalMart for many items, the only business they are taking away is business other places deserve to lose."

What does this mean? What types of places "deserve to lose" business? What types of businesses "deserve" to be lost?

This happens with the carts at our local Whole Foods. I thought it was because it's a two story store and the cart goes on a special lift to ride to the second floor with you and that somehow the carts were building up charge on the lift.

I knew that didn't make much sense because the carts *constantly* shock you, but that's the only store in Southern California where I've had this happen, and the two story thing was the thing that jumped out as being different.

Sounds like it's something else, though. They're metal carts, no anti-theft system. I'm pretty sure they're painted but can't remember specifically. If the grounding strap thing would work, I wonder if I could fashion my own grounding strap to bring with me and hook on to the cart while I shop?

Target has had little grounding straps on the bottom of their carts for years now. Yet another reason why Target is a little better than Spawl-Mart

Yes, this is very common. Most grocery stores will "ground" their carts by attaching a small piece of wire or pipe cleaner to the lower part of the cart, between the back wheels. Sounds like this should be a standard in the cart-making industry.

@bohemian:

@11:04 AM:

There's also an entire episode of PTBS that explains the WalMart hate phenomenon and exposes the horrid racism that backs it.

...

@11:13 AM:

I guess a lot of people here don't really think of those living in poverty when posting from an upper middle class POV, but don't assume that everyone has the privilege of having different options. A lot of people just shop where they can, and for a lot of people, that store is Walmart.

@11:17 AM:

The local Walmarts are the domain of white trash and immigrants, everyone else shops somewhere else.

I can has FTW now?

Any photos of these carts?

Many stores near me have grounding straps on the carts.

@MerryLifeAndaShortOne:

Seems I'm not the only one. This doesn't happen at Target, Fry's etc. Only at friggn' Costco. It's got to be a combination of their waxed concrete floors and their shopping carts.

Then again, some of us are more prone to it than others (different skin types?). During the summer here in Phoenix, even the water from a running faucet will shock me. I bought one of those electrostatic discharger things you attach to your keychain and it helps reduce the shock, though it's mainly useful to prevent the shocks from my car.

@PLATTWORX: I'm not sure if that's true or not but we're getting a WalMart in about 2 years so I'll let you know

@temporaryerror: wouldn't rubber be a better insulator?

@Saisu Mimen:

Huh... It might be a regional thing. I'm in Phoenix as well! It doesn't happen at the Business Costco on Indian School and 35th ave, but it does happen at the Avondale and N Phoenix (Cave Creek and 101). It may be the carts, though, because I primarily use the flat beds at the Business Costco and the regular shopping carts at the other two.

@rpm773: The topic of WalMart seems to bring out all kinds of fears, stereotypes and prejudices! People who like to think they are too good for WalMart (because their money and body size allows them to patronize higher-end stores) fear association with the types of people who can't afford their expensive stores. Horrors.

Personally, I'm sad when the big box stores cause smaller stores to close up, and make no mistake, they do. As a consequence, many cities across the country now look exactly the same with their Starbucks, Best Buys, McDonalds, Borders and WalMarts. The loss of local flavor is one of the saddest cultural consequences of these huge retailers. The nasty elitist insults are another.

Here's a better explanation... which jives with the symptoms (it "Always" happens)... if it's "always" happening, it isn't static buildup. That's an instantaneous release and - absent some other outside force - won't happen again immediately.

Lots of grocery stores these days use "intelligent" shopping carts - ones which know when they've reached the edge of the parking lot via sensors, and will lock the wheels up if you attempt to wheel them away (as, say, a homeless person or a can-collector might do). Grocery stores lose tons of carts each year to these situations, and have developed a cart to foil the thieves.

Now, ponder what would happen if there were a short in the wiring for those sensors? Low-voltage shocks throughout the metal frame of the cart, maybe? With some people being more sensitive to the electricity than others, the complaints would be sporadic... I mean we're only talking 9-12V DC here, probably. As someone else said, the amount of electricity in a battery you'd touch to your tongue...

@PLATTWORX:

I sleep very well at night. In fact, I sleep better at night because I bought the most comfortable bed I've ever owned with the money I save by shopping at Walmart. You can pay for overpriced goods if that's what it takes to make you happy. Personally, I'd rather have more money in the bank.

@temporaryerror: Plastic is a good insulator, which makes it good at "collecting" static electricity.

Happens to me all the time at Wal-Mart in multiple locations. The shocks are pretty strong, even through gloves! I thought it was just me, but good to know I'm not the only one...I haven't had it happen elsewhere.

@spamhead: You listen to your iPod while you shop? That's kinda weird lol.

@paulrules: are you sure a metal hat is best anti-shock solution?

@PLATTWORX: if my toilet breaks at 4pm, i'll go buy the repair parts from ace hardware. if it breaks at 4am i'll buy them from walmart. because ace isn't open and i'm not waiting until the next day to deal with a leaky toilet. i shop where and when it's convenient for me. i love smaller businesses and shop them when i can, but sometimes they don't have the hours or selection that meets my needs.

Our favourite grocery store had a complete and seemingly endless renovation a few years ago - new walls, new shelves, new floors and a completely new set of shopping carts.

For the next 6 months, if you pushed the carts with your hands resting on the metal part (instead of the rubber handle) you got a series of mini-shocks every few feet. I'd assumed it was a variant of the "new dress shoes on a shag carpet" method of annoying your kid brother.

Then, winter arrived. The shiny new carts got crapped on by the weather and dirty boots walked on the nice new floors and the shocks went away. Canadian winter - it destroys more than just your soul.

@WorldHarmony: The locally owned hardware store that doesn't stay open past 5, treats women very poorly (I know this from personal experience) and doesn't have any brand variety and has no means of ordering anything. The pizza place that when asked to speak to the manager you are told that she may or may not be in tomorrow, they really don't know, she is the daughter of the owner, blah blah blah. Tbey are also clueless about child labor laws and got into a funk when they were reported. The other nonchain resturant in town that closes for home football games. I told a couple of the football players about this and they all laughed. I could go on and on. Places that lack basic technology, have extremely high prices, stores that are basically run by snobs or the woman with the rich husband who gave her a business because she thinks it will "be fun", places that expect you to run on their schedule, etc. etc. etc.