Coles trolley photo on Twitter divides Australians

It’s probably the single most annoying thing to happen when you’re looking for a park at your local supermarket.

There is nothing more frustrating than finding a park at your local supermarket only to have it obstructed by an abandoned trolley — or several trolleys for that matter.

It’s an ongoing issue faced by major retailers and a photo that’s got people riled up is one that was posted by columnist Samantha X.

The image shared to Twitter shows a Coles trolley dumped in the middle of a parking spot, in an underground carpark.

“The world is divided into. people who dump their trolleys like this. And the rest of us," Samantha X captioned the post.

Big problem with Coles trolley photo. Picture: Twitter/SamanthaX_real

It has been ‘liked’ more than 466 times with many complaining it “does their head in”.

“Drives me nuts seeing this. Especially when the trolley bay is usually max 10 metres away,” one annoyed Twitter user wrote.

“I know what you mean I had a person who was too lazy to return their trolley to the bay and it hit my car I was so pissed,” said another.

One person said they always park near a trolley station “so i don’t have far to walk to put the trolley away”.

“It’s just called extreme laziness, however you’ll get some saying that by putting them away you are doing someone out of a job …” another added.

A Coles spokesperson told news.com.au abandoned trolleys are a “nuisance to local communities”.

“[We] are actively working to make this better across the nation, including regular collections of abandoned trolleys with vehicles on the road daily and installing wheel lock systems where suitable,” the spokesperson explained.

One Coles shopper from Western Australia recently took to Facebook claiming that disability parking spots outside her local South Hedland store have become a dumping ground for trolleys for the past five years.

A Coles shopper from WA, shared this snap of a row of trolleys blocking a parking space reserved for those with a disability or condition. Picture: Facebook/Coles

She explained she’s been in a constant battle with the management and trolley handlers over the years-long issue.

“Every time I complain, the manager ‘PROMISES’ it will never happen again. What a joke,” she wrote in the post.

“This has been happening for over five years and nothing has changed,” she added, making the assumption Coles “do not care about disabled people”.

The woman shared photos that show a line of more than 20 trolleys spanning across the parking space reserved for those with a disability or condition.

Coles said it has collected 95 per cent of all trolleys reported by the public since January 1, 2021. Picture: Facebook/Coles

She told 7 News she was directing her frustration towards customers who leave their trolleys in disability bays because “that’s where the trolley guys stack then”.

“The areas with yellow lines are there so people with disabilities have room to exit their cars, to use their wheelchairs if they have one” she told the publication.

“They’re not for trolleys.

“It’s just disrespectful, and I want to see the situation changed.”

In a statement provided to news.com.au a Coles spokesperson said the supermarket had spoken to trolley handlers about the issue.

“We work hard to ensure our stores and car parks are accessible and easy to shop,” the spokesperson said.

“We’ve spoken to our trolley collectors at South Hedland to make sure the correct procedures are followed moving forward.”

The supermarket giant is urging customers to assist in helping manage trolley abandonment.

“Members of the public can also use the Coles app on their smartphones to report trolleys using GPS, or call 1800 876 553 (1800 TROLLEY) and we’ll collect them as soon as possible,” the spokesperon said.

“Since January 1, 2021, Coles has collected 95 per cent of all trolleys reported by the public.”