Letter: Blame thieves for cart blight

Friday, Dec. 7, 2001 | 4:19 a.m.

Like Councilman Michael McDonald, I too am dismayed by the proliferation of shopping cart blight in my neighborhood. However, unlike Mr. McDonald, I don't believe the store owners bear any responsibility for this problem. People who take shopping carts from store parking lots are thieves. Treat them that way.

Some would say, "But they have no other way to get their groceries home." Not my problem or the store's problem. If the police would start handing out $100 citations to shopping cart thieves, there would be a lot fewer carts discarded in the streets where I live. So, instead of threatening to fine store owners for errant shopping carts, why doesn't the councilman formulate a plan for the authorities to start ticketing these shopping cart criminals?

ROBERT BENCIVENGA

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