EMP cart locker stops shoppers in their tracks

Those looking to raise a little high-tech ruckus at the shopping mall may want to head over to Instructables, which now has step-by-step instructions for remotely manipulating the locking mechanism increasingly being used on shopping carts. Dubbed the EMP shopping cart locker, the elaborate device is unsurprisingly no easy feat, requiring some fairly elite DIY skills and a good chunk of cash (upwards of $150). Of course, there's also the small matter of the rather suspicious-looking nature of the device, which consists copious amounts of wire with a trigger on the end. Needless to say, the mall security guards likely be even less amused than the shoppers that suddenly find themselves stopped in their tracks, so proceed at your own risk.

[Via Gadget Lab]

[Jman196 @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:08PM]

And what, people are disabled to pick up the cart and leave? If they want whats in the cart they will have it.

[Eric @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:10PM]

No. The point is that lazy asses live eight blocks from the store and they don't want to have to carry all of those heavy bags of cheetos and chocolate milk. So they push the cart all the way home. They don't want the actual cart, they're just too f'en lazy to carry a couple of bags.

[Chnepr @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:32PM]

Ah, the EMP shopping cart: The only way to prevent Sentinels from buying bathmats at target.

[o0adam0o @ Jul 3rd 2007 9:06AM]

Hmmm...not sure if some of u know this article is talking about a prank to pull on shoppers....

[Scott @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:10PM]

Reminds me of when I worked at Wal-Mart - about 13 years ago.

They had just installed the anti-theft sensors at the doors and had sheets of the RF stickers to put on valuable items and other stuff that had a habit of walking out...

Anyway, I worked nights there and had some time on my hands. So I took several sheets of those RF stickers and put one on the bottom of every shopping cart in the store. They spent about 2 weeks trying to figure out why the alarm went off every time somebody left. It was beautiful.

I would love to use this EMP thing when the guys are out collecting carts from the parking lot. It would be awesome to lock up about 15 carts at the same time.

[Big @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:45PM]

Walmart started this trend I think.

Around my neighborhood, Walmart has carts equipt with magnetic wheel locks.

When you pass the yard sensor, the wheels lock up and the cart stops dead in its tracks. They do this to stop cart theft.

What's funny however is when someone is pushing the cart real fast and the lock activates, and they damn near flip over the cart due to it pushing them in the stomach. I used to watch this happen to people - one guy was pushing metal rods and it stabbed him in the leg from the short stop.
(great lawsuit opportunity !!!)

[ethana2 @ Jul 2nd 2007 7:33PM]

That is beautiful. Nice ;)

Although it probably severely hampered security and such, that had to be funny. Did you let anyone in on it, or would that have gotten you fired?

[Logik @ Jul 2nd 2007 6:05PM]

Can't you just put the front wheels up in the air? Anybody know how close to the ground the lock wheel mechanism needs to be to work?

[Mr. B @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:04PM]

Alot of shopping carts nowadays have a piece of metal welded behind the right rear wheel that prevents you from standing the cart on the rear wheels.

[Logik @ Jul 2nd 2007 9:39PM]

Ah! I know what you're talking about. That also serves as a brake to keep your car from rolling away on the parking lot.

[robert.stewart2 @ Jul 2nd 2007 11:41PM]

i live in the city and they have them on the carts so the homeless people dont walk off with them.

And the lock is usually on the back wheels so it would be a pain to try and keep going with it since you would basically be lifting the entire carts weight to get it on the front wheels

[Ceejay @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:07AM]

tilt the cart to the left and roll away..

I use to work for Target, and we had these remote controls that triggered the cart's locks. I've had so many mothers complaining cause their kids teeth or face would slam on the handle due to the sudden stops caused by the locks.

We also used to lock up random carts customers were using cause were assholes like that.

Ahh retail.. fucking retail.

[Adam @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:21AM]

hahaa, needs some videos of it in action though.