Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for October 15, 2021

Mom could push the cart through a plate glass window but there might be legal repercussions.

Or Calvin could push the cart himself and jump in while it’s moving.

Quit horsing around in the cart, Calvin.

It’s even better across a rutted parking lot

I speak from experience

As a cart collector at my employed grocery store, I don’t think so, Calvin, as your mother might get banned from store for that antic spilling the aisles’ goods everywhere (and I so don’t want to clean up the broken jars and mopping their contents).

Ok mom, here’s the plan: Push the cart really hard when nobody is looking, then quickly grab another cart and shop away. If anyone asks, you do NOT know the boy. Annnd GO!

If the parking lot is sloped, you can push him downhill.

Knowing Calvin’s parents, one would think Mom would leave him home while grocery shopping.

And hope he’d have a fatal accident.

And be disappointed that he didn’t.

Calvin Knoxville

Are you sure about this, Calvin? The loading dock doors are open.

No need to push the cart really fast, just push it backwards and spin the cart around really fast.

I used to work at Wal-Mart, and I remember being unable to believe how big some of the “kids” were that were pushed around by their parents in shopping carts. The most polite word I could think of for them (which I never used around the parents) was “galoots.”

I used to do that with my kids when they were Calvins age and older, though it wasn’t in the aisles, but the parking lot. They loved it.

OK, Calvin, you can watch while I get the broccoli, spinach and tofu you’ll be having for dinner this week.

Hunter does this with Joe. Come on, Man!

“Crash me into the refrigerated pastries section, Mom!”

That “PLEASE” would have gotten an automatic “No” from me. My daughters learned at an early age that my first answer is always my final answer…and if my first answer is a maybe, begging automatically shifts it to no.

Later in life, Calvin will have his friends push him down a stairway in a shopping cart just to see how many ‘Likes’ he can get on Youtube.

Panel 4 shows the dangers of giving in to demands!

Don´t try that in the Uk, Calvin, there the shopping carts natural habitat is the canal!

Okay, I know it makes me a bad uncle, but I would so do that. …and yes never send me shopping.

While shopping when one grandson was little and riding in a NASCAR cart, I noticed he was “steering” some imagined course in his mind. I started to turn the cart in unison with his twists of the wheel. He was quite startled when he realized his cart “worked”. Finally he figured out what was happening, turned and gave me a big grin, and he we left his mom and my wife in the dust.

It’s bittersweet when a child is too large to push in the cart anymore.

Run for Track 9 3/4!

Calvin Knievel.

Just once I would love to see Mom agree and DO it!

Calvin, the eternal optimist. Always hoping his parents will do what he suggests.

Because that how people drive their cars!!

Isn’t this how Dale Earnhardt got started?

Can you imagine what Calvin would be like today, influenced by TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube stunt videos?

I don’t usually leave serious comments here but he actually looks to be about the right size for that cart…

Well, they bought him at K-Mart, so he looks right in a cart.

The grocery store I used to go to had a nicely sloping parking lot. If the cart was full I could take a couple of steps and then ride all the way to our car. My wife liked to walk along behind me and see all the double takes from others. The only problem was that the carts didn’t have steering wheels so it was a problem if inconsiderate people were driving cars up and down the lanes. I don’t know why anyone would try to drive a car in a parking lot. The other problem was that the carts didn’t have brakes either. They really could have been designed better.

wish this was still running

Could ram other carts.

Hmm. His Dad would probably have done it and with an Evil Laugh said “Goodbye, son!!!”

Don’t tempt her!

hi

I had a tangential story from a golf course: Friends of mine worked at the local golf course and the course used Honda powered golf cards (roughly the same engines as are in go-carts). Some semi-competent thinker realized the only thing limiting the speed of the carts was a fuel restrictor in the fuel line. Remove that… and the golf carts go INSANELY FAST though cornering is weak. They’d chase gophers at night by headlight. Apparently this was a sort of ongoing insanity until one day somebody took a wrong turn and dunked a cart and the clowns following him followed him in. Then it was a fire-a-thon at Golf Course.

“I now think that you’re a little too big for that.”

In the backdrop of Calvin and Hobbes riding by pushing the sledge on the innumerable dangerous terrain, this act looks sissy. But Calvin’s ride on moms cart is kinda cute.

What could possibly go wrong … ?

Funny enough, my best friend and I were at the top of the hill with a cart full of groceries (and yeah, we’d always take it back to the store the same day). I encouraged her to get in, then I pushed and let it go at the midpoint-her screaming the full way she was going to nail my ass to the sidewalk. I caught the cart before then end of the hill though—I didn’t want to break her or the eggs.

Needless to say, I was bawled out something fierce for two days.

why does she live with him