A few weeks back, this grocery store set out these plant racks that essentially blocked the walkway, except for a small strip running parallel to the curb (only one person at a time could pass through, as you can see).

At that time, I helped a senior lady who was using a walker to get through it, because she could have easily fallen off the curb if the wheel slipped over the edge.

So I let the store management know that it was dangerous and they needed to give people more space.

Today, I noticed that they put a skid down, completely blocking the narrow path.

This forces people to walk between the plant racks, which is even more narrow. Coupled with the fact that some of the plants are put on the ground (lazy customers??), so you actually can’t pass without some major maneuvering.

Someone at the store surely must realize how bad of an idea this is. Or is doing it out of spite.

And to make matters worse, behind where this photo is taken is plenty of open space to put those plant racks. I know this because there used to be a bike rack, but it was removed and never replaced… 😡

    • @tischbier@feddit.org
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      741 month ago

      Agree! And to add for OP I’m sure the Fire Marshall would love to hear about how people can’t get in or out of the building. Fire Marshall is probably the fastest option for everyone’s safety.

      Good for you OP for keeping your community safe !

    • @aseriesoftubes@lemmy.world
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      371 month ago

      ADA lawyer

      The photo shows a Shoppers Drug Mart store, which means OP is in Canada. I’m sure there’s a Canadian equivalent though.

  • @Widdershins@lemmy.world
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    441 month ago

    The shit has wheels and isn’t behind a fence. Move it yourself, tell them to fuck off, and go back the next day and move it again until the management give up. What are they going to do? Get a police stake out? Hire RoboCop to uphold the law? Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity.

    • @barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      Except in American MAGA politics, where an idea is usually conceived in malice, but carried out incompetently, then blamed on Democrats when it predictably goes wrong. It’s called The MAGA Razor

        • @barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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          21 month ago

          Which is why I specified AMERICAN politics. It was just an observation about the changing nature of Hanlon’s Razor.

          It’s not the only logical argument that MAGA wrecked. Godwin’s Law has been watered down to the point where even Godwin himself says it doesn’t really apply anymore.

          • @dubyakay@lemmy.ca
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            11 month ago

            Fair enough. That’s what I get for shit posting (as in skimming through threads on the loo)

  • ddh
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    241 month ago

    Nobody wants to shop anymore

  • @Donebrach@lemmy.world
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    231 month ago

    So you’re saying this large chain-store put out a bunch of free plants for people to take at their leisure?

      • JackbyDev
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        31 month ago

        Idk what a skid is, but I see wheeled racks lol. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

        • @Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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          51 month ago

          Idk what a skid is

          It might also be called a pallet where you live. It’s that large, heavy, wooden blue thing at the end of those racks. It doesn’t slide, so you need a forklift or hand-pump lift to move it.

          I mean, I have no problem moving shit that’s in store aisles to get to the shelves, but there’s too much liability here for me to move large plant racks, even if it was easy.

  • @SGforce@lemmy.ca
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    61 month ago

    I’ve seen three Sobey’s do this for many years. I assumed they didn’t have to right to use the parking lot like some other stores do, since the lots are never full. Totally on them for not managing their stock and making it our problem.

    • @Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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      61 month ago

      They have a lot of space to work with, but chose to pile everything in the section right before the door.

      And there are no curb cuts in front of the store, only at the entrance past this gauntlet, so someone in a wheelchair would be SOL.

      • @Rossi199@lemmy.world
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        129 days ago

        In 2025, I’m shocked by how many places still don’t have fully accessible sidewalks. Safeway in Lethbridge recently did a massive renovation, but couldn’t find the budget to replace the one section of sidewalk that prevents someone in a wheelchair being able to easily wheel straight from the sidewalk to the door - no, sir, you stay on the parking lot where it’s easier for cars to run over you!

  • @IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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    51 month ago

    Almost nobody is going to care about this, at all.

    Out of all the things to screech about this isn’t it. Jesus Christ lol.

      • @IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Again, I and most literally couldn’t care less if they have to spend 3ft in low speed parking lot traffic like every other person. It’s not the end of the world, people aren’t getting run over and injured.

        You are just looking to trigger that social media rage dopamine hit. Your worries are about as real and dumb as trans women taking over high school sports. It’s just less hateful.

        And here y’all are eating it up. I honestly cannot imagine getting so angry over this utterly minor inconvenience.

        Frankly I think your paternalistic attitude over these HELPLESS people is probably the most offensive thing in here to anyone with a physical handicap.

        • @wowbaggerip@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I personally think your response to the issue being raised is exactly why America is a total dump that will never be able to have nice things. You’re literally shutting down someone’s criticism of the functionality of the public spaces in their everyday life because you don’t think it’s a big deal. But it’s the laziness of things like this that actually make America a shitty place to live. It’s an epidemic of poor decisions with regard to how much placement of things inconvenience others. This was clearly a poorly planned implemention of selling a ton of plants out front of the store. Someone raised the issue. But you. You decided to shut them down for it because they should get over it. There are bigger issues. Yeah fair enough I guess but also you’re enabling shitty design and things will only get worse when there’s folks like you that accept garbage and tell anyone who complains about it that they’re crazy for saying anything about how it’s garbage. /rant

        • @Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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          121 month ago

          Again, I and most literally couldn’t care less if they have to spend 3ft in low speed parking lot traffic like every other person.

          There is no curb cut for someone with a wheelchair, mobility device, walker, stroller, shopping cart, or hand trolly to even do that. 🙄

        • @Kissaki@feddit.org
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          1 month ago

          And here y’all are eating it up.

          I wonder if everyone’s eating it up or whether they have their own valid opinions.

          I honestly cannot imagine getting so angry over this utterly minor inconvenience.

          Honestly, you seem way more infuriated than OP posting in mildly infuriating with much less aggressive language and without dismissing people.

          You didn’t only share your disapproval or opinion, you made it a point to be dismissive.

    • @PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      This is a stupid take and you should feel bad.

      The fact you are acting gleeful in response to an image of a completely unnecessary hurdle for people with physical display suggests that you’re probably a bad person to be identifying those on high horses.

      • @IsThisAnAI@lemmy.world
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        11 month ago

        I’m not gleeful. I said you and the group are whiney bitches.

        Looking for the most minor of situations to set off screeching. You have idiots in here arguing and white knighting and thinking that it’s better in the rest of the world 🤣

        One fucking moron thinks one image is representative of the state of the ADA implementation.

        Go be productive. This is just rage bait for the terminally online nerds. You are doing nothing but paternalising and hurting your own mental health.

    • @Rossi199@lemmy.world
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      129 days ago

      If we are going to get off of our fossil fuel addiction and create walkable spaces everywhere, we’re all going to have to care about this.

  • @PineRune@lemmy.world
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    51 month ago

    I’d be tempted to just drag them over to the other open area you mentioned and see if they do anything about it.

    • FuglyDuck
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      101 month ago

      Shove them into the street. That’ll get someone’s attention. (preferably not when cars are coming, but that’s pretty optional too.)

      • @Rossi199@lemmy.world
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        129 days ago

        I do that with shopping carts and wheeled flats that are left blocking the sidewalk where I’m trying to walk. Now it blocks cars. Seems fair. :)

  • @Soolonkivi@lemm.ee
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    51 month ago

    You act like you can’t walk on the road. Literally like in this illustration:

    Yeah, you shouldn’t have to but fuck cars. Roads are for people not steel cans.

    • @Showroom7561@lemmy.caOP
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      151 month ago

      Have you ever seen a person with a disability who uses a walker or wheelchair try to drop down from a tall curb?

      Regardless of who’s liable, they don’t want to get hurt doing something completely unnecessary.

      I’m acting like the company shouldn’t be assholes, and use the abundance of space along the rest of the front face of that building.

      • @Soolonkivi@lemm.ee
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        21 month ago

        My wording wasn’t quite right there. This does mostly affect disabled people. I was just trying to bring out how infrastructure for cars leaves like a walkway on a cliff for pedestrians.

  • lurch (he/him)
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    41 month ago

    i suspect that area is visible for the cashier and the little camera dome under the ceiling in the background