bored at pearson? just return carts!

[canrocks]

So I had a few hours just waiting for my parents, and eventually came to the conclusion that I could make the most of my time by returning the carts for the $0.25 each. While I was walking around, I realised that if you returned one cart per minute, you'd be making $15 per hour! Even if you returned half that, it's still around minimum wage! Why aren't there more people doing this, and especially homeless people? I know what I'm doing next time I have to wait for a flight.

[ballz]

You forgot to mention that realistically ou will not come close to 1 cart a minute.

[spm24]

it used to be 1$ a cart return when i was 10- 12 remember picking up relatives and hoping they were late for some easy cash . they pay people now to round them up ( pay or allow them to i am not sure) but if you were to attempt to go around all day and do this you would most prob be escorted off by the security

[Kasakato]

Are you even allowed to do so?

[NDman]

It used to be a buck per cart! That was good money. No much of an incentive to do that these days for 1/4 of it

[AL3X]

when i was in quebec, the zellers would pay 10$/h for rounding up carts. (they didnt have money in them, just plain carts)

[midget_man]

I worked at Pearson when the carts were a loonie. It was great, because if I had no cash for lunch, I would go around and find a few carts and in a few minutes I would have enough for lunch. I knew all the hot spots where they were least likely to be returned. They hire a whole team of people to collect them and move them around the facility (take the ones from outside and bring them back into the baggage hall etc.). And yes, there are more eyes watching you at all times at Pearson then you could imagine, and if you were identified as a person who did nothing but collect and return carts all day, the GTAA would have you thrown outta there in a New York minute. After all, you are doing them no favour returning the carts to the corrals, every cart you return that someone has left cuts into their bottom line.

Now with it only being a quarter though, I would imagine the venture less than lucrative, but when they were a buck a pop, walking one length of the terminal at any given time would usually net you 6-7 bucks for lunch or a titty mag if you were bored.

[slc95]

I hate the carts at Pearson. Carts at most other airports I've ever been to are free, or at least give you back what you put in as a deposit.

[HighFlyer]

Why aren't there more people doing this,
because we would rather leave them for the departing passengers to find and use (free), thus depriving the GTAA of the revenue they don't deserve. afterall, they already gouge us enough with increasing parking fees, AIF, overpriced food.

[blizzah]

I hate the carts at Pearson. Carts at most other airports I've ever been to are free, or at least give you back what you put in as a deposit.

Only on arrivals are free.

[HughG]

Only on arrivals are free.
we gotta make our city look inviting.

[HighFlyer]

Only on arrivals are free.
carts are free for departing pax at YVR.

[MrWizard]

Yeah you didn't steal this idea from the movie "The Terminal" or anything.... ;)

[canrocks]

Yeah you didn't steal this idea from the movie "The Terminal" or anything.... ;)
Yeah, I definetly don't take credit for the idea, i was just surprised at how many were just sitting there, CLOSE to the rack thingy.

I was doing it for almost an hour, and no one seemed to take notice. Although, I was doing it at around midnight, so that might be a better time.

Also, I understand that you probably couldn't start and be returning one cart per minute right away, but given enough time, you could get it down to a science I bet.

[FastFokker]

Also, I understand that you probably couldn't start and be returning one cart per minute right away, but given enough time, you could get it down to a science I bet.If I lived in the GTA, I wouldn't want to get banned from the airport.

Beware.

[TinyTank]

it used to be 1$ a cart return when i was 10- 12 remember picking up relatives and hoping they were late for some easy cash . they pay people now to round them up ( pay or allow them to i am not sure) but if you were to attempt to go around all day and do this you would most prob be escorted off by the security

very true. it happened to me. >:(

[Headhunter]

The Terminal (http://imdb.com/title/tt0362227/) had a bit on cart returns. :)

[najibs]

so how much $ did you make from chasing carts?

[ratface]

Hey I did this a while back when I went to pick up my mother in law and her flight was delayed. Filled my ashtray with quarters did I. You could definitely do more than 1 per minute. In the parking lot there were carts everywhere. I would grab 2 or 3 at a time. Problem was, the return corrals all got full so I couldn't put any more carts into them!

Another problem is that the whole time you are doing this, you are paying for parking! So that eats into the profits a little bit.

Still lots of fun for a cheapskate RFDer.

[ratface]

More cart returning fun - at the No Frills where I shop there were two different 'styles' of cart, and they didn't connect with each other. So a lot of people returning the cart would discover that it didn't match, and would walk away. Simple matter to move it over to the right stack and claim the quarter :lol: ! That was usually only worth $0.25 to $0.50 per visit, not like the Pearson "jackpot".

They replaced all their carts a couple months ago, so they are all the same now. >:(

[FastFokker]

Time to report CanRocks to the CRA.. what's their snitch hotline again? :D

Oh there it is.. Toll Free: 1-877-868-9549

[CSR]

it used to be 1$ a cart return when i was 10- 12 remember picking up relatives and hoping they were late for some easy cash . they pay people now to round them up ( pay or allow them to i am not sure) but if you were to attempt to go around all day and do this you would most prob be escorted off by the security

Damn I used to do that when they were $1 each!!! omg.. then they switched it to $0.25 cuz of ppl like us.

[CSR]

I hate the carts at Pearson. Carts at most other airports I've ever been to are free, or at least give you back what you put in as a deposit.

Um????? thats the whole point of this thread, you always get your deposit back from your carts, Pearson doesn't make money off this.

[gabng]

Only on arrivals are free.

That is not true, carts at arrivals are $2 each. :mad:

[JuNGleR72]

This thread reminds me of THE TERMINAL.
Starring Tom Hanks & Catherine Zeta Jones..

[rfdrfd]

Also, MANY times the machine runs out of MONEY !!!

This has happened to me at least 6 times now.

I called their 1-800 number, ...... NOT IN SERVICE.... figures.

[FastFokker]

I called their 1-800 number, ...... NOT IN SERVICE.... figures.Errr uhhh I was just jokin, mate.

[canrocks]

so how much $ did you make from chasing carts?
only about $4 for 40 mins, but it was because the official cart return guy had a huge row of carts blocking access to the most central rack near arrival gate C at T3.

[Geese_Howard]

heh, what would you put on your resume "Airport Cart Stealer/Returner Guy"

seriously years back when i was a kid I loved going to the airport, I think back then you got $1 back

[ratface]

Errr uhhh I was just jokin, mate.
I think he was referring to the customer service line for the cart rentals, not the CRA snitch line lol

[bobaroo]

Um????? thats the whole point of this thread, you always get your deposit back from your carts, Pearson doesn't make money off this.
If i'm not mistaken the carts cost more than $0.25 to take out at Pearson... so the $0.25 you get back is your deposit. The rest is profit for the GTAA.

[eelfliw]

Actually, since the money is tax free, you're making more than your calculated sum.

The homeless ppl make more than minimum wage collecting money @ stop lights or holding doors open. Why would they want to travel to airport to make less?

GM pays union wages to someone to drive a car coming off of the assembly line into the parking lot. This dude won't be collecting carts either.

[HighFlyer]

If i'm not mistaken the carts cost more than $0.25 to take out at Pearson... so the $0.25 you get back is your deposit. The rest is profit for the GTAA.
$2.00 to get a cart = $1.75 gross profit

[Agent_J]

So I had a few hours just waiting for my parents, and eventually came to the conclusion that I could make the most of my time by returning the carts for the $0.25 each. While I was walking around, I realised that if you returned one cart per minute, you'd be making $15 per hour! Even if you returned half that, it's still around minimum wage! Why aren't there more people doing this, and especially homeless people? I know what I'm doing next time I have to wait for a flight.
Viktor Navorski beat you to this realization ;)

[CanadaBoy]

I once made $11 in quarters :cheesygri

[LNahid2000]

lol I remember doing this when carts were $1. Everytime we went to drop off or pick up relatives from the airport, I would make a few dollars. I haven't been to the airport in so long that I didn't even know it was changed to 25 cents.

[xien0n]

That is not true, carts at arrivals are $2 each. :mad:

I remember a quite a few times where carts were free to take in the baggage claim area. There were rows of carts were parked next to the conveyer belt.