Brother, can you spare a pound?

Want to buy a few little things? Take a hand basket, no charge! Want to buy a LOT? Great, pay a pound or hit the bricks. Seriously, it seems a bit counterproductive to charge people for a cart. Guess they want to discourage you from stealing it, but that might backfire, too. I wouldn't pay to use a shopping cart, but I'd put in a pound to keep it.

This was at TK Maxx, btw, the UK's version of TJ Maxx. I've heard people mention not having the cash for a "trolley" before, but hadn't seen what they meant until now.

Edit: A friend told me you actually get the coin back when you return the cart, the charge is meant to cut down on people tossing them in the river. My sis says they do they same thing at Aldi in the States. Does it mean an area's a bit dodgy if you need to keep carts locked under coin and key?