Why is she crying about this shopping cart swap at Aldi?

“Not paying for your shopping cart at Aldi is a delicate matter”

An Aldi customer’s shocking interaction with a fellow shopper left her completely speechless.

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Sharayah Domerese, who goes by It’s Ray (@heyyyyitsray) on TikTok, recalled the exchange in a viral Story Time video. As of this writing, it has over 432,000 views and thousands of comments.

The woman recounted the encounter while sitting in her car. At the end of the story, she couldn’t stop laughing at the outrageous experience.

The “pay it forward” moment gone wrong

The exchange should be a feel-good moment.

After receiving a shopping cart with a quarter already inserted, the TikToker thought she would leave it there for the next shopper after she finished her own shopping.

“So this really sweet-looking old lady came up and I said, ‘Hey, do you need a shopping cart?'” the TikToker explained.

The older woman gladly accepted the offer.

However, after the TikToker rejected the older woman’s quarters, things took a surprising turn.

“She wanted to give me a quarter and I said, ‘No, that’s fine.’ Keep your quarter and pay it forward,” the buyer explained.

“Okay, you (expletive) socialist,” the old woman replied.

Her answer left Domerese in shock. After laughing until tears streamed down her cheeks, she finally finished her video.

“I was just trying to be nice,” she said. “And I was called a (expletive) socialist.”

In a message to the Daily Dot, Domerese said: “In the club we actually weren’t all fam. Sometimes in life you just have to laugh and choose to find the humor in things.”

America’s new hateful normal

According to a recent Gallup study, a “record high” number of Americans (80%) believe the country is extremely divided on key political issues.

Anti-partisan sentiment is also at an all-time high.

A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that many registered Democrats and Republicans use words like “immoral,” “dishonest” and “unintelligent” to describe those on the other side of the political aisle.

Some believe this rise in hatred is having a negative impact on the country’s democratic institutions and their ability to successfully govern its citizens.

@heyyyyitsray Well that’s a first 🫠😬 #grocery #market #shopping #fyp #fyyyppppppppp #social #aldi #aldifinds #recipes #storytime #story #viralvideo ♬ Original sound – ✨It’s Ray ✨

Viewers react

In the comments section of the video, many were surprised by the woman’s reaction to the kind gesture.

“Confusingly friendly to political ideology says a lot about people,” said user James.

“This is simple: kindness = socialism,” wrote user Drew Gonzalez.

“That’s why one side is exponentially friendlier… and has a better sense of humor. The only thing that matters is that you pay it forward,” said another viewer.

Others were surprised that Aldi shopping carts require shoppers to insert a quarter.

“Wait to pay for your carts???? Never here in Washington state,” user TheUnusualPenny commented.

While Aldi shopping carts require shoppers to insert a quarter, shoppers get the quarter back when they return the cart.

The Daily Dot emailed Aldi for comment.

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