When I returned my grocery chariot to the assembly line at the Intermarche Supermarche this morning, and retrieved my 1 Euro coin, suddenly I put 2 and 2 together. You never see grocery carts rolling around loose in parking lots in France. Why? Because they are locked together and you have to insert 1 Euro or an equivalent token to release them. You get your coin back when you return the cart.
I was taking these photos when I noticed a woman quizically pondering my activity. In an effort to reach out to native French-speakers (as encouraged by our teacher Sophie), I attempted to explain that we didn't have these coin mechanisms in Etats-Unis and carts go everywhere. I guess I got my point across, because she said that now I could send the picture to Etats-Unis.
We chatted a little more, I told her I lived in Leran, she lived in Laroque-d'Olmes. I said that I found this to be "une bonne idee". She agreed and added that France has beaucoup bonne idee. I didn't want to argue with her and suggest that one idee that might be changed is closing the stores down for two hours every day at lunch. But that's only my opinion.