Vault: People Are Fighting Over Shopping Carts?!

Summary

The Bert Show: "Vault: People Are Fighting Over Shopping Carts?!"

Episode Date: March 11, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the chaos, stress, and downright competitiveness that descends on people during the holiday shopping season—especially in the final days before Christmas. The Bert Show crew and their listeners share hilarious, sometimes shocking personal stories about holiday shopping meltdowns, fights over shopping carts and parking spots, and the “animal instincts” that seem to take over even the most civil shoppers this time of year.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Manufactured Retail Frenzy

• Scarcity Strategy by Retailers
  • Co-host Jeff notes that retailers often manufacture scarcity by keeping the hottest items in short supply, creating hysteria and exciting competition:
    • “Some retailers purposely may put as few items that are hot on the shelf as possible to create some kind of hysteria.” (01:32, Jeff)
    • Jessica highlights Nintendo’s tactic with the Wii as a classic example (01:49).

Holiday Season Behavior: Competitive Shopping & Parking Wars

• Endorphin Rush and Animal Instincts

  • Jessica observes that people become almost primal, with adrenaline and competitiveness taking over in parking lots:
    • “People still get oddly competitive for the close up parking lot… It’s this animal instinct that comes out.” (02:23, Jessica)
  • Jeff sums it up: “It’s more about wins and losses at this point.” (02:37)

• Parking Spot Drama

  • The crew discuss classic parking spot conflicts, like people losing spots even with their blinker on, or shoppers purposely backing out to help someone else swoop in (03:16–03:38).
  • Host: “Infuriating. That’s your spot.” (03:38)

In-Store Chaos & Retail Worker Frustration

• Short Fuses and Aggressive Shoppers

  • Jessica recounts encountering an unfriendly employee, pondering how much retail workers endure before snapping (03:38–04:16).
  • Host confesses to having almost gone into an altercation herself over the last gray large shirt (04:49–05:10).

• Line-Cutting and Space Invaders

  • Annoyance at shoppers who cut in line “just to ask a quick question,” or those who invade personal space at clothes racks.
    • Jeff: "Why is your question more important than what's going on with me right now?" (05:25)

Listeners Share Their Wildest Stories

• Holding Spaces and Cart Wars

  • Michelle (Caller): Shares a Walmart story where someone holds a spot in line with a soda, only for their entire group to join with full carts, then backs a cart into her after confrontation (05:48–06:26).
  • Jeff: “You took the high road?”
  • Michelle: “Yeah, I tried. I was pissed but… every other line had six people.” (06:24)

• Parking Lot Showdowns

  • Ginger (Caller): Describes circling for 20 minutes, then fighting another car over a spot, nearly involving mall security (06:50–07:41).

• Fights Over Parking Rules

  • Jeff and Jessica debate the "dibs" rules for parking spots:
    • Should your blinker save your spot? (08:02–08:38)
    • Jessica: “A blinker marks territory. Yes.”
    • Jeff: “You peed on it with your blinker!” (08:55)

• Staking Out Shoppers

  • Discussion on whether it's okay to "stalk" shoppers to their cars to snag their spot.
    • Host: “I think you can stalk people. Especially during the holidays.” (09:49–09:51)

• Escalation to Vandalism

  • Kenny (Caller): Spends 30+ minutes looking for parking at Lenox Mall, loses a rightful spot to another driver, then, after shopping, returns to find the offending car still there and keys it in revenge (10:14–11:47).
    • Jeff: “So I took the liberty of going and pulling out my key and doing it… It felt really good.” (11:47, Kenny)
    • Jessica: “He fully, he came out and he knew exactly who that is.” (11:53)

Why Holiday Shopping Turns People into Monsters

• The hosts discuss how packed schedules, lack of time, and high expectations put everyone on edge:
  • Host: “Everybody has so much more on their to-do list than normal… There’s just not enough hours in the day to get everything done.” (12:09)
  • Jeff: “You gotta stress yourself out about it, but at the end of the day, it’s gonna get done.” (12:24)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s more about wins and losses at this point.” — Jeff (02:37)
• On losing cool over a shirt:
  “If she puts her hand on the only large in gray, I am gonna smack her.” — Host (04:49)
• “A blinker marks territory. Yes… You peed on it with your blinker.” — Jessica & Jeff (08:38–08:55)
• On keying a car:
  “It felt really good. I mean, I didn’t really care that anybody was looking.” — Kenny (11:47)
• “At the end of the day, it’s gonna get done. Cause it has for the last 20 years.” — Jeff (12:24)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:32 — Discussion of manufactured scarcity by retailers
• 02:23 — Animal instincts and parking lot competitiveness
• 03:16 — Parking lot spot-stealing scenarios
• 04:49–05:10 — Host almost loses it over a shirt
• 05:48–06:26 — Michelle’s Walmart shopping cart confrontation
• 06:50–07:41 — Ginger’s parking lot battle
• 08:38–08:55 — The “blinker as territory” debate
• 09:49–09:51 — Is parking spot stalking okay?
• 10:14–11:47 — Kenny confesses to keying a Mercedes
• 12:09–12:24 — Hosts reflect on holiday stress and tradition

---

Episode Tone & Atmosphere

Playful, candid, and relatable—the Bert Show crew banter with energy and humor, even as they acknowledge the absurdity and darkness of holiday meltdowns. Listener stories add a dose of real-life escalation, providing both comic relief and a warning for those about to brave the holiday mobs.

---

Summary Takeaway:
This is a laugh-out-loud snapshot of holiday shopping at its worst (and most entertaining), offering a cathartic release for anyone who's ever felt themselves snap while hunting for parking or the last must-have gift—along with some surprising perspectives on tradition, stress, and the value of taking the high road.

Transcript

[Host]

Day or night, VRBoCare is here 24, 7 to help make every part of your stay seamless. If anything comes up or you simply need a little guidance, support is ready whenever you reach out. From the moment you book to the moment you head home. We're here to help things run smoothly because a great trip starts with the right support. And hey, a good playlist doesn't hurt either. Weight Watchers now offers access to affordable GLP once it works for members like

[Caller]

I'm Hailey and I've lost 100 pounds.

[Host]

Weight Watchers has everything I need from

[Caller]

weight loss medications to nutrition support and help with my side effects.

[Host]

It's all in one place. Weight Watchers handles the insurance for you and offers affordable cash pay options. With our program, our members are losing more weight with expert nutrition and side effects support. I'm Mike and I've lost 135 pounds.

[Co-host Jessica]

Weight loss Weight Watchers prescribing GLP1 medications

[Caller]

it's been life changing.

[Host]

I'm Sharia and I lost 80 pounds on Weight Watchers. I realized that it would take more than a prescription to lose weight and

[Co-host Jessica]

feel good on a GLP1.

[Host]

Better results, expert support, lose more weight, make it last.

[Co-host Jessica]

I can't imagine doing a GLP1 without Weight Watchers.

[Host]

Get started for as low as $[e-mail] New medications require eligibility and prescription patients on 15 milligrams of an average of 21% weight loss and a 72 week clinical trial when paired with diet and exercise. First month as low as $25 for the 12 month plus plan does not include the cost of GLP100.

[Co-host Jessica]

The Burt Show all right, so things

[Co-host Jeff]

are sort of getting a little nasty outside right now because it's, I mean, it's the last couple of days of shopping here. And I think that there are some retailers that purposely may put as few items that are hot on the shelf as possible to create some kind of hysteria.

[Host]

Oh, totally.

[Co-host Jeff]

So really anything can happen over the next four days.

[Co-host Jessica]

You could use. You were just talking about the Wii. Like that would be a perfect example. I mean, they were struggling with that for the first year it was out. You know, like Nintendo's famous for this. Like they know that they're gonna sell 1 million game systems, so they manufacture 600,000 just to create the hysteria and the excitement and keep it in the news and everything.

[Co-host Jeff]

Sometimes it just gets out of hand,

[Co-host Jessica]

but then it opens up to a whole bunch of other situations. Jessica I went to the mall both days. Jessica and I Went on Sunday. And like the parking lot even mall's not really as crowded as I've seen it in Christmas past. But people still get oddly competitive for the close up parking lot.

[Co-host Jeff]

Oh sure.

[Co-host Jessica]

Even though two rows away there's five empty spots. I think it's just this animal instinct that comes out. People, their endorphins are up, the adrenaline's pumping and they're like, it's more about

[Co-host Jeff]

wins and losses at this point.

[Co-host Jessica]

And then you have the people who are calling our retail rant line, the employees who have just been dealing with it since the day after Thanksgiving. Jessica and I had to get a gift certificate from yet somebody who was so salty never once made eye contact with us, just mad at the fact that we were purchasing something from them. So there's all these factors into place which got me thinking. Somebody this holiday season has had to have gotten into a physical altercation while buying their Christmas gifts.

[Co-host Jeff]

404 7401Q100.

[Co-host Jessica]

Now it could be a situation like how about this maneuver? You're in the parking lot and you're there, your blinker's on. But the car backs out in the opposite. Reverses out in the opposite direction.

[Host]

Kind of C blocks you.

[Co-host Jessica]

Yeah. And backs out and then takes off, allowing a car to come from the other side and move into your spot even though you were clearly there first with your signal.

[Host]

Infuriating. That's your spot.

[Co-host Jessica]

That happened to somebody. They snapped and got out, went up and knocked on the window.

[Co-host Jeff]

I bet that's happened already.

[Co-host Jessica]

Yep, that could be one. How about this? How about like Bert said, the toy or the, whatever the last, you know, the hot item of the season is. And the last one is on the shelf and two people go for it at the same time. Somebody started shoving.

[Co-host Jeff]

You've seen already the video of like when Walmart opens up for that big old sale. How people are running over each other

[Co-host Jessica]

that day after somebody got killed to

[Co-host Jeff]

get to those sales. Someone got killed.

[Host]

Two people in America died the day after Thanksgiving from shopping related shopping. That is Two people lost their life because they were trying to get a discount. I'm wondering if so sad, what if

[Co-host Jessica]

there's an employee of the store? Like I was just thinking, what, what if we just. That the girl that we were buying the gift certificate from yesterday, what if we just decided to antagonize her and just push her and push her and push her to the point where she threw the gift certificate at us like through the whole thing, right at it.

[Co-host Jeff]

There could be a Point where. Because they've probably had those, like, Grey's Anatomy moments where you've thought about doing something, but then it flashes back and you didn't do it. Where you're working in retail and you want to, like, you want to. You want to slap somebody or you just want to push one of your customers, but you normally don't. But you snapped a couple of days ago. You're like, you know what? It's going to be worth it.

[Host]

I could have gone into an altercation this weekend. I was at Macy's actually looking in the men's section for something for my dad and was looking specifically for this one color and one size, but there wasn't a ton left on the rack. And there was another woman on the rack, and we were, like, circling each other, and I was like, if she puts her hand on the only large in gray, I am gonna smack her.

[Co-host Jeff]

Here's the one that I got again on Friday is you're up at the counter and the salesperson is helping you, yet somebody has to come. They think that they're.

[Co-host Jessica]

Can I just ask you a quick question?

[Co-host Jeff]

Can I ask you a quick question?

[Co-host Jessica]

Yeah. Get the end of the line. You came, right?

[Co-host Jeff]

Look, can't you see she's busy right now? Why is your question more important than what's going on with me right now?

[Host]

Because they're not purchasing something and you are.

[Co-host Jeff]

Move away. Move away.

[Co-host Jessica]

How about this one? When you're on the rack and you're looking at stuff and somebody comes along and looks at the same rack and kind of closes your Gap.

[Host]

Yes. You're like, dude, I was here first.

[Co-host Jeff]

Right?

[Host]

I will smush your fingers in between these hangers.

[Co-host Jessica]

They should make risk for Cumberland Mall.

[Co-host Jeff]

Hey, Michelle. Good morning. You're part of the bird show. Hi.

[Caller]

Good morning. So Saturday, I'm at Walmart. My husband and I are at Walmart. We've got a cart with a few items in it. Guy in front of the bus in line has a soda. We're thinking, great, we'll get in. We'll pay real quick. Yeah. Then comes his entire entourage with the two carts. He was just holding the spot in line for them.

[Co-host Jeff]

You can't do that.

[Co-host Jessica]

That's not right.

[Caller]

So I'm sitting there kind of bitching, and. Yeah, they backed the cart into me.

[Co-host Jessica]

On purpose.

[Caller]

On purpose? Well, I mean, I was bitching at him, but, yeah.

[Co-host Jeff]

So what'd you do back?

[Caller]

I had to bite my tongue.

[Co-host Jeff]

Oh, you did. You took the high road?

[Caller]

Yeah, I tried. I mean, I was looking at what they had, what we had. I was pissed. But if every other line had six people in it.

[Co-host Jeff]

So, yeah, it's very Christian of you to take the high road.

[Caller]

Oh, thank you. Merry Christmas, guys. Love you.

[Co-host Jeff]

Thank you.

[Co-host Jessica]

You can't call up. I was bitching at him to the point where he hit me with his cart and then go. And merry Christmas, happy holidays.

[Co-host Jeff]

Hit him back. Good morning, Ginger. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Hi. How are you?

[Co-host Jeff]

Okay.

[Co-host Jessica]

What's up?

[Caller]

I'm sorry, did you get in a fight? Yeah, actually, it was one of the first things that Jeff talked about. This was last Christmas. I was. Had been circling the parking lot for a good 20 minutes, and I finally found a parking spot. I found this woman walking to her car, and I was following her. And so she finally got to her car, told me where it was. I put on my blinker, and there was this other guy on the opposite side. And as soon as she. She did the reverse pull out. As soon as she pulled out, he tried to zip in. Well, I cut him off and almost hit the sucker. But we were not having it. No one was gonna win this fight. It was hilarious. But I eventually did when we got the police security involved. But it was pretty funny.

[Co-host Jeff]

I mean, I think we have to brainstorm on some generic parking rules, so. Because most of the calls coming in have to do with parking spots and fighting. Like, I don't believe in the whole if you're first in the aisle, that you get the entire aisle of cars.

[Host]

No, it's just the spot closest to you.

[Co-host Jeff]

There are. Some think that if you are the

[Co-host Jessica]

first car so you can sit at

[Co-host Jeff]

the end of the aisle, that means anybody that leaves on that entire aisle, you've got the next spot that's available. No, no, no, no, no.

[Host]

It's gonna be the one you're specifically going for.

[Co-host Jessica]

Here's one that only applies, I think, during the holiday season, because any other time of year, it's okay. But during the holiday season, the pull through is not allowed. You are not allowed to pull into a spot. And if the one across from you opens up, keep coming through. Agreed. Because that jacks up anybody in the next aisle. If anybody's one aisle over and they see that you can't do that.

[Co-host Jeff]

Agreed.

[Co-host Jessica]

And a blinker marks territory. Yes. If your signal is on and it's turning right, you know, and somebody comes from the other side, and because of the way the first car backs out, if they can technically, physically get in a spot, it doesn't matter, because you Peed on it with your blinker.

[Co-host Jeff]

You have the responsibility too. As the person that's pulling out of your parking spot. You know who got. Who was in line first waiting for your spot. So you have to strategically pull your car out and block that person, block the later person and let the earlier person in.

[Host]

I agree. Now, what do you guys call on when, say, you're driving along and you don't notice that this person is just about to put it in reverse. So, like, the front of your car has already almost passed it.

[Co-host Jeff]

If you. If you have to reverse in order

[Host]

to pull back in position to pull back in, then you've lost it. If there's nobody behind you, that timing is the worst. Like just when you're pulling by them and you're like. You can see the little white lights for the reverse go on.

[Co-host Jeff]

You're like, ah, have you done this one where you're in one aisle and you see somebody pull out in the next aisle and you go 130 miles

[Host]

an hour to get to that thing.

[Co-host Jessica]

And following the customer is never allowed.

[Co-host Jeff]

I disagree with you on that.

[Host]

See, I think you can stalk people.

[Co-host Jessica]

I think you can shop or stalk.

[Host]

Especially during the holidays, especially in these last couple of days.

[Co-host Jessica]

Everybody behind you. And then what they end up doing is they cut across two rows anyways because they forgot where they parked and they gotta use the panic button on the remote.

[Host]

I know. I do that almost every time.

[Co-host Jeff]

I like to weld two seats to the front of my car so the people that are coming out of the mall could sit on top of my car and I'll give them a ride right to their parked car. Good morning, Kenny. You're on Q100.

[Caller]

Hey, guys, how you doing?

[Co-host Jeff]

All right, man.

[Caller]

Love your show.

[Co-host Jeff]

Thank you.

[Caller]

Yeah, I was at Lenox, and I was in the front parking lot and I was circling around with my wife for about a good 30 minutes. And you know how that. And then I finally found a spot after really literally 30 minutes. And I waited. The person got in their car, they were pulling out, and they did what Jeff was talking about, where they pulled to the other side and someone came from the other side. And I said, look, that's mine. I started pointing at him, and the lady that was pulling out even started pointing at me, letting the other guy know that was my spot. Well, she pulls away and he pulls in a spot anyway. So then I go by, I pull down my window, I start yelling at him, and we do the whole flicking off thing. And he just didn't care so then I pulled around another 20 minutes and finally found a spot. Told my wife I'm gonna go key his car. And she says, don't do that, please don't do that. He's in Mercedes, just leave him alone. I said, okay, well whatever. Well let's go inside, we'll shop. And if I come back out and he's still out here, then I get my turn. And she said, well, okay, whatever. She just told me cause she didn't think I would do it.

[Co-host Jeff]

So using it as a sign from the shopping gods that if you go shopp when you come out his car's still there, then it's eligible to get keyed.

[Caller]

Exactly.

[Co-host Jessica]

The Lord of Lennox.

[Caller]

Exactly. Well, we gave him ample time. We were in there for a good hour and a half and came out and sure enough, his car was still there. So I took the liberty of going and pulling out my key and doing it. Took a couple of scratches at his door, took another one down his hood.

[Co-host Jeff]

You went at it, you had like rage.

[Caller]

Oh yeah, I went at it. I took a couple of his doors, plus his fender and his hood. So I don't know how much that came out to, but it was a nice looking Mercedes.

[Co-host Jessica]

He fully feel he came out and he knew exactly who that is.

[Caller]

It felt really good. I mean, I didn't really care that anybody was looking. They probably knew what was going on.

[Co-host Jeff]

Damn, dude, that's hard.

[Host]

That's brutal.

[Co-host Jeff]

People can lose their minds this time of year, man. You really can.

[Host]

Because everybody has so much more on their to do list than normal. And we all already pack our schedules so full anyway. So it's like adding there's just not enough hours in the day to get everything done and then takes longer to do the simple things. I don't know.

[Co-host Jeff]

I said this to Jen last week. I mean, it's part of the, the holiday season to stress yourself out about it. But think about it, I mean, just go back the last 10 years. Have you gotten it all done? And 95% of you will answer that question. Yes. So this is all part of the tradition of holiday. You gotta stress yourself out about it, but at the end of the day it's gonna get done. Cause it has for the last 20 years. But you can't think about that when you're.

[Host]

No, because you still gotta like plug through it all and like you gotta get it all done. It's not just gonna happen on its own, it's gonna happen, you know, the bird show, the sun shining, birds are singing and all feels right in the

[Co-host Jeff]

world until the season changes and suddenly you lose your motivation to get out of bed.

[Caller]

In fact, one in five people experience some form of depression no matter the

[Co-host Jeff]

season or time of year.

[Host]

At the American Psychiatric association foundation, our

[Co-host Jeff]

vision is to build a mentally healthy

[Host]

nation for all because we want you

[Co-host Jeff]

to live your best life and be your best you all year round.

[Caller]

Please visit mentallyhealthynation.org to learn more.

[Host]

What time is it? Champa Time champacasino.com is the online social casino with over 100 free games. Play anytime, anywhere for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void were prohibited by law. 21 terms and conditions apply.