1684 Cart Damage

I was out driving around not long ago and had one of those days where things occurred to me. Like I was at Costco and noticed this sign in their parking lot. It was one of those signs you see where companies seek to limit their liability for things beyond their control. Especially hard when the place in question is their sole property and they are encouraging you to use it so you'll shop there.
The sign said, "Costco not responsible for damage caused by unattended carts." Sounds perfectly reasonable. The wind, perhaps, blowing an unattended cart into your right rear quarter-panel and causing some damage.
Unfortunately, in their desire to be specific, they open the possibility of the reverse of their statement. As in, they are responsible for damage caused by attended carts.
So if a little old lady plows her borrowed motorized cart into your quarter-panel, Costco is to blame. Of if a horde of youths, suddenly bent on random acts of vandality, decides to play shopping cart demo derby, well, you're okay, because Costco will pick up the tab.
The law of unintended consequences. Or in this case the law of unattended consequences.
That struck me the other day too when I was driving by a Starbucks and saw the drive-through line. Which, by the way, was an interesting facet of the recent power outage and ice storm—the longest lines I've ever seen at coffee drive-throughs. It's as if in a crises we have this primitive atavistic urge to seek out a mocha.
Anyhow, what occurred to me was how Starbucks recently announced that in select locations they'll now be serving wine. That's really gonna be fun at the drive-through. And good in a crisis.
But, um, the nearby Costco better hide their carts.
America, ya gotta love it.