Sir, – Ned Monaghan (June 30th), who wants fixed wheels on the nearer pair of supermarket trolleys and casters confined to the front pair, should go to America, where (except for use in Ikea stores) they are all built to his preferred pattern. He would soon discover how unwieldy it is in actual supermarket conditions – specifically, how much more room it takes to change direction. This is because you and the casters have to pivot around the fixed pair (think of a compass needle). By contrast, you can move a four-caster trolley with yourself as the pivot (think of a windscreen wiper, or, to tighten the analogy, half a compass needle).
I pointed this out last year to a supermarket manager in New Jersey, adding that he could narrow the isles by eight inches and fit another entire sales gondola into his store. His amused and tolerant smile was replaced by a more thoughtful expression. I like to think he was mentally planning the route to Ikea in nearby Newark. – Yours, etc,
M ROSS-MACDONALD,
Krinkill,
Birr,
Co Offaly.