Stay-at-Home Dad takes TV Karts for a spin at Dominick's in Homer Glen

September 26, 2007

Going to the grocery store with a baby is often a race.It's a race to get through the store without a messy diaper change. It's a race to get to the checkout line before the old lady with two carts of food, a folder of expired coupons, a checkbook and a dry pen. It's a race to get back home before the baby falls asleep, spoiling the afternoon nap regimen.

It seems only appropriate that Dominick's would have grocery carts shaped like racecars.

You've probably seen similar grocery carts before. The nose of the cart is shaped into something that loosely resembles a Volkswagen Beetle. A weathered parent is usually pushing the cumbersome cart through the store as a pair of kids bicker beneath.

That's the base model. Dominick's is offering a luxury edition called TV Karts.

TV Karts are parked neatly at the front of the store. It costs $1 to rent. This kiddie Cadillac features two working doors with bubble windows, a moving steering wheel and rubber tires for a smooth ride.

But most importantly, each cart has a 7-inch LCD screen in the dashboard, showing an endless loop of cartoons.

Schaumburg-based Cabco USA unveiled its TV Karts here in 2005. The grocery getters debuted in Dominick's, Meijer and select Wal-Mart Super Centers. Dominick's - the second-largest grocery chain in the Chicago market - now offers the carts at 24 of its 82 stores, according to the manufacturer.

My 15-month-old son and I took a test drive last week at the Dominick's in Homer Glen. This recently remodeled store has been renting TV Karts for about six months.

"Customers love the carts, especially parents, because it keeps the children occupied and gives them an opportunity to shop," Dominick's spokeswoman Wynona Redmond said.

I slid a crisp $1 bill into a vending machine near the TV Karts. This unlocked an electronic brake on the No. 1 cart and fired up the tiny TV. We chose a Thomas & Friends-themed cart, and baby Bubba was treated to a video about the mighty tank engine.

Bubba seemed to enjoy being carted around in the TV Kart. We were the envy of every kid under 6 and the scorn of parents pushing traditional grocery carts.

We were setting a new standard for grocery store entertainment. For the effort, I was greeted with the evil eye from my parenting peers who appeared furious that I had introduced a vehicle sure to inspire temper tantrums.

I know the evil eye in grocery store. I've practically perfected it while waiting at the deli counter. It's a look I reserve for anyone who orders a quarter-pound or less of lunch meat.

A quarter pound of ham -- are you kidding me? That's less than one sandwich.

As for the TV Kart, I'd like to suggest an important factory upgrade - a sunroof.

It was hard to see Bubba inside the cart. I was constantly bending down to check that he hadn't slipped out of the seat belt or hot-wired the TV to pickup dirty movies.

TV Karts also aren't allowed outside of the store. So, the bagger transferred our groceries into a standard cart at the checkout counter. Bubba and I took the regular cart into the parking lot.

It seems silly to pay $1 for a fancy grocery cart when free carts are available. Still, Bubba enjoyed the ride, and I could see using the TV Kart as a reward for good behavior.

It's also good practice for Bubba's career as a stockcar driver. I can hear the track announcer now, "Here's Bubba Ludwig coming out of the turn in the No. 1 car. The rookie driver is leading the NASCAR points race in the Thomas & Friends Chevy. And, he's about to take home another checkered flag."

Howard Ludwig is a former Daily Southtown business writer who traded his reporter's notebook for a diaper bag, becoming a stay-at-home dad. He may be reached at howardaludwig@yahoo.com.