A doctor on TikTok is facing backlash from millions of viewers after admitting that she never returns her shopping cart after a trip to the store — but she claims it’s to keep her kids safe.
Forensic psychologist ‘Dr. Leslie Dobson’ has become a hot topic of conversation after making an admission on TikTok that left viewers fuming.
In a video uploaded on May 31, Dr. Dobson filmed herself revealing that she refuses to return her shopping carts to a cart return station after getting groceries, saying that she doesn’t want to leave her children alone in the car.
“I’m not returning my shopping cart,” she said. “And you can judge me all you want. I’m not getting my groceries into my car, getting my children into the car, and then leaving them in the car to go return the cart. So if you’re gonna give me a dirty look… f*ck off.”
At the time of writing, Dr. Dobson’s video boasts over 11 million views as comments continue to pour in, slamming her for failing to put her shopping cart away and instead leaving it in the parking lot.
“I’ll always say the shopping cart is the ultimate test to see what kind of person you are,” one viewer wrote. “Even with a baby, I bring her with me to return the cart.”
“One thing I’ve noticed after moving to America recently is that shopping cart return stations are all over the parking lot, so never really more than 20 seconds away, and you still can’t be bothered?” another pointed out.
Even more viewers brought up the ‘shopping cart theory,’ a popular morality test that determines the civic responsibility of a person by whether or not they choose to return their cart to the return station, or simply leave it in the parking lot.
Dr. Dobson doesn’t seem bothered by the criticism. The psychologist wrote and pasted a reply to several comments, saying she “wants women to feel empowered to trust their intuition if they feel unsafe. Ignore judgment. Risk isn’t worth it and our lives are precious. I have seen lives destroyed. I hope you never do.”
She doubled down on her stance in a follow-up video, claiming that in 2023, 265 children were abducted in parking lots.
“As a single mom returning your shopping cart, you are prime for a predator to watch and grab you. In many states, it’s actually illegal to turn your car on and walk away,” she added.
She continued by urging her viewers to determine whether or not a parking lot is “safe” before choosing to return their carts — but viewers weren’t swayed by her statistics.
“This response did not slap, Dr Leslie. It’s really not that hard to return the cart. Really rude not to,” a viewer wrote.
“Somehow, all of us other moms manage to return the cart,” another said.
Dr. Dobson hit back at this remark, replying, “And some have the most horrific stories I’ve ever heard. The point is, trust your intuition, not the judgments of others. I hope you never experience the pain I’ve seen.”
That’s not all; she even claimed to have asked ‘To Catch a Predator’s’ Chris Hansen if he would return his shopping cart, claiming the famed TV host said he “wouldn’t return it” in yet another video taken at CrimeCon.
Dr. Dobson’s arguments ring true: some states do have laws against letting one’s car idle for extended periods of time and leaving children and pets unattended in vehicles, while nonprofit org Kids and Car Safety recorded an “all-time high” of 265 children that were reportedly abducted during car thefts.
Despite her many rebuttals, Dr. Dobson’s comments are filled with criticisms from viewers who are adamant that “the effort you’re putting into defending your stance could have been used to put your cart back.”