CartQuest

So, this is a much simpler idea than my normal fare. 

Are any of you familiar Aldi's locking cart system, where a quarter is needed to free a cart?

Well, I never ever have cash.

No change.

Even when I specifically set aside a quarter as my Aldi quarter, I inevitably lose it.

So, I fairly frequently find myself opportunisticly looking for an abandoned cart just so I can start shopping.

Sometimes that doesn't work though.

So, I have to sheepishly walk up to the cashier in Aldi and ask if I may borrow a quarter for a cart. 

I've done this often enough, that the staff at my local Aldi recognize me. Since I've always made a point to return the quarter afterwards, they always say yes.

Well, earlier last week, I found myself in such a position and asked to borrow a quarter. 

I finished my shopping, wheeled my stuff out to my vehicle, and went to return the cart so I could free the quarter and return it as well.

I was lost in my thoughts, probably thinking about something IF or scifi, regardless, musing, when a woman approached me and asked if she could take my cart.

The body language being she would save me the trip.

My mouth slipped into midwest auto-yes/sorry mode before my brain engaged and I gave her the cart.

She did not hand me a quarter and briskly walked away with the cart.

I stood there stupidly for a few seconds as my brain caught up to me.

Shit.

Now I need another cart!

Well, the parking lot was just as scarce, there were no loose carts, I even checked for dropped coins.

No luck.

I can't just leave.

They would know I stole their quarter.

I was there for an additional 20 minutes after I finished shopping trying to secure a cart.

I considered going to an ATM or finding a store that did cashback, but that felt like too much when all I needed was a cart.

I must have been broadcasting some sort of angst, because this guy rolling up to the store to return his cart detours toward me.

"Hey, you need a cart?"

"Uh, yeah, I do, thank you, but I don't have a quarter to trade you though."

"It's fine, man."

And like that, I was finally free.

I thanked him and rolled the cart into the store, chained it up, and gave the quarter back to the clerk.

Took me maybe 20 seconds.

On my way out, the guy who'd given me the cart was driving past the front of the store mere feet away.

He glanced at me in the "yup, pedestrian" sort of way, and then did an immediate hard double take.

He stops his car in front of me, he was driving towards my left, so his driver's side window was directly in front of me, and he rolls down his window and just looks at me, clearly leaving Aldi, sans cart, sans groceries, merely seconds after taking the cart. 

"...dude."

"Yeah?"

"Did you really just steal a quarter from me?"

"Well, uh, technically you gave me the cart. I told you I didn't have a quarter for you."

"Yeah, but I thought you were going shopping."

"I already did."

Very long awkward pause as we stared at each other.

"So, you just hanging out trying to scalp quarters? What kind of person are you!? Ffs, dude."

"Well, uh, I took a quarter from the store too."

"What?!"

"No, I mean [mumble/stutter]..."

[Peeps are clearly stopping to stare at the exchange at this point and I'm regretting waking up alive that day at this point.]

[Guy cuts me off.] "Dude, you can't just take money off the store and other shoppers. That's like sneaky panhandling."

[Brain findly sliding back into gear] "Hold on, you don’t understand, I was trying to ret-"

"Whatever, dude." [Pulls away as the car behind him taps the horn.]

We all clearly here the word "pathetic" from the vehicle as it leaves.

There are now half a dozen people literally standing there looking at me, and I desperately want to explain, but as I meet their eyes, they shy away and carry on, a couple audibly tsk tsk-ing. 

I now find myself standing in front of Aldi, completely gaslighting myself at this point. Am I the bad guy here??

I haven't been back since, even though I'm fairly certain I didn't break any social rules other than firmly shoving my foot in my mouth.

Anyway, I was thinking such a set up would work as a catalyst for an IF game.

Has almost a Taco Fiction feel to the way things escalated.

I was thinking that I'd change it so the guy saw me return the cart and stopped me before I went to the cashier.

Culminating in him demanding his quarter back, which, socially, you'd really should give it back if he insists, putting the player back to square one.

Additionally, I'd add icecream melting in the car for some urgency.

The player would try more extreme measures, like cash back at a nearby store, and then the atm, only for the attempts to coincidentally fail.

This would continue escalating to pure sillyness and absurdity, just so, after your adventure, you could return your quarter and go home.

Your first attempts almost certainly land you melted soup icecream, but there are clues for other hidden options that give you the expedited ending with unmelted icecream.