Mart Cart vs. Jazzy: Which is the Better Getaway Car?

This weekend a woman in Evanston, IL decided to steal a Mart Cart from the local grocery store and take it for a joy ride.  Not surprisingly she was arrested.  But it made me wonder how hard was it to catch her?  Mart Carts can’t be that fast, can they? 

First I needed to find out what exactly Mart Carts are.  Well, it turns out they are like a cross between a scooter and a Jazzy, with a basket for collecting groceries.  These rechargeable beauties are available for shoppers to use to ride around the store. 

According to the Mart Cart website, these motorized vehicles can go 2.1 miles per hour.  In Chicago there are 8 blocks to a mile, so since Evanston borders Chicago this seemed like a good estimate to use.  Driving a Mart Cart at top speed it would take nearly four minutes to make it down the block.  Pretty catchable even if the police officer is on foot and has a severely sprained ankle.  Definitely not a great choice for a getaway vehicle.

The Jazzy is not much better.   While twice as fast as the Mart Cart at 4 miles per hour, the Jazzy would still be a weak choice for a getaway vehicle since it would still take almost 2 minutes to make it down the block. 

So aside from the obvious cars, motorcycles, and bicycles the next time I need a getaway vehicle I think I'll skip the Mart Cart and the Jazzy and go with the Bundle-47 Electric Cruzin' Cooler (available at Amazon.com).  This motorized cooler is built for function, comfort (check out that padded seat) and speed. Not only does it have top speed of 13 miles per hour, significantly improving my chances of alluding police, but it will be even harder for the police to catch me since they will likely be doubled over laughing as I zip past them on a cooler.  And if that's not enough, it will also keep my groceries fresh during my flee from the authorities.

Sorry Mart Cart.