We had a false alarm go off in the building where I work last week. The elevators automatically shut down forcing the use of the fire escapes. The building is 22 floors. I was lucky in that I’d just taken the elevator to the first floor to step outside on a break. When they finally let us back in, I wondered what someone with mobility issues is expected to do had the building been on fire. Just die? Have a kind soul carry them? With most people wfh at least a couple of days per week, this seems really dangerous for anyone who might get stranded.
They're used by people with limited mobility - elderly, obese, bad back, bad knees. Walking is possible, it just hurts. A lot of the people I see using those have a cane or walker in the buggy.
As far as the cart return, it seems like the kids wrangling carts in the lot absolutely love retrieving those buggies. Wouldn't you?