Send us Fan Mail

ABA on Tap is proud to present CartNarcs Special Agent Sebastian Davis (Part 2 of 2):

A stray shopping cart is never just a cart. It’s a tiny decision with outsized ripple effects, and it can tell you a lot about how people treat strangers when no one is “in charge.” We continue to brew along with Cart Narcs special agent Sebastian Davis to unpack why cart returns create such strong reactions, and why small courtesy might be one of the clearest signals of a healthy society.

We get practical about incentives and culture, from Aldi’s quarter deposit (a surprisingly clean token economy) to Sebastian’s eye-opening comparison with Japan, where carts get returned without any coin mechanism at all. Along the way, we talk about anonymity in big cities, how community standards form in small towns, and why “someone’s paid to do that” is really diffusion of responsibility wearing a mask of logic. If you’re into applied behavior analysis, you’ll hear familiar ideas like reinforcement, effort, and rule-governed behavior show up in the wild.

Then we go deeper into what happens when people are confronted. Sebastian explains how cognitive dissonance fuels escalation, why some folks “see red,” and how he keeps the message clear while managing real public safety risk. We also connect the cart problem to broken windows theory, everyday etiquette like airplane deboarding, and variable reinforcement that makes bad habits stubborn.

If you’ve ever wondered why the smallest norms feel like the hardest to protect, this conversation will stick with you. Subscribe to ABA On Tap, share this with a friend who loves a good social debate, and leave a review with your take: is returning the cart a moral test or just basic manners?

Tune In, Drink Up, Return Your Cart and ALWAYS ANALYZE RESPONSIBLY.

Support the show

🔥 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform!

📢 Connect with Us:
🔗 Website: https://abaontap.com
🎧 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aba.on.tap.podcast

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abaontap/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ABAonTap
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aba-on-tap

💡 Support the Show:
☕ Love what we do? Buy us a virtual drink! Support ABA on Tap
🎙️ Interested in sponsoring? Partner with us

🚀 Join the ABA on Tap Community! Stay updated on the latest episodes, live events, and exclusive content.

🎧 Analyze Responsibly & Keep the Conversation Going! 🍻

Send us Fan Mail

ABA on Tap is proud to present CartNarcs Special Agent Sebastian Davis (Part 1 of 2):

A stray shopping cart can scratch paint, block a space, and ruin somebody’s day, but the bigger story is what happens when a stranger calmly says, “Hey, the cart return is right there.” We sit down with Sebastian Davis, the creator of Cart Narcs, to unpack 'why' a simple request triggers such outsized reactions and what it reveals about social norms, accountability, and everyday ethics.

Sebastian walks Mike and Dan through how Cart Narcs began, why shopping carts are the ideal “caught in the act” public behavior, and the kinds of excuses he hears on repeat. Then we go deeper into the escalation cycle: why people rarely climb down once they start yelling, why bystanders sometimes side with the loudest wrongdoer, and how staying polite and steady can de-escalate conflict without surrendering the point.

We also get practical about the legal myths people throw around in parking lots. Sebastian explains the basics of recording in public where there is no expectation of privacy, why “I don’t give you permission” is usually a deflection, and how his magnetic “tickets” are designed to avoid damage while still delivering clear feedback. Along the way, we connect it all to applied behavior analysis (ABA), including matching law and reinforcement, to answer the real question: what makes returning a cart motivating when no one is forcing you?

Subscribe for part two, share this with your most “lazy bones” friend, and if you enjoy the show, leave a review and tell us your most outrageous shopping cart excuse.

Tune In, Drink Up, Return Your Cart, and ALWAYS ANALYZE RESPONSIBLY.

Support the show

🔥 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform!

📢 Connect with Us:
🔗 Website: https://abaontap.com
🎧 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aba.on.tap.podcast

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abaontap/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ABAonTap
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aba-on-tap

💡 Support the Show:
☕ Love what we do? Buy us a virtual drink! Support ABA on Tap
🎙️ Interested in sponsoring? Partner with us

🚀 Join the ABA on Tap Community! Stay updated on the latest episodes, live events, and exclusive content.

🎧 Analyze Responsibly & Keep the Conversation Going! 🍻

Send us Fan Mail

ABA on Tap continues the brew with Holly Blais (Part 2 of 2):

A school can be loud with “problems” and still be full of useful information, if you know how to listen. ABA on Tap resumes their chat with Dr. Holly Blais to talk about school-based ABA and why the fastest way to fail as a BCBA is to walk in thinking you can manage people, fix teachers, or control a classroom. The only behavior we can truly control is our own, so we start with what actually moves the needle: relationships, context, and the conditions educators work under every day.

The brew turns practical about functional behavior assessment in schools, including how to spot adult and system variables that quietly maintain student behavior. Dr. Blais explains why cookie-cutter tools like universal token boards can make a teacher’s job impossible, and why “ecologically valid skills” matter more than checking off generic social skills goals. We also dig into psychoeducational evaluations and standardized scores: when they help, when they harm, and how a trauma-informed, equity-focused lens keeps us from reducing a kid to a number.

From ACT and psychological flexibility with teachers, to writing IEP goals that measure what we want to see increase, to district-level MTSS work that actually fits a community, this conversation stays grounded in what schools can sustain. We even tackle the brutal loop of attendance problems plus zero tolerance suspensions, and what a broader, more restorative approach can look like.

Subscribe for more conversations on ABA in schools, share this with a colleague who’s trying to do systems work the right way, and leave a review if it helps. What’s the “noise” in your school that you want to understand better?

Tune in, Drink Up, and ALWAYS ANALYZE RESPONSIBLY.

Support the show

🔥 Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform!

📢 Connect with Us:
🔗 Website: https://abaontap.com
🎧 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aba.on.tap.podcast

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abaontap/
🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ABAonTap
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aba-on-tap

💡 Support the Show:
☕ Love what we do? Buy us a virtual drink! Support ABA on Tap
🎙️ Interested in sponsoring? Partner with us

🚀 Join the ABA on Tap Community! Stay updated on the latest episodes, live events, and exclusive content.

🎧 Analyze Responsibly & Keep the Conversation Going! 🍻