Cargo Trailers

I was really hoping someone would have an innovative trailer at Interbike this year.
People are definitely thinking about carrying stuff on bikes, and we saw quite a few new bike designs with an extended rear triangle (or an Xtracycle attachment), to accommodate a supersize rack for hauling big loads.

This trend is very encouraging, because it shows that the bicycle industry has recognized that people use bikes for all sorts of practical applications.
My problem with bicycle trailers, racks and other attachments currently available on the market, is that they don't allow you to shop at more than one place. There is simply no way to secure your stuff should you happen to want to stop at a few places. This may be OK if you live in the type of community where people routinely leave their doors unlocked, but not here in Chicago.
So I am envisioning a trailer you can unhook, and easily wheel with you into the store. Sort of a euro shopping cart. I know it's been done. European vendors have shown trailers like this at past bike expos, and they are available overseas. But I have not found anyone distributing such products in the US.
Here is the closest thing we found:

Dahon, the folding bike manufacturer, is marketing a trailer, called the Kitchen Sink, that can be unhooked from the bike and wheeled around. They recommend it for open-air market shopping (a great idea in and of itself), but it seems too large to bring into a store. It is a nice trailer, compatible with most bikes, and we will probably be carrying it when it becomes available.
But, my search for the trailer/shopping cart continues. I will keep you updated.

Comments

[Dingbat]

AMEN! Though I've left things in our Burley Bee for a few moments while I've gone into another shop, it's been somewhat rare and with a bit of trepidation. However, I do think that the kid trailer is a bit of a casual-theft deterrent: it gives a would-be thief a bit of information about me--I have a child--that humanizes me and makes it just a tiny bit harder to steal from me. It's not magic, but it will shift the attention of some percentage of thieves to other opportunities.

[Justyna]

Hey, thanks fot your comment, and for linking to me.
You make a good point about subliminal messages sent by kid bike trailers. Also, the risk definitely varies from one community to another. I would be fairly comfortable leaving a semi-loaded trailer in my somewhat sleepy little neighborhood store(Happy Foods in Edgebrook), than at, say, Wicker Park library. Of course, I could be proven wrong, but we all go with our gut.