Should we allow separate transactions from the same family?

[UserXRay29]

So I work in a small supermarket and we're limiting essential items to two per customer. But daily, we're getting excuses and justifications why that's not enough for people.

Some people are shopping for large families, others are shopping for neighbours - and it really causes problems for staff because we don't know whether we should be letting people rejoin the queue to do a second shop. Where do you draw the line and how do people prove they're shopping for neighbours? As far as I know, they can't, and we'll just get more abuse for asking for proof anyway.

On the CV board, people are advocating DPs paying separately so they can get twice the amount whilst a post on AIBU is threatening to report a worker for flouting the restrictions and putting things through as separate transactions.

I'm usually easygoing - I don't ID people for booze or scratchcards when they're with their children. But this isn't really about loopholes, it's about making sure there's something for everyone.

So, back to my topic question, are we unreasonable NOT to allow this?

"Making it difficult to get enough food". Enough? Or just the food you "need, like pizza and biscuits and sliced bread and coke?

@BuckingFrolics
Enough. I was only allowed 3 things from the fruit aisle, 3 from the veg aisle. I couldn't get lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Had to put 1 pack. I couldn't get apples, grapes, bananas and oranges. I had to put 1 back.

I'm not buying in excess. I'm buying what I always buy. One of each thing, but I was told ol only allowed 3 things from each section.

@Sweatheart
The cheddar has been run out for days. The put a small amount out each morning so theres a little each day. The cheddar sections has only a few in it. The other cheese section is packed full and has been for days. People arent buying it. I would understand if it was needed, but when there has been no cheddar left, people havnt bought the other types of cheese. They've just not bought cheese.

The current measures are making it difficult for families and those in isolation to get enough food

It’s so odd though, if there’s no change in the food supply then panic buying should naturally cease. Placing limits on the amount you can buy perhaps is sending the wrong signal to the public.

I don’t read about empty shelves in other countries! Maybe it’s one of those things where you limit how much you can buy to keep food shelves stocked but it’s having the opposite effect?

"Making it difficult to get enough food". Enough? Or just the food you "need, like pizza and biscuits and sliced bread and coke?

I dont eat much bread and if I do I make it. Likewise I bake. Cant remember the last time I bought a pizza.

I'm talking about basics. There is no pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, chicken, beef, fresh veg in the shops near me. Basics.

It’s so odd though, if there’s no change in the food supply then panic buying should naturally cease.

I think once people have seen bare shelves it's hard to remember that it can get back to normal.

I think rationing would be difficult but the fair way to do it. Because at the moment the only people winning are those with the inclination to cheat and do multiple shops in one visit and those who are one/two person families with no health conditions or need to isolate. And even then, I'm not sure they're winning.

@Weregoingonanadventure I don't eat cheese. I do buy cheddar to cook with. If it wasn't there I would not buy anything else instead.

That mythical single man overbuying won't be returning to the shops for days so queues will go down if your shopping for six yes it's tough but your not at home alone worried suck who's going to help as sayd mythical man might be. Every person has a story stop judging others and start assuming everyone is doing the best they can. Walking around beating people with your victim stick is fucking tedious.

Or just the food you "need, like pizza and biscuits and sliced bread and coke?

That's such a sneery tone. It's not just poor people who eat shit food who've been panic buying you know...

Fresh meat, fruit, veg, flour, lentils, pasta, noodles, rice, bread, wraps, stock cubes/pots, diluting juice, cheese, cooked mean, beans, tinned spaghetti and custard were all completely out of stock when SIL went to Tesco earlier to buy a shop to send with her kids to stay with us (they're moving in while schools are closed so she can work uninterrupted as they are getting more and more short handed). Also means she couldn't get any for her over the weekend, but thankfully a few cafes and the likes near the hospital are offering free food, or preferential ordering, for hospital staff.

The current situation isn't good enough. It's forcing people to go out more often to more places just to get the supplies we need, contrary to the general advice to reduce the spread of the virus. The restrictions have been rushed in and need replacing by something better.

When I get Covic-19, if my cupboards run bare and deliveries are unavailable, then no amount of concern for other people's health or threats of fines will prevent me from going out to buy food.

@Weregoingonanadventure
OMG, are you serious re the fruit and veg?

I'm hoping( praying) for my delivery from Asda tomorrow. It has to last two weeks as I am unable to leave the house (disabled) and cannot get another slot for two weeks.

Maybe I should order starburst for my fruit substitutes!

Still laughing about the three buches of daffodils tho.

And you know they are not shopping for neighbours, relatives, in_laws how?

Some are buying for a lot of people, I have 6 young adults here (2 overseas students who couldn't go home plus mine), 2 packs of pasta is enough for one meal perhaps 2.

I work at a nursery with 70 children. We are closing today, but this week has been really hard. Our usual food shop is for 70 a day. We were restricted to 3 of everything this week. So three tins of beans, three loaves of bread, three tins of tomatoes. That doesn't stretch far for 70!
The supermarkets would not lift the restrictions.
It means different staff running out multiple times a day to do shopping. Not great for social distancing.

@caz114, I think these limits might be open to interpretation somewhat. To me, three of something isn’t “3 types of veg” it’s 3 carrots plus 3 potatoes plus 3 onions or in the case of prepacked veg, 3 packs of each. My husband went to Aldi this morning and got my whole list, which was onions, potatoes, carrots, swede, red and white cabbage, leeks, peppers and mushrooms. Each thing counted as “one pack” so it was fine. I’m disabled too, so I understand how you’re feeling .

@ginger sausage
I hope so, that seems to be the case on the Asda site at the moment. I am currently trying to work out what veg I can live without but I think I'll put down what I what and hope for the best.
Thanks for your message and keep safe

@gingersausage
It wasnt open to interpretation in Tesco for me. It wasnt 3 of each specific thing. It was 3 from that section. So 3 yoghurt products, I couldn't get 2 locks of frubes and 2 greek yoghurt tubs. I could only have 3. I could only get 3 multi pack of crisps, so not 3x wotsits and 3x quavers; just 3 in total from the whole range if crisps. (We dont eat that much; as shopping for neighbour too). I couldn't get smarties, milkybuttins, maoam bars and kinder bars. I could only have 3 things from the confectionary section.
I've googled what tesco rules are and I'm sure ours are doing it wrong. They are only allowing 3 things from a section, not 3 type of each thing in the section.

It may vary depending on supplies.

Literally the only things you cannot get in our tesco is meat, bread, eggs, pasta, potatoes and milk. Everything else is really quite good and sort of looks like normal.

Bigger families naturally need more things, they’re not stockpiling they just shop like that every week. I thought about the Radford’s earlier for example, there’s no way they could get by only buying two tins of anything .

I guess people are always going to find loopholes. They’ll either go at different times during the day, go to various different shops or go in with a partner and pay separately. Basically, some people are selfish arseholes.

@Weregoingonanadventure not sure about Tesco but we shop in Aldi and they’re allowing four of each product so you could buy four packs of frubes and four tubs of Greek yogurt if you wanted or 30 tins of different things. Not sure which system is more effective really, probably Tesco’s...

In asda they have divided foods into groups and it comes up when you have three products in that group., but you can get three of those three if that makes sense- ie three bags of oranges, 3 of apples and three of pears- dependent on stock obviously.

Some are a little strange though- ready rolled pizza base comes under milk and eggs - go figure?

easter eggs have their own section- so I can at least get chocolate.

I've had to go for potatoes, toms and onions and have added a cheeky pepper- what the hell!

Be very interesting to see what arrives- if anything

Everyone will give you some justification as to why they should be exempt from restrictions.

The thing is restrictions are needed because the shelves are being stripped bear within the first hour of trading.

And at this point it has to be a question of priority. Do we enable everyone to have some food, or those who get away with it to have as much as they want while others literally have none

There need to be limits. And there need to be restrictions on delivery slots. I suggested the other day that delivery slots should be restricted to one active slot per address at a time and was accused of wanting the disabled to go without,even though I am personally disabled, in the at-risk category and can’t even get one delivery slot when others are admitting on here to having three or four booked up in advance.

Everyone has to cooperate here. Some will need to limit what they buy so that others can have anything at all.

OP I agree that you have to stick to the rules, as people will lie to your face to get more than their fair share.

Please don't begrudge me my cheeky pepper?