To think that only urgent parcel delivers should be made right now?

[Loooobyloo]

I've started delivering parcels for a well known parcel company. There is often six of us helping sort the parcels in a small depot, we then load into our own cars and deliver.

This morning one of the courier stang in sick saying he had symptoms of coronavirus. Most of us have been around this guy, he's handed hundreds of parcels to customers.
It just made me think, shouldn't only urgent deliveries be happening right now? It seems a bit mad to be putting ourselves and all our customers at risk for the sake of a new toy or item of clothing you won't be wearing for a while.

I think while people are able to buy stuff online to make lockdown easier- whether that's toys, diy stuff, exercise equipment...then they are more likely to stick to it which is overall beneficial and at a population level probably lower risk.

A bunch of pissed off frustrated people flouting rules is a big problem

Who is to say what is urgent?

One of your examples is clothes we won't be wearing for a while... well I'm a carer at a disabled children's home and my Jean's ripped yesterday. I need to have clothes to wear to work so I will be ordering some, as I only have 2 other pairs I think its essential especially as we have been asked to change into clean clothes when we arrive on shift...

All our delivery drivers recently have knocked and left the parcel, then stepped right back and waited for me to open the door. I've had no contact with any of them.

I'm on the fence about this. I know lots of small businesses who simply would not survive if they had to stop taking orders completely for several weeks.

I also work for a small business and we are still working (with a two person packing team who happen to live together so are safe to work together in an otherwise empty warehouse - and everyone else working remotely from home). People are saying how important their deliveries are to them at the moment - but these are not "essential" items either. Because of the way the business is structured, a long closure period would be disastrous (and no, we wouldn't be eligible for government help).

I do feel for delivery people - not the delivery process itself as I think it's possible to deliver contactless and safely, and parcels are not considered a risk for transmission in general - more because of the sorting process at depots where social distancing may be more difficult.

To put a different spin on it - in all truth I haven't rtft - I'm sorry you are concerned about your working situation but you are an essential key worker in your own way.

My recently widowed dm, who is in the vulnerable category whom I am restricted from regularly seeing and who has no neighbours, says the highlight of her day is the postie saying hello through the window or amazon deliveries of essentials (dog food, cat food and other items like batteries for her hearing aid).

On sundays she doesn't have any deliveries/ post and she says its like shes the only person in the world and very lonely.

So............it might not be medical or food but it is often a life line in itself.

How do you decide what is urgent/ essential and what is not.
Before all this kicked off my eldest has been reminding me that he needs new trousers and I always told him we'd do a proper wardrobe shop for him in the holidays. Obviously that's not possible now so will order a few online then he has to try them on, see what fits etc

The employer if they stay open are still responsible for making sure your working environment complies to social distancing regulations .

we have reduced staff going in - we have a cleaning rota between us etc . We are taking every measure that we can .

I think on line deliveries will die down soon . People are setting up home offices , thinking about things to do in the house and gardening etc . In a while it will hit home that everyones jobs are at risk and the spending will stop.

Your company should be using the pick up system our postal service is using-staggered collection for the post people and consequently staggered delivery times. We have NO contact with our post person whatsoever. Then again, our country’s government took the whole Coronavirus thing seriously, as opposed to the faffing about exhibited by your government. It’s rather ironic that both your prime minister AND your Minister for Health have both tested positive for the virus. I hope they make a good recovery, by the way.

But how do we class essential/non-essential?

I received a set of headphones + mic today - could be construed as non-essential BUT I need them to voice call my classes next week as we have to do it through Teams.

I would hope everyone is being as sensible as possible.

YABU because I'm using amazon for things I'd usually buy in a shop, ergo not clogging up the shops

Love all the people who feel that because they personally are not having contact with their delivery driver, there's no risk to themselves. What about at depots? Places where parcels are picked and packaged? Lunch canteens?

Batteries and disposable parts for my hearing aids are essential to me. By getting them through the post, I'm not going into the hospital with all the risks.

How do you know what’s urgent and what’s not

The mistake is that you are all picking up your packages together. Stagger you're start times this will reduce your risk from each other.

It is utterly selfish of people to buy non essential items!

Definition of essential - can you live without it?

Harsh but that includes toys. Children did fine before and thousands of children across globe never have toys

I missed that you sort it as well. each take it in turns to be sole sorter or two of you together but remaining 2 meters apart when nearly sorted you inform the others take yours and they stagger coming in for theirs.

I am self employed.
So far my online sales are only affected by 20% or so..
I am reliant on Royal Mail to deliver my ( non essential ) goods.

If I can keep going I won't need any government hand outs, will continue to pay tax during this whole crisis.
Surely that's worth supporting?

I had to order my coffee direct from the company because we can’t risk going to Waitrose, can’t join up for online shopping and it’s not sold in tescos and even then there’s no slots.

It’s hard one to decide what’s truly essential, today I got my breast pump delivered.. I had one from ds1 and apparently it was ready to go on the blink, so to me that was an essential.. really I could’ve fed him straight from me if I couldn’t get one at all, but it’d have meant dp could only help with one of the dc’s besides nappies and he’s working from an empty office shortly so I’d be on all the night feeds and no chance of a nap during the day.

Moonpig might be the only way to get flowers and a card for a funeral now too.

Staggering pick up times for your depot might be an idea, I know it lives on surfaces but It minimises contact.

It is utterly selfish of people to buy non essential items!

Who are you to decide what's essential for other people?

Person A might be able to live without something that person B needs desperately for their job. And as they can't go to a bricks and mortar store, the only option is online ordering, which Boris has encouraged.

Until the government ban it, then nobody is doing anything wrong.

My postie said it's really quiet. I was on the drive sweeping up and he told me there's hardly any post

He is joking! RM here. The amount of overtime available is obscene. Folk are clocking up 17 hour days. Tis like Christmas!

I'd feel bad ordering clothes or shoes but then I am not working right now so it's easier for me I suppose. If I had no clothes for work I guess I would have to do it. While I'm at home and only out for exercise and the shop very rarely, I don't care what state my clothes are in. I have not ordered any games/toys as I don't think it's important enough but have asked dp to look out for board games if any ever come in stock at our supermarket. Not sure that is going to happen any time soon! I don't think exercise equipment is essential, we can exercise without it.

I do feel guilty as between myself and dp we have a few medical conditions and have been ordering medications online for those. Some essential, others like pain relief aren't really essential but life is very hard without them and I thought it was better to reduce the time we are in the local pharmacy for the moment. Dp has also had to order some computer related stuff for work as he's working from home. I did give my postman a little bottle of hand sanitizer after a royal mail worker started a thread a while back saying that they're not provided with anything. I am really grateful to all the people involved in getting the items we order to our door.

@Wordofwarning I always make a little extra time for my elderly customers to check they're ok or if they need anything.

I don't think I realise the full extent of isolation yet as been out and about it seems just like normal to me, although a bit quieter!