To find going to a supermarket an absolute ordeal

[Jellybean27]

God. Despite the social distancing, the few in few out, additional cleaning etc etc.
I found myself having a cry in the car afterwards. (Obviously whilst rubbing copious amounts of hand gel into my hands and avoiding touching my face until I get could get home and scrub fuck out of them for way more than 20 seconds)

My first time out of the house in days and it was seriously overwhelming.

Really need to sort myself out 🙄

I was ferried going out shopping and although I went later when quiet, not everyone was adhering to the 2m distance. I found myself tactically trying to avoid people in the Isle as they seem oblivious even the workers were walking past right next me. Again when paying so difficult to keep a distance from til operator when packing. I will be worrying this next week now in case I've been infected 😞

Same here I couldn't concentrate and forgot half the things I needed to buy. As I was too busy trying to avoid getting too close to folk.

“Sensibly controlled shopping” is a bit weird @Namechangedforthisreply7
It didn’t exist until a week ago. It’s not panicking that makes it feel uneasy/awkward/odd. It just is. It’s not the norm and that’s unsettling.

I’m gonna give myself a free pass even if it is panic, I miss virus free life and I’d happily go back to chaotic supermarkets and moaning about people stockpiling over a sprinkling of snow.

I went today and had shopping to do for us and 3 separate family households. It wasn't too bad to be honest, everyone kept their distance and there was almost a feeling of camaraderie amongst the shoppers. I spoke and joked with much more people than I normally would.

Agree with Bluebell246 about the about the community enforcers and public shaming - it’s going to be a long haul and a bit of compassion and understanding that most people are trying their best would go a long way.

I get you OP. I don't even enjoy my daily walk with DS in his pushchair - crossing the road to politely avoid the one or two people I meet, people staring from cars, curtains closed. It feels threatening and weird. I did a year abroad for uni which I hated as I had culture shock and this feels very similar.

Where did you get hand gel from? I've not seen it for months

I had two larger bottles and four travel sized ones in my cupboard when this all started. We use it quite a lot day to day anyway so were well stocked before this became an issue.

@Jellybean27

The silence, people avoiding eye contact, everyone just looked a little awkward and scared.

I've absolutely noticed this in my local area! I live in a village/within walking distance of a pretty remote beach. It's normal for people round here to greet each other in the lanes, even stopping for lengthy chin-wags, strangers as well as friends. Now I find we're all pretending we don't see each other even though we could smile, wave, even have shouted conversations if we wanted to. It's eery.

@TheWordmeister same! I drove to Asda, saw the queue, drove straight home instead. Went to the local Co-op instead. I’m going to shop locally in little shops instead. Too crazy.

@AngryTruckDriver You’ve been to what now?

@ssd it's 10% increase, I work at Tesco's

@Pickles89 So so bizarre.

Willing to bet serious money on people holding their breath when passing each other too!

I held my breath. Went to Lidl and the man wrangling the queue was hilarious. Really made us all laugh and put us at ease. Got most things I needed but hated the atmosphere. It's usually such a friendly chatty place. The young man on the tills was desperate for a conversation and asked for Netflix reccomendations. Obvs I said The Tiger King. It was a surreal experience. We live in weird times.

My husband has been to the supermarket once since ‘lockdown’ began, and he didn’t bring his bank card, so I drove and handed him cash from inside my car. I saw people (shoppers) outside wearing masks, or scarves over their faces, looking haunted, and my usual nightmare of a local town that’s permanently traffic jammed was empty, shuttered, closed (good!), but for some reason it made me cry as I was driving back home. I have panic attacks when I feel ‘stuck’ anywhere, like in traffic, or queues, so I’m glad my husband is doing the shopping..
Utmost respect as always, to retail staff, risking their lives for poverty wages.

Try working in one then. It's not nice at present and putting myself at huge risk so people can get food. Having to police what people buy and getting abused for just doing my job

Plus I suffer from anxiety and cry before I go to work I'm worried sick bringing home the virus to my disabled dd or getting it myself.

femail thank you for your service, I hope the scum that abuses you get prosecuted now, such filth needs to be removed from society. Who breeds people who abuse frontline workers? Can they, like, not? That’d be good.

Went to B&M yesterday but they have a limited range, so had to go to Tesco today. Got in in a couple of minutes, things were sensible and well stocked inside. Only went and bloody left the bread behind when I walked out!

Guess it's Ryvita for us for the forseeable.

Jelly, in the nicest possible way it was good to read your post.

I went shopping today, got home and sat in the car crying. I phoned DH who was at work (key worker) and sobbed that I didn't know how to get the shopping in the house...... Should I go in, dump the bags, take my clothes off, shower, then unpack? But then I'd be unpacking possibly contaminated items with my clean clothes on, and what to do with the bags? And I had shopping for other people too, where should I put that?

All the above, combined with the very strange atmosphere out and at the shops, was just too much. I couldn't really explain it, I just needed to cry.

@PositiveVibez what is wrong with Asda. They have been great?

It's not a lot of fun for the cashier serving you either. I work in a great store with a lovely team, and generally lovely customers. But it isn't a good feeling now.

Last week we started restricting sales of some items. This week we started restricting the number of customers allowed in store, so there is a queue around the car park. It has been taking 15-20 minutes to get into the store, and the weather has been lovely. I haven't heard anyone complain about queueing.

We now have much more stock on the shelves, and items that have been flying off the trolleys before they even got unloaded onto the shelves are now also restricted as to numbers. In addition to limiting loo rolls and kitchen rolls to one per customer, we are also limiting flour, eggs, handwash, hand sanitiser and paracetamol to one (most other core groceries are limited to three of the same item). Suddenly everyone is baking, and need more flour and eggs than I can allow. More people are at home, and a box of eggs doesn't go far (you might have one fried or poached egg on toast, but will scramble two or three per person, so think before cooking)! We see couples clearly shopping together but with a trolley each, so they go to different checkouts to get more of the restricted goods. Lots of people obviously are shopping for parents or neighbours who can't come out, but some only think of that at the last minute and rearrange their shopping with a divider so they can try to take more eggs or loo rolls than we can allow. Policing this isn't fun.

Yesterday a woman, late 30s perhaps, said she really didn't want to have to shop again next week and that's what I was forcing her to do. Well, I'm sorry it's such an inconvenience. Today a customer bought a trolley load and as he was paying he said he hadn't left his house in two weeks, the last 10 days had been the worst of his life, and he said "You really don't want to catch this".

Too right I don't. We are getting 'sneeze screens' in store shortly. We've had eight weeks of unrestricted exposure to the public. Just try to be nice, to other customers as well as the cashier who seems intent on spoiling your shopping trip. We're not having fun here. The wonderful customers who take the trouble to say thanks for staying open, thank YOU for coming to work, they make it bearable now.

I had to shop today.. 5 adults in the house and we are all essential workers so on shifts that don't gel with any 'special' hours.
Morrisons had a long queue, as did Asda, walked round the corner to Aldi, no queue. Oddly quiet but everyone was politely avoiding each other.
My ds2 is Autistic with mild learning disabilities but works in Asda on the checkout. His hours have changed to fit their hours but he trots off, serves customers with his renowened friendliness and attention to detail. His hands are raw from washing, but for once in his life he is not being looked down on for 'only' working in a supermarket (not by us.. we are incredibly proud of what he has achieved!)

I worry for him, but I'm incredibly proud of how he has just got on with it. For once his autism is such a blessing, as for him, the routine has only changed a little.
I think we could all use a little of his 'get on with it' attitude!