A local shop is refusing entry to single parents

[Throwaway667]

I feel completely enraged by this. With delivery and collection slots now going to the vulnerable (as they should) it’s becoming more difficult to buy essential shopping as it is.
To remove access to essential goods based on the person having a dependant they can’t leave at home is upsetting imo.
Surely this is discrimination?

And for posters bashing us single parents as aggressive. I'm bloody sick of it.

I have and would never insult or get aggressive with staff

It’s a common tactic I’ve seen used by racists to justify having people they don’t want removed from somewhere. They refuse entry, knowing that any person will ask why, they refuse to give an answer and then LOUDLY say “if you’re going to become aggressive I’ll have to call the police” when absolutely NO aggression was present. But because they’ve used the magic word they think all their behaviour after that is justified. They can body slam you to the ground and when the police arrive they tell them how aggressive and confrontational you were being. It’s an old trick.

This is horrific.

For any single parent of young children, a ban on bringing children into shops will mean being restricted in your ability to buy essential food and supplies.

Leaving young children alone in your car or outside the shop is clearly unsafe.

Leaving young children alone at home is clearly also unsafe.

And finally, asking a volunteer or neighbour to babysit your children defeats the point of social distancing and potentially puts either them or your family at risk!

This is awful and needs serious attention from the government.

And yes, while legal, filming someone without their consent is an aggressive act.

Really so all the police and security and cyclists and people with dash cars are being aggressive? No. theyre recording what’s happening.

And for those of you who just hate single parents and can't bring yourself to have an ounce of compassion -- how about thinking about the partners of key workers who are voluntarily self-isolating themselves to protect their families. How will these (now solo) parents manage to shop?

There are other shops apart from supermarkets. Talking about kids starving is very OTT. Just go to a local shop.
And supermarkets are prioritising the shielded group NOT the vulnerable group. I suspect at least half the households in the country have someone in the vulnerable group.

Local shop near me is very expensive and is only allowing 1 item of bread product and dairy product so you can't even buy butter along with milk.

It's indirect discrimination. It's a policy that disproportionately affects women.

Really so all the police and security and cyclists and people with dash cars are being aggressive? No. theyre recording what’s happening.

JuanSheetIsPlenty Dash cam/security/police footage is very different to standing in front of someone who doesn’t do what you want and deliberately recording them to try and force them to do what you say.

That is an aggressive act because you are doing it to try and force them into something.

Do whatever you have to do to get your kids fed OP.

Yes. Yes. You are right. I forgot it's the only shop selling food AND that the shop assistant made that rule themselves 😱

Idiot

And kids will starve not mine because i have a son to babysit but some single parents have little ones. Where are they supposed to leave them outside on the pavement or in a car should they be luck enough to own one.

It comes down to leaving kids alone unattended or eating very soon for many people whilst more shops shun away children from their stores.

This is NOT okay

I am having to buy from shops that are more expensive than normal. This is not an easy time. And yes you may not be able to get the food you ideally want, but you can get food.
And this is because of some parents refusing to control their kids in supermarkets. Ultimately it is the fault of some parents.

There are other shops apart from supermarkets. Talking about kids starving is very OTT. Just go to a local shop.

Local shops are the most likely ones to impose these type of measures.

I haven't read the whole thread, but YABU about shops not allowing children at the moment, whole families out for the day and children wandering and touching everything is a big issue.

However, YANBU to be upset that single parents cannot shop without taking their children. I do think there needs to be some provision for this, even if it is a point at the other end of the shop where you can hand your list to a member of staff who does your shopping for you, and hands it over to you to pay for, certainly Tesco could do this with the handheld pay as you go doodads and a portable card reader, so you do not have to take the children in the shop.

@Wannabangbang Go to a local shop. No kids are going to starve

I would like to point out that many people on here in favour of this are the problem.

I think people need to start writing to their MPs about this. This is not proportionate or reasonable.

There have been a few threads like this recently, and it’s clear that the situation does vary depending on where people are located. Perhaps we can use MN to connect people who need help with those able to help.

I’m in Winchester and would be happy to get shopping for people. I’m already volunteering in my village but we seem to have more people volunteering here than people needing help!

Where people are nervous about going to someone’s house eg high crime estate, a handover at some convenient local place could be agreed (for those still able to go out). It would be completely within the guidelines and the 2m separation can still be observed.

Yes i can go to local shop but what are people with babies supposed to do. Answer this question?

If a single parent has children under 8 and her shop says no kids and no support what does she do leave them on the pavement outside, toddlers included or not eat?

@MuddlingMackem Supermarkets do not have the staff for this. This is the kind of thing you could ask a family member or friend to do.

And if there are really no shops you can go to into at all, then ask someone to shop for you. Post in a local face book group or ask a friend of your kids parents. Lots of us are having to ask for help when we don't like to.

@givemeacall How are your family getting food?

Where are you all seeing these families and children and stuff? Is it because you are out yourselves? It sure seems that you're out more than you should be if you see it that often and it's such an issue.

Also it bugs me that vulnerable ,poor or otherwise restricted people are expected to just get on with the bare minimum( at best )or less. Eat pasta for 12 weeks and wipe your arse with newspaper.

It's the corona version of the goat,flat screen tv and poor people don't deserve nice things of normal times.

@JKScot4 I've been wondering about this too how would you pay them? how do you know they will bring your item etc. Not something I feel comfortable doing to many questions no proper answer imo.

If this is happening, then it is outrageous. I am a widowed lone parent. I have an elderly mother who is self isolating.

I would not be happy leaving my child at home or leaving her in the car, given the amount of time it now takes to do a supermarket shop and I wouldn't do it anyway. A neighbour has kindly brought me a couple of basics today but I would feel v uncomfortable about having to ask a neighbour to do my weekly shop.

I haven't yet seen this in any of the supermarkets round here and if they are planning to do it they will have to also open up the online slots to lone parents for fairness. I honestly can't see otherwise how a supermarket could do this.

Unfortunately handing money over to a member of public has many risks in itself. As crooks will be posing as helpers no doubt. People have had chickens stolen in my are, that's the times we live in.