The ethics of unnecessary deliveries

[nomdefuckit]

AIBU to wonder about this?

We're doing a 12 week lock down as DH in the shielding group. Nobody gets in or out, including toddler

I would love to order more stuff to keep him entertained, garden stuff, DIY stuff etc

I haven't because I thought it was wrong for a number of reasons

1: infection risk - every delivery has that potential
2: employees of delivery companies should not be pressured to work more than necessary for their own health
3: more drivers going out and about is more opportunities for the virus to spread
4: there is limited capacity in the system for deliveries. It should be left for essentials

Yet I have seen on here and elsewhere (fb mainly) people talking openly about the nice candles, home furnishings, make up etc that they have ordered

Anybody else a bit shocked by this?

I am a bookseller. People ordering books means I can continue to pay my mortgage. When I go to the PO we all observe social distancing, I also limit my visits to once or twice a week and walk to the PO and buy my food at the same time so I am not leaving the house unnecessarily.

Many of my customers are over 70 and self isolating. The books they want to read aren't even ON Kindle because they are quite specialist so they can't go and read them online even if they wanted to (and some of them if they have computers they are quite old and slow). They enjoy phoning me to order the books they want and say how much they look forward to them because they can't even get out for newspapers now.

The books I sell are new, they are left for 96 hours after they arrive from the publisher then the covers are cleaned with 90% alcohol solution before they are wrapped and packed. Any Covid-19 virus would probably have died by the time they get there anyway as it takes on average 3 days to get there.

Books, medicines and food sent by mail are an absolute lifeline to many people right now. And if delivery drivers and post people are out and about anyway delivering then adding a few cushions or candles to brighten people's lives isn't going to add to their changes of acquiring infection significantly.

If people are really worried about the delivery people then they could do no worse than to clean and sanitise their front door and letterbox and maybe perhaps their front gate (or leave it open) as I am sure the delivery people would appreciate it.

Before I opened... I knew it was going to be you. Spreading your message of positivity during this time

My hush order arriving tomorrow and I can’t bloody wait!

I’m still employed. I live in a small community where local businesses are basically begging people to keep buying, and offering delivery so they can keep some staff employed. All of our restaurants have closed (obviously) but several are offering delivery meals, or offering produce/ meat packages to try and stop their suppliers going under too. Our sweet shop owner is making up delivery packs of mixed candy and taking custom orders too. Our chocolatier is closed (obviously) but is taking orders for Easter deliveries. Some of our gyms are offering livestream classes. Our toy shop and our games store have tried for a week to maintain orders and delivery but weren’t getting enough business and have had to now close. Our art shop has a flash sale every day with delivery, and are donating 20% of all proceeds to our food bank. (I suspect they might actually be selling more now than they did before )
These are people in my community who are begging those who still have jobs to please consider ordering their goods. Or to use the local suppliers for food instead of our over-burdened supermarket.
I have no idea how sustainable this is, but I’m trying really hard to put money into our local economy for as long as I can.

It’s funny isn’t it, how everyone wants everyone to do something! and make sacrifices! as long as it’s only other people

@MadameButterface how do you know it's all landfill plastic tat? Don't think anyone even mentioned any.

We get it, you have an agenda, you're angry. But at the moment you're just making up daft soundbites to make it sound as bad as possible, while completely disregarding people's struggles and mental health issues.

I work in a warehouse. Our orders are massively down. Tbh, I’d rather be at home on80%. Most people I work with are. There is still a lot of people working in close proximity sharing tape guns etc The economy needs to keep going though.

(And obviously i’m not talking about small local companies with a handful of staff)

Deliveries can be made safely but what about the people doing the packing in the factory. Or catching buses to get to the factory?

You can entertain/cheer/busy yourself without ordering a load of plastic landfill fodder that some poor bastard has to risk life and limb packing for £8.21 an hour you know.

Yes, because that's all you can buy online - plastic tat

My online contact lens company has shut up because they said their employees had concerns about getting to work/being at the warehouse.

@PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock ah so you haven’t seen the ‘what have you ordered to cheer yourself up’ thread then 😏

@Boobooboo84

So you're stalking me? Suppose it's a backhanded compliment of a sort

It’s funny isn’t it, how everyone wants everyone to do something! and make sacrifices! as long as it’s only other people

What ARE you on about now?!

In ordered a swing for the baby to keep him entertained.

At the time of ordering I considered it essential. I was considering throwing myself out of the upstairs window at the time.

You can eliminate the infection risk by simply not touching whatever it is for several days, or of course by wiping it thoroughly with high concentration alcohol or bleach. The virus doesn't' survive indefinitely on surfaces.

And I hold my hands up. I am still ordering stuff. But I am trying to make it stuff which will be useful during the lockdown. So a computer game and strawberry planters rather than clothes, etc. However I’m aware neither of which are essential and I’m trying to justify it to myself.

we should do as much as possible to keep the economy afloat. As bricks and mortar shops are shut, that means shopping online.

That. So many businesses are going to go to the wall if we don't buy from them remotely. And the gig economy drivers are desperate to work, as they have so little security.

I ordered a replacement laptop for my dad today. He needs to be online to shop and bank. Over 70. Also ordered a birthday present for my DP. I felt a bit guilty as not vitol. But it was from small business.

Thank fuck for a sensible post @VivaLeBeaver

@bigchris Naked Wine!!

@Fatarseflanagan09 tending your allotment is explicitly and officially OK to do. www.nsalg.org.uk/news/covid19-information/?fbclid=IwAR1-vWHmlItBHmDwu7J6-vqsLo5xWt1Y63xK98bCaFHCGWeiWk5jH4jqqE4

Ah, I see. You have to get your point across by trying to personally insult me.

As an aside, I have no problem with people buying unnecessary things. The economy has to keep going. The more businesses go under, the more the government will have to pay out and the longer the effects of this whole thing will go on for.

But I'm not debating with someone who has to lower themselves to that kind of attitude - polite debate is fine, insulting someone's intelligence and referring to them as "simple" for disagreeing with you is just unnecessary and rude, so I'm out.

I do think if we’re going to order then using small businesses rather than amazon is good where you can.

I'm torn too.

I don't need to buy craft stuff (ridiculous stash from Aldi centre aisle) and can probably cope with toys for 1 yo.

4 yo will blatantly need more colouring pens and books if this goes on any length of time. Might well need home ed activities suitable for her as she learns more and more.

I don't need clothes unless I (a) get a job - hoping to work shifts around DH - NHS admin would be ideal or (b) lose a decent amount of weight.

DC will need clothes if it goes on more than a couple of months. 4yo will struggle in winter as there will be big gaps between top and bottom and trousers and ankles. 1 yo will be very short of clothes pretty soon as he's much chunkier than big sis so most hand me downs are too long and too tight! DC will also need shoes to run around the garden

DH may well need clothes as he's a keyworker.

Might need appliances if any break down.

Would definitely need a replacement TV as it's the only way we're coping with bored children!