Shitty experience on supermarket

[TinyStripe]

Went to supermarket today. First day out after 14 days at home. Shoppers we're all pretty vigilant about social distancing but a few staff members didn't bother. One walked past me from behind and actually brushed past me then stopped dead on front of me. I asked if she wouldn't mind moving 2 metres away. She apologised and smiled and didn't seem too bothered by my comment. I felt my frustration levels rising and ended up finishing my shop early. I was there with my son. Someone in the queue said 'cannot believe how many selfish fuckwits bring their kids to the supermarket' - clearly aimed at me. I ignored. WIBU, to feel frustrated by the lack of social distancing, and by the comment? WIBU to take my son to the supermarket, considering I am a single mother living on my own? I burst in to tears in the car (ok, a lot of this is also due to being at home with my son and feeling really low in general). Just not a great experience and feel nervous to go shopping again in a couple of weeks.

As I have a few trade accounts with suppliers of plumbing and electrical goods I can still buy under certain conditions. I need to order and pay online, I then wait for a text that my order is ready. At the store I wait outside and my order is placed on a table. When the staff member has moved away I collect my order. Why can't supermarkets do the same sort of system.

My husband works in a supermarket and it is the opposite, most staff are great (the odd one apparently is a bit of a nightmare) but by god the some of the customers are awful, up in his face, hands on him when they want to get past (it is still ridiculously crowded), abusive, not paying mind to the 2m rule - how hard is it to say excuse me?? Geez.

I don't think you were rude. If people actually think that's rude they should hear the proper abuse retail staff get. Most of my shifts ended in tears but not from comments like that.
On the other hand the comment that was said to you was horrible and I probably would have told them to fuck off so I think you were very restrained. It's really hard at the moment and all we can do is hope it gets better.

I had similar today OP. People pretty good but staff didn’t seem to get it. One came tight up beside me to pick up the baskets under the self checkout. Looks startled when I asked him to move back. People moved automatically but I had to repeatedly ask staff to move who were hanging around in the middle of the aisle chatting. Really odd.

Self isolation with a small baby is difficult. It is a scary time, put it behind you OP. I haven't been shopping in weeks, thanks for the heads up I'll be prepared.
I'm wearing gloves a face mask I think I'll bring a hula hoop.

Ignore the comments about children, some people are idiots and this situation is bringing out the worst in some.

You were rude regarding the staff member though, it’s a really awful time in retail at the minute and I’d have been annoyed if you’d said that to me. We are trying our best but we are not miracle workers and need to get by to do our jobs. Otherwise the shelves wouldn’t be full and people would still be moaning they couldn’t get x, y or z!

Just as a point of interest - are gloves actually any use?

I mean it's not as though we're changing them between customers or anything. Surely using bare hands but washing and sanitising them frequently is just the same as wearing gloves that you wash or sanitise? Or are they giving people a false sense of security (like all those customers coming in with their scarves over their faces. Will that actually help at all?)

I read that gloves are just the same as skin, no difference - you get the virus on your skin and then touch your mouth, or you get the virus on your glove then touch your mouth, same thing.

Yes us supermarkets are doing there best I'm bloody knackered and so are my colleagues. My store picked 25,000 items today for home shopping orders. People are working double there hours. And were more at risk with our health as people cannot be bothered to move away from us.

It's funny, people who criticise OP are probably the same who see someone bending the rules and shout HOW DARE YOU SELFISH C*, and here we have a store employee not keeping with social distance and the same people are surprised that she was upset the rule was not abided by.

OP, don't worry, one interraction like this is gonna do nothing. Don't take it against the employee either, they are tired and work long hours and need to go around the shops to see if they need to restock the shelves, and can't always keep that distance.

@ravenmum The idea is though that you take your gloves off and most people don't touch their faces with gloves on anyways.

You say a supermarket work stood near you -they have to do their job, and how many people do you think have stood near them that day? They're exposed to all and sundry and getting a low wage, it's really not fair. As far as I can tell, they are continuing in good spirits.

It would depend on how old your son is. I'm guessing the person who made the comment deemed him old enough to be left at home. I'm glad this is being highlighted as I have seen too many people shopping in groups (not just with kids, but adults in twos and threes).

@izzywizzygood he's 17 months old so not old enough to leave at home. He was in a very small pram so not too sure what the issue was.

{typo}* supermarket worker

@TinyStripe In that case, it's a bit harsh. I wouldn't begrudge someone taking a baby out... as they need to be with their mum.

I got talked about for taking my son in today I left my eldest away so that I wasnt taking too many in (and he is 11) commenting look at her BRINGING THAT KID IN they were two adults shopping together I have no choice but to bring my youngest in the attitude coming off them in my previously friendly store led my special needs child to tantrum on repeat all the way home fortunately he didnt go into a full blown melt down and we got home

The shop is still selling freshly baked doughnuts my son asked for them so I bought them with our shopping sigh huff eye roll at me buying "non essential items" (everything else in my hands was essential)

It was unfriendly as hell when I got out there was more eye rolling huffing pointing and then they refused to move so I could actually LEAVE

if I had a choice I wouldn't take him I cannot leave a 7 year old special needs child alone

Our local spar has taped off 2m sections and you can't move into the next square unless it is free. It also seems to remind people as well.

I've had a couple of comments that seem hostile to children as well. Being hostile to children is quite common in the UK and it is bringing it out, especially from the older generation.

Next time I get it I think I will snap back that the children have made an awful lot of sacrifices to protect the older generations in this instance, and the older generation have taken an awful lot of future away from the younger before now. The least they can do is start showing some of the respect that they think they're all entitled to back.

I asked her if she wouldn't mind moving 2 metres away. She smiled and apologised

This is what happened. Op wasn't rude and I'm not sure why posters are saying she was?
Let's have some compassion for a single mum struggling with PND for God's sake.

The staff in my local tesco are handling it really well, and also remaining polite and cheerful. There will be some mistakes with social distancing because we're all human. I turned into an aisle and came too close to another shopper. We both apologised and moved away. This will happen.

I work in a supermarket and I don’t wear gloves, unless you Change them every time you touch anything they are useless, you’re just spreading germs on the gloves rather than your hands.
I wash my hands very regularly and use hand sanitiser too.

slippery That sounds difficult! You handled it really well.

In supermarket not on supermarket

tiny brain

Try going to supermarket 7/8pm. Iv found much more quiet

I wish people would get what they need from the supermarket as quickly as possible then leave, you get situations were people block an aisle, while pondering every choice on the shelf, as if everything is totally normal, and they have all day to choose.

I just read your op (not the rest just yet!) and Oh how I feel you!
We've been off for 2.5 weeks and not ventured to a shop yet but I've seen the memes and posts all over FB about not taking kids. I'm terrified of going out and being accosted! I've just posted my own thread on LP as I'm also struggling a bit but maybe not quite in the same way - other than having no school and school run life is pretty much the same for me. It's how other people are "adapting" that is making me ! Do people really not manage with a house full of people for more than a couple of days without having to drive to a friend or relatives house and sit on a garden chair in their driveway?