Re people loitering and dithering in shoos

[Carbosug]

With one way systems, social distancing, people queuing outside AIBU to wish people would make an effort to move as quickly as possible up and down the aisles.

Standing for ages deliberating between products, phoning your oh to check what brand of marmalade they prefer, or standing for ages checking a shopping list in a narrow aisle where people need to pass is inconsiderate.

These aren't normal times and most people have adjusted the way they shop accordingly.
But you still get the oblivious faffers and delayers.

Yes @Laiste!

It is annoying but everyone's tense and anxious, so you just have to remind yourself of that and take a deep breath and get on with it.

If someone needs some time to make up their mind and I know what I want, then I ask them if they would mind stepping back for a moment so that I can grab X item and then I'll get out of their way. It's worked fine so far.

But I thought we were all supposed to move slowly so the self-appointed non-essential shopping police had plenty of time to check for other imagined transgressions?

Seriously, OP, work on your tolerance levels and leave others alone; life is difficult for everyone right now.

Live and let live, say excuse me when folk dither in your way it’s not hard. The only time I got posed off was going to the local Sainsburys the other day. The woman in front got inside the door and stopped dead, to go around I needed to go to the right but they where the baskets are situated. I can’t exactly climb over them. I had to say ‘excuse me’ twice before she realised she was blocking the whole bloody shop as they have one door used as both entrance and exit as they have closed the other doors. It’s a bit of awareness when you do things like this that would help. I notice this a lot people just stopping as they go through a doorway or exit a lift or escalator not thinking that there is still a flow of people behind them!

Don’t get me started on folk who decide that the supermarket is the Perfect place to have a catch up with someone they meet, blocking aisles or access MOOOVE!

The thing that drives me beserk is people taking ages at the self scan. It tells you instructions on the screen, it's not complex. I'm on and off it as fast as possible. Stood witnessing a man very slowly scan every single item into a pile, and then one by one slowly place them into a bag. Why not put the bag down first (it gives you an option to do this), scan the items into the bag, then pick up the bag. Off you go. That's what I do and it HALVES the time you're stood there. It's not rocket science. As you're only scanning from a basket (this shop has no trolleys) you can scan hard items first and place them in the bottom of a bag and softer items like bread/fruit on top last. It just seems silly. Of course some people aren't bothered, but some want to get in and out as fast as possible.

Every time I go to the supermarket, my MIL who is quite elderly so is staying in, rings me to ask for some extremely specific item. This usually happens three or four times in a shop. She has some sort of psychic radar that knows when I’m in there. She is constantly baking (and trying to foist it on us even though we don’t really like home baked cakes etc that much, and I hate fruit-related pies and cakes so not much good for us) so needs random baking equipment and decides she NEEDS a very specific type of biscuit despite three packs I bought her earlier that week. What am I supposed to do, tell her to fuck off because people might think I’m DITHERING?!

Have a medical condition that means I need to check the ingredients of food I’m buying so I don’t make myself ill. I normally try and buy the same brands - an even check them now and again as they can suddenly change the ingredients without warning- but at moment my normal brands aren’t in stock so I have to stand there and pick up and read the ingredients! Not all of us have the luxury of being able to grab and go op. So yes YABU.

I know - we just have to try to be tolerant but when we are rushing and have full time work etc it is a bit difficult. If those who are standing still for long periods and can see no one can get by without breaching the 2 meter rule could perhaps just regularly move 2 meters away to let the people waiting go by that would help.

If those who are standing still for long periods and can see no one can get by without breaching the 2 meter rule could perhaps just regularly move 2 meters away to let the people waiting go by that would help.

You don't need 2 meters to pass someone.

Also if the aisles are so narrow there isn't 2 meters, then that means the only option is to go to the end of an aisle. Since most shops now have a one way system, the person then wouldn't be able to go back down the same aisle.

I did get slightly pissed off with the woman yesterday who stood in the middle of the aisle and discussed preferred flavours of yoghurt with 4 people in turn, listing all the flavours available to each person individually. I couldn't just go past as she was right by the product I wanted and had her trolley at a jaunty angle almost completely blocking the aisle which she had gone the wrong way up.

You don't need 2 meters to pass someone.

That's the whole point of the 2 metre rule - i.e. you DO stay away from other people by 2 metres.

Quite fancy one of these

The world is full of faffers and ditherers, covid isn't going to change that, I wish it would.

I saw another phenomenon creeping back yesterday when I was out for my daily exercise (a walk in this case) - people walking along the road with their heads stuck in their mobile phones. For a few short weeks people seemed to be looking where they were going. Sadly no longer.

That's the whole point of the 2 metre rule - i.e. you DO stay away from other people by 2 metres Too bad if the aisle if less than 2m wide then isn't it?

Given people have to queue to get into the supermarket it's pretty arrogant to spend twice as long going round if you need to. There are quiet times. If you like to faff, go when it's quiet. Equally if you need to investigate all the allergy information, go when it's quiet.

It's a bit like the people who having queued up for the ladies, decide to make the most of it and spend 15 minutes in a cubicle (and no, you're not all on your period or suffering from IBS, a lot of you are playing on your phones). Just don't. Get in, get out, and faff around at home.

I've not been into a supermarket yet with a one way system although my mum said one of her local shops does.

Me neither puffin, I think Tesco are doing it. Also some are sending some customers to different areas first so not starting all at the same place.

Stood witnessing a man very slowly scan every single item into a pile, and then one by one slowly place them into a bag. Why not put the bag down first (it gives you an option to do this), scan the items into the bag, then pick up the bag. Off you go. That's what I do and it HALVES the time you're stood there

Until about two weeks ago I had NEVER got this to work in Sainsburys. It was driving me mad. I had to scan everything laboriously and then put everything into the bag afterwards. If I tried to weigh the shopping bag it couldn't cope and I had to call over a member of staff, the very thing I was trying to avoid doing by using the self-scan. And then. It worked! Such a small thing to make me happy (but also halves the amount of time I am spending at the till so may well make other people happy too if they don't have to queue as long).

I have mentioned this before but a few weeks back while in a store a man was wandering around with his hands in his pockets just looking at the shelves and obviously not buying anything. He was in the aisle where you had to queue for the tills. He moved back up another aisle when he saw me staring at him. He neither basket or trolley.

@Chillicheese123

I would just not answer my phone tbh

I've not been into a supermarket yet with a one way system although my mum said one of her local shops does.

Really? Both the supermarkets near me have it, as does even my local Co-op convenience store!

I have only been in Waitrose and Morrisons in the last few weeks and neither have a one way system.

Some people have a false sense of what 2 metres looks like. Queuing outside Tesco about an hour ago, I'd swear the gaps were more like 5 to 10 metres. When your shopping trolley is a metre from front to back, then there's your body to push the trolley, you only need about 60 cm gap from the bum of the person in front to the edge of your trolley. Or if you are queuing across a car park, each space is 2.4 m so you can stand one in each space, you don't need to leave an entire space empty. Oh well, at least queues move quickly.

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow Love the H&H reference, did they have matching anoraks and bags?

@puffinandkoala My Asda hates the hessian shopping bags I use, they are presumably heavy and I always have to get an assistant to "verify" them.

Stop complaining, peoples personalities and traits don't alter just because of the new rules in supermarkets and shops.Some people take their time,and might be slower than you,it's no big deal.

Honestly, you just need to learn some patience for other people and accept they may not be the same as you. Sometimes its annoying to wait for others but I just wait, patiently because at the end of the day we are all doing the best we can with what we've got. Some people are getting used to meal planning/shopping for more than one day at a time or trying to make sensible decisions when buying their shopping to stretch out a budget because they've just lost their job.

If the lady in front of me needs a minute to decide if can afford this item/brand/her kids eat it/her husband isn't allergic then I'm going to give her that time. I stop and check my list a few times, and make sure I've picked up everything that I needed for myself and the others I am shopping for because I do not want to forget anything someone needed or were looking forward to having. I also don't want to forget an ingredient that's important for a meal and not be able to make it. Just be kind and be patient.

I just don't like shops full stop at the moment .Used to love Sainsbury's but not been shopping there since lock down started. DH will go to Iceland and he or i will go to our village shop .I work in community care so just desperate to keep the risk as low as possible .I went to BM bargins once was enough .Had someone actually brush past me , no social distancing. That was enough for me .

I take ages shopping now I find it so confusing. I deliberately not go to shops with a one way system like tescos though, cos I would struggle too much and always even with a list end up having to go back for something.
I HATE going to shop, so I have to take my time and get everything I need cos I only go once a week now (I still work in the week so go Saturday evening now)
But I been looking for eggs this weekend, and went in 3 shops this weekend but cannot find them. I sorry I taking up people's time and annoying people but I still need to live too have not been able to get flour for weeks and weeks.
I just wish everything would go back to normal. I by own and miss all my friends I normally see everyday at gym who are my family
I hate living like this I really need a hug