Was I AIBU to walk out of supermarket.

[Witchcraftandhokum]

I went to a supermarket which isn't my usual one today. There was a queue outside, but it moved pretty fast and was ably managed by staff who were also helpfully cleaning trollies. All well and good. However, inside was a different matter, it felt really busy and barely any of the customers (the majority of which were waring face masks) were adhering to the social distancing rules. I had a woman reach round me to get something and people were passing really close.

I got to the end with of an aisle which was blocked by 3 members of staff 2 of the large trollies they use to stack shelves. I couldn't safely pass so I turned around and tried to go up the next aisle which was empty and was loudly told off my a member of staff for not following the arrows, I tried to explain that I couldn't get up the other aisle but he just walked off. At that point I picked my shopping bags out of my trolley and walked out. Was I unreasonable.

I went to Tesco this evening and it was a riot inside the shop. Nobody was distancing at all, it was like a switch had flipped overnight because the rules have been relaxed here from today.

I think leaving your shopping behind was rude. Shops are busy so you just need to do what you can while you’re there then wash your hands when you get home.

I don't think my bag of lemons and birthday card were in danger of perishing particularly quickly, especially since I left them. In the chilled aisle

Still a pain for staff to put away. Especially trying to find the right home for the card.

Witchcraftandhokum

You can never do the right thing on here not matter what you do.

Every shop I have been in is like this now. The only thing you can do is suck it up or go after 9pm.

I go after 9pm. It's very quite

OK, it seems leaving my lemons and card was rude. But the alternative was to keep going on the one way system all around the shop to put them back, and putting myself at more risk.

YABVU. If you’re going to storm out without even asking the staff if you could pass the least you could have done would have been to put your shopping back.

That was really rude of you to just leave it like that regardless of the items being perishable or not.

yesterdayschild I know what you mean.

You need to be within 2 metres of someone for 15 minutes to have a chance of catching the virus. You do know that don’t you?

Not if they sneeze or cough when you're within 2 metres. With hay fever season that's quite a likely occurrence. You can't control what someone else is going to do. Staying 2 metres away gives you some protection (yes I know it's not far enough if they sneeze right at you, but we have to hope they'd make some effort to contain it!).

heartsonacake I've already said I understand that maybe I was rude in not putting things back. But I really didn't storm out.

YANBU

I think leaving your shopping behind was rude.

Staff blocking aisles is also rude. A member of staff telling the OP off for going the wrong way when staff had blocked the aisle is rude.

@Witchcraftandhokum

heartsonacake I've already said I understand that maybe I was rude in not putting things back. But I really didn't storm out.

Why didn’t you just do the simple thing and politely ask if they could let you pass?

@yesterdayschild

Why is needlessly leaving things for someone else to tidy the right thing?

I see it at my office, people living the remains of their lunch and used cups for the cleaners to put away, even though we're all supposed to leave desks tidy. I sometimes put away milk and meat that other people dumped in the bread aisle.

Ok OP has acknowledged it was rude so I'll stop banging on about it now.

If you literally just abandoned a trolley full of perishable shopping then of course you were being unreasonable. It’s to be expected that you will sometimes be closer than 2m to customers or staff if going to a supermarket, if it’s just to briefly walk around them or whilst they reach for something next to you for a few seconds there’s not much risk to you. Wear a mask if you’re really anxious about it but you can’t expect the whole shop to yourself.

Abandoning a trolley causes an obstruction making it harder for people to get around, causes more work for the employees and more reason for them to be blocking shelves etc to other customers and, if any of the food was from the fridge or freezer, causes food waste as they wouldn’t have been able to go back onto the shelves.

Also, it was totally ridiculous! At what point are you going to be able to get back to normal life and go to work/ send your children to school etc if you can’t even manage to walk past another shopper for 2 seconds at a time when most people have been isolating for 2 months and do the virus is at a very low transmission rate.

You need to be within 2 metres of someone for 15 minutes to have a chance of catching the virus. You do know that don’t you?

Jeez, no wonder the UK has been hit so hard, BoJo the Clown for leading the circus and a populace who think the virus has a built in timer. Ever heard of a cough or a sneeze? They’re actually rather common.

Honestly I think everyone would be safer if shops banned gloves and masks, as it is clear that a sizable minority of those wearing such items believe they are an alternative to social distancing (which they are not).

Sounds very precious

Staff rude for blocking the aisle while doing there job...dont be ridiculous. Customers need to learn supermarket rules and staff have no choice to work closely at times. Customers can keep away from staff or kindly ask for them to move which they will do.
Supermarket staff have put up with so much abuse lately and people spitting at them. So next time anyone is in a supermarket dont forget these keyworkers are risking there health and of there family so you can get food. They are heroes to

I'd advise going late if at all possible- I went at about 9 last night (closes at 10pm) and there were only about 5 other shoppers in the whole place. It's too stressful otherwise

BillysMyBunny

If you had read the thread instead of ploughing in with your two pennies worth you would see that the OP had only a bag of lemons and a card in her trolley. You are obviously a Saint and have never done anything slightly wrong in your life.

Just for the clarification, I couldn't actually get to the staff to ask to pass. I went to turn into the top of the aisle, saw that they had half the aisle blocked, observed people squeezing past them and saw I couldn't maintain the 2m.

I think you should have not had a strop and just paid for your shopping. But it’s a tense time for us all

If you felt uncomfortable then you did what was right for you, however, the supermarket situation is farcical anyway - you queue and then once you get in, no one has any issue carrying on as normal (usually the people in masks and gloves who need to get a banana at the same time as you even though there are nine hundred and ninety nine of them).

I also appreciate the staff are working hard, but a lot of them do not social distance. They seem to go round in pairs doing the home orders so it’s hard to avoid them. I would have ignored the arrow patrol and just carried on. They can’t arrest you! Mind you, we don’t have the arrow system (thankfully).

Witchcraftandhokum

Give in now. You would get a lesser punishment if you buggered the Bursar.