Is this not the most stupid covid rule?!

[CovidStoleTheRainbow]

I understand why you can't try clothes on.
I understand all the rules they all make sense generally.
But I just took DS to Asda to try on plimsoles and we were asked not to by a staff member. It's the rules.

So we can pick up shoes, look at them closely, put them back and pick up more but the second your foot enters them all of a sudden it's a coronavirus risk?!

@CovidStoleTheRainbow

The solution is commons sense *@ChangeThePassword*.

For example, a top could be pulled over the head passing mucus membranes (eyes, mouth, nose) in which a virus is rife.

So they stop that.

Virus is not rife on a socked foot.

In fact I'd argue that virus is more present on hands (the hands the pick up and look at the shoes) than the foot.

Therefore common sense would mean allowing people to try on shoes.

But you use your virus infected hands to put on shoes don’t you OP? So transfer to shoes, ready for the next person to touch with their hands and there is your transmission.....

@herethereandeverywhere

I'm baffled by the obsession with apparently contaminated surfaces but the scant/poor use of masks here. Chances of picking up enough virus from a previously tried on shoe must be tiny - compared with being breathed on in a restaurant....

This. All these rules and then waiters and shopping assistants who see hundreds of people per day don't wear masks... No sense whatsoever!

How absurd. The infected hands can still touch the shoe, it's the non-infected foot that can't!!

I can't imagine people are going to be buying more expensive items like winter coats without trying them on; and I certainly don't want to be returning lots of bulky parcels.

We were in a shop and told we could try something on but not if it has to go over the head

In Germany there have been 'normal' trying on rules since re-opening of shops in May - does not seem to have affected their infection rates.
Everyone entering the shop must be wearing a mask and must sanitise their hands at the door upon entry.

@Hollyhead

I am sick to death of hygiene theatre when the most important thing is social distancing and staying the fuck home if you’re ill. I feel we’re wrangling ourselves into more economic hardship for no reason.

I agree.

All the queueing means you are in the store/area longer than necessary - which would surely mean breathing out/in more potentially covid particles.

Crazy.

I've not been to the shops since March, I don't intend to. Too many different rules
The only reason I ever went away was if I needed to buy clothes to try them on, and I used to do that as quickly as possible. If I can't try things on there is no point going, I doubt very much I'll ever go back to the high street since learning I can return things (mostly for free) via the paper shop 50 yards from my house.
I never did shopping as a leisure activity so it's not something I miss.

Yanbu, it's all hypocritical crap. Take it home, try it on! Return it, because obviously it's so different. No-one is licking shoes FFS!

You must wear a mask! But please go ahead and socialise and ignore social distancing because it's best for business.

I'm so over covid and the hypocritical messages and hate between people who have different levels of risk.

Yabu.

The most stupid Covid "rule" is that we should (as a nursery) sanitise lunch boxes as the children come in. The children can sit next to me, I can wipe their noses, change their nappies, pick them up when they are sad and be coughed and sneezed on. Their lunch boxes however will give me Covid and we must be careful.

Disclaimer - I'm totally happy going to work and I love my job...the lunch box thing is still stupid though.

The high street was on its legs anyway and covid is providing the death knell. Went to Chester last week and what usually feels like an upmarket, busy city was sad, sad, sad. Half the shops were closed, The Rows which used to house lots of independent little shops were pretty much decimated and empty. Lots of down and outs everywhere. Shops I didn’t even realised were struggling were gone. I felt very deflated on the way home - it used to be one of my favourite places but the centre felt run-down. Why will people bother going to shops when they can order online from the safety of their own home and can’t try stuff on anyway?
The Trafford centre near where I live is in serious trouble, many units are closed and the ones that still exist can’t afford the rent - it’s the same all over the country. Arbitrary rules aren’t helping.
I don’t think things will get back to “normal”.

I went with my son to buy him a suit for sixth form. Tried on a jacket in M&S and got shouted at buy a member of staff. Apparently I had to get myself a tape measure and buy without trying. She was clearly annoyed with us and spoke to me as if I was totally stupid for expecting to be able to try on a jacket. After she had finished lecturing me she walked off. So we went next door to Next where the assistant was brilliant - explained their covid policy, their sizing, and then handed him jackets to try on. He turned out to be a very odd size, so really did need to try. If shops aren't consistent in their policies, how are customers expected to know the rules unless they are told? Anyway - son is very happy with his new, Next suit, and emailed to the store to thank and commend the staff member who served us.

The stupidest Covid rule is in M&S where they keep forcing me to take a trolley even when I just want a pint of milk or a sandwich. For social distancing apparently.
That can't be an M&S rule as my local two branches, one a food hall and one a department store, don't do that and have not done throughout. It must be down to a particular manager.

Thanks to the poster who came up with the thread "hygiene theatre". That's what it is. Most of this is complete and utter bollocks because we have to be seen to be doing something.
I'd be interested to know what percentage of COVID infections can be traced back to things like trying on a jumper which someone else with COVID previously tried on.
I'm in another country where track and trace has been working very well. They can trace infection chains and the vast majority of the infections are being passed on by people in poorly ventilated spaces over a longer period of time who haven't been socially distancing - eg. people at social events, people working in close contact with each other. There have been cases in hotel kitchens but none of the diners ended up positive. We've also recently had a case where someone was infected and didn't know but went to a gym to work out. They tested all 700 people who had used the gym at the time when the person was there. None of them positive.
There have been no known cases of people picking up COVID in a supermarket from picking up tins someone else has handled.
(So they tell us anyway... it's difficult to know what to believe).

@IfIHadAHeart

YABU. The stupidest Covid rule is in M&S where they keep forcing me to take a trolley even when I just want a pint of milk or a sandwich. For social distancing apparently. It seems like a whole lot of unnecessary trolley sanitising to me.

The shoe thing is daft though I agree.

They have never done this in the M&S that I go to or another one that I get to very occasionally. Sounds like someone is on a power trip. Plus the staff don't necessarily sd from the customers when stacking shelves from what I have seen.

@IfIHadAHeart
I would ask if this is M&S policy and maybe ask on FB.

The solution is commons sense (sic).
You are kidding right? Don't judge people by your standards. There are millions of people out there who don't have any common sense whatsoever.

It's the inconsistency that is most annoying, both between different shops, and even within shops in different locations. Eg Morrisons in city will help you packing your shopping, Tesco in city says this is not allowed, but smaller local Tesco store happy to do this. You end up feeling like you are always doing the wrong thing as the rules everywhere are different, personally I no longer go to the shops unless it is completely unavoidable. I was asked why I was even in PetsAtHome the other day! (err to buy pet food?). No, forget it, it's online all the way for me now sadly.

I dont believe for a second that stores are putting returns and try ons into a 72hr quarantine. They don't even have enough stock room for the stuff they hold nevermind all the stuff being returned.

@NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite
Common sense of Asda and their rules.
That's what I'm talking about.

I had this recently at TK Maxx where they won’t let you try on clothes . But then what about all those people who have before me walked into the store and looked through the clothes on the racks? They’ve touched them, picked them probably had a good feel of the garment. Why is it when we try them on the clothes need to be quarantined?

I also agree with the comment re returning. Once someone has taken something home there is a likelier chance they won’t return it.

It’s why some companies make sure the return address is a different country. To put you off the idea of returning items.

@SurferRona exactly.

So he might as well put his foot inside.
You said the exact point I clearly made.

There's a lot of silly rules. The one i don't get is where they block of half the loos, sinks and hand driers for social distancing creating 3 huge messy queues for each activity

I know shops need to be careful and I know it's not easy to make places 'Covid Secure' but I swear some places have chosen the least bright muppet to sort it out

No shop is “Covid secure”, because they have staff and members of the public wandering in and out. The sooner we drop this pretence that shops are completely sterile now because they wipe trolleys over with a cloth and don’t let you try shoes on, the sooner people will start taking actually effective measures, like social distancing and minimising trips out, more seriously.

Consider yourself lucky on the compulsory trolley front if it's left up to store / chain policy... Where I am it's a legal requirement in every store that has trolleys available.