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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator?

999 replies

LittleLapwing · 24/10/2020 07:37

Half the shops covered in plastic. Can’t buy clothes, duvets, books, DVDs, tins but not tin openers.
All the Halloween and bonfire night stuff that’s just been stocked is behind a cordon. Presumably now destined for landfill.

Autumn half term after a shitty year and I can’t even do a few seasonal treats for the kids.

AIBU to think that Mark Drakeford is a power mad dictator, and that his ridiculous game of Covid oneupmanship with Nicola and Boris needs to stop!?

OP posts:
ElizabethG81 · 24/10/2020 11:41

If anything these rules will cause further spread of "The Virus" as people will go round different supermarkets to see if any are selling what they need.

StripyHorse · 24/10/2020 11:41

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

I believe alcohol and cigarettes are still being sold?
Not being able to buy pens and socks... we will grumble but put up with it.

Can you imagine the outcry if we couldn't have a drink as well?!

Burnout101 · 24/10/2020 11:42

@BooksAreNotEssentialInWales

Different shops have different definitions of essentials so some have lightbulbs on sale, others don’t. I probably could go around the supermarkets and find a pumpkin but it completely defeats the object of a lockdown if I do that so I won’t. And no. I can’t get a single pumpkin delivered! I don’t know anywhere local delivering cards and I’m in Cardiff.
Oh ffs, I'm literally going to have to shop for all of you or accept this notion that you literally can't buy a greetings card for 58 miles around apparently. Right, I've found someone delivering greetings cards AND Christmas cards, so you can get ahead, in the FB group 'Cardiff Freeads Virtual Christmas Market' - I have no idea which part of Cardiff they deliver to and I'm blowed if I'm giving you the business name because I'm fed up with "I can't have it for £1.50 in Tesco my way so I'm going to whine on MN instead of look elsewhere" and am not going to shop for you.
AllPlayedOut · 24/10/2020 11:43

The whole point of this is to keep people away from each other for two weeks. We all know that if the clothes section is open in Asda then people will go there to shop - so many people push the rules as far as they can that you can't just ask people to comply because they don't!

No it isn't. The so called justification is that it's an attempt to be fair to the small shops.

RoxytheRexy · 24/10/2020 11:43

@Burnout101 I just assumed maybe you worked at Asda doing the picking. Like the time I got a steak pie as opposed to a strawberry yoghurt.

We both know the service you are advocating I use doesn’t exist. Which is fine. It would be pretty niche after all. It’s why I was planning on just walking to the big Tesco before work. I didn’t realise that paper would be none essential. I’m not the only 1 that has been caught out by this

DdraigGoch · 24/10/2020 11:45

@SebastianTheCrab

I thought he was until I read that he did it because smaller stores are being forced to shut so this stops supermarkets being given yet more of an advantage. It may be untrue though, I don't know.
So Amazon will get the money instead.
RoxytheRexy · 24/10/2020 11:47

@Burnout101 Fantastic reply. That’s awesome

Thank you so much for your information. You truly are a bastion of light and hope during these dark times

Oulidae · 24/10/2020 11:51

You should only be in a supermarket for absolute essentials, e.g. Food & drink. So you're in and out as quickly as possible..... Anything else just order online.
Not sure why that's controversial in a lockdown where the entire point is that you should only be leaving the house for essentials?

BooksAreNotEssentialInWales · 24/10/2020 11:51

@RoxytheRexy I know. Buying cards online for £££ is such an accessible option!

Bollss · 24/10/2020 11:52

@Oulidae

You should only be in a supermarket for absolute essentials, e.g. Food & drink. So you're in and out as quickly as possible..... Anything else just order online. Not sure why that's controversial in a lockdown where the entire point is that you should only be leaving the house for essentials?
Right, but if you're already in the supermarket what does an extra two minutes or even less picking up a duvet or a kettle make. Realistically what difference does that make?
Burnout101 · 24/10/2020 11:53

[quote RoxytheRexy]@Burnout101 Fantastic reply. That’s awesome

Thank you so much for your information. You truly are a bastion of light and hope during these dark times[/quote]
I help people with what they need 40hrs a week, I think finding what you need and even giving you the group name as a pointer is enough on my day off.

headstrong27 · 24/10/2020 11:54

🎻

thevassal · 24/10/2020 11:54

@justchecking1

I don't understand the rage here.

The bottom line is we're not supposed to leave the house unless for essential reasons. If something is available on line then it's not essential to leave your house to get it, is it?

You can still have all the frivolous shit your heart desires, you just can't go out to buy it!

I'm not sure what the issue is?

a) because there's no logic or scientific rationale behind it

b) it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc. Yet real "frivolous shit" like wine, chocolate, lottery tickets and fags are freely available.

c) some people don't easily use the internet. Even for those that do, if you don't have amazon prime then it can take 4-5 days for something to be delivered. That's if you are at home all day and not, for example, a nurse working night shifts...

RoxytheRexy · 24/10/2020 11:55

@BooksAreNotEssentialInWales Exactly. I’ve had my hours changes due to Covid so I’m getting £200 less a month now. For some of us spending £1.50 on a birthday card is the only option. I got paid on Wednesday so was planning on getting stuff this weekend. I honestly had no idea that large supermarkets would be blocking off whole aisles of stuff

Noideawottodo · 24/10/2020 11:56

@Oulidae

You should only be in a supermarket for absolute essentials, e.g. Food & drink. So you're in and out as quickly as possible..... Anything else just order online. Not sure why that's controversial in a lockdown where the entire point is that you should only be leaving the house for essentials?
How does picking up a birthday card, wearing a mask, socially distanced, even if you take 2 minutes to.decide which one,.going to make a blind bit of difference.

It's depressing how people have swallowed this hook line and sinker

TheGreatWave · 24/10/2020 11:56

hang on, this makes no bloody sense, so seemingly I couldn't pick a kettle up from the shelf in Sainsbury's, but I could get one in Argos located within Sainsbury's.

StoicWalrus · 24/10/2020 11:56

Pumpkins are FOOD. Why would anyone think they'd suddenly become non-essential? Are butternut squash non-essential? Oh my god, is this all a ploy to bring back the Turnip Lantern?

JamminDoughnuts · 24/10/2020 11:58

that thread linked to from April was amazing.

ElizabethG81 · 24/10/2020 11:58

@StoicWalrus

Pumpkins are FOOD. Why would anyone think they'd suddenly become non-essential? Are butternut squash non-essential? Oh my god, is this all a ploy to bring back the Turnip Lantern?
Yes, they're food, but they might also lead to FUN, which is no longer allowed.
CounsellorTroi · 24/10/2020 11:59

it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc.

It’s not so long ago you wouldn’t have been able to buy any of this stuff in the supermarket anyway.

ElizabethG81 · 24/10/2020 12:00

The people going along with this shit really need to have their heads examined. Bonkers, the lot of you.

StripyHorse · 24/10/2020 12:00

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

My DD’s have to buy their our files, pens etc for sixth form.

Do they live near a Wilko? Pretty sure Wilko is still open. Also Poundland.

Do you take your lightbulb from room to room if one breaks.

You can if you like Confused We've had over a week's notice to buy spare light bulbs etc.

Boil water on the hob if your kettle breaks

Or nip to Wilko. Or Home Bargains. Or order one online. In the event that you're one of the - what - 3? people in Wales unfortunate enough to break their kettle in the next 17 days.

And books, they might as well just roll over to amazon now, bye bye high street.

www.hive.co.uk HTH.

We haven't had over a week's notice though... it was on Thursday that we found out that supermarkets wouldn't be able to sell non essentials.

And as for nipping to Wilko or Poundland - that means more travel so surely defeats the object. In fact I haven't got a Wilko in my county!

I support measures to prevent the spread of Covid but this is just damaging business to make it 'fair' for businesses that have to shut.

Mooseflake · 24/10/2020 12:05

It's exactly the same as the first lockdown - I don't understand why people don't actually remember this and suddenly it's all MDs fault!

Our local Tesco in April blocked off all of the aisles selling non-essential stuff ,clothes, toys etc.

ElizabethG81 · 24/10/2020 12:05

@CounsellorTroi

it's not just "frivolous shit" it's duvets, raincoats, umbrellas, socks, baby clothes, kettles, etc.

It’s not so long ago you wouldn’t have been able to buy any of this stuff in the supermarket anyway.

So that justifies blocking it off now? That's just crazy.
cologne4711 · 24/10/2020 12:06

Not sure why that's controversial in a lockdown where the entire point is that you should only be leaving the house for essentials

Because there is no one agreed definition of "essential". And because people are in the supermarket anyway to get their "essentials" so where's the issue in eg buying a pumpkin or, back in the UK national lockdown, an Easter egg. It's a ridiculous argument to run.

And because I think things like can openers and lightbulbs and indeed stationery are essential. Heck, even a printer might be essential if I work from home and mine breaks! In fact that did happen to me during lockdown but I was able to get one online (eventually, they were hard to come by).