Poundland made my 9 year old wait outside the shop..aibu to think it's out of order?

[pointlesss]

Popped into Poundland after school with my daughter.
They have 1 till on and the other side is self service.
Got to the checkout and the lady stops us and says "are you both together? "
I said yes
Then she reply's "I'm sorry but only 1 person allowed at checkout due to social distancing.
There was a queue of a few behind but nobody to our side of us.
So she said unless one of us went outside the store she was unable to serve me.
My daughter waited just outside the front door.
Aibu to think that's ridiculous?
Bare in mind no social distancing in any of the aisles,people walking all over the shop.
Yet my daughter couldn't stand next to me whilst I paid and packed my bag.

Do people ever think about what the word 'jobsworth' actually means, before tossing it out as an insult?

It's short for 'it's more than my job's worth [to do this]'

I.e. the 'jobsworths' you complain about are worried they'll lose their job if they don't enforce the policies their head offices have made.

Losing their jobs = unable to feed their families, forced to join the mass of people unemployed as a result of Covid19, possibly with 'gross misconduct' on their reference.

So, just think about the term 'jobsworth' before deploying it as a lazy insult.

@Halliehallie9828

I wouldn’t of made my laughed for outside in the dark. Ridiculous suggestion. Poundland could of kept there stuff, miserable cow. I went in the pound shop today and my daughter didn’t have to wait outside so she was probably just being thick and not getting the rules.

Pot, kettle here. You calling someone thick when the first part of your sentence makes no sense. Also you have a nerve calling someone thick when you say of twice instead of have. 💁🏻‍♀️

This instruction would of come from head office And if the manager had of seen 2 customers in the checkout area the retail worker would of got into trouble! Dammed if she does, dammed if she doesn't!

YANBU You should call your local newspaper. I am a journalist and I would write this story if I wasn’t on mat leave. Which branch was it? I’m actually so annoyed I want to write it!

'spoilt'? What spoiling your 9 year old by caring 'too' much, jeez

@MustardMitt

Also - just to ask again - does no one take their kid out and ever go to the toilet on their own? For example, if you’re female and they’re male? Or is it different because you’re not being asked to do that?

Exactly, DS has been using the men's or waiting outside the women's since he was 6, don't think I've ever seen a boy who looked over 8 in the women's!

companies are also at the mercy of covid audits....they turn up randomly with no notice!

I would use the power of social media & post on either their Facebook or twitter feed, okay two adults can't shop together, but refusing entry to a nine year old just isn't on. Post your complaint on their page & shame them.

Ooh yes, write an article about her, then maybe she will get sacked from her minimum wage job.

Are you a character in An Inspector Calls?

Maybe you could also work up a Twitter mob against her.

I rang and spoke to someone (claimed she was manager ) she's said that it is policy 1 person at checkout but it doesn't include kids.
She apologised and said they had new Xmas staff in.
No harm done I guess.
At least I don't have to panic about that next time I shop.

@Jenpy

YANBU You should call your local newspaper. I am a journalist and I would write this story if I wasn’t on mat leave. Which branch was it? I’m actually so annoyed I want to write it!

It must be a slow news day where you are .

There's an election going on in the US if any journalists are so short of fodder that they have to write about this kind of non-event.

I do occasionally leave my 9 year old outside of shops in our local village where I can see him, but I would not have been happy having him be outside at our local Poundland as it's a very busy high street on a busy road.

I went to Poundland today with my 2 DS' and they weren't asked to leave, so maybe the individual stores are having their own rules.

@Jenpy

YANBU You should call your local newspaper. I am a journalist and I would write this story if I wasn’t on mat leave. Which branch was it? I’m actually so annoyed I want to write it!

why would you want to inflame the situation with Covid....retailers are trying to keep everyone safe and have a duty of care to their staff who have no choice but to stand there!!

disgusting that a journalist would want to make a shit situation worse, but no surprise really

P.s I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble
I was just annoyed at the time.
I used to work in retail myself so know the dodgy customers you get.
I don't want to name the branch as now I know it was a mistake ..I don't want to get her in trouble first week.

@Nat6999

I would use the power of social media & post on either their Facebook or twitter feed, okay two adults can't shop together, but refusing entry to a nine year old just isn't on. Post your complaint on their page & shame them.

RTFT!!!

a 9 year old was NOT refused entry!!

The ridiculousness of this is they'll have spent (for example) 10 minutes walking round the store together in busy aisles, including queuing for the tills. But cannot spend a further 3 minute (for example) stood together at the checkout. Does no one see the absolute stupidly or these rules??

This is wrong and potentially puts a child at risk. I would be taking to twitter.

Stupidity even. Flipping phone hates me

But you will have got her in trouble. You rang her manager.

I would have walked out

‘The ridiculousness of this is they'll have spent (for example) 10 minutes walking round the store together in busy aisles, including queuing for the tills. But cannot spend a further 3 minute (for example) stood together at the checkout. Does no one see the absolute stupidly or these rules??‘

If they are following the rules they stayed 2 metres away from other people during that time, which is impossible at the till. How is that ridiculous?

I think it's been asked earlier but can't see an answer - was your daughter wearing a mask? Even though my 8 yr old doesn't have to, I get him to wear a mask in shops out of respect for the staff's health. For all I know he's a merry little asymptomatic super spreader.

Well done for calling her manager.

@pointlesss

I rang and spoke to someone (claimed she was manager ) she's said that it is policy 1 person at checkout but it doesn't include kids. She apologised and said they had new Xmas staff in. No harm done I guess. At least I don't have to panic about that next time I shop.

Oh now you've gone and spolit the evening of all the frothing posters by having a perfectly reasonable resolution to the incident

Although I'm sure they will be numerous responses from those who don't even read the OP's posts

@ChloeCrocodile

Absolute jobs worth!!!

Many high street chains employ mystery shoppers (ie spies) and the checkout person (likely on minimum wage) could be sacked for failing to enforce health and safety protocol. She could also be ECV herself. It’s easy to call someone a jobs worth but far harder to risk your ability to feed your kids for the sake of a stranger.

A 9 year old child. That’s right, a 9 year old child!!!

Utterly ridiculous and yes jobsworth!