To be annoyed at people shopping in families/couples?

[Nicknamegoeshere]

So I went to the supermarket to do my weekly shop today. Left the baby and my OH at home as I understand the current rules re Covid to be shop alone where possible.

Now I totally respect that in certain circumstances there has to be exceptions to this rule e.g. for lone parents, shopping with a vulnerable person etc.

However, there were a huge number of large families (with both parents) shopping today, lots and lots of couples (young/middle-aged) etc.

Why are so many people blatantly ignoring the guidance?

I went to the shop with DH yesterday as we were on the way back from a walk. It was a large supermarket with no queue so we both just popped in - nothing to do with either of us being incapable of doing a shop, it’s just something we typically do together. If the shop was operating as one in one out, I’d have waited in the car.

We’ve followed lock down to the letter and both work from home so very low risk, and at the moment, the supermarket is just something to do! Seeing as we live together, as mentioned up thread, it’s probable we either both have it or don’t, so little difference in terms of risk.

Posted too soon. And not sure my thought is clear.

But that’s against the law. So I don’t.

But other people get to leave their partners and go shopping and come back to them.

Some of us don’t get that.

Try having some empathy.

The reasons for people doing this are far and wide. I am pregnant and have got hyperemesis, I go to see if I can actually see just one thing I might want to eat to put in the trolley. I've had to leave several times due to nausea and vomiting and there's no way I could do a full shop. But that one thing I do manage to put in the trolley because I think I can eat it makes a huge difference.

Just keep social distance and let people get on with their shopping!

@Winterwoollies

Everyone fed up with the sanctimonious, ranting CoVID-19 threads, say aye.

Aye.

Because life is so joyless shopping for groceries is the only pleasure.

The lockdown vigilante are out in full force again I see.

@Glassythighs

I don’t drive and DP is hopeless at choosing the shopping even with a list so we go together whether op likes it or not.

Well DO can wait in car or he can get a grip and learn how to shop properly.

Appreciate you aren't the only one who mentioned a reason but most of them are poor excuses and could be got around.

Some supermarkets actually enforce this at the door. I had a young man doing g this during first lockdown when I rocked up with autistic ds.

Despite me repeatedly saying I'm a LP, he's disabled, both my parents are ECV as on chemo and so I'm also shopping for them (so they couldn't do mine) he kept repeating "if you could come alone"

It was the guy behind me who was a superstar when he asked the bloke if he was actually listening to me or just spouting the company line!

DH and I will be doing the food shop together because we always do, we both like to choose what we want. Plus it's something to do as nothing else is open. Couldn't care less what anyone else thinks about it 🤷

Tbh I'll carry on shopping with DH whenever I feel like it because I don't really care about the frothing sanctimony on from some quarters on MN.

Also can we please not have these stupid threads again like last time? Just MYOB FFS!

Get a shopping trolley or a wheelie suitcase if you don't/can't drive. My sister does this. It is ten minute walk to the shops. Gosh she can get some amount of stuff in that bag! Kids stay home with Dad. It is her "ME" time. And the steps are building up too!

Just saying that there are solutions out there. But everyone will have an exemption of one type or another, that's normal. But to go on an outing to the supermarket en famille when it is not necessary is laughable.

Calmandmeasured, shops will have a maximum number of people they are allowed to have in the store for the whole store to meet social distancing rules. You wouldn’t let 3000 people in a mini mart for example, because it would prevent people from being able to socially distance. So shops work out maximum number of customers.

So they put in place guidelines asking people not to shop together unnecessarily, as doing so increases the number in the shop and prevents others coming in. Ultimately they are not going to prevent groups coming in together because that would potentially break disability law. They have to leave it up to customer honesty, as with masks.

Drumstick, there are studies showing how numbers of people in a location increases risk due to viral load. It just isn’t cost effective on an individual level to track and trace 2000 people you were briefly in contact with while it is cost effective to track and trace 5 people you were in prolonged contact with. It doesn’t mean the total risk from the 5 is greater than the total risk from the 2000.

I went food shopping with DD today because there are 5 of us and I don't drive. I needed some help to carry it all 🤷🏻‍♀️

The worst kind of covid policing, judging what everyone else is doing in the supermarket! Get on with your own shopping and privately enjoy basking in the glory of your own superior decision-making instead of starting pearl-clutching, judgy threads about the behaviour of others.

It’s one of the sad, divisive characteristics to come to the fore with this crisis

[quote Nicknamegoeshere]@ivfbeenbusy What are all of those Hygiene Stations for then? Assuming most people don't lick trolley/basket handles?[/quote]
Probably to give people like you peace of mind. You do realise that the sanitation items in supermarkets have also been touched by hundreds of people in front of you - making them almost useless. So no, I don’t use them . Not because I think I’ll catch Covid from them, but because it’s a pointless exercise - to me anyway.

Dh drives me as it gets him out, and I then do the shopping whilst he reads or snoozes in the car. Works for us!

stupid people who use it as a day out. one woman had 2 kids with roller skates on, flaying around and grabbing onto shelves, idiots.

@LucyLastik

I went food shopping with DD today because there are 5 of us and I don't drive. I needed some help to carry it all 🤷🏻‍♀️

See shopping trolley/wheelie suitcases.

No one cares anymore, what works, works.

Lucky me, I am not in UK but checked delivery from my favourite supermarket. Tomorrow between 3 and 5 pm. Is this a record!

Rarely go shopping now it is just too mad.

@Stripesnomore

‘What exactly is the increased risk to your elderly parents of a couple doing the shopping as opposed to an individual? A couple will likely either both have covid or neither of them will have it.’

Isn’t it about viral load? The greater the viral load the more chance that you catch it. Do coming into contact with two people who have it increases the risk of catching it?

First off, the couple would have to be positive. Secondly, if everyone maintains social distancing, wears masks, didn't touch items they aren't going to buy and used sanitizer, the risk to others is absolutely tiny. Healthcare staff working with covid patients day in day out, they are the kind of people who face a high viral load risk.

I hate food shopping so will quite happily send DH on his own and if I have to go I don’t want kids or DH with me dragging it out.
I was in the supermarket yesterday and was shocked to see a couple, 2 daughters old enough to stay home and their grandmother all good shopping together. Excessive even when there isn’t a pandemic.

Some British (mostly English I think) are full on exceptionalist. Rules only apply to others of course.

I suppose since little else is open, the supermarket shop is the highlight of the week. God love em.

Smothering dreams, read the research and stats. There are differences in virus levels in commercial buildings and ventilation systems.

HCPs have not faced particularly high mortality rates. Security guard and taxi drivers are highest, and retail workers are above HCPs.

I don’t get it either. Even without a pandemic it’s shocking how few people can ‘manage’ a shop.

But I do care if they pass it on to my elderly parents who may die as a result

Aren’t you parents complying then either? Because if they were you’d not be worried right?