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?

@Meepmeeep

I live in Scotland but during our first and second lockdowns my husband was working abroad so I had no choice but to take my baby shopping with me. I did get a few judgemental looks from Covid police like yourself. I’m sure they would have been far more judgy if I’d just left my child at home or going by the reaction on here to non vulnerable people using delivery slots I’d have been criticised for that too.

That is totally not what the OP is saying though. She's already said single parents are obviously the exception. She is talking about multiple adults and children shopping together when they don't need to.

@GeorgiaMcGraw But it's not just a space issue is it? Clearly the more people we are in contact with, the more likely Covid is likely to spread.

where did you learn this rule? tell me, there is some resource where you can find out all the detailed rules, I would not want to break

I think YABU. They are guidelines not rules. I just think about my family and don't focus on others - less stress and much nicer.

Yanbu op. I was raging last weekend, did a dash into primark as twins needed stock up of new pants socks and basics and the place was full and I mean FULL of complete families ie mum, dad, two or three kids plus baby in buggy. Wtf is wrong with people?? Why would you even want to drag the entire family around primark anyway? Fwiw I left and went to the m and s next door, spent about three times more than I wanted to but the place was pretty empty.

Shopping probably isn’t that high risk if you’re wearing masks and distancing, but I would still be a bit pissed off if I had to wait longer queued up outside in the cold because somebody doesn’t think her husband can manage shopping all by himself.

We go shopping together because we want to.

So stick that up your covid police pipe and smoke it.

Obviously things are different at the moment and we shop singly, but pre Covid, we often shopped together. Neither of us find it boring, even food shopping. We aren't joined at the hip, we do plenty of things apart, but we both like to choose our food together.

To make you all hate and judge us even more, we are retired, shop together(pre Covid) and shopped any day and time of the week we want, including Saturdays.

@BashfulClam

We go together. I have specific dietary needs, DH can’t fathom what to get for me and he drives as I get anxious driving.

He could wait in the car. No need to be adding to the number of people in the supermarket.

@WindsorBlues As an aside, you may be able to get a priority slot for home delivery if you are pregnant? I did with Sainsbury's and it was a lifesaver as no way was I risking the supermarket heavily pregnant!

[quote Nicknamegoeshere]@Meepmeeep I'm referring to families I saw with both parents.[/quote]
Fair enough you weren’t judging me, but people certainly did.

[quote Nicknamegoeshere]@ReneeRol What do you mean? So it's like a family day out?!!! Really?!!![/quote]
I use it as a learning experience. Its very important to teach kids how to shop

The quicker people learn to mind their own business, and only focus on whether THEY are sticking to the rules, the better 👍

[quote Nicknamegoeshere]@WindsorBlues As an aside, you may be able to get a priority slot for home delivery if you are pregnant? I did with Sainsbury's and it was a lifesaver as no way was I risking the supermarket heavily pregnant! [/quote]
We shop in Lidel - they don't do deliveries.

Because mental well-being is equally as important as physical well-being. Doing something like this helps some people stay sane through difficult times. An element of normality. Something to do. Getting out of the house.

There's nothing wrong with that and you can criticise all you like but it shows you as rather narrow minded. Presuming everyone else should feel like you do and if they don't they are being unreasonable. You can't know what people are going through or their choice of coping mechanisms - more so when that choice is so restricted.

I don't even bloody notice who else is in the supermarket. I just get on with what I'm doing.

I expect the OP is the type to judge what's in other peoples shopping trolleys too.

Because there is only so long you can expect humans not to act like humans.

Maybe it's worth people checking out the stats on people who have caught covid in the supermarket...

There are so many reasons why people might shop together or with kids. Get on with your own life, your own decisions and if something is 'guidance' then leave people to make their own decisions on it. There's a reason it's not law. Surely we have enough big problems to worry about without judging everyone we see as well? (Saying this as someone who has lost someone to covid, had it myself and is what you could consider a 'rule abider')

YANBU—it drives me nuts, sometimes the shop is totally chock a block because of this. Of course there are exceptions, but if shops were being run properly you should have to have an exception to be allowed to do this.

TBH though I find smug, tied at the hip shopping couples to be the absolute worst at the best of times. Just radiating smugness and blocking you from getting at products as they want to stare at everything for ages.

Food shopping is still open because it’s essential, not because the government wants to encourage you to have a jolly around there. Go to the park instead!

@Rhine I’m with you on that one. I can’t think of anything stranger than doing a food shop as a family. DP knows what sainsburys stocks so he does his list, DD asks me for stuff and I go and do the shop on my own. I don’t need DP holding my hand or pushing the trolley for me. Sadly enough I actually quite enjoy it

We go together because we want to and we can. It’s that simple.

@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.

Because some people realize there is no such thing as getting a virus to bugger off?

No one cares about the guidance.

People are boasting about buying Christmas presents, make-up and other "essentials"
Why should couple follow guidelines when no-one else does?

At least be honest though.
Even if only 1 person drives, the other one could stay in the car. People just chose to shop together. No one will check, no one will issue fines in this country, so why wouldn't they.
And "shopping is a learning experience" for kids? In the middle of a lockdown? It's laughable.

Oops... I went food shopping with DH today. Left kids at home (don't panic, they're old enough), my husband normally goes on his own as I don't drive but I needed to get out of the house.

We're very careful, sanitise hands, wear masks, clean the trolley and observe social distancing.

@Artus I also love shopping with my OH. It was our "norm" before Covid. We always used to grab a coffee and cake together afterwards and it was lovely.

However, due to Covid we shop alone currently. Yes it's nice to shop together and all of that, but it's a small sacrifice for protecting others and keeping the NHS functional. My coffee is not as important as keeping safe those who are more vulnerable than us.