Shopping alone during lock down

[AnxiousSM]

This applies to the current lockdown not in general.
Why can’t people shop alone? The only exception to this would be a parent with a child they don’t have childcare for. Zero excuse for family outings to the supermarket. If you have to be driven then can’t partner stay in the car?
All this bollocks about being unable to shop alone, there’s no reasonable excuse.

You’re all insane.

@LagunaBubbles

Fine. Your partner can wait outside

Why though?

You honestly have to ask? Ok then! So he isn’t clogging up the fucking store / increasing the risk for colleagues working!

You take a trolley - you do the shopping - and he will be at the door waiting for u!

Or you can swap. Doesn’t really matter.

@LagunaBubbles

Outside of lockdown who really cares? Never cease to amaze me what done Mnetters get het up about. I'm perfectly capable of shopping alone, but if I'm out with DH, we will often stop at the supermarket and shop together. Big deal.

Out of lockdown nobody does obviously!

You do get why the stores are stopping days out at the supermarkets don’t you?

Now l see why l actually have to spell it out when l help my colleagues in the door!

I actually have to point to sign with the trolley, withthe wording before they actually seem to compute!

Fucks sake!

I’ve had to make the shopping list a little more explanatory as I’m shielding, but my DH is doing an amazing job!
My absolute best tip is to use iPhone notes with checklist (?) feature to write a list and share it with him.
This means he can tick things off as he shops and it automatically puts the checked items to the end of the list. A bit of technology helps this process so much for the way his brain is wired!

@Thenosleepclub

Oh do FO @DitherFlicker

I meal plan, I go shopping one a week, maximum, usually once every 10 days. If I run out of milk or bread on day 5 of my DHs shifts, because he is one of the exact workers you are talking about, I'm supposed to either...
Leave my 2 under 5 kids home alone.
Feed them what little food we have left.
Join a support bubble just to go shopping once a week.
Or just SAFELY take them to the supermarket, in the trolley at all times.

Yes. Yes clearly this is how it's spreading.
Just stop the judgement.

Not sure why you have to be so nasty?

Pandemic or not, i know it is hard planning shopping with small DC. I've been lone parent with f/t job and three DC in the past, often without a car or freezer. It was hard to take them with me, even though life was 'normal' then. I learned to keep a few cartons of longlife milk and some part-baked baguettes in as backup - and yes, would concoct a meal from anything left in cupboard or fridge. Your meal planning is admirable by the way!

But, during a pandemic you can't 'SAFELY' take your children to the supermarket, even if they are in the trolley. Presumably they still breathe while they are in there? There are no guarantees - there is no 'safe'. All we can do is try and reduce risk.

Nobody is castigating anyone for a one-off emergency, but just for a few months, surely we all need an attitude change. No more just 'popping out' for anything'- a supermarket worker, another customer or a nurse or doctor could pay the price. Not to mention lockdown will last longer.... our children will lose more school, babies lose more socialisation, students lose more uni, , grandparents lose more hugs etc, etc.

[quote HexWitch]@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants if we're wearing masks and hand sanitising and social distancing, how are we putting anyone at risk? Unless of course you're saying those measures don't make any difference?

I'm in retail btw, and if families feel like bringing their children along responsibly for whatever reason, then that's neither my business nor yours. [/quote]
Masks, sanitising hands, social distancing helps, but it's not 100%

Not taking additional people shopping 100% stops them transmitting the virus.

It's really not complicated.

People putting other peoples lives at risk is everybody's business.

@withlotsoflove erm no, because it still needs to be carried through the store... and packed. And carried outside. Not all of us shop or live near big stores with trolleys. Particularly those of us in big cities. What tiny rock do you live under that this possibility hasn't occurred to you?

@withlotsoflove And if you indeed work in grocery retail (like I do), you'll be aware that baskets aren't even always available in busier stores, and even if they were, one person walking around with 3 baskets in a narrow aisle banging up other customers and colleagues, and then spending ages at self service packing up, is a bigger nuisance than one extra person shopping in the store.

I'm glad you live such a charmed life @WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants maybe you should be thankful you have the luxury of shopping alone rather than judgemental of those who don't.

Actually! If l was to take your issue at face value @Doodallysally - then more baskets are less able to spread COVID than a whole other human!

@TopSecretSquirrel

I went with my son in the first lockdown. I’d had very recent gallbladder surgery.

I wanted him to push the trolley and do the bag lifting. I needed to pay.

I didn’t think that was particularly unreasonable.

There are ways around this if you didn't want your son to use your card - prepaid cards etc. Did you need the excercise? I'd have thought you'd be better off resting after surgery.

I work in a large supermarket.
The supermarkets have their hands tied to an extent - police will not intervene.

It's getting better since the latest government emphasis, but throughout this we regularly see social groups of people shopping as they are clearly bored and just want something to do - wandering around, picking stuff up and consulting other group/family members about if they've tried it before, whether it looks nice and if they want it for lunch. HAVE THIS KIND OF DISCUSSION AT HOME AND MAKE A LIST FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

I have more sympathy for elderly couples who rely on each other to push/carry etc. And some sympathy for adults shepherding their elderly parent around -(though ideally they could also write a list?)

Less sympathy for two parents with a newborn -Dad, surely now's your time to step up and shop on your own. Love seeing a bloke going round with a headset talking to their partners about sanitary protection!

We're always more than happy to help people going round with an unfamiliar list who are are shopping for neighbours/the shielded etc.

@withlotsoflove

Please explain to me how ONE person can carry 4-5 baskets worth of shopping across a store?

The same weekly or monthly shop for a couple or a family, that fits into a trolley and a car in large format stores, or pallets for online delivery, how does ONE person carry that around a small format store (most metropolitan areas) in a single basket and then walk home? Because these stores have no trolleys.

What do people who don't have access to large format stores, trolleys and cars do? When they can't do multiple trips anymore to the shops either?

You’re still confusing me @Doodallysally
You either live in a metropolitan area which allows you to shop regularly- small manageable shops/ or u don’t?
If your only supermarket has baskets then you’d be absolutely fine to make regular trips throughout the week - surely? You could do that alone.
When l lived in London ( or wherever) l would do that anyway!

However you also mentioned that your store has not enough baskets : or... trolleys?

I have used online shopping for a long time , since I was expecting my twin daughters, now I have a singleton too 4 months ,so I don’t go to supermarkets shopping now , but I know it is extremely difficult for single parents & disabled , many hidden disabilities, hate people being challenged. Alas some will always take the big ship as an outing with mum dad gran 4 kids etc late night .

@withlotsoflove

And you're confusing me. There's a stay at home order, the entire purpose which is to reduce trips outside the home. Isnt making multiple trips when the same could be done in one defeating the purpose of the lockdown?

Why is it safer to make multiple trips where you're increasing the number of people you're coming into contact with on your way there and inside the store? Vs 2 people from the same household doing the trip together in one instance?

@withlotsoflove and yes stores do not have enough baskets. So I could make a trip, realise I can't carry it all inside the store alone as I have only 2 hands, come home. Then go back again to do the rest.

Putting me in contact with more people on the multiple trips to and from my house I've made, increasing the number of people people I now come into contact with... are you suggesting that is safer than 2 people from the same household making a single trip coming into contact with a limited number of people?

Also, small format stores do not stock trolleys, it is not part of their operating model. Even the city Lidl near me does not have trolleys as they don't have the space for them. It's not part of the convenience retail operation. Given a large number of people in this country shop in Express stores, Co-ops, Sainos Local etc - are restricted to baskets and told not to make unnecessary trips, can't get online delivery slots, it should be obvious why a couple needs to do their 'big' grocery shop together.

@Doodallysally l had a big response typed out for u yesterday.
I had then had another exhausting shift with people lying to me in order to shop with more than one.
So, whatever- l’m done.