to think some people are taking the piss now? Or is this still a thing?

jellyfishinatent · 2021-04-16T13:45:20+00:00

Joined a queue of about 6 people outside Tesco. Queued for maybe 3 minutes before I got to the front. Whilst waiting for the light to go green, a woman approached from the other side of the doors and stood as if waiting to go in. I looked at her (maybe looking slightly confused) and she murmered something about priority, NHS staff. I said 'pardon?' as couldn't quite hear and she said 'I get priority because I'm NHS staff' I smiled politely and said 'me too' but gestured to the queue behind. She stayed where she was and snuck in behind me when I went in! There were only 5 or so people behind me so not long to wait and fast moving queue Is this still a thing?! I know waitrose gave priority to NHS staff at all times during the first lockdown, and Sainsburys and Tesco had designated NHS times. However this is because the shops were chaos and there was no toilet roll/pasta/rice etc etc by the time some NHS staff finished long and traumatic shifts. Not a free pass forever to push to the front of the queue!

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 16/04/2021 14:48

Yanbu the nhs priority stuff is now bs and I’d be embarrassed to still try that line. Our local funfair is offering discounts to nhs staff, not to furlough workers or unemployed people, nope those with a secure job!

Kaptain · 16/04/2021 14:50

That was very cheeky! Bet she was shocked when you said you were NHS as well

CornishGem1975 · 16/04/2021 14:50

It's ridiculous. I (almost) understood it when the queues were massive and the shelves bare but now there is no need whatsoever. I say, almost, I didn't agree with it. Don't see why their need was greater than anyone else's, to be honest.

the80sweregreat · 16/04/2021 14:51

She's trying it on.

Creepygnochi · 16/04/2021 14:52

Some people will cling onto anything that makes them feel special or superior. It's symptomatic of low self-esteem.

KarmaStar · 16/04/2021 14:58

Yanbu her attitude was selfish.

radiateforme · 16/04/2021 15:14

My dad is NHS and the only time he ever jumped a queue was when one of his patients recognised him and caused a massive palaver going on to the whole queue about how people like him are heroes and tried to get everyone to clap. Cringe as fuck and my dad nearly died of embarrassment.

Upamountain43 · 16/04/2021 15:26

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Yanbu the nhs priority stuff is now bs and I’d be embarrassed to still try that line. Our local funfair is offering discounts to nhs staff, not to furlough workers or unemployed people, nope those with a secure job!

I agree My daughter is a firefighter so secure job and worked all through lockdown and she got really annoyed at all the freebies and offers they were getting - she wanted them to go to those furloughed or lost their income.

I think NHS staff need to jump queues now is less than many people with disabilities who have really struggled during lockdown.

CornishGem1975 · 16/04/2021 16:08

I don't think NHS EVER needed to queue jump tbf.

Shehasadiamondinthesky · 16/04/2021 16:13

I haven't ever jumped a queue throughout the pandemic. I've taken advantage of the early NHS opening hours at the supermarket when that was a thing but otherwise I wouldn't have the nerve.

Saz12 · 16/04/2021 16:15

I don’t think all nhs staff should get perks. EG consultants don’t really need money-off discounts, nhs back office staff didn’t face more risk than(eg) supermarket staff, etc. But ambulance crew, respiratory people, nurses on ICT, HDU... they definitely deserve some perks! I’ve had some furlough and wouldn’t have accepted any “discount voucher” type stuff (and can definitely wait in a queue!).

hettie · 16/04/2021 16:16

I have literally done this once, when there was no food for dinner , my husband was floored with Covid, and I was coming back late from work....At the time I could have hugged the nice Waitrose man (I was soo tired). I would be raising a massive eyebrow to any of my colleagues pulling this now

TheLastLotus · 16/04/2021 16:17

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Yanbu the nhs priority stuff is now bs and I’d be embarrassed to still try that line. Our local funfair is offering discounts to nhs staff, not to furlough workers or unemployed people, nope those with a secure job!

That’s because it’s the ones with the secure jobs that have the money 😂 Discounts were never about businesses’ goodness of heart

hettie · 16/04/2021 16:19

The discount stuff.....meh it's been around for years, blue light card etc... Just marketing and purchasing power really, like Mumsnet discounts...

Isaidnope · 16/04/2021 16:20

@hettie

I have literally done this once, when there was no food for dinner , my husband was floored with Covid, and I was coming back late from work....At the time I could have hugged the nice Waitrose man (I was soo tired). I would be raising a massive eyebrow to any of my colleagues pulling this now

Should you have been at work and in a shop if your DH had covid?!

She was trying it on. I don’t think they ever deserved the right to queue jump and it’s embarrassing some of them still think they do.

greeneyedlulu · 16/04/2021 16:20

I was recently queuing for the supermarket and it was me and an elderly gentleman in front of me and a NHS staff member did this too. I was a bit as I thought it unfair to push in front of the elderly gentleman but he pulled her up on it.
I also saw one of the mums from school pull her NHS ID badge out to pay for ice creams from the ice cream van which I thought was strange, fair enough doing that to the big corporate companies who can afford it, but I thought it was a bit mean to do it for ice cream.

RachelRavenRoth · 16/04/2021 16:22

@CornishGem1975

I don't think NHS EVER needed to queue jump tbf.

I agree with this totally. I know a nurse who was is always posting about how she is nhs and works such long hours. she NEVER mentions she works 3 days a week, sometimes 4. Go to Asda on one of your 4 days off if you're that bothered

UhtredRagnarson · 16/04/2021 16:27

I guarantee you if that happened where I am everyone in the queue would have told her “yep, me too- we’re all NHS”

CornishGem1975 · 16/04/2021 16:30

Exactly @RachelRavenRoth. I had friends who would pull their 'NHS card' but had totally capable husbands who could have also shopped at any point.

Why their need for food is any greater than anyone else's is beyond me. Especially given the ludicrous amount of food donations from restaurants etc that were being taken to staff at our local hospital.

Kaptain · 16/04/2021 16:30

@hettie

I have literally done this once, when there was no food for dinner , my husband was floored with Covid, and I was coming back late from work....At the time I could have hugged the nice Waitrose man (I was soo tired). I would be raising a massive eyebrow to any of my colleagues pulling this now

You went shopping when your husband had Covid?!

ThisIsMeOrIsIt · 16/04/2021 16:31

I was frustrated by the NHS early opening during the first lockdown. I'm a teacher so couldn't get to the shops before 4pm at the absolute earliest and often find there was very little. I'd love to have gone before work, but the hour for those with needs and the hour for NHS meant I couldn't get in before I had to be at school at the latest (8:30am). I didn't begrudge those with needs but the NHS one was frustrating. I could not do my shop in the day, yet NHS staff working part-time or those working from home had more chance yet were given priority and a discount!

Very, very cheeky to still be wanting priority given the different circumstances now.

Ginuwine · 16/04/2021 16:32

@hettie

I have literally done this once, when there was no food for dinner , my husband was floored with Covid, and I was coming back late from work....At the time I could have hugged the nice Waitrose man (I was soo tired). I would be raising a massive eyebrow to any of my colleagues pulling this now

Yikes... this is genuinely scary

UhtredRagnarson · 16/04/2021 16:37

You went shopping when your husband had Covid?!

And to work!

Kaptain · 16/04/2021 16:39

@UhtredRagnarson

You went shopping when your husband had Covid?!

And to work!

OMG, good point! You went to work in the NHS, and then shopping, when your husband had Covid???!!!! @hettie

pointythings · 16/04/2021 16:47

I've never used the NHS COVID privileges because I'm back office. I was working much longer hours than usual (14 hour days at the height of wave 1) but not clinically at risk.

Using it now is definitely taking the piss.