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

[jellyfishinatent]

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!

Priority not necessary any more. Since when was it necessary for nhs staff to push in front of you going into b and q ?? Should have stopped by now.

There was a queue a few weeks ago and it was moving at normal pace... Until I got to the front of the line of course.. where one after another a person would jump to front of queue... Some saying they worked for nhs (doorman didn't ask to see badges).. 1 person just came with their baby and said they needed to grab something quick... Another person said their spouse was in there... Another person said they needed to use the toilet...

I lost it and ended up leaving after 15 minutes. That was at waitrose.

Mountain Rescue are the problem round here, barging in with their bloody great St Bernards, brandy barrels knocking children over, tails swishing about thumping old ladies, but on the plus side a number of kids stuffed a pound coin in its mouth believing it to be a ride whilst waiting in the queue at the Tesco Metro and the owner was very, very pleased.

@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

Anybody actually using their brain and thinking it was probably after the infectious period. Plus if this pp is nhs would be having regular tests. Some people can't resist having a go.

@hettie

Wow....ermmm like I would have ever thought to go out the house when he/we might haven infectious.. Sorry for upping everyone's blood pressure . Just assumed that was taken as read

It was by some of us. Hope your dh recovers soon.

@radiateforme that made me chuckle, I can picture my dads face. If someone did that for my dad he would be mortified and so embarrassed. 🤣😂 mental note on how to get revenge in the future

I was glad to join the queues last year, so I was out of the house longer and actually got to see real live people!

Also what’s with the lumping together of everyone as ‘NHS staff?’
NHS staff does NOT equal medical frontline person at risk FF... plenty of secretaries accountants and IT people etc in the NHS who WFH and had nothing special going on in the pandemic that the rest of us didn’t have to deal with

Anybody actually using their brain and thinking it was probably after the infectious period

I didn't use my brain. Sorry @hettie

Tesco says it’s still a thing probably because they don’t want the tabloid headlines and sad face photos when they pull it. But it’s absurd and should be long gone. It made sense for a few weeks, nearly a year ago. As far as I’m concerned it’s now as relevant as clapping and the rainbow merchandise. The only people who should be queue jumping are people with disabilities that prevent them from queuing. There’s ample food available, usual supermarket hours and lots of delivery slots - no one needs “priority hours” or queue passes anymore.

Such an embarrassment. Cheeky cow.

[quote hettie]@Crayfishforyou Not a chance in the early days we isolated for every cough and sniffle, fat lot of bloody good it did us. Sorry you too have been struck down too. It's truly shit, poor old DH has been stoic about it but it's been life changing and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Sorry I didn't make it clear. In my defense I am extremely tired...[/quote]

It’s definitely still a thing as it was announced on the Asda tannoy service last week.

But asking to be prioritised ahead of 6 people is more queue jumping out of superiority rarher than any real need.

There’s still a big sign up at our Sainsbury’s saying nhs can skip the queue.

I think the worst was a beautician who wore scrubs to go out to dinner with her husband and child and said she worked for the NHS to get all the discount!

God, how embarrassing. I wish Tesco’s would pick one way or the other - they’ve got rid of the door person who stopped everyone bringing the world and his wife with them to their weekly shop, which is fucking annoying and unnecessary at any time , nothing to do with Covid. Beyond me why anyone sees the weekly shop as a family leisure activity.

Wow - how quickly people forget! Why did NHS get priority in the first lockdown - because they were working tons of extra hours, different shifts, difficult secondments and in the front line of people dying when treatments were still uncertain. A lot of people had extremely limited time to get to the shops and needed to be looked after - because any of you writing could have needed their services at any time.

This have changed over time, so I dont think it is valid now. But the people saying it should never have been a thing, shame on you.

@Babygotblueyes

Wow - how quickly people forget! Why did NHS get priority in the first lockdown - because they were working tons of extra hours, different shifts, difficult secondments and in the front line of people dying when treatments were still uncertain. A lot of people had extremely limited time to get to the shops and needed to be looked after - because any of you writing could have needed their services at any time.

This have changed over time, so I dont think it is valid now. But the people saying it should never have been a thing, shame on you.

Some frontline staff were. Not all of the NHS, not even most of them. Also, they didn’t get priority because they needed it, they got priority because the supermarkets knew it would be good marketing.