To think the Armed Forces should be manning supermarkets already?

[Worried01]

I think the chaos and lack of goods in the supermarkets is a bigger worry for most people than the actual virus at the moment.

Why haven’t the forced been deployed to keep the calm.

They could only let an amount of people in at any one time so the staff could better manage the maximum items people take and restock, keep the peace and deter the greedy panic stockers from keeping on returning to get more. Give prefer to the elderly and infirm.

Surely this is necessary before all the supermarkets reserves are all piled into peoples sitting rooms?

This panic buying is unlikely to abate now the schools are closing and we are being told it’ll be 12 weeks before the government know more about the spread of the disease.

I agree with you OP. Something needs to be done. There's not enough police so there's little choice other than the forces. They're not all trigger happy ill educated grunts in fact hardly any of them are. They're a highly trained force who receive training in managing civilian environments when necessary.

You think the armed forces being present will enforce calm?

I imagine HM Armed Forces have more important things to do!

Why wouldn't it? What are you scared of? They'd not be armed in a civilian none conflict environment. Even just Royal Military Police would be a start.

What laws have people broken?

Attacking each other and verbally abusing and threatening staff members for starters.

This is still a free country. The army has no role in our supermarkets. Though if they individually volunteer to shop for the elderly and vulnerable, 👍

Do you want them with or without the ak-47's, OP?

Do you want them with or without the ak-47's, OP?*

Well the usual individual weapon for a British soldier is the SA80. But you just keep on conjuring up hyperbolic scenarios of soldiers running amok in the frozen food aisle with automatic weapons

YgritteSnow she said she wanted the armed forces, so I’m guessing she wants them too.

Fair play, there are some right twats in the world, and they really need educating before speaking too...

Leaannb I don't think understand what martial law is. There are plans to deploy to troops, as there are in every crisis/emergency they will be assisting the NHS, police, fire brigade etc. They will be driving medical supplies and keeping the supply chain going for things like petrol. This is nothing like martial law.

I'm ex army - could you tell ? My Dad was also in the army for 25 years. I just really dislike the immediate dismissal of soldiers as aggressive, mindless thugs just waiting to whip out a rifle and riddle someone with billets that is so prevalent on MN. It's just not like that. In my experience many young people join because they have very little else available to them. They're just young people who find a place and quite often absolutely love it. You do get to travel, if you show a skill or ability in something for example sport or playing an instrument you can do that and will be wildly encouraged to do it. They love sport and marching bands in the army 😁. They receive a wide range of training in all areas of life and as surprising as it might seem actually have civilian friends and family so aren't actually looking to throw down with anyone they come across. There's always a few bad eggs in every walk of life though, I do get that, cake across a few myself when I was in.

Obviously having the forces on civilian streets is not ideal but nothing about our current situation is ideal.

As a supermarket worker I think I would quite like to wander round with an AK -47. I am used to being abused and threatened but this has ramped up dramatically since Friday. When I (poiletly) told a customer they could only buy 3 of a product yesterday the answer was fuck off you cant tell me what to buy, try and stop me and I will punch your fucking face in.
Amongst todays gems was a very well dressed and well spoken man who came out with people like you haven't got a pot to piss in you should be glad of the sales keeps you in a job.
People are rude nasty and selfish. 2 weeks everybody was banging on be kind this week its all as long as I'm alright Jack fuck everyone else

Surely this is a job for now out of work nightclub/pub/sports event security professionals not the army.

Yes, I too am super excited for incoming facism

Ygrette amen my DH is a reservist (slightly unusual in that he has never been full time military) but joined up in his 30s to "give some back" to society and the country. He takes his responsibility very seriously and is not about to start shooting Bob from number 47 if he decides to try and buy two packs of bog roll.

Jason Polpot I take it you will refuse oxygen delivery by the nasty soldier boys if you end up on a ventilator and you won't want to be treated by a military nurse either or use an evil facist military ventilator.

about how everyone is such meanies the poor army boys

You do realise that women make up a large proportion of our forces don't you? No probably not. It's clear from all your posts that you don't have first idea about how modern British Forcea looks and as you say, you don't give a shit either. I imagine that when/if the time comes that they're needed you won't accept any assistance from them. I'm sure you won't because that would make you a massive hypocrite of course

Your having a laugh I think there are other more pressure things they can help with. I think it will probably come down to rationing.

Glad I live where I do,just a little coop and village Post Office,the only thing we can’t get is loo roll.

What a ridiculous notion, people will see a soldier and buy less food.

There is a limit in most supermarkets now. Things will calm down.

Can’t we just regulate it ourselves like sane human beings
Obviously not based on what's going on in my city. There are empty shelves in my local supermarket. There are empty freezers on Iceland and FarmFoods. There's no soap in Boots. And on top of this we're likely to get an influx of second home owners to put even more pressure on our very limited supplies.

The army will be too busy removing corpses from overworked crematorium, like what happened in Bergamot, to bother with securing the stores, which have seen massive sales this week and can well afford private security.