To ask people to think before attacking ALL bulk-buyers

[Lovingcup]

Yesterday my cousin, who works in a care home, was verbally attacked and left in tears by several fellow customers at a supermarket. Yes, she was buying more than most, but it was for the residents and not for personal use. I can understand that people feel very fraught at the moment, but I beg you to please take a minute to consider those who need to buy essentials for the most vulnerable in our society.

Even after trying to explain the situation, my cousin was shot down as people didn’t believe her. This has left an already anxious lady feeling as though she doesn’t want to go out again right now, when she’s one of the people we need to still be going out to work. I’ve told her next time to put a sign on her trolley so people can see what she’s doing but I’m doubtful it would be believed anyway based on yesterday.

Please be kind to our care workers, we need them more than ever now.

She is complaining about fellow customers not supermarket workers. If the supermarket has approved someone getting more than normal then there is no need for vigilante. After all is the government encouraging people to help the vulnerable? How can we help them if we will get verbally attack every time we buy something for ourselves and neighbours/ family/ friends who need shopping but can’t do it.

The reality is, nobody is anymore important than anyone else.

I haven't been able to get out shopping as I'm in a vulnerable group. I'm actively socially distancing/self isolating for my and other's health (even though I don't have any symptoms). I have to go out today to get food. And there's probably going to be fuck all there because of bulk buyers, people going in multiple times, etc.

Why would my needs be any less important than another family's? I still have a 1 year old DD to feed.

The reality is, a lot of people are struggling and are fed up of going into shops daily to get fuck all. Emotions are going to be high.

People in care home settings need to start making arrangements with the shops themselves so that people don't see you carting out tonnes of stuff. It just makes people feel agitated.

I was just reading this:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-51907474

While the boy meant well and is to be applauded for his generosity, I couldn't help thinking that sorting out his neighbours (who may or may not have been in desperate need) meant depriving others of loo rolls - possibly a case where an adult should have stepped in to kindly point out the flaws in his plan.

I can't get any pasta anywhere, it's getting annoying. I'm not in vulnerable group but DH and i are nhs workers and we have a 1 year old so getting out to shops isn't all that flexible for us. You better believe I'd be cross if I saw someone clear out all the pasta before I got there for a care home. I just want 1 bag I have none.

@TheGoogleMum where did I say she was clearing out all the pasta? She wasn’t emptying the shelves, just getting some essentials for the residents.

Our pre school had the same issue. Normally has a delivery every week. The last order was capped to two item for certain things which didn't help when they had 30 kids to feed and take care of. Then when going to book the next weeks slot it wasn't available for nearly 2 weeks later so they had to go shopping. Whilst they weren't verbally abused they did get some very unpleasant looks.

Why are places like care homes not bulk buying in shops like costco regardless of the current situation?

1. Because supermarkets are often cheaper than wholesalers.
2. Because sometimes wholesalers are out of stock.

When we had a "corner shop" many years ago, I'd go to our local KwikSave shop almost every day and get two trolley loads of food etc as most things were cheaper than the Bookers wholesalers we used. There was also the issue of needing to buy 12 or 24 from a wholesaler which for smaller shops etc is far too much and would last weeks/months whereas we could buy 2 or 3 of an item at a supermarket.

It's also well known that small cafes etc get their bread etc from supermarkets - again dozens of loaves at a time. Bread isn't particularly cheap nor readily available from Bookers and similar wholesalers.

@Orangecake123
Not to scare anyone, but
You are scaremongering actually.

I work in a supermarket. I've had a fair few very annoyed customers (we've put a limit of two items, three for some things but that's the max, and it's one of toilet rolls). They ALL have their reasons for wanting lots of things - 'I've got four children at home', 'I'm shopping for my auntie and my gran' 'I've completely run out because I didn't panic buy so my cupboards are empty'.

And while I have the greatest sympathy for them, we HAVE to stick to our guns otherwise there are elderly and vulnerable people who are missing out, because someone else got in first with their 'big family stuck at home'.

I work in a supermarket. I've had a fair few very annoyed customers

I hate that it's supermarket workers getting the blame for this when they're in the same boat themselves.

I "stock piled" slowly over a month, and we're having smaller meals, snack rations and trying to make things last. Supermarkets are a nightmare at the moment and I don't want to go until we literally have nothing left.

things will calm down.

In Ireland, on the day they announced that the schools were closing, apparently the gardai were called at a few branches of Aldi and Tesco.

But things go back to normal. I went to Tesco last night and everything was calm, shelves stocked, got what I needed, stood 2 metres away from the person who checked out my shopping, payed contactless, left, walked home.

IT WILL ALL CALM DOWN.

@TheGoogleMum I can’t unders the reliance on pasta. What’s wrong with potatoes, rice or bread as a substitute? It’s all carbs.

In Ireland we are about 2 weeks ahead of the UK in relation to this. Our supermarkets have all calmed down. All stock back on shelves, plenty of everything and people completely stopped panic buying.

Surely care home workers would be classed as vulnerable shoppers, due to the people they care for, and be able to attend the supermarkets who have special one hour morning slots? People shopping in these slots would obviously not confront anyone as they would appreciate everyone there has a vulnerability need.

I felt awful yesterday in the supermarket. Family of 5 of us. I hadn’t been in a supermarket since before last weekend so stocks Here were low (I hadn’t chance to go because I was working. I cried half way round knowing that becasue I was taking stuff (and not bulk buying, just a regular weekly shop) that food wouldn’t be there for other people who might come in later.

I can’t decide if it’s better to do small shop often (I hate the supermarket and normally get delivery, but an an option right now) or a once a week big shop like normal.

We are a long way from needing to Government rationIng of food, but I do think it would help the current situation. Tesco’s answer of ‘only 2 items per person’ doesn’t really help. If you live alone, you can buy the same as a family of five, that’s not fair!

People need to #bekind to one another, stop bulk buying if they don’t need to and leave others alone if they don’t know their personal circumstances. (Funny how quickly the #bekind thing has been dropped isn’t it).

I was just reading this:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-51907474

While the boy meant well and is to be applauded for his generosity, I couldn't help thinking that sorting out his neighbours (who may or may not have been in desperate need) meant depriving others of loo rolls - possibly a case where an adult should have stepped in to kindly point out the flaws in his plan.

Memoryrolls. As you say well intentioned but potentially disastrous. Going from house to house increases the risks of spreading this deadly disease.

We have the same issue with MIL and her neighbours knocking on her door to see if she needs anything. Forgive capitals but THE IDEA IS TO REDUCE SOCIAL CONTACTS AND YES THAT MEANS YOU, YOU MUPPETS.

And breathe.

I'm more worried about there being no paracetamol.

When will this be available again?

There does need to be something put in place with the supermarkets for this - nurseries who are staying open, care homes etc where there is a need to shop for multiple people. The usual supply chains - sometimes wholesale, sometimes online deliveries - have failed and you can't provide food for dozens of people on 2 at a time.

In my Tesco yesterday one of the Managers stood alongside 3 women from a charity, that are providing a meals-on-wheels service for the elderly and vulnerable, as they took their large shopping haul through the till. The Manager was there to stop any abuse being thrown at the women and the till operator (for letting the shopping be bought). Still some shoppers made nasty comments as they passed, not knowing the circumstances.

I noted that the majority of the shopping was fresh veg (which is not in short supply in our store) and bakery goods baked in-house (again not in short supply), no things like loo rolls, cleaning products, soap etc. But that didn’t stop some people being abusive.

These are difficult times, and I understand peoples fears and frustrations, but these women didn’t deserve the vitriol they got from some.

The sad truth is that in a time of food crisis, hoarding resources to protect your family does make rational sense. I'm not condoning the bad behaviour for one second and I have not done it myself, but I can absolutely see why people are doing it. The urge to protect your own life and family is strong. I have some sympathy with people who are just afraid- none at all for the arseholes who are reselling baby formula and hand sanitizer for ridiculous sums online.

They had rationing in WW2 because of precisely this issue. There was a great article in the guardian recently about how the so-called blitz spirit was a myth. People were panicked, traumatized and many behaved very selfishly indeed.

Another thing that occurs is that in situations where it really does turn into a proper famine, the selfish survive and the generous die. See North Korea in the 90s.

Obviously I am not saying that the current situation is anywhere near as bad as being bombed or having an actual famine, its just interesting to observe how positive community minded behaviour can break down very quickly as normal society enters a crisis.

Not sure what I'm trying to say here, other than the government really should introduce rationing if there is a legitimate risk to supply chains. I'm very much hoping that the Irish poster is correct and that things calm down soon.

Re paracetamol, on Radio 4 yesterday lunchtime, it was explained there is plenty of paracetamol, but stuck at pharmacies in bulk. It's the small blister packs that are difficult. Regulations meant pharmacies couldn't sell their stocks by counting it into small bottles. But they have now been sent guidance and they can.

However, you have to go in and ask. And they have to record it

raspberryrippleicecream That's useful to know, thanks for sharing - did they happen to mention if the same goes for aspirin?

we should be supporting each other, not reducing each other to tears in public
Not gonna happen. Tories have spent a decade dividing the country, perpetuating the me me me. Workers and shirkers, young and old, leavers and remainers.
Too late to call on the blitz spirit or whatever else the chief spaffer in charge of this country is now emoting about.
This type of incident will bring out the best and worst of people.

Poor staff are putting themselves at risk, in order to feed elderly people and some posters can’t see by that, because they just want to slate care homes. These staff and the homes should be thanked for doing their best to look after some of the most vulnerable in society, not abused. Absolutely disgusting behaviour and comments. Tell your friend from me, OP, that I appreciate what she’s doing and I hope she and all her staff keep well.

It's a fact that some people buying a lot in supermarkets are getting supplies for vulnerable people, and that verbal abuse will deter some of them from doing it.