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Original poster

Easter eggs 'non essential'

51 replies

QuimJongUn · 30/03/2020 14:51

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52090441

How ridiculous. If you're in a convenience store buying your state sanctioned essentials, you can't pick up an Easter egg?
Who gets to decide what's essential and what's not, anyway? Will we soon be unable to chuck a bottle of wine or a magazine or whatever in our trolleys along with our gruel?!

I daresay for some, particularly DC, a bit of chocolate at Easter is a rare bright spot on the horizon given the current situation. Heavy handed, unnecessary stuff like this will wear very thin in terms of public goodwill and co-operation, imo.

OP posts:
PowerslidePanda · 30/03/2020 15:01

If you're in a convenience store buying your state sanctioned essentials, you can't pick up an Easter egg?

Apparently not - but it is specifically convenience stores: if you're in a supermarket instead, it's fine Hmm

I've seen posts even on Mumsnet criticising people for buying "non-essential" stuff with their groceries. I'm sure if it was that much of a problem, the shops would have stopped selling non-essentials!

Original poster
QuimJongUn · 30/03/2020 15:06

if you're in a supermarket instead, it's fine

That's the most nonsensical thing about it isn't it!

I think some people won't be happy until there's rationing, and of absolute essentials to life at that. For heaven's sake we all need a little bit of joy in our lives right now, whether it's chocolate or a glass of wine or a new paperback. How buying any of those items from shops which are legally open for trade can be considered illegal, or even morally wrong, is bonkers.

OP posts:
Dyrne · 30/03/2020 15:13

It’s a bit odd tbh, especially when the ban is not applicable to all stores. I agree you don’t want people going out specifically to get Easter eggs, but how many people would actually do that?

I firmly believe that keeping morale up in this situation is important.

At my last “big” shop I made sure to pick up a cake and card for DP’s birthday this weekend, and chucked in a couple of Easter eggs as well because I thought it would be a nice little boost. We won’t be able to go out to celebrate as we otherwise would have, and we can’t see family at Easter as originally planned, I don’t think it’s necessary to remove all joy from life.

MayTheGodsBeEverInYourFavour · 30/03/2020 15:17

Some people do truly believe we should only be buying absolute essentials at present. Gruel for everyone, then. And goodbye to MN, because we shouldn't be selfishly forcing people to maintain the broadband network. Ditto, television except for the occasional news bulletin.

BriefDisaster · 30/03/2020 15:17

I got an Easter Egg hunt kit delivered in my last Tesco shop and have some more Easter Eggs and some face mask sheets in my next one.

It didn't even occur to me that we shouldn't be buying non essentials.

I couldn't believe what I was reading when I saw that story earlier.

TheNavigator · 30/03/2020 15:18

Apparanntly some shops were told by police and local councils that easter eggs are considered non-essential goods, but this is “overzealous enforcement and a misreading of the rules”.

Which is what worries me - there seems to be a fair bit of "overzealous enforcement and a misreading of the rules” which I find every bit as scary as the virus itself. Some bodies seem to be grasping the opportunity to exert social control that we must all guard against - the price of freedom is eternal vigilence.

BriefDisaster · 30/03/2020 15:19

*should clarify the face masks are anti-ageing ones lol and not hospital style masks.

I don't want to be locked down and have forehead wrinkles.

PurpleDaisies · 30/03/2020 15:23

It’s all getting a bit silly isn’t it. I really don’t like the police making up the rules. They should be enforcing the actual law.

BlueMoon1103 · 30/03/2020 15:23

That’s ridiculous. People can’t buy what they bloody well want especially if they’re out anyway. And why deprive children of anymore?! They’re probably already feeling like shit knowing there will be no Easter egg hunts or seeing family this year. Ffs some people are stupid.

RishiSunakFanClub · 30/03/2020 15:51

It's a bit loopy isn't it. We go to a convenience store to stock up with essentials but must avert our eyes from the shelves heaving with Easter eggs and in time they will rot and the store will bin them. Is that the idea? I guess there's no chance of hiding a bar of Green & Blacks under the sack cloth and ashes and moldy bread we will all be buying Sad

Original poster
QuimJongUn · 30/03/2020 15:52

I'm not sure whether it's a lack of clarity re the rules, a lack of common sense on the part of some police forces/officers or the fact that some forces/officers are just being overzealous and a bit power crazed. Stopping people chucking an Easter egg in with their shopping isn't going to save lives.

OP posts:
Original poster
QuimJongUn · 30/03/2020 15:53

So glad that all the responses here are sensible ones - judging by some of the posts I've seen on MN recently I fully expected a flaming!

OP posts:
HeIenaDove · 30/03/2020 15:54

Not only is it completely ridiculous it seems to be targeting smaller individual stores.. in our case it was one of these that really came through for us when supermarket shelves were empty.

FFS

ilovecakeandwine · 30/03/2020 15:55

There is a almost identical thread on here .
Some heavy handed idiot tried to question it but you can go and buy Easter eggs. Read the whole story properly before commenting.

catscatscatseverywhere · 30/03/2020 15:56

Then why are deliveries bringing these products to the shops? How odd. They will ask us to eat boiled rice soon and nothing else 😂

Deux · 30/03/2020 16:03

Aside from all the rubbish on Facebook and all the competitive quarantiners who are rubbing their thighs trying to police everyone else whilst indulging in whataboutery virtue signalling, there is a significant difference between the guidelines and the actual legislation.

I think this is creating problems as people and even the police think the guidelines are the law, but they’re not.

We should always challenge officials including police who are overreaching their powers. Their job is to enforce the law not interpret it.

LMBoston · 30/03/2020 16:07

Totally agree OP. I posted here on Saturday about our small family business and the confusion re the “rules” of what’s essential and what’s not. We’ve had loads of people in our shop buying gardening/home stuff so they can do nice things, plant seeds and paint fences etc, with their kids — probably not “essential” when compared to other products we sell (eg rat poison...although I have noticed a few women eyeing that thoughtfully Grin) but who would begrudge anyone buying things to occupy their miserable hours at the minute!

Original poster
QuimJongUn · 30/03/2020 16:07

We should always challenge officials including police who are overreaching their powers. Their job is to enforce the law not interpret it

This.

We all understand why the current measures are in place and are perfectly happy to comply because it'll save lives. But we do need to be vigilant that new powers aren't abused.

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 30/03/2020 16:12

There are no rules saying you cannot buy an Easter egg or two if they are for sale. Just make them part of your normal shop. I too want the law fairly upheld but not made up by the police.

Emmacb82 · 30/03/2020 16:23

No one is saying you can’t go and buy an Easter egg! They are just saying to buy them as part of your weekly shop. There are too many people still popping to the local shop to buy a paper, chocolate, a lottery ticket etc every day! The whole point of only leaving the house to buy essential foods is that one person from each household goes shopping once a week to buy their weekly shop. Not treating it as their daily exercise trip.

Deux · 30/03/2020 16:23

You can go out to buy Easter eggs and only Easter eggs. It is not prohibited. I think that’s the point though, any activities or items that are prohibited have to be expressly stated as such. The law states you need a “reasonable excuse” and it doesn’t state what’s unreasonable.

I wouldn’t consider alcohol as essential but off licences are open and trading so people can go there and just buy booze and I don’t hear anyone having conniptions about that.

BubblesBuddy · 30/03/2020 16:26

The word “essential” food is the issue. Obviously they are not essential but who decides what is? If it’s a food that can be bought, but it. Just don’t go out especially for fun items - although it’s not as bad as stripping the shelves bare in my view!

Deux · 30/03/2020 16:26

But emma, you’ve just made up a whole new rule of one person once a week. There is no such rule in the UK currently

Someone on another thread was rebuked for going to the shop from bread and milk when they’d run out and surely they could just do without.

Pelleas · 30/03/2020 16:30

All food is arguably essential. If you had nothing else to eat, you could survive for longer on Easter eggs than on nothing at all.

Iwantacookie · 30/03/2020 16:32

I was queueing up the chocolate aisle in tesco Express today so yes I grabbed some chocolate not no essential but when you spend 10 mins in the aisle anyway thought I would stock up on malteasers.