The ‘essential’ police - please stop

[TheDogIsKeepingMeSane]

Until we are issued what is deemed an essential shopping item ANY food/drink item is ok to buy.
I’ve been working today outside. It’s hot.
On my way home I stopped at my local independent shop & bought myself 2 bottles of cold beer.
I live alone & work alone & it felt great to chat with the shop owner (2m apart) .
When I left the shop a cyclist said me ‘ hardly an essential item is it’

Just stop it .
I’m ashamed of what my fellow human beings have become.

The beer is cold & I shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed for buying it

We haven’t been to the supermarket for 10 days. Probably won’t need to for another 10. Have a fresh veg delivery weekly (we always have).
Did pop into corner shop earlier for beer, wine, milk, bread and some chocolate earlier though.

I think if NHS staff are sacrificing their lives, we can sacrifice popping to the shop to pick up something we fancy, rather than need. We've been pleaded with to stay home.

I hope you enjoy your beers OP, and I do feel for you living alone amid all this.

@PurpleDaisies I read your post. Did you?

Milk, TopseyT?

MILK?????

WTF were you thinking

I am fortunate to have a large larder and a decent sized fridge freezer, and the budget that allows me to fill them all in one big trip to the shop.

I also have enough knowledge of the world outside my own nice bubble to know that huge numbers of people in the UK do not have either the storage space or the money to do the same. And berating them for it wouldn't make me a better person than them, it would just make me an arsehole.

Yes, some people are still hosting guests when they shouldn't be and I think it's fine to be annoyed by that. But tearing people to shreds for going to the shops achieves nothing. Save your anger for those who willfully flout the rules instead.

I've got an 8 week old with cmpa and reflux which has not been sorted yet as the hospital apps are cancelled and all she does is scream. I got alcohol In my latest shop. Its essential!!!!

Bread and milk don't have great shelf lives.

If people aren't too buy them, it will all need to be chucked. Who will that help.

Well the cyclist was dealing with one woman doing it? So unless there's part of the story I missed where the OP says the cyclist was tackling many people buying one or two items then this is just about one woman one time. The cyclist has no right to comment on what someone buys as long as they are following social distancing rules. We are allowed out to shop and as I said, Nicola Sturgeon said try to restrict it to daily not several times a day.

My DH does a weekly shop for us then does a top up shop through the week. Last week he forgot something on the shopping list and popped to the shop to get it the next day. What's the issue? Essential products aren't just porridge and crackers you know. Since we aren't getting to go anywhere and do anything, I'm sure the police wouldn't be too bothered about someone making one extra trip a week to the shop!

There's got to be sense applied. Buying a cold drink from a small shop you're already passing is fine!

I haven't been in a big supermarket at all in the last 3 weeks. I live alone and don't eat much. But I needed an anniversary card, hand cream and batteries from local shop today. Felt like I also had to buy food I didn't particularly need just to avoid the kind of judgement the OP is upset about. Which is no good for me, financially, or for others because they could have bought the food instead. And I'm still causing far less of a problem than the people going to massive supermarkets.

I’m sorry but there’s no way that beer is essential.

I can’t understand the ‘well they were passing by the shop anyway’ excuse, you won’t catch/speak it passing by but you could by going into the shop, touching things, interacting with staff etc

I’m really beginning to lose patience with people who think the rules don’t apply to them

*catch/spread it

No tea? How will that go down.

Tea is essential and I haven’t heard anyone say otherwise yet. Twould be highly unBritish to do so.

Seriously though, it’s not what you’re buying that matters, it’s when/how often you’re buying it. I certainly don’t begrudge anyone a beer - we all need treats - but a trip to the corner shop just to buy beer isn’t an essential trip. It just isn’t. IMO neither is a trip just for milk and bread but I can see if you have young kids and don’t have a freezer it’s harder.

obligatory disclaimer that this doesn’t apply to people with food allergies etc who may find it very hard to get what they need with minimal shopping trips

The guidance is to buy essential items and shop as infrequently as possible. Both of those things mean different things to different people. As PP said those with family members with specialist diets should seek out what they need with out judgement.

However, life is a bit bloody miserable right now so moaning at someone over 2 beers is hardly helpful is it? I saw that thread on bread and milk not being essential and pissed me off no end. People need to get a grip! People need and deserve a treat and if it's in a supermarket/shop it's essential imo.

I do get multiple trips out in car to the shops increases risk to exposure of virus so i get that. But, we can't judge each other over food and drink FFS!!

Unfortunately it's reflective of a number of people who cannot understand things outside their limited experience.

It's a if I can manage with this then everyone else can attitude completely neglecting the fact that they may also do things that others find unnecessary.

I try not to judge others because I am not living their life. I just wish others would do the same but unfortunately it's enabled a lot of people to be openly nasty to others.

I went for a walk yesterday and popped into the coop for an energy drink not he way home.

It was essential.

Let’s do what they do in China, bolt doors shut so people can’t leave.

/sarcasm by the way

I don't think people care what people buy if they do it when shopping anyway, but popping in to buy one or two things is pretty selfish. There are already retail workers in hospital with this, and there will be many more. My friend is doing 6 x 10 hour shifts away, and everyone popping in regularly just for bits and bobs is just putting people in more danger. They have zero PPE, are in ideal conditions for this to spread, and people aren't helping. Just go once or twice a week, get things you think you might need, and go without otherwise. It won't be forever, well, it might be at this rate.

Tea is not essential for me. I have never bought tea, I hate the stuff. So therefore I decree that is isn’t essential for anyone.

The guidance is to buy essential items and shop as infrequently as possible

No. The guidance is shopping for basic necessities such as food and medicine, as infrequently as possible.

Food is a basic necessity. If you choose to stay alive by eating only gruel, or only foie gras, that’s up to you, but you shouldn’t pop to the shop because you simply must have a certain brand of pasta, or just for a scratchcard.

Just go once or twice a week, get things you think you might need, and go without otherwise

I went in just for ‘non essentials’ yesterday, but even with that trip go far far less than once or twice a week. More like fortnightly. So as I’m going less than your ‘accepted’ number of trips, is my trip for non essentials ok?

I note the essentialists haven't responded to the off licence point ...

I try not to judge others because I am not living their life.

@WobblyAllOver I know ... normally I agree and I’m generally a live and let live person - honestly, I really am. But this is a matter of life and death, and some people (I’m not talking about anyone on this thread) have shown such a selfish attitude that it’s really hard not to be judgmental.

Really hard for me I mean others are more tolerant, evidently b

I couldn’t care less what others are buying, and I don’t expect to be judged. I’m having my wine so bugger off.