Police threaten to search shopping trolleys to check you’re only buying essentials *amended by MNHQ*

[HeIenaDove]

metro.co.uk/2020/04/09/police-threaten-search-shopping-trolleys-check-buying-essentials-12532339/

Video of statement

twitter.com/RTaylorUK/status/1248204770977996800?s=20

speculating on what they might want the law to say because it gives them a power trip.

^ yup, exactly - though given the mob mentality of many on here I suspect we're just getting the police force we deserve.

They want people to shop in person then suggest this.

More people will be trying to get deliveries, you can order what you like then.

Stupid

Just seen it is our county police chief going to check our shopping trolleys, shame they haven’t been checking the speeding drivers, haven’t seen a policeman for at least 2 weeks, maybe will see one now but doubt it

If they make lockdown TOO unbearable in terms of banning the purchase of chocolate and wine and the like ALONGSIDE a regular shop - people will kick against it. What they want to be doing is clarifying that, no we're not going to come after you for an illicit bag of Malteasers alongside the weekly shop; but if you're buggering off down to Tesco for a Twix and Take a Break - we'll be raising some eyebrows and considering writing you a ticket for taking the piss.

And I think mumsnet over the last 2 weeks or so has shown how widely people's definitions on "essential items" are so bloody subjective anyway so that one's going to be argued about till the end of time... or end of lockdown when we resume judging dog shit, dog walkers, making hilarious jokes about bumsex at Center Parcs and all the other usual shite on here.

Also, the shops are not reliably stocked at the moment, it’s possible that someone could genuinely go out for essentials but most / all the essentials be out of stock. Would they then have to refrain from buying any “nice to haves”? That seems a bit pointless if they’re already at the shops.

So unless they draft the army in to tell us that we can’t buy a curly wurly then they’re failing at the first hurdle.

🤣 ... but not so far fetched as the army is used in order countries to "guard" supermarkets to leave the police free to conduct their regular policework. Like rapidly and forcefully dealing with wife beaters and rapists...no, they don't bother with that sort of malarkey? Oh, what about threatening folks over frivolous purchases of lollies? Yes. They do that. Dandy.

If I was in charge:
No sunbathing and having picnics. Fine these twats (although I bet they claim they have no money)
No couple/family en masse family outings to the supermarket PLEASE
Ban cash
Parties and b-b-q police fine all the attendees. Take names and addresses.

Exactly- have they ever even made any statements about protecting victims of DV during lockdown? that seems like a far more vital service than stopping someone buying a muller rice yoghurt.....

My local force has, there was something on FB about it.

Like get a decent amount of actual, needed food or stay the fuck home

That's unenforceable. What about the people who don't have much money, so don't buy very much? Or when you go to the shop and they still don't have all the things on your list, so you come out with little or nothing and still need to go again? People who shop on foot so have to do it little and often rather than piling a trolley full into the car?

Are they really expecting people to buy a load of extra stuff that they might not need or have the money for to make their trolley up to what someone else considers to be 'enough'?

Unless they start stating an actual of times people go to a shop and publishing lists of what people are allowed to buy people have to decide what they will buy, where from and how often.

Oh come on!

Look at the photos.....someone has decided to (deliberately?) misinterpret what appears to be Irish Gardaí (Police) checking out what is in people's shopping bags.

Knowing this country, a far more likely scenario is that the Guard is Tom, who knows Bob (shopping carrier) and is asking how much were the Easter eggs?

"2 for €8 in Supervalu" says Bob.
"Wow, that's great value...straight home to the kids with them now Bob" says Tom.

And off Bob potters, having being photographed and misinterpreted.

Good luck trying to confiscate my bottle of wine or the kids bottle of coke. They'd get a newspaper over the nose.

PicsInRed over since I read this I've had Killing in the Name as an earworm ... 'fuck you I won't do what you tell me'

I'm a woman on the edge ... seriously ... fuck them.

In the country I live in, the shops are not allowed to sell non essentials items. So clothes/diy/toys even flowers are not being sold. Larger stores have those sections cordoned off.

If shops continue to sell, people are going to buy.

Ps: chocolate IS essential!

This all harps back to ye olden days when people used to have to self flagellate because they had brought the plague on themselves, so nowadays it means not buying niceties as a form of self punishment.

I will believe once I see it. Too many police cut backs to deal with this. In fact if was stopped I will ask them wht my friends rape case from 13 months ago hasn't gone to the cps

If it's ok to rape someone then I'm hardly going to prison for buying some gin

Who gets to decide what is essential and what is non essential? We all eat different things.

I don't buy very much at the shops as there is only me and one young DS at home, also I have no car so can only buy what I can carry. What constitutes as a "full shop?"

The message about checking shopping items to judge whether it is essential has zero basis in law. If a shop is allowed to be open then it can sell any item.

It’s getting mixed up with other valid messages about non-essential journeys but police should not be checking your bags on the way out of Tesco to deem whether the wine or chocolate is essential.

I think there is a problem with convenience stores rather than large supermarkets. When I've been out for walks I often see people coming out with snacks and drinks and not 'essentials'.

ye olden days when people used to have to self flagellate because they had brought the plague on themselves

yup it's a form of collective penance, we've got the collective worship of clapfortheNHS too ... fascinating really.

“ Why would you read, believe and repost such utter crap. There are NO RULES about what grocery items are considered essential. ”

The police chief has made it clear he wants officers to check baskets.

Or he wants to have the right to do it. Either way, it’s very worrying.

Maybe when they arrest my NDN for continuing her "Hairdressing at home" (also cash in hand/not declared for tax) business - even though she's a "carer" 2 nights a wk, then I will stop buying chocolate and beer.

“ No couple/family en masse family outings to the supermarket PLEASE”

If you’ve got no car, your choice is frequent trips or a few of you to carry it.

It’s terrifying how people are seeing this.

If you're in a large supermarket buying your weekly shop and choose to buy a tin of gloss paint so you have something to do over the weekend then really what is wrong with that? Probably takes the consumer about 30 seconds extra in store, it's supporting another industry and keeping people busy so less chance of them leaving their own homes.

It's probably just things like going for a bbq etc but if your picking one up shopping what's the issue .?
I mean we've had the debate on here what is essential some people don't think bread & milk is essential . I'd regard cigarettes as not essential but I'm a non smoker so a smoker would indeed regard as essentials.
Can you imagine the outcry if the police are stopping anyone who've got what they deem not essential . Yeah put that wine and the packet of Jaffa cakes back love you don't need those.

Hi @HeIenaDove we've amended the thread title to reflect the newspaper report.