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

I hope the poor PC that checks my basket trolley is wearing the appropriate gloves/mask/apron etc or he will be told exactly where to stand.......2m away,

As the police say in the metro link above a children's toy might be really necessary for some people ( stuck at home with children 24/7 nearly killing the children because you are at your wit's end with them), ditto win for some people just to keep them going, never mind what some food addicts might "need" their daily 3 large chocolate bars or whatever.

Also you might go out once a week for food shopping as we do (as you cannot get on line in many cases) and find nothing is in so you have to come away just with one item a policeman might not think is necessary.

It's not and never will be law.
Its also a hill I'm willing to die on.
Some twat police officer wants to tell me my chocolate, wine , gin, whisky or whatever is not essential, it'll be the end of their career.

Load of crap.

I sat in the Tesco car park the other night while the other member of my household shopped (I am the only driver) and saw people coming out with just alcohol in their trollies, also one woman came out carrying some paper and pens only.

Is this what they are trying to stop?

(There have been no supermarket queues in the evening at the large Tesco superstore here so people can get in and out straight away to buy these things)

They’ve now said they didn’t mean that. How can you decide what’s ‘essential’ for each person? Alcohol - well if someone is an alcoholic then it would be essential for them. Cigarettes - not essential for me but of someone is a heavy smoker. Light bulbs, cucumbers, chocolate?

Well as my local police station shuts between Fridays and Tuesdays, I’d say my Gu Pots and bottles of gin are safe half the week. And frankly I doubt they could give less of a shit the other half of the week. Can’t see this happening.

people coming out with just alcohol in their trollies, also one woman came out carrying some paper and pens only.

What I don’t understand is why people at least don’t want to try and protect themselves. Don’t they get that every single time they go in the supermarket they’re putting themselves at risk (as well as everyone else of course, but I’m making the point that the self centred twonks might have thought about themselves!)
I’ve also heard of people popping out to buy balloons or cake or a sandwich.
I’m just
If you can’t pick it up with your weekly shop then do without.

To be clear on the shopping trolley issue: This is about essential and necessary journeys, not what’s in your trolley. I have been clear that we will not be judge and jury on what is an essential item or not, but we may now probe the purpose of the journey

He seems to be assuming that everyone drives to shop. Anyway, the distinction he's trying to make is a false one. If your item is non-essential (in the unqualified eyes of PC Plod) then the journey must be too. Not what the law says and not for him or his force to decide. As I said, get cracking on sorting out some of the many abusers out there.

Don’t they get that every single time they go in the supermarket they’re putting themselves at risk

I've said this before, but I think walking to the shop three times a week and buying a rucksack full in 5 minutes, basically getting in and out as quickly as possible, when the shop is empty enough for me not to need to queue to get in, is far less risky than going to a big supermarket once a week, queuing to get in, and then having to spend much longer in there because it's bigger and takes longer to get round, and because I'm having to get a lot more stuff.

DuchessDumbarton

They were told to rein it in just a week or so ago. If they do restart this then I think they are on a very sticky wicket.

I don't doubt that there are people making unnecessary trips and just buying chocolate or crisps etc., but most of us are just adding them to our weekly shop. That is what I do, and mostly have always done.

Supermarkets have not been banned from selling any of the luxury items that could be deemed non-essentials, the new laws make no reference to that at all. Therefore, if I am in the supermarket I can buy those items if I want to, along with my regular shopping.

I am a very big supporter of the police, but I could well lose a significant amount of that respect if they start trying to dictate what I can and cannot have in my shopping trolley because I would consider that to be taking the piss.

Also, I am a key worker. If they stop me getting chocolate, I will make a formal complaint and they will fcking rue the day they ever stopped me. I'll happily go on the front page of the papers and talk about how out of order they are to be like that to a key worker.

You're a key worker, not Jesus Christ himself.

No-one has a problem with you buying chocolate along with your necessary shopping.

The point the police are making is about unnecessary trips.

I went to Tesco today to get some essentials and Easter eggs and that front 'foyer' bit was full of barbeques, fence paint and gardening tools for sale. Hardly 'essential items' but right there front and centre for people to buy. Plus absolutely tonnes of Easter eggs.

As an aside, Tesco was busy as fuck today, much busier than when I went same time last week. I wonder if 'lockdown fatigue' is setting in already?

You're a key worker, not Jesus Christ himself.

😂

The person just with alcohol may be an alcoholic and need that alcohol to prevent them going cold turkey/having a fit/collapse.

The person getting paper and pens might be suddenly working from home and need that to carry on working.

Fake news. I have NEVER hears such rubbish.

Plus absolutely tonnes of Easter eggs

The supermarkets will be wanting to sell all the Easter Eggs in the next couple of days, otherwise they'll be almost worthless. If they start selling them off, you'll see people with what appears to be piles of Easter Eggs as they take up quite a lot of room for not very much product.

As an aside, Tesco was busy as fuck today, much busier than when I went same time last week

Good weather forecast for a bank holiday weekend, people will be wanting to stock up for barbecues and maybe a nice dinner on Sunday, plus the shops will be closed on Sunday. DP tried Asda this morning, but gave up and came home with a couple of bits from teh Co-op, declaring Asda to be 'like on Christmas Eve'.

What rubbish, not enough police in the country to be doing this!!

I have a relative in the force. I am really sick of this Police bashing.
He's out there trying his damn hardest to make sure the community is safe and peaceful, dealing with a sharp increase of domestic violence, increased aggression towards him and his colleagues, keeping an eye on closed shops & businesses, with an immune condition and young family himself and this bullshit is never ending.
What he ISN'T doing is issuing fines for people 'going out' or checking their bloody trolleys for contraband! He's out there doing real policing, with stretched resources and a workload of which has exponentially increased!

What is essential to one person may not be to someone else. If you are an alcoholic, alcohol may be essential, there are no drug & alcohol services open at the moment & it is dangerous to just stop alcohol without medication if you are dependent. Who can say what is essential?

Tesco Stafford is stopping you buying toys and other things deemed BY THEM to be non essential

As an aside, Tesco was busy as fuck today, much busier than when I went same time last week. I wonder if 'lockdown fatigue' is setting in already?

I think it might be more to do with the coming four day Bank Holiday week end. Hopefully people aren't stocking up to entertain visitors over the weekend.

Lots of us have had to substitute our essentials for non-essentials anyway. I don't consider Bulgar Wheat an essential, but if supermarkets have rows of empty shelves where the rice and pasta then my kids need carbs so it'll get bought. It becomes an essential in these circumstances.

As I have said in previous threads, supermarket bosses will be the first to complain if any force sends constables down to restrict baskets to "essentials".

Bread, milk and so on are often 'loss leaders' for supermarkets. They underprice those so you come in and buy premium/luxury high-priced items on the accompanying shop!