Is this normal behaviour in supermarkets now?

[Makeitgoaway]

Until now we've been making do with what we had plus deliveries from small local firms but had to bite the bullet and DH did a big supermarket trip yesterday.

There's a particular nut he's very fond of which appeared to be out of stock, but he was pleased to find the last two packets at the back of the shelf, just as he realised a couple nearby were looking for the same thing, so he offered them one of the packs. Apparently they declined in horror at the idea of taking something he'd handled.

He was happy, he got his 2 packs, but how do they think they got onto the shelf without anyone touching them? Were they particularly cautious or is everyone thinking like this now?. He thought he was being polite/helpful but they obviously didn't see it that way. The new rules are one thing but how long until we all get used to the new etiquette? Or even agree on what it is?!

[ravenmum]

OP, one issue is that the etiquette changes every time they bring in a new rule. No-one has a clue.

[MilkRunningOutAgain]

I have been too scared to buy fruit that needs gently pressing to check ripeness (melon, avocado, mango, etc) as the look I got from someone a while back has put me off. I am trying not to handle stuff too much, but it is difficult, I like to read ingredient lists for example to avoid ingredients my DD is intolerant to. Personally I don’t care about it, but I am scared of other shoppers at times! There is a Tesco’s near me that has introduced a strict one way system and social distancing throughout the store. I am not going there again until after this all ends,it took forever to get round the shop as you go at the pace of the slowest and have to go round and round each aisle even if you don’t want anything on a particular aisle. Too much for me.

[corythatwas]

OP, the shelf stacker is only one person. (and hopefully instructed to wash hands at regular intervals). If he puts it on the shelf and then 4 people pick it up to look at it and put it back, then that is the risk increased 5-fold. We can never eliminate risk completely: the whole point of social distancing is to cut down on risk to ourselves and other people as much as we can.

And no, you don't need to gently press fruit during a pandemic: you can buy fruit that doesn't look over-ripe and then eat it whenever it gets ready.

[Ilovemypantry]

I think everyone’s missing something here...the checkout person handles every item as it gets put through. I just wipe everything down when I get the shopping home.

[eaglejulesk]

I would have accepted a pack from OP's husband in that situation and thanked him for his kindness too.

I would have done the same. Goodness knows how many times things in supermarkets are touched. All that's needed is for hands to be washed - the contents of the packets would be fine.

[Watertorture]

I use scan and shop - need to clean the scanner obviously but no checkout person needs to touch the shopping after me

[MargotB7]

I think your DH was kind and also gloves are pointless.

I do think some people are being mean though. Some people are more anxious than others, they can't help it

[WaxOnFeckOff]

i try to take the first item i touch, but presume that many folk, including staff have handled it previously.

Even nursing staff forget at times. DH was collecting a covid patient to take them home and nurse in the room went through a whole routine to make sure that the patient and his belongings were all bagged properly and she then took off her own ppe and left the room. Then she noticed that the patient's mask wasn't sitting straight so sorted it better round his ear with her bare hands and then walked off...

[Chottie]

OP - in the big scheme of things, this is very significant. In these times, people need to do what they need to do to feel safe.

Just let it go.......

[AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter]

I agree, its becoming ridiculous.

As for the glove thing- gloves are no different from using your hands and washing them regularly.
If the shelf stacker had just touched an item that a lorry packer had sneezed on, it would be all over their glove, then they would transfer it to the nuts packet. So the idea that if a shelf stacker uses gloves its all "perfectly safe" is nonsense. That shelf stacker might constantly touch their face using their gloves hands!

I think in general people are becoming more and more irrational and hysterical. Yes, we should take it seriously but panic is not helping anyone. Panic is the reason the shelves have been bare for weeks.

[Ilovemypantry]

@Khione
I wouldn’t touch something someone had handled with bare hands

How would you know if something had been handled before you pick it up? What about the cashier at the checkout...they handle every item as it goes through?
Have you really thought this through?

[CharityDingle]

I think it was nice of him to offer, and I would have accepted tbh.

[NamechangeHelpPlease]

I’d have accepted it, if it was something I wanted, unless your DH looked obviously unwell. I work on the assumption that everything in the supermarket is potentially contaminated, so the precautions would be the same.

[Willow2017]

and hopefully instructed to wash hands at regular intervals
How dies thst work then with One break in a shift?
I use scan and shop - need to clean the scanner obviously but no checkout person needs to touch the shopping after me
Yes but a dozen people have touched it before you.

[Geepipe]

They were being daft. The thing that worries me about peoples reaction to this virus is the potential for over the top behaviour to last long after the virus is gone. Everything in a supermarkets been handled by many people. They never gave a fuck before but now its rinsing bloody stuff in bleach and being paranoid as fuck on everything and that has the potential to last a lifetime.

[I8toys]

Then once you've done the shopping you have to use the keypad to put your pin in if its over £40. Do they regularly antibac those?

[midnightstar66]

Use Apple Pay, most shops don't have contactless limits for that

[Likea]

DaphneFanshaw

I would have taken the nuts quite happily.

I heard* this wrong, and envisioned the next thread heading to be "Daphne stole my husband after happily taking his* nuts"

**I use a screen reader, hence heard not saw 😂

[1forsorrow]

Did they say it was because he had handled them? I turned down the offer of the last loaf in a shop which a young woman kindly offered me but it wasn't because she had picked it up, it was because fair is fair we both wanted a loaf and she got there first.

[HedgehogHotel]

They were being silly, but it's understandable. Everything has been handled by countless people in stores ... unavoidable ... and gloves make fuck all difference. Anyone who thinks they do, have a think.

[Makeitgoaway]

Yes, the lady said she couldn't take them as he'd "handled" them. She was polite about it, there was no angst on either side, DH was just interested in what he "should" have done in this strange new world.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Supermarket worker here.

I don't wear gloves when shelf stacking (if you are opening boxes the tape gets stuck to the gloves and tears them, the gloves aren't the right size so you mishandle and drop stuff, you don't have the dexterity in gloves to replace shelf front labels etc).

I wear them on the tills only because it gives the magical-thinking among the customers a sense of reassurance. They are utterly pointless. I can wash my hands, I can't wash my gloves (although I do wipe them with sanitiser, but only when there's time). It's for the same reason as customers are wearing knitted scarves and gloves - it gives an illusion of control in frightening times.

[Watertorture]

@Willow2017 I know that; I was responding to a pp who said we were missing that everything is handled by a checkout operator.

[Miljea]

bamboozled "Three weeks ago in Tesco a man put the last six bottles of 'my' wine in his trolley just as I walked up to him. He might have noticed my bottom lip going a bit quivery and asked if I wanted three of them. No way was I going to say 'No thanks'!!"

Loved this! 'Bottom lip a bit quivery'... 😂😂😂

[Watertorture]

Zaphod I don't think it's an illusion that many people touch their face less often when they have gloves on, they seem to act as a reminder not to do that.