Shops & Cafe's Differing Rules - Shopping is still a challenge

[Baaaahhhhh]

So, my first trip out to town today, pretty relaxed, everyone very polite and sticking to rules, fairly busy for a Tuesday. Lots of posters and rules, one way systems,, and hand sanitiser. However the rules are different depending on where you go.

Cafe Nero, no masks for anyone, customers or staff. Could sit anywhere. Didn't look particularly clean, no table cleaning going on, perhaps because they aren't having to clear tables, as only disposable cups provided, leaving it to customers to clear.

Fat Face, masks on customers, not staff, no trying on. Till not covered. Would have bought a dress if I could have tried it on, but couldn't so didn't.

Bravissimo, bra fitting. Masks on, customers and staff. By appointment, and half cubicles closed. Cleaned in-between and quarantine anything that is tried on. Till not covered. Great experience, bought two bras, however, you are not allowed to sit down in the shop, so having gone in with DD, had to stand up in her cubicle. Having come from Cafe Nero, that seemed a bit ridiculous.

Hollister, masks on customers and staff and you could try on clothes. Till not covered. Masks in the shopping arcade, but seats removed, so no seating again.

Lakeland, masks on customers and staff, tills behind glass.

No complaining really, felt safe in all environments tbh, but just odd that there are so many different rules in place.

It’s not really that complicated.

As a customer, you have to wear a mask except if you’re sitting in a cafe/restaurant/pub.

Does it make any difference to you if the staff are wearing masks or the till is covered?

PurpleDaisies It doesn't make any difference to me, I just thought it is interesting how different companies have taken different approaches. The one that doesn't make any "sense" is that you can't sit down in a shop, wearing a mask, with 2 or three other people in the shop, but you can sit down in a cafe not wearing a mask, with 30 other people. Just an observation.

I was in an unusually strict cafe earlier (masks on till you get to your table, need permission to go to the loo!) and I realised it made sense: their customers are mostly old and likely to be more careful, whereas places frequented by young people who take more risks can afford to be chilled without it putting off their regular customers.

A mixture of levels of carefulness does at least mean you can find somewhere you are comfortable with. If having to ask permission to leave your table seems like overkill to you there are plenty of other places you can go, and equally if you’re scared stiff of passing close to someone on the way to the loo you can go to the first place and feel confident it won’t happen.
It will just take a while to get to know all the foibles of your local eateries!

The differences do amuse me a bit, especially when they claim (here) to be following the plan the local council set out. Pubs vary from ppe including gloves on staff to nothing, order at bar, order at table, take your details for track and trace, don't take details (there's a thing to point your phone at but my phone isn't compatible) temperature checks, or none, hand sanitizer at the entrance or none, limited to 90 mins (council rules I was told) or no limit. All are within a mile of each other and I admit we did visit them all on Saturday (both had c19 in the spring so pretty sure can't be infected!)

It does take a bit of adjusting to. We're getting in the habit of wearing masks in cafes until we're sat down, feels like the right thing to do. Some cafes/pubs are fantastic, others aren't so I won't be returning as they clearly don't care about their staff or customers.

I went out shopping for specialist shoes today, visiting 6 specialist shops to find right fit. They were all different in what I could do to try the shoes on.

Did I feel safe... well, no, because everything is weird & no matter how hard I try I end up not following "the rules" in some ways. It's quite stressful so feels very unsafe (emotionally). I don't care about the virus, but I don't want to upset people. It's impossible not to upset people right now.

Makes no difference to me really. Hated shopping before coronavirus and I still hate it.

lljkk What do you mean about it being impossible not to upset people? I've been out and about every single day for the last few weeks and haven't seen anything like that at all.

I think any quest where you have to go into 6 different shops is going to be exhausting right now and your hands must be itching from all the sanitizer!

I

What do you mean about it being impossible not to upset people?

Oh, I was undoing the straps on a shoe in Sports Direct & the staff member jumped up to say I must have socks on! The socks were in my hands, I was just undoing the straps before putting socks on, but I still made her anxious.

One shop they keep shouting (from tills in middle of store) at everyone entering to hand sanitise. It jars to be shouted at and hear the anxious shouts.

First shop I went to, I found shoes that weren't perfect but might do. I left them to side thinking they'd get special handling. 2nd time I was back in there to check the shoe style and features, guy rushes up to tell everyone to leave shoes at sides to sanitise before replacement. I was doing things right... but still feeling told off.

One shop had a one way system that was confusing, got told off...

Another place, poor shopworker jumped anxiously in case I touched something... Felt bad for merely browsing in empty shop, but they were over-priced & too much stress to even try something on, hard to assess features without handling.

Most shops you feel like you're dodging other customers and don't know if you'll upset them by not dodging them perfectly enough.

Some shops don't seem to care how much you touch stuff in trying to browse to find right item, but even if the staff don't care you may feel like the other customers are STARING at what you touched.

It's all like an emotional obstacle course.

Good news: the new shoes are pretty good. I'm on hols but in a great town to find what I needed, phew.

ps: Even Better, I helped a small child (holding hands) do something tricky today & the mum was delighted to have helpful people around. Also helped a random guy (much younger than me??!!) do something on his phone. Lovely little moments of normal human contact.