Have to go to the high street. What is it like at the moment?

[Beebityboo]

I'm clinically vulnerable and haven't been anywhere other than my village in seven months. My DC's need p e kit for Wednesday and I've been unable to find anything at all online that will be here in time. It's looking like tomorrow or Tuesday I will need to venture in to town to buy it. What is general high street shopping like now? Is it as busy as normal/are people practicing social distancing?
I also don't drive so will need to get either a bus or a taxi, which one do you think would be safer?
Ill need to go to two or three shops to get the things I need.
Sorry if this is a stupid post but I've developed agoraphobia throughout lockdown so need to feel prepared.

In all honesty, where I am, there’s not much distancing & mask wearing is about 70% maybe. So I’d psych yourself up for that.
It’ll be fairly quiet now the schools have gone back though at least, especially midweek.

Bit tricky between taxi & bus. Only in close contact with one person in a taxi but fairly close & very confined. A bus there are more people but much less confined and more likely to be further apart 🤔 I hate buses but that’s just a personal thing! Do you have a friend or fam that could take you instead?

No one can take me or pick anything up. We're relatively new to the area and don't know anybody. Wish it wasn't so hard to do the basic things!

Taxi but keep window open. Busy but fairly good social distancing and high % of mask wearing in my small town.

Went into town for the first time since lockdown at the weekend. Hideous and stressful. Shops now appear to be doing zero to limit numbers now that masks have been brought in. Lost count of the number of times people bumped into me or stood right next to me. Some people not wearing masks, others had them on but with their noses sticking out. Lots of morons acting like tossers basically. Yuk.
If the British high st wants to survive it needs to reduce numbers in a shop at any one time, and ensure people social distance and wear masks on the premises.

No distancing going on really. Most people are wearing masks but other than that everyone is acting as normal.

I think it depends a bit on where you are. I’m in a small town and most people are wearing masks. Shops are sort of normal.

Numbers are fairly low where we are so I’m not overly worried about being out and about now really.

Where I have been, most people are wearing masks. Distancing is not always being observed, but of course there is a lot less of the virus around.

Buses have been quiet and I think I would choose them over a taxi as there is much more room.
I hope you get everything you need.

It seems to depend on where you live. Shopping is fine in my area. Nearly everyone wears masks, people keep their distance. Buses are nearly empty. I would try and go at a quiet time.

If I were you I would go by taxi (and sort out taxi back). If you have choice then book with firm who have screens fitted to separate driver and passengers (most do but not some small outfits). Windows open.
If it helps you not to touch your face then gloves on. Otherwise just don’t touch your face/mask.
Gel as and when.

London - central - here - shopping behaviour roughly 70 masks in shops. Social distance ignorers on pavement and shops around 20%. Social distance ignorers in restaurants and cafes around 80%.

As long as you are careful I think possibly it will give your mental well-being as much of a boost as anything else to be out and feel a bit of normality.
Good luck op.

Go early, buses are fine I was on one Saturday afternoon and it was only 1 person per double seat so well spaced apart.

Take your own hand sanitiser if you have it the ones in shops can be a bit harsh.

Go in early, wear a mask. Going on my experience, it honestly will be okay. I’ve been into town quite a few times and felt perfectly safe first thing, but can feel it getting busier from around 11am.

Go in early, wear a mask, bring your own gel, touch only what you want to buy, gel your hands after touching anything, get out asap.

Most people aren't socially distancing and are fairly lax about wearing masks/wearing masks properly.

Went to primark last week on a Wednesday at 10am. Very busy, many people not wearing masks, people standing right beside you, no respect for social distancing in queue, people not wearing masks and coughing and of course the usual multiple screaming children. Hated it. Got what I needed and got out as quick as possible. Never thought I would feel like thatnim normally quite chill.

Our nearest city gets a lot of visitors, from local area and further away. It is generally quite a compliant place, especially amongst locals who live there.

We went the other day and it wasn't great.

A fair few older people were visibly quite arsey about the Covid arrangements - for example some women were laughing at the sanitiser (just because they got in a mess with their bags) and a super grouchy man got right up behind them with lots of huffing. They probably wasted about twelve seconds of his miserable life.

So my advice is, take your own sanitiser, bags, everything. Try to be organised. Be prepared to walk away and return when some dickhead without a mask stands right next to you.

It really isn't fun out there. I'm doing my Christmas shopping now, I am not going anywhere near a ahop when it is busy.

I'm in the east of England and avoid the city centre. Very few people wearing masks. When I went I would stand aside to get a safe distance to walk, people would then push past me.

It's definitely something I'd only do again if I absolutely had to.

It might be a bit late for this suggestion but could you pick up pe kit in a supermarket? A lot of them do back to school clothes. I find it easier to keep distance in supermarkets, and can put the trolley behind me when queuing etc.

Ours is, I would say, fairly normal - barely any queues for shops and no-one is really bothering with social distancing anymore. Most people are wearing masks though.