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Original poster

Familys shopping together

213 replies

Amira19 · 10/01/2021 11:32

Went to my local Morrisons yesterday and it was crazy, family's of 5 plus shopping together despite the schools closing to prevent spread , groups of people blocking aisles gossiping to each other trying to get past whilst keeping distance. I thought the whole point was to reduce the number of people going into the shops. I heard the staff getting frustrated with the situation. ( single parents of course should shop with dc but this was groups of families, seems like its going to be never ending)

OP posts:
RedskyAtnight · 10/01/2021 13:31

@hyunasthebest

My family do go shopping together atm, is this not allowed again now? It's hard to keep up with the changing restrictions
It's allowed from the point of view that it's not illegal. From the point of view that the main restriction is "Stay at Home", your whole family does not need to go shopping together. More people in the shop increases the risk of infection transmission.
lilsquish · 10/01/2021 13:33

it annoyed me more in march than what it does now.

as most folk are now wearing masks so im less concerned about numbers in shops.

also dont really blame folk taking their kids, im guilty of using it as an excuse to get them out the house for a bit

hyunasthebest · 10/01/2021 13:33

But it is not against guidance? Unless they specifically prohibit something I will continue to do it. Life is joyless enough atm

Sparklingbrook · 10/01/2021 13:35

Lots of people don't want to follow 'guidance' however sensible it is. It has to be law apparently...

LubaLuca · 10/01/2021 13:35

@hyunasthebest

My family do go shopping together atm, is this not allowed again now? It's hard to keep up with the changing restrictions
We're all supposed to stop at home whenever possible, so it makes sense for just one person to go in a supermarket. The fewer bodies there are within an inside space, the lower the risk for everyone.
RedskyAtnight · 10/01/2021 13:36

@lilsquish

it annoyed me more in march than what it does now.

as most folk are now wearing masks so im less concerned about numbers in shops.

also dont really blame folk taking their kids, im guilty of using it as an excuse to get them out the house for a bit

It annoys me more now - numbers are massively higher. Back in March there was a very good chance that no one else in the supermarket had Covid. Now there is an extremely high probability that someone does (1 in 30 do locally to me) so I want to be able to maintain proper social distancing, which is impossible with large family groups everywhere particularly when parents let their children run around (to be fair I avoid them by going late at night, but I shouldn't have to).
Downriver · 10/01/2021 13:37

I can't shop alone. Am going once a week. I have no car. Need DS to help me carry stuff. Is that bad?

Sparklingbrook · 10/01/2021 13:38

@Downriver

I can't shop alone. Am going once a week. I have no car. Need DS to help me carry stuff. Is that bad?
No.
darksideofthemooncup · 10/01/2021 13:40

Don't get me started on the people that come every single day. They do a trolleys worth too and I see them loading stuff into their car. Absolutely no need and very very selfish behaviour. This won't be forever but it will go on longer than necessary if people don't start to take responsibility for their own actions

Funkypolar · 10/01/2021 13:42

There is no need to go food shopping at all. Not eating for a few days won’t harm you, most of the country is obese. COVID will.

Oldbutstillgotit · 10/01/2021 13:47

Our local M and S always has someone on door duty and they are quite strict , asking couples if they both require to go and with families suggesting one parent takes the DC elsewhere ( park across the road) .
No doubt some people will disagree but it seems sensible to me .
I have friends in both France and Australia and they are utterly bemused by the idea that shopping is a family outing at this time . And yes there are exceptions to the rule but so many people are interpreting guidance/ law to suit them .

MadameBlobby · 10/01/2021 13:49

It does my head in, also older middle aged couples sauntering around the place. It’s actually quite selfish because it means that if a family of 4 are in the shop 3 people are queuing outride in the cold for longer than they would have been if the family of 4 just had one shopper.

SmudgeButt · 10/01/2021 13:50

I was in Aldi queued up for the till and waited for the person in front's shpping to move along the belt before putting a divider on it prior to adding my own shopping. I could hear the chap behind me shuffling and huffing a bit. Got my items on the belt, waited so there was a good 2 feet of space and then put a another divider on the belt to indicate where my space ended.

As I stepped ahead he came up behind me, and started loading his stuff shoving the divider up close to my shpping. I turned around and smiled, pushed the divider back to distance our goods (& ourselves) and simply said - "Sorry I was trying to keep you safe as I can't wear a mask."

I resisted the temptation to cough at him. he already looked sufficiently horrified.

whiskybysidedoor · 10/01/2021 13:51

Do you not feel sorry for the people going for something to do or as a family activity? Yes they are annoying but your life must be pretty miserable if that’s your entertainment.

wizzbangfizz · 10/01/2021 13:53

I find this infuriating as it's more evidence that these endless bloody lockdowns don't work because people can't follow basic rules and advice!

hobbyiscodefordogging · 10/01/2021 13:53

@Funkypolar

There is no need to go food shopping at all. Not eating for a few days won’t harm you, most of the country is obese. COVID will.

You could always wash the shopping when you get back. In fact, if you leave a basin of hot soapy water outside while you go to the shops, you wouldn't even have to risk taking it inside before washing it.

rainbowunicorn · 10/01/2021 13:58

@Strawberrypancakes

What’s the actual rules on this though? A friend of mine doesn’t drive but hadn’t left the house for days so went with her DH and had to take the kids. That seems fine to me.
So instead of one person in a shop doing the shopping you have a family of at least 4 I presume as you mention kids. If your friend hasn't been out for days she could have gone a walk aftern her OH did the shopping. She could have gone alone or with her family.

Is it really so difficult to understand that 1 person in a shop poses much less risk both to other people and their own family that 4 people from the same family do?

Original poster
Amira19 · 10/01/2021 13:58

hyunasthebest yes its guidances but surely.if you're dc can't go to school everyday common sense would think they shouldn't be going food shopping unless there's no other adult in the household. Its as much more risk to the workers by having more people in the shops.

OP posts:
AnoDeLosMuertos · 10/01/2021 14:01

Yes, people are treating supermarkets as a family day out. Saw families with both parents and kids whereas I left my DH at home with the kids whilst I shopped alone. Ridiculous!

Butterymuffin · 10/01/2021 14:06

@SmudgeButt

I was in Aldi queued up for the till and waited for the person in front's shpping to move along the belt before putting a divider on it prior to adding my own shopping. I could hear the chap behind me shuffling and huffing a bit. Got my items on the belt, waited so there was a good 2 feet of space and then put a another divider on the belt to indicate where my space ended.

As I stepped ahead he came up behind me, and started loading his stuff shoving the divider up close to my shpping. I turned around and smiled, pushed the divider back to distance our goods (& ourselves) and simply said - "Sorry I was trying to keep you safe as I can't wear a mask."

I resisted the temptation to cough at him. he already looked sufficiently horrified.

I use my trolley to block people like this who move right up behind you at the till. I go in front of it and unpack from the front so you keep the person behind you at least a trolley length away. Before this I had people (men, to be honest) standing right behind me ignoring all social distancing measures.
starfish4 · 10/01/2021 14:24

If a family come into contact with an infected person, surely they're massively increasing their chances of catching it, and obviously spreading it amongst themselves. Just can't understand it

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 10/01/2021 14:27

I've spent 4 days this week doing long shifts online picking on the shop floor for 6 hours a day due to the app telling lots of colleagues to isolate. It drives me mad, we can't stop people coming in together as some really do have good reasons but most don't and to be honest I think we have all had enough abuse now. Door monitor is not a popular job. Maybe you don't like shopping alone or waiting outside or in the car whilst your partner shops. Well I don't like having strangers milling around me treating me like part of the furniture just because I'm wearing a supermarket uniform. I'm in my 60's as is dh until all us on the government list get the vaccine please stop using the supermarket this way. Shop alone if you can, wear your mask properly if you can, and stop chatting.

UpMySt · 10/01/2021 14:36

I went in yesterday with DH and toddler as I don't drive and DH was with toddler pushing the trolley while I was grabbing bits. When I shop alone with toddler it takes longer but when dh is with me, he occupies the toddler and we don't have to enter every isle as I run back and forth to the main middle isle with the essentials where they hang around and it takes less time and less time with packing at checkout too and of course I live on the 3rd floor of our flat with no lift so it means I don't have to leave toddler unsupervised in the car or in the house while I grab shopping bags.

rainbowunicorn · 10/01/2021 14:38

@UpMySt

I went in yesterday with DH and toddler as I don't drive and DH was with toddler pushing the trolley while I was grabbing bits. When I shop alone with toddler it takes longer but when dh is with me, he occupies the toddler and we don't have to enter every isle as I run back and forth to the main middle isle with the essentials where they hang around and it takes less time and less time with packing at checkout too and of course I live on the 3rd floor of our flat with no lift so it means I don't have to leave toddler unsupervised in the car or in the house while I grab shopping bags.
Why can't your DH do the shopping if he can drive and you stay at home with the toddler?
AnneElliott · 10/01/2021 14:45

I agree with you op, but families going shopping in a big group has always annoyed me.

I used to work in a greengrocers and the number of couples that would come in with buggy (or double buggy) plus toddlers walking round touching everything as well as bored teenagers etc. Sometimes they took up the whole shop so no other customers could get in!

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