Are we still supposed to be shopping solo?

[biser]

I've just come back from the supermarket. There were a LOT of twosomes. Also saw masks being warn as chin-warmers.

Have the supermarkets, again, given up monitoring this?

no supermarket near me enforces single shopping thank god

Hopefully soon all this shit will go away

A friend looks fit and healthy but his stoma means he can't carry anything too heavy.
His wife is too anxious to go alone. They don't have a car and can't afford one.
How nice to think there's sanctimonious bastards judging them for being "self absorbed".

@CovidPostingName

The manager in my local Waitrose was having a complete power trip over this last weekend! The chap on the door was letting couples in, but inside the manager was challenging all of them.

Love it when someone doing their job is called a power trip.

Quite. I wish more supermarket staff would have power trips.

@MaxNormal

A friend looks fit and healthy but his stoma means he can't carry anything too heavy. His wife is too anxious to go alone. They don't have a car and can't afford one. How nice to think there's sanctimonious bastards judging them for being "self absorbed".

Your friend should be safe in the knowledge that what he is doing is fine. Other people just doing what they want not so much. Genuinely don't know anyone in real life who does what the fuck they want like the people on mumsnet do. I just want this all to be over soon and I feel like people need to keep doing the right things in order for June 21st to be the end of all restrictions. Its not square or judgey or sanctimonious

I agree with OP.
I understand there are exceptions who have valid reasons and who are exempt from rule. But are they ALL on Mumsnet?

FWIW I don’t drive (yes I can say don’t because I have a licence) and my husband and two kids waited in car for an hour today so I could get our weekly shop done. My husband’s hernia is playing up so he’s unable to push the trolley, meaning I had to do it today. If I drove I’d go on my own, but there were still alternatives! The kids were happy enough to read their books while I shopped. You don’t HAVE to all go in, usually.

"I find it bizarre, I get it’s a lots of people thing but those people from the same household are likely to have the same germs aren’t they? I can’t wait until people stop policing other people"

Here you go....maybe I should have written 'implied' rather than 'said' (who's the pedant now). Regardless, you still do not appear to understand how a family/group shopping together (by raising the number of people using the store) increases the risk for everyone, including themselves. Where someone with a disability needs support, or children have to accompany a single parent, that increased risk is accepted as part of the modelling. But everyone else should be following the public health guidance to reduce the risk to anyone using or working in the shop. Why on earth would you find this bizarre?

@Macaronirabbit

When people are shopping in pairs (because of a preference rather than actual need) or not wearing a mask (again out of preference) what do they think when they pass multiple signs requesting mask wearing/solo shopping, and hear tannoy announcements (very frequently) asking the same? Do they actually not see or hear them, or just think it doesnt apply to them, or is optional? (Like the people who invited my DS to a birthday party - why do the rules apply to thousands of other kids that couldnt have a birthday party....but not yours??)

Well - if the bouncers at the door aren't stopping multiple people from walking in and if staff members don't question people together in the aisle - then yes, the rules have clearly become optional.

You might not like it, but it is what it is.

I've noticed that the bigger supermarkets around here have become very busy indeed and are quite happy to allow people to shop together. The Coop on the high street and the B&M / Home Bargains in the retail parks are still operating queuing systems and I imagine that they might be stricter on the household rules.

Supermarkets and other shops don't generally have "bouncers", and staff probably have enough extra responsibilty with additional cleaning etc to question everyone that walks in the supermarket whether they actually need to shop as an entire household or pair (and some people might take offence or feel embarrassed to be asked)
DH wears a mask when he travels on the train every day, not just the days there's transport police on the train (which is hardly ever).

If you can read a sign and hear a tannoy announcemnet asking everyone to wear masks, unless exempt and decide that means its optional , or read and hear that they request you shop alone whenever possible and decide thats also optional because no one challenged you, then how do you define what other guidelines or rules are optional...? (or are they all if you can do them without being challenged?)

Absolutely nobody has said anyone who is an LP shopping with children/ has a disability/need for support/doesn't have a car etc shouldn't be allowed in the shop. Those people clearly have a need to shop with support/in a group. Realistically, this cannot account for the many, many couples shopping together in most supermarkets in my area - blocking the aisles, chatting and calling across others about this and that item. Maybe this group tallies with the people on here defensively announcing they have shopped together all through the pandemic and nobody has looked at them or challenged them. As if they haven't noticed, that makes it alright? Please just think of others and follow the guidance to make the situation safer for all of us.

Well - if the bouncers at the door aren't stopping multiple people from walking in and if staff members don't question people together in the aisle - then yes, the rules have clearly become optional.

I can tell you that there is no WAY I'm going to confront customers about the fact that they are shopping in groups. I am not paid enough to deal with the inevitable grief I will get for saying so.

Why are shop workers expected to take abuse because the public at large refuses to do the right thing?

@CandyLeBonBon you absolutely should not be expected to challenge the public. People are so angry at the moment who knows what they would do in response. Sorry people put you in this position.

When people are shopping in pairs (because of a preference rather than actual need) or not wearing a mask (again out of preference) what do they think when they pass multiple signs requesting mask wearing/solo shopping, and hear tannoy announcements (very frequently) asking the same?

Probably nothing?

if staff members don't question people together in the aisle

Bit late if they already in the aisle, but also it would be a brave member of staff who would question it.

Who made up these rules about single shopping as no shops near me are telling people to shop alone and that includes the big supermarkets

@Pastanred

Who made up these rules about single shopping as no shops near me are telling people to shop alone and that includes the big supermarkets

The supermarkets themselves. It's because they could (or can) only allow a certain amount of people in (dependent on the floor space). So shopping alone meant the queue would move faster, as it was just one person on the count. people could get their shopping more quickly.

In these parts there a re signs up in all the major supermarkets, and in some there are tannoy announcements. Their shop their rules I would guess.

None of the supermarkets near me have queues or signs about single shopping

I’ve not queued to get in anywhere since last March/April!

@Pastanred

None of the supermarkets near me have queues or signs about single shopping

I’ve not queued to get in anywhere since last March/April!

That's really weird. there was a queue at Waitrose on Friday, security on the door and counting people in and signs up. All felt very safe.

From the government website:

If you need to go to the supermarket, you should:

shop alone where possible, as this will reduce the number of contact points between people
follow social distancing guidance in store - this means staying more than 2 metres from people you don’t live with (unless you have formed a support or childcare bubble with them)
wash your hands before and after visiting stores
wear a face covering over both your nose and mouth at all times, unless you have an exemption - read guidance on making and wearing a face covering
follow markings and advice in stores
try to plan what your household and anyone you are supporting needs for a number of days ahead so that your trips to buy food and essentials are as infrequent as possible

It’s government policy - and the very first bulletpoint.

It's mostly the Covines (ie people not bothered about getting covid and at the bottom of the list for vaccination so most likely to be infected) who shop in groups here. Well, they don't really shop : just wander around aimlessly and take up loads of space.

I guess the wording it’s should

Therefore it’s advice and not enforceable

Throughout the pandemic government have made it very clear what are ‘should’ and what are ‘must’ rules

I usually shop alone or get a delivery but popped into Sainsbury’s yesterday evening with my DP to choose some dinner. It was very quiet, I don’t see any harm or reason not to have done this. We had one basket and were about ten minutes. Is Mumsnet really going to froth at me for it?

@Pastanred

I guess the wording it’s should

Therefore it’s advice and not enforceable

It says “should” about face coverings too. Yet the vast majority of people comply with that.