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Original poster

Social distancing and queueing in shops

220 replies

Blossomplease6 · 10/04/2021 21:02

When will it end? June? I have a child with SEN and all the queueing to get in everywhere and dancing around people In shops and staying behind lines is making it impossible to take him out.

OP posts:
UserTwice · 10/04/2021 22:01

Wow. Children are not a 'trip hazard' and if you're tripping over kids perhaps you should look where you're going.

Children who randomly skip around shops into the paths of other shoppers (who are looking where they are going) are a trip hazard. And this is not even to do with Covid - your child shouldn't be barging into other people because they are not looking where they are going. A shop is not a playground.

KurtWilde · 10/04/2021 22:03

@Blossomplease6

Only on mumsnet does a skipping child equate to feral and out of control Grin
Right?? Good lord 😂
Buzzinwithbez · 10/04/2021 22:05

@Blossomplease6

Most of our big supermarkets still have queues on weekends (london) and even the little local tesco has a red traffic light queue system if you go in the evenings after work when it’s busier. I don’t even know what the purpose of it is tbh. It doesn’t seem to make it any less busy. It’s probably be better if they just let people get on with it.
That's really rubbish. Our simply food is the only place that has a queue. Everywhere else has been ok since last June. Our Tesco had traffic lights above the door but I can't say I noticed them today...ooops... Or maybe they've gone. Honestly I just put my blinkers on and get on with things.

I'm sorry it's so hard. I've got a child who has left the house only a handful of times because of anxiety over this whole thing, but they're slowly starting to come round to being out a bit more. The sort of queueing you're describing wouldn't help. Nor would worrying that they might be inadvertently getting a rule wrong..

RedcurrantPuff · 10/04/2021 22:05

It’s not too bad here, to be honest I’m just pleased to be out of this bastard house for a time. My kids are old enough to be left at home now though. I pop in my AirPods and quite enjoy myself actually.

KurtWilde · 10/04/2021 22:09

@UserTwice

Wow. Children are not a 'trip hazard' and if you're tripping over kids perhaps you should look where you're going.

Children who randomly skip around shops into the paths of other shoppers (who are looking where they are going) are a trip hazard. And this is not even to do with Covid - your child shouldn't be barging into other people because they are not looking where they are going. A shop is not a playground.

I've had more adults barge into me than kids. And my kids have been perfectly well behaved walking at the side of my trolley and had adults barge into them, so get off your high horse.
Buzzinwithbez · 10/04/2021 22:12

I think there's a big difference between children barging other people and not following unnecessary one way systems. . Can't say I've noticed any barging, although a delightful toddler toddled into my path today. She cherred me up. Can't imagine anyone would regard her as a trip hazard.

Buzzinwithbez · 10/04/2021 22:12

Cheered

StillCounting123 · 10/04/2021 22:13

This Covid storm has brought out the inner child-hating in some people, I'm sad to see.

Some shops near me still have a 1 child per 1 adult sign up. Not possible for many, myself included.

OP, I fully understand what you are saying/asking. I honestly think some people (probably those who dislike children) want these rules to stay in place for the foreseeable, and there is a certain amount of people in control who really do like the feeling of power.

Let us back to normality now, cuz this really isn't it.

TwinnyMummy321 · 10/04/2021 22:21

I totally agree with you OP. It worries me that this booking in advance thing will be here to stay as well. I get why it's been necessary but I hope that we are able to get some spontaneity back eventually. I don't want to book tickets for things only for it to rain on the day! I haven't really been out for the last year to be honest, I can't be doing with the extra faffing. I've decided not to bother going anywhere until I don't need to take a bloody mask with me. Some people seem to think that day might never come, and I really hope they're wrong!

SilverGlitterBaubles · 10/04/2021 23:02

I agree OP, the queues, masks, rules abs regulations seem to suck the joy out of everything. Enough already Sad

RedGoldAndGreene · 10/04/2021 23:16

The only place round here with queues is Greggs and Costa. The supermarkets have a traffic light thing above the entrance but I don't shop at weekend lunchtimes when the number of shoppers is highest so I never have to queue.

Shelovesamystery · 11/04/2021 08:23

Ugh couldn't agree more OP. I'm so fed up of social distancing. Queues, masks, 2 metres, having to book tickets for everything etc. It needs to stop now.

MargosKaftan · 11/04/2021 08:40

We've also not had queues for months, but then I dont tend to go to the supermarket /Post office at weekends, are you able to see if its less busy during the week?

No one round here has bothered with "follow the arrows" after April 2020.

I am rather hopeful that 2 of the emails I've received from shops saying "we reopen tomorrow" have referenced trying things on. Yay to that !

Hope we can be done with this all soon. Our postcode has been in the "undeclared" case numbers for weeks (that's when it's between 0-2 in an area they won't release the actual number). Even when the kids went back to school and all the secondary aged children were being tested twice a week they had no cases.

OliveTree75 · 11/04/2021 08:44

@murbblurb

Feral out of control NT children don't help this . Kids should not be 'skipping about' in shops. Control your trip hazard.
Wtf😂
poppycat10 · 11/04/2021 08:46

Apart from my local Waitrose on a Saturday where the security guard likes to have something to do and stops people going in even if there are only about 3 people in the shop, there hasn't been a queue to get in any shops since Christmas where I am. It is still quite quiet so the queues to pay are close to non-existent too. The exception is the post office but you have to queue inside if you don't queue outside so it makes no difference.

The Waitrose thing is silly as it's inside a mall so the queue is inside! I would have thought it would more sensible to let people circulate inside the shop.

Nowhere has a one way system either.

I think if you were to eg go at 4pm on a Monday there would be nobody there. I did that right through lockdown and never had to queue to get into a shop.

poppycat10 · 11/04/2021 08:48

I read in the paper yesterday that you will be able to try things on - changing rooms will be open.

NannyR · 11/04/2021 08:53

We had the big queues to get into supermarkets in the first lockdown, but the supermarkets abandoned checking the numbers of people in store last summer and haven't had to queue since. Tesco and Aldi do have the red light system, but it doesn't seem to cause any queuing. The downside is that the shops do feel very crowded sometimes (probably normal numbers of shoppers pre covid, that we need to start getting used to)

Original poster
Blossomplease6 · 11/04/2021 09:57

I can’t go during the week because of work. Single parent so evenings aren’t an option. I mostly shop online but do need to go to shops sometimes.
I went to the opticians the other day l, had an appointment but still had to queue outside for 15 mins on the busy high street near a road with 2 kids, one in complete meltdown other the queueing.

OP posts:
RaspberryCoulis · 11/04/2021 10:14

No queuing here for things like supermarkets. Ikea and other homestores opened on Easter Monday in Scotland and yes there were queues - because they've been closed since Christmas Eve and people had been desperate to go. And there's bugger all else to do.

I'm a charity shop volunteer and the requrement to limit people in the shop seriously hampers us. Usually there are three people in the shop - the manager/deputy and two volunteers. One person on the till, one has to be on the door counting people in and out. One person left to do everything else. It just doesn't work.

The justification for al this queuing and number limits gets smaller every single day.

luckylavender · 11/04/2021 10:18

The numbers are good because we are doing all these things. It very well may continue as the price for opening up

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 11/04/2021 10:28

No queues here for months. Online slots are easy to get as well now.

I hope the distancing in between people in stores/venues continues for a while, hate people standing so close. No need for it and for many personal space seems an unknown thing.

Mask wise, it would be nice to see them the norm when people go out with colds etc like other countries do.

ImAlrightThanx · 11/04/2021 10:45

I quite like the social distanced queues. Sick of people huffing and puffing and shoving their trollies closer and closer at tills. I normally slow right down if I encounter those types...

I don't think we'll have to queue to get in though. Thats stopped around my way for months.

FlyingBurrito · 11/04/2021 10:53

@Buzzinwithbez

I let my daughter skip about. I don't think she notices the one way systems and arrows. She keeps things normal.
That annoying in normal times and pretty selfish when people are trying to keep a bit of social distance
bookworm1632 · 11/04/2021 11:03

your child shouldn't be barging into other people because they are not looking where they are going. A shop is not a playground.

This

Topseyt · 11/04/2021 11:07

@Shelovesamystery

Ugh couldn't agree more OP. I'm so fed up of social distancing. Queues, masks, 2 metres, having to book tickets for everything etc. It needs to stop now.
Absolutely agree. All of this utter shit needs to end right now.

We have just had to hold my Dad's funeral within the restrictions. Such as only 30 in the crematorium. We didn't socially distance afterwards though and family did gather back at the house. My mother needed the support and company, not isolation and distancing -fuck that!

I no longer give a shit about social distancing in shops, though I am not one for going right up to people anyway. I wear my mask where absolutely required to but whip it off as soon as I emerge from wherever I am. Can't wait for that to end.