Shopping and Social Distancing


 
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Our WalMart Neighborhood Market started restricting the number of folks inside today. It was well stocked for meat, eggs, dairy, canned goods, and vegetables. Didn't check on the paper products.
 
Yesterday, I finally got up the courage to mask up and go to Costco early afternoon. Number One on the list was TP. There was no line. As you approached, they were handing out paper towels soaked in disinfectant for you to wipe your cart handle. Once at the door, I learned there was no TP, paper towels, wipes, etc. Couldn't get the Kirkland laundry detergent I wanted, but bought a more expensive Tide equivalent. Everything else I wanted was available. Lots of meat, some good looking USDA Prime CAB briskets in a variety of sizes, but no room in the freezer to store one and no plan to cook a fresh one anytime soon.

The store wasn't too crowded, so maintaining 6' distance was not difficult, it's just a practice that is easy to forget as you navigate the store. 6' reminder was posted at each register. Plexiglas shields at the registers, and Plexiglas "booths" for the receipt checkers at the exit.
 
Back from Wegmans about an hour ago. It wasn't very crowded and they were pretty well stocked - especially the meat dept. No TP or paper towels though and, interestingly, no dishwasher pods or detergent. No eggs either. We'll survive. Since my last visit 8 days ago, they've put up shields, but have stopped cleaning the conveyor in between customers. Still have tape lines on the floor for spacing. Also no shortage of cart wipes and plenty of hand sanitizer stations in the store.

Oh, and they had some frozen fruits and veg back in stock for the first time in weeks.
 
Safeway is implementing new policies starting tomorrow.
Only 100 people allowed in the store at a time
All employees will be issued masks and gloves which will be mandatory.
Only three registers open 1, 3and 5 to provide separation.
Self registers will be open left/ right front and back so the middle two will be off to provide a buffer.
 
That's good. One thing I noticed when I stopped at Safeway on Sat was that none of the employees I saw were wearing a mask, and that includes the folks who were working in the deli dept....
 
TP stacked to the rafters at Costco here yesterday! Not a roll at my neighborhood store, meat cases, dairy, and produce were all pretty much fully stocked. Lots of plexiglass shields but, for the most part very little inconvenience.
 
OMG, you guys are facing the same chalenge we had here a few weeks ago in The Netherlands .
Now there is plenty of TP eveywhere, but flour and other backing products are completely sold out everywhere. Looks like everybody stays at home and bake their own bread :-(
 
We got our first Smith's (Kroger) pickup this morning after waiting about a week. They filled less than 50% of the order which didn't include any paper goods, meat, or dairy. Oddly they didn't fill jellied cranberry, Stubbs BBQ sauce, apple vinegar and similar items. Things you wouldn't think they were wiped out of in the panic. Tried ordering those items again for the next available date a week away. Looks like we will be going to Albertson's tomorrow during senior hours to see if we can fill some of the gaps.
 
I got paper towels today. Our grocery store is for the most part stocked with limitations on some items. We have one way aisles. One particular white haired and bearded gentleman seemed to make a point of going the wrong way every time I saw him. I really wanted to unleash on him. The store wasn't very crowded though.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I got paper towels today. Our grocery store is for the most part stocked with limitations on some items. We have one way aisles. One particular white haired and bearded gentleman seemed to make a point of going the wrong way every time I saw him. I really wanted to unleash on him. The store wasn't very crowded though.
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Yea I had a few of them today, whatever aisle I approached they were coming at me. After awhile of detouring I was ready to give them an earful, but I thought why bother as we try to avoid a face to face confrontation.
The thing that bugged me with Jewels ( Albertsons) Is that the cashiers are a little to chatty, as in do you have a rewards number? or do you play Monopoly? I get that in regular times, but times like this, I want to get the hell out of there with the least amount of contact as possible.
Give me my receipt, and thank you very much!
Tim
 
Ever think maybe those people were simply confused? What is the point of "unloading on them"? What possible good could come of it. This is what al this nonsense is reducing us to. I thought I was going to get murdered the other day because I had a tiny tiny little cough, you guys want to "unload" on people. What a great society
 
LMichaels said:
Ever think maybe those people were simply confused? What is the point of "unloading on them"? What possible good could come of it. This is what al this nonsense is reducing us to. I thought I was going to get murdered the other day because I had a tiny tiny little cough, you guys want to "unload" on people. What a great society
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Yea I do agree Larry. I don't like what this has become or how we think about others.
This is some strange times for sure.
I hope this goes away like a bad dream soon!
Tim
 
LMichaels said:
Ever think maybe those people were simply confused? What is the point of "unloading on them"? What possible good could come of it. This is what al this nonsense is reducing us to. I thought I was going to get murdered the other day because I had a tiny tiny little cough, you guys want to "unload" on people. What a great society
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On one of my trips to the store I was patiently trying to do the polite thing and stay back as somebody was looking at the back of a box, probably reading ingredients or calories. I don't know. They were there for probably about 30 seconds reading the box and looked up to see me and apologized. I smiled (face masks are not mandatory and I wasn't wearing one) and told them it's not a problem.

In the same store I was in an aisle with somebody standing in the middle talking on their phone and I politely waited a couple of minutes. When they decided to keep standing there and jabbering on their phone I squeeze my way by them and got a look of death. the shopping experience I think depends on the people around you.

There are those people, and then there are those people. I'll leave it at that for now.
 
LMichaels said:
Ever think maybe those people were simply confused? What is the point of "unloading on them"? What possible good could come of it. This is what al this nonsense is reducing us to. I thought I was going to get murdered the other day because I had a tiny tiny little cough, you guys want to "unload" on people. What a great society
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I agree, Larry which is why I didn't. That doesn't stop me from playing "Here's what I should have said!" on the ride home. I couldn't decide on calling him Santa or Uncle Jesse.
 
Except that neither Santa nor Uncle Jesse Duke would've been that inconsiderate.;)

I went shopping today (same store, 3rd time since) and it seemed like more people were conscious of their surroundings and other shoppers, but there were still a few that could've used some reminders. And honestly, all it takes is a few to ruin it for everybody else who's trying to play by the New Rules.
 
I've wondered if this is a test to see how we'll treat each other. People are a little disoriented - and we're all out of our routines. We've had these new rules forced on us, these new concerns (financial & concern for family are mine).
 
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