Community Chat

[Isobel Archer]

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@busymom22 wrote:

Honestly, I think grocery stores, big-box stores (like Walmart) and Sam's Club/Costco are just contributing more to the virus transmission.

There simply is no "social distancing" going on in these places.  I have a mask (got a long time ago) and I wear eye protection and gloves (disposable) and yet I saw no one else with any protection. Once the store opens it's a free for all and people are pushing past others.

Then people have to check out. They touch the same keypads to pay as everyone else before them. There is no sanitizing in between customers, no wiping down of conveyor belts, etc. Because schools are closed I see lots of kids running around touching everything.

It's amazing that everything is closed yet the public is allowed to mob these places protection-free.

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Yes we clearly have discrepancies in what is "allowed."  When they went to the "no more than 10" in public, my first question was - would grocery stores have to close?

I know people need things, but it's just so interesting that we are willing to shut down small businesses and tank the economy - because - people will die - otherwise.  And the virus is "so contagious" that we must self quarantine.

But then - here we go - potentially spreading the virus in grocery stores.

Either 10+ people at one time is a national crisis - or it isn't.

[FS74]

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@busymom22 wrote:

Then people have to check out. They touch the same keypads to pay as everyone else before them. There is no sanitizing in between customers, no wiping down of conveyor belts, etc. Because schools are closed I see lots of kids running around touching everything.

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I live in a rural area and my WalMart has people wiping down the self serve keypads and belts after every customer. Sounds like it is an individual store protocol.

[Eileen in Virginia]

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@homedecor1 wrote:

This morning I took 2 ladies to the "early" shopping hour for seniors.  We went to our local chain foodstore which is small in comparison to other stores.  They only offer this on Tuesday & Wednesday and I think it just started.

This was my observation - we also were there by 6:45 am.  My guess there were at least 100-125 people waiting.  Both ladies use walkers.  I would not get in this line we just "waited" until the crowd thinned out when store opened.  

1). Line was to end of building & more around the side

2). No one & I mean no one controlled the line OR "social distancing"

3)  the store had only 3 scooters (which is normal for this store)

4) Clerks at door upon opening were almost "rushed like Black Friday" crowd...and then the "fun" began who got the scooters😳

5) Inside the clerks had both TP, paper towels, tissues limit 1 per customer if they wanted.  Some missed out - yikes! 

Then the real "fun" began approximately 100+  seniors shopping the store.  The shelves were fairly stocked, of course, by the time we got to dairy/egg/bread aisles/meat case -- slim pickings. Couldn't even get near bakery, deli.

We shopped and I couldn't "imagine" the rudeness of some.  I felt bad for many who were handicapped.  The aisles were full of shoppers and many tried to maneuver around them -- not easy with narrow aisles, scooters, walkers, canes...if you know what I mean.

As we got ready to check out only 4 lanes open.  Of course, by now store was open to public.  We waited over a hour to checkout.

After this, I took them to WM neighborhood market, bank and then home.  I helped both carry packages into their houses.

My question is:  

Aren't the findings from this virus stating "greatest concern is for those over 65 (seniors) and those with compromised health".

I saw a few people with face masks & gloves.   The clerks did wipe the carts before they gave the shopper the cart.

Perhaps I'm wrong but all these seniors in one place at one time doesn't make sense to me.  In fact, we shopped at WM and found the store was not crowded at all and IMO probably a "safer" environment.  

I told my friends I would be happy to go or take them to the store anytime but I won't go again during senior hour.  I just don't think it's a good idea since both are elderly, handicapped & not in best of health.

Is this a good idea? Or is it my observation, it's not!

@homedecor1  My senior hour experience at BJ's (described in a previous post) was the opposite of yours. Of course, BJ's is a much larger store than a local store, but my fellow shoppers were much more civilized than the ones you described. I've heard of some smaller stores only allowing 10 or so shoppers into the store at a time. 

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[Cakers3]

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@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

@Cakers3 

That sounds like a pretty good system!  I would faint if they did anything like that around here!  Sure, they are having the senior hour, but they are taking no precautions that I have seen.  Was that a chain store?  I decided I'm not going to any more senior hour shopping trips because they seem worse than regular hours! 

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@AngelPuppy1   It was Whole Foods.  I actually didn't intend to take part in the senior time slot but I am up so early I figured get there and get things done.

I think having it every day makes it go more smoothly-some places only do senior hours one or two days per week so that may contribute to the long lines.

[squeaks]

I was going to my local Costco for senior hour yesterday.  The store opened at 8.  1 got off the freeway ramp and traffic wasn't moving in either direction.  I was able to change lanes and go in the opposite  direction.  The traffic was backed up the other direction.  What  a nightmare.  I then headed to Winco.  I had missed their senior window.  By the way, they have senior hour from 5 to 7 Monday through Friday.  Anyway the line wasn't very long.  A nice lady got me a cart and another lady sprayed Lysol on my cart.  Hiow thoughtful.  They limit how many can enter.  I got my stuff and went home as a hsppy camper.

[gidgetgh]

I went this morning during senior hours. I was going to wait till tomorrow, but they just put more restrictions on our county last night starting at noon today and I got a little anxious that it might get crazy by tomorrow. I got there at 7:15. The store, Publix, was very busy but not snow storm busy. Checkout was fine. 

No toilet paper or paper towels (I didn't need any but looked anyway) and the bread was very very low, but I managed to get everything on my grocery "wish list" (I no longer consider it a grocery list, but a wish list).

Compared to my trip last week, I saw many more people wearing masks and gloves. I'm a very friendly shopper and say hello to people.  Even at good physical distances people didn't seem to be in the mood for any of that today.  

I won't have to go now for 2 weeks which is good because the virus is starting to accelerate where I live, Atlanta.

I have to say that seeing so many people wearing masks and gloves and being so serious made me a little anxious to be honest.  I was very happy and relieved  to get to my car, get home, unload the groceries, take a shower and then I put the clothes I wore to the store in the washer and washed them.

Scary, scary, unsettled times. 

[TY]

My husband went to Costco yesterday for the seniors hour from 8-9am. It was at a suburban Costco in the lower mainland area of Vancouver, B.C. Canada store. People must have lined up early because by the time he got there at 7:55 am there was a huge line outside. How much social distancing there is outdoors is questionable but at least the line was cordoned off near the front of the store. He was shopping for his brothers who are self quaranteeing. It took an hour to get into the store because they only let in 50 people at a time. The store was fully stocked up with toilet paper, kleenex, and paper towels.

[shoesnbags]

I went this morning to my neighborhood store, which is part of a family owned regional chain.  They have decided against Senior hours, which is fine with me.  I arrived at 7am when they opened.  No big line, just a steady stream of people going in.  

Store was well stocked except for things like disinfecting products and wipes, which I don’t need. People were few enough that I had no problem with social distancing in the store.  I went straight to the paper products when I entered and scored the 2 allowed packs of 💕toilet paper 💕 and two packs of Bounty paper towels.  So I was thrilled, to put it mildly. 

The only problems came came when I had to check out.  I had put everything on the counter for the cashier to ring up and was going to move down past the cashier to begin putting bags in my cart. But another employee had come up between me and my cart and was having a long animated conversation with the cashier.  I stood where I was rather than move closer to her but she didn’t get the message.  Finally I had to tell her that she would have to walk away before I could move to the spot where my bags were.   I got a blank look, but she moved.  

Then while I was finally putting those bags into the cart, a man started putting out all of his groceries on the conveyor belt. He was standing right next to the card machine that I was about to use.  We would have been shoulder to shoulder if I had moved back to insert my card.  I had to ask him to move back so I could use the machine and again, I got blank looks from him and his wife. Some people definitely don’t get the distancing thing - or they don’t care.  

But it all in all, a good grocery trip. 

[suzyQ3]

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@Moonlady wrote:
If any store is asking for I.D. (IOW, enforcing a "seniors only" policy), they shouldn't be.

It's illegal to refuse anyone service during a national emergency.

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@Moonlady, have you ever received a senior discount at a theater?

[lovescats]

they said on the news last night a local target was having the early morning shopper hour this week and it was for seniors, pregnant women, and people with pre existing conditions so isn't that everyone?