was asked to leave store after DH and me have been in store for 10 minutes

[ronandannette]

I've been the designated shopper since this all started, as I still work it make sense for me to be the one shopping. I generally stick to Costco & Albertsons for all our needs. I see a lot of senior couples shopping together, I question it for their safety but I think they are scared, and used to being together through everything. Had one older man upset at a twenty something "kid" for not having a mask. The clerk was great in reminding him masks are not required, but encouraged and they have designated times in the morning for older adults, of course he didn't want to get up that early. Can't make everyone happy.

The problem in Washington State is our Governor likes to wave his magic hand and issue an ultimatum, but he never issues details. If he actually worked with the Grocery stores we might have some consistency in social distancing and safety guidelines. Instead we have disarray. He's waved his magic hand enough times that it's clear he really has no idea what he's doing. He just reads the headlines from the California papers and then repeats the headlines.

This past weekend required me to make runs to Fred Meyer(Kroger) and Lowe's. It was an eye opening experience and an exercise in frustration.

Some observations:
Costco gets an A+ for managed crowds and laying out clear expectations. Limited party size, even kids, and limited # in the store, they got rid of a lot of the extra 'stuff' so aisles are plenty big to get around in and the check out process is clear. But where they excel at is communication, they can see if you're new and they let you know how things are working. Staff manage the lines outside and let you know what not to expect to find in the store.

Albertsons gets a B, they have staff cleaning carts inside, limit how many are in the store, lines are spaced out. But their directional signage on the floor isn't followed and frankly doesn't make a lot of sense, there are even a couple aisles that have directional arrows for entrance on both ends (oops). Their failure, is their "sign" on the front door is in small type that slides with the door, next to impossible to read. If you want me to read the rules of the store spell it out briefly, in larger type and place it where I can actually read it. Plus is I'd say 70% of shoppers have masks and gloves.

Fred Meyer(Kroger) gets an D, they have 4 entrances and no idea if anyone was cleaning carts. They have wipes but only after you get your car, thankfully I'm gloved up. Store is still over stocked and no aisle markings, most the shoppers seemed to fail at social distancing. I'd say only 40% were masked/gloved, and not even all the employees were doing a good job. I have no desire to go back there.

Lowes F+ this place was truly a great example of how to fail when you think you are an "essential" business, which they made a big sign for, but they failed at protecting their customers. They've protected their checkers, and that's about it. Carts, no idea if they were cleaned or not. Masks & gloves? Maybe 10% of the people. They could learn from Costco how to clear things out so you move around, they had all the aisles stuffed with so much junk - typical Lowes, but right now it was not helpful. They get the + because they at least were trying to manage the 5 check out lanes.

Then there is Amazon whic gets a C, while I understand why they are slowing shipping the fact is I wouldn't need to have gone to Lowes or Fred Meyer if they were not taking a week or two+ to ship products.

Are masks and gloves while in public officially required in your area? If so, then yes, the stores absolutely should be enforcing that rule and deserve a failing-grade if they are not. OTOH, if those measures aren't required, why would you knock the store for customers not wearing them?

 

[Wendy31]

I'm curious what restrictions were put on citizens during WW2 that is applicable to what we're seeing now. Sure, you were limited in specific products you could purchase (gas, butter, rubber, steel, etc), but were you limited from going into a store? Limited from enjoying nature (beaches, trails, etc)? Were people laid off in mass numbers?

So how does WW2 compare?

I’m not saying everything was exactly the same. People were asked to ration & sacrifice in other ways.

If you want to go further back, during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, people were restricted from going places. There were quarantines & cancellations.

And, in both events, there was a different collective mindset in the American people.

 

[Snowysmom]

DH and I go to the store together during senior hours at 6:00 am. If there were people waiting to get into the store only one of us would go in. But the store is not very crowded and there are several couples shopping together. I am somewhat surprised at the heated tone in this thread over whether only one person should go to the store. We should be supporting each other through this time not having arguments. Just my 2 cents.

 

[billlaurie]

Im assuming it was in response to this




under normal circumstances, pre-covid, this behavior wouldnt bother most people

Yes, I would hope most people aren't bothered by this though I did see some suggestions otherwise including a comment from one poster who was so bothered that they hoped the changes would be permanent. Dang, I hope not! This would destroy my date nights

 

[cabanafrau]

I'm curious what restrictions were put on citizens during WW2 that is applicable to what we're seeing now. Sure, you were limited in specific products you could purchase (gas, butter, rubber, steel, etc), but were you limited from going into a store? Limited from enjoying nature (beaches, trails, etc)? Were people laid off in mass numbers?

So how does WW2 compare?

In WWII the sacrifices were hefty and very long-term. A great many currently moaning, groaning and throwing tantrums a self respecting two year old would give side eye to about not being able to go about their daily life according to their whims and preferences need to buck up.

People who have good cause to moan and groan are those dealing with the direct repercussions of the virus -- illness, loss of life, etc.; those gearing themselves up to provide medical care for the sick under very discouraging and frightening circumstances; those heading into work every day, frequently with little respect, minimal pay and fear of exposing themselves and/or their loved ones; and those who are facing financial ruin due to job loss or their business being on the brink or well and truly over the cliff by now.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm curious what restrictions were put on citizens during WW2 that is applicable to what we're seeing now. Sure, you were limited in specific products you could purchase (gas, butter, rubber, steel, etc), but were you limited from going into a store? Limited from enjoying nature (beaches, trails, etc)? Were people laid off in mass numbers?

So how does WW2 compare?

Those in the continental US didn't have it so bad, but think of how it was in much of Europe.

We watched 1917 this weekend and it got me thinking I didn't have it so bad after all. At least I'm not stuck in a basement alone surrounded by war with a baby that's not even my own, you know?

 

[ncc1701]

It’s a Wegmans in a heavily populated suburban area in NJ outside of Philly. Nobody is spending ”extra time” inside. No clue why you keep harping on that falsehood. It’s simply a different situation than you have.

I live in the same area & even other supermarkets have had lines occasionally. My DSis had a 10 minute wait at an area Shoprite ( Senior discount day) this morning. The Acme around the corner from us has a spot for lining up but I have so far avoided going when there is a line.

 

[Hikergirl]

So OP, how’d the recipe turn out?

 

[kaytieeldr]

OR you live in NYC!

Or California, or New Jersey, or Massachusetts...

It isn’t about exposure.

It's ALL about exposure.

No one has been instructed to do that here.

Yes, we get that. Most of us aren't there. We're in more densely populated, exponentially more affected areas.

 

[VandVsmama]

So, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

This is a situation in which the phrase "your mileage may vary" most definitely applies. Before we all tar and feather the OP for his/her point of view, one should consider the fact that quarantine rules/guidelines/laws vary a LOT right now from one state to another. And, in some cases, from one COUNTY to another within an individual state.

In some areas, it's a government mandate to have only ONE person in the party/family go into the store at one time and that single person MUST wear gloves AND a mask at all times. In other areas, you MUST wear a mask everywhere or you can get arrested/ticketed/etc. And in other areas, masks are encouraged but NOT required.

In some stores, the store says you MUST wear a mask and gloves or else you can't go in to shop. For some stores, it's "you MUST wear a mask." In other stores, it's encouraged but not required.

Some stores require only one person in at a time from your party. Other stores allow 2 people or a small family to shop together. Others don't regulate any of that at all.

Some stores monitor customer behavior vigilantly and will kick you out if you're not following their store rules. Other stores don't do that quite so much.

My reason for harping on all of this is that before you all go and continue to rake the OP over the coals, just consider that maybe there's more than 1 point of view to look at this situation from. And YOUR point of view may not necessarily be THE only way to do it.

And anyone who is blasting the OP for having 2 adults go into a store for a can of soup....then until ALL of the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in YOUR respective areas, then make sure that YOU don't EVER go into a business for ANYTHING with **anyone** else in your family, group, party, etc. Walk the talk that you're saying here.

I think that everybody needs to go step away from the online Corona Virus Thought Police and step away from the keyboard, go outside, do some yoga, do SOMETHING for a few minutes other than obsess over it.

 

[sam_gordon]

So, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

This is a situation in which the phrase "your mileage may vary" most definitely applies. Before we all tar and feather the OP for his/her point of view, one should consider the fact that quarantine rules/guidelines/laws vary a LOT right now from one state to another. And, in some cases, from one COUNTY to another within an individual state.

In some areas, it's a government mandate to have only ONE person in the party/family go into the store at one time and that single person MUST wear gloves AND a mask at all times. In other areas, you MUST wear a mask everywhere or you can get arrested/ticketed/etc. And in other areas, masks are encouraged but NOT required.

In some stores, the store says you MUST wear a mask and gloves or else you can't go in to shop. For some stores, it's "you MUST wear a mask." In other stores, it's encouraged but not required.

Some stores require only one person in at a time from your party. Other stores allow 2 people or a small family to shop together. Others don't regulate any of that at all.

Some stores monitor customer behavior vigilantly and will kick you out if you're not following their store rules. Other stores don't do that quite so much.

My reason for harping on all of this is that before you all go and continue to rake the OP over the coals, just consider that maybe there's more than 1 point of view to look at this situation from. And YOUR point of view may not necessarily be THE only way to do it.

And anyone who is blasting the OP for having 2 adults go into a store for a can of soup....then until ALL of the COVID-19 restrictions are lifted in YOUR respective areas, then make sure that YOU don't EVER go into a business for ANYTHING with **anyone** else in your family, group, party, etc. Walk the talk that you're saying here.

I think that everybody needs to go step away from the online Corona Virus Thought Police and step away from the keyboard, go outside, do some yoga, do SOMETHING for a few minutes other than obsess over it.

You're correct. The rules and regulations can vary by store, city, county, or state. What rubbed me the wrong way wasn't that the OP shopped with her husband, it's that when it was pointed out to her that she's not supposed to do that, she didn't apologize and leave the store, she went and sat down by the entrance. THEN she came on here complaining like we should empathize with her (that SHE was "wronged" in some way). Did you notice she never came back with "I didn't know that was the rule" or "I didn't see a sign" or "Yes, we were in the wrong, but we were still treated rudely."? Accepting that what you did (or said) was wrong goes a long way.

And actually, I think the critiquing of what the OP did stopped 2-3 pages in. Then, as many threads do, the thread went off into other (but related) tangents.

 

[luvsJack]

I didn’t say constitutional rights had anything to do w/ shopping (or haircuts). I said the same people that are moaning about their constitutional rights are the same people refusing to understand why shopping a certain way right now is better - no matter whether your community has a rule or not.

You missed the whole point of my post but also kind of proved my point as well.

Yeah except I haven’t said anything about constitutional rights here at any time. You are making an assumption.

I get why they have the rules they want us to follow. I don’t have an issue following them. Have been since the beginning. I am just saying that this rule doesn’t follow the reasons people are giving.

Besides I seem to remember once saying “just do what they recommend” and got blasted about how everything should be questioned. Yeah, I don’t follow that line of thought.

I will continue to follow the rules and orders set forth by our governor and the mayor of the places I shop. If more than one person going in ever starts causing a problem, I will change that. But since I have been in one store with dh since mid March, I don’t see it being an issue. And again, it was a continuously moving line and no one was getting bent out of shape about who was with who, it’s all good. No one had to to wait until another day. No one had to wait anything remotely like 45.

Different places and areas have different guidance for this whole thing and there are many

 

[luvsJack]

It’s a Wegmans in a heavily populated suburban area in NJ outside of Philly. Nobody is spending ”extra time” inside. No clue why you keep harping on that falsehood. It’s simply a different situation than you have.

So there are an enormous number of people waiting, which I suggested.

And YES a different situation. We all have different situations. Which is why everyone needs to stop assuming anyone is wrong for what they do when you have no clue what is happening in their area.

(By the way I have repeatedly said “here” and “in my area” for that very reason)

 

[VandVsmama]

The OP didn't come back to this thread because the OP was verbally berated and treated like a Thyphoid Mary who should be taken out and put in the stocks in the public square or something.

 

[sam_gordon]

The OP didn't come back to this thread because the OP was verbally berated and treated like a Thyphoid Mary who should be taken out and put in the stocks in the public square or something.

Sorry, I disagree.

 

[CarolAnn856]

So there are an enormous number of people waiting, which I suggested.

And YES a different situation. We all have different situations. Which is why everyone needs to stop assuming anyone is wrong for what they do when you have no clue what is happening in their area.

(By the way I have repeatedly said “here” and “in my area” for that very reason)

I went back and re-read, and this discussion definitely includes hypothetical situations which your area may or may not resemble.

 

[Notrealname]

I'm curious what restrictions were put on citizens during WW2 that is applicable to what we're seeing now. Sure, you were limited in specific products you could purchase (gas, butter, rubber, steel, etc), but were you limited from going into a store? Limited from enjoying nature (beaches, trails, etc)? Were people laid off in mass numbers?

So how does WW2 compare?

Well, let’s see.
WWII you didn’t go shopping just for the heck of it. You didn’t have the luxury of having excess time. Too much work needed to be done. If you lived in coastal areas, there were curfews and blackouts. No sense going to the corner grocery or general store if you didn’t have the ration coupons, you needed them for darn near everything. Chances are that you made your own soup out of whatever you had left over, not stopping into some store to buy a can of soup.

Mass layoffs? Nope, if you were male of a certain age you probably were conscripted if you didn’t enlist. If you did live with your spouse, chances are you didn’t have enough free time to go to a store together between work, standing on line for rationed goods, tending to your victory garden, tending to the washing machine, hanging and drying the laundry and doing the ironing, shoveling the coal into the furnace or coping with the heat.

Yeah, these restrictions were facing right now make all that seem like small inconveniences. No biggie.

 

[Southernmiss]

You're correct. The rules and regulations can vary by store, city, county, or state. What rubbed me the wrong way wasn't that the OP shopped with her husband, it's that when it was pointed out to her that she's not supposed to do that, she didn't apologize and leave the store, she went and sat down by the entrance. THEN she came on here complaining like we should empathize with her (that SHE was "wronged" in some way). Did you notice she never came back with "I didn't know that was the rule" or "I didn't see a sign" or "Yes, we were in the wrong, but we were still treated rudely."? Accepting that what you did (or said) was wrong goes a long way.

And actually, I think the critiquing of what the OP did stopped 2-3 pages in. Then, as many threads do, the thread went off into other (but related) tangents.

The pandemic has been bubbling in the US for 6 weeks at least now.

People know that things are different. It's not like it's only been a week.

I could give a pass to not realizing changes if it hadn't been going on this long.

 

[Wendy31]

i absolutely understand that the rules are going to vary from community to community. It’s crazy! And everyone’s communities are different. Some are more populated. Some are more suburban. Some have more cases. Some have less cases.

Where we live, the current city restrictions are different from the current county restrictions which are still different from the current state restrictions. And, just over the state line, the GA restrictions are different from the TN restrictions which are different from the AL restrictions.

The TN governor just today extended the closing of personal service businesses through 5/29. I can’t yet get my haircut in TN but I can drive about 15 miles & get a haircut in GA.

But I guess my point is that, w/ some things, it shouldn‘t take a rule.

Medical experts on the national level have said that it‘s better right now for only 1 person from each household to shop at a time. I don’t even know what our current city & county restrictions are when it comes to shopping. Right now, in our family, only one of us is shoping, because it makes sense to us that it really is better & safer for us, for other shoppers, & for the employees of the store if only one of us shops. We didn’t need a rule to make us do that.

I understand that some individuals, for various reasons, can’t shop alone. But I think the majority of people can shop alone or can make other arrangements for groceries like curbside pickup or delivery. And having less people in stores & less people waiting to get into stores is what’s better right now - no matter what the particular restrictions & rules are for each community.

 

[VandVsmama]

The pandemic has been bubbling in the US for 6 weeks at least now.

People know that things are different. It's not like it's only been a week.

I could give a pass to not realizing changes if it hadn't been going on this long.

The virus was in the US at the end of January.