Hooooray, I got my banking done. Tried to find out the opening times before I went to see if the branch was actually open. Drew a blank on the web site, Tweeted them, automated reply telling me nothing, rang on the phone, several menu's to choose, nothing relevant to the question of what times are you open, I gave up. I took a chance and went there.
Ten people waiting in a long line across the street, half an hour later I got to the front and was called inside. They said no counter service, and directed me to the automatic tills on the wall. I said I have never used them before, so a staff member had to do the pressing of the buttons for me. We both stepped backwards and forwards, he asked me to check some numbers on the screen. The numbers were right but the amount he had keyed in was incorrect, even bank people get it wrong. More stepping to one side and checking. I don't fancy going through that again, I will have to find other ways of doing what I want to do.
Then I drove to Aldi, round the corner, and into the car park. A long queue to get in the door. I drove straight back out again. Not waiting there. Then I remember that my last experience of shopping at the small Tesco wasn't too bad, so I went there.
Not many people in, mostly just picking up a few items. I got what I wanted, following the one way system, not supposed to double back if you have missed something. Staff were busy putting stock on the shelves and one aisle was blocked by a trolley, so I had to go round that. I made my way down the last aisle towards the checkouts.
I looked at the beer thinking I might get a bottle, when the woman in front of me turned round and said, 'they are there for a reason', and looked at the floor. I looked down and noticed that I wasn't standing on the blue spot. I apologised and stepped back onto it. I felt well and truly told off, I said 'this is stressful'. The man behind me said, 'not as stressful as getting corvid 19'.
When it was my turn I stepped forward, I passed my shopping to the girl on the till. She said, 'can you step back please'. I was 12 inches over the line. She told me the total and I reached forward to hand her a £20 note. I never liked shopping much anyway, I like it even less now. I can see why people are getting home deliveries.
I was glad to get home. Spose I'll get the hang of it eventually. I am a slow learner and will probably make mistakes along the way. Don't make my mistakes peoples, look down on the floor. I'm not looking forward to the next shopping trip.
Toodle pip. ilona
You decide
9 hours ago
That definitely sounded stressful! I just let my husband do the shopping. He loves it, and is good at snagging bargains. I detest it, and would never step foot in a store again, ordering everything online if I could. The only places I'd want to visit are used book stores and used clothing stores, and perhaps the plant nurseries. We recently started banking with our smart phone, where you can take a picture of a check, and then it will be "deposited" without ever having to go the bank. This has been immensely helpful, as our bank is not in the town where we live. I pray you have a better experience the next time you have to shop! :) Karla from Illinois
ReplyDeleteI am a luddite, no smart phone, no internet banking. I suppose it would make my life easier but I can't bring myself to look into it.
Deletethat makes two of us , just dont see the point , my son sorts the banking for me , ive got no money hardly so hes not going to pinch it and theres little point in me getting a better phone as my other half is welded to me and he likes technology
DeleteHad pretty much the same experience as you. Drove to Lidl over 20 people queuing in the car park so drove to Tesco express. Didn't realise it was one way shop assistant shouted at me to follow the one way system. Couldn't get everything as don't know the layout. So ended up with half of my shopping as couldn't go back to find it. My coffee was £6 instead of £4. Didn't buy it i won't pay that. Won't go there again first and last time with rude shop assistants and inflated prices.
ReplyDeleteI have been in our small Tesco Express in occasions, maybe once or twice a year when I was passing, so I don't know where everything is. I bought coffee last time and it was very expensive, but I won't buy cheap coffee.
DeleteIt is very stressful to get our shopping now isn't it Ilona.I haven't been for I think 2 weeks now.I have enough dog food for a while still and I will eat whatever I have.Luckily I've plenty but not the usual stuff.Last time I went it was very stressful and I was tearful and trembling with it all.The constant worry of avoidance and having to be aware constantly made me quite disoriented and I stumbled backwards trying to pay at the desk x
ReplyDeleteNormally when I have paid for my shopping I put the change and receipt in my purse which goes safely in my bag, before I step out the door. Today I just wanted out of there so I shoved it into my bag for a quick exit. Something else to learn. No time to be security conscious when people are waiting behind you.
DeleteYou should shop here-the stress is people don't care about the distance, and sometimes crowd you! I'm shopping for me and my mother-in-law, so I am careful to plan my route and arrange my cart so that I can check out efficiently. It sounds stressful either way, so hang in there.
ReplyDeleteI would hate it if people came too close to me, but I wasn't really that close to the woman in front, still a good distance between us. I just didn't notice the blue spot.
DeleteYou tried your best - you will remember for next time. Were you wearing your mask and gloves? I am lucky to have my older son shop for me. Also, I want to point out what a coincidence it is that your first 2 comments are from readers from Illinois! I am from Naperville, Illinois - I wonder what town Karla lives in? Stay Safe, ilona!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a mask. No one else was wearing one, apart from an odd one here and there. I wear ordinary cotton gloves and use sanitiser.
DeleteThey are not that hard to make. It takes me about an hour per each but I'm slow and finicky about my seams and top-stitching. I've made over two dozen. Most were for the clinic my daughter is doing her internship for her psychology degree in. (They had to provide their own.) I like the fitted ones better than the pleated ones, plus I think the fitted ones are easier to make. I doing the four layer ones.
DeleteI've just watched a clip from Good Morning Britain, the masks they demonstrated didn't require any sewing. I will check out some yooootoooob videos.
DeleteIt is stressful and I'm hoping I only have to do it once every two weeks. I do use on line banking and have stopped using cash so that I reduce the risk of handling germ ridden things further.
ReplyDeleteCash has always been germy, we notice it a bit more now. I really don't want to do online banking. I have a fear that one day it will all crash.
DeleteI had some errands to do yesterday so figured I might as well go to the supermarket at the same time so took my bundle buggy with me. It was about half way through the seniors hour when I got there and I just walked right in - no lineup and a limited number in the store. We too have the arrows on the floor but you are allowed to go down an aisle more than once as long as you go around following the arrows. I used to love grocery shopping - now its just too stressful!
ReplyDeleteI am a bit of a dilly daydream, wander around picking things up, then have to go back down an aisle when I remember something I wanted but forgot to pick it up. Seniors hour always seems to be first thing, and I don't think of myself as being senior but I suppose I technically am. I prefer being at home in the morning, then shopping later on.
DeleteShopping grocery is not the only thing I avoid. I a fully staying in home. Frozen veggies , rice, pasta and canned beans are the way. Try to do grocery once in 3 weeks. It is a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI could manage on doing once a month shopping if it was just for me, but I have a fussy cat that needs catering for.
DeleteYour cat is so lovely!
DeleteI've shopped twice in supermarkets since lock down - no problems - from what I keep reading I must be very lucky
ReplyDeleteMy first Aldi and small Tesco shop were ok, but I seem to remember they were later in the day. Today I had to be at the bank in the morning, so I think it's all about timing. I won't go food shopping in the morning again.
DeleteI too find shopping stressful, here in Canada it is the same. I have started to do online grocery orders then go pick it up as the delivery people are overwhelmed. The pickup option has zero contact, you put in your credit card when you order, when they bring it to you they tell you what they couldn't fill (yesterday it was eggs but my friend sells eggs and I was on my way to see her so was glad for that). Mom and I combine our order and I deliver her groceries to her. Life is so different now. Glad you can still do your walks
ReplyDeleteWe have click and collect here. My friend tried it and said it worked quite well.
DeleteI know what you mean. Who’d have imagined going the bank or supermarket would become so stressful. If it wasn’t such a serious situation we’re going through right now it would be funny....”We both stepped backwards then forwards..then to the side”..just like the bloody Hokey Cokey..put your left leg in your left leg out :-))
ReplyDeleteThanks for making me smile although I doubt I’ll be doing much of that on my next supermarket sweep x
It was like a flippin dance. He went close to the machine, entered some numbers, then stepped back, I stepped forward to check them. I am a slow reader where numbers are concerned, have to have a phone number written on paper in front of me before I dial it. The screen said I was too slow and I had to tap on the icon to give me more time.
DeleteI am finding the shopping less stressful... no-one pushing into me, people actually being sociable if at a distance. Queueing outside won't be so much fun when the weather breaks...but it's only rain, which after 5 weeks dry the garden needs. Our local b&m had bright yellow footprints to follow..a nice touch of humour which we all need.
ReplyDeleteWhen I get used to the markings on the floor maybe I will find it easier. I wonder what will happen when it rains, maybe the queues will not be so long as people won't want to stand around getting wet. We'll see.
DeleteI will find out today lol, its tipping it down here and i gotta go do 2 big shops. I have never liked food shopping but at the moment its really a very stressful thing to do. Im also trying to return a parcel, online has crashed and nobody answers phones or email. Having a bit of a nightmare lol deep breaths everyone.
DeleteYour shopping experience sounds like mine. I'm already stressed because I need food, wearing a mask is so stinkin' uncomfortable with glasses fogging up and feeling like I'm going to suffocate - combine that along with having to navigate markings on the floor and keeping my distance from fellow shoppers - it's quite stressful. I hope your next experience goes smoother.
ReplyDeleteKay H
I've tried a mask but as you say, your specs fog up. Don't know how to get round that. I see the larger stores are extending their opening hours, so I might start going at 8 or 9pm at night. See how that works.
DeleteThat sounds stressful. I have managed with click and collect so far but slots are impossible to get now. I shall have to brave the shops as a novice soon. I will remember to look down and hope for the best :(
ReplyDeleteDon't overstep the mark. As well as trying to locate what you want you need to have your radar finely tuned so you don't get too close to anyone. Perhaps they could make something like a car reversing bleeper, for people.
Deleteyou are not alone! i got told off for standing too close in a queue, i felt like a naughty kid x
ReplyDeleteIt's awful isn't it. People don't need to be so rude, mistakes will be made, people will forget. A polite reminder, 'could you stand back please', would be sufficient.
DeleteRudeness does seem to be the rule, doesn't it? We have the one way lanes in our stores here, as well as restrictions on the number of people allowed in the stores at one time. Still, we are required to wear masks. Stores also are scrubbing down the belts on the check outs, so that some of your boxed goods are wet when you take them home It almost seems as though stores are coming up with some of this to keep from getting sued if someone gets sick. The only good thing is that a lot of grocery stores now have "senior hours" but it's usually 6 to 7 AM. So glad I'm pretty stocked up!
DeleteI am going to make myself a mask. I would like a senior hour from 3pm to 4pm. I like a slow start to the day, coffee, gazing out of the window, and a bit of stitching. Dashing off to the supermarket at an early hour seems more like going to work to me.
DeleteDon't feel bad Ilona I had a similar experience at Aldi in Houston, Tx, this morning. I was walking up one of the aisles contraflow and some masked guy started waving his arms around at me, in a hyper animated manner, as though he was directing traffic. I just nodded at him not knowing why but, thinking back now, I'll bet there were arrows on the floor that grandma had not noticed. I usually lkike grocery shopping but at the present time it is awful.
ReplyDeleteThere is rudeness and nastiness everywhere you go now. Online and out in the street. Sad really.
DeleteHere in New York masks are mandatory anytime you enter an establishment. I also wear gloves. Yes food shopping has become very stressful, but I suppose we will get used to the new rules. Many isles are empty and we are limited in how much we can buy, only one of each item. I don't know if it will ever get back to normal. I have a feeling these shortages will last a long time. Best to try to stock up a little at a time to have a back-up supply of canned goods.
ReplyDeleteYes, buy an extra couple of items each time you shop, especially long dated food. I have always periodically run down my food and eaten almost all of it before I buy any more. I won't be doing that now.
DeleteI'm sorry. I am one of those people who will remind people to stand back. I'm not trying to shame anyone. But this is new to all of us. Everyone forgets, even me. Still, it won't do for us to get each other sick. I've had offers from others to shop for me. But I like to see and feel what I'm purchasing. I want to know what is in it. I had one rude fellow yell at me to "just grab one and go" as I was reading the ingredients on bbq sauce. I think everyone is stressed and the new rules don't make it easier. Hopefully it's safer.
ReplyDeleteI like to do my own shopping. We have a new rule now, only pick up what you are going to buy. I can see sense in that, but it makes it difficult if you want to read the blurb on the back of the package. I always look at the label on the back of a wine bottle.
DeleteOh my gosh....I have definitely run into some ridiculous people at the stores. I'm sorry to say I accidently rolled my eyes out loud at a man who was being very ridiculous about me walking past him, even when I gave myself plenty of space between him. I've started sending my husband to the stores since he doesn't mind.
ReplyDeleteI know what a safe distance is, don't need a board game on the floor to follow. My friend sends her husband as well.
DeleteI do my shopping at seven in a Sunday morning just as the shop opens, no problem. Also I do not wear gloves as the virus stick to the latex, a mask does not protect you from getting it but stops you passing it on. I live in South Africa and our lockdown has a lot more rules, but we are managing.
ReplyDeleteLast week I had to do some banking I use an app had a problem used the help icon they sent instructions so managed without much trouble. I find the apps fairly easy to use and you can take your time, no tellers to deal with who are trying to sell insurance etc. I don't really have a choice I live between the UK and SA and have to pay bill etc, it makes life a bit easier when it is set up. An app also works in a tablet
Thanks Moira for your comment. I have been dissatisfied with my banks customer service even before the coronavirus kicked off. I will now look for new ways to do things.
DeleteI find I'm having to do more and more transactions online although I am very wary about security. So far my food has been delivered to the door so I am avoiding supermarkets, thankfully, but if the time comes that I need to visit a supermarket at some point I will be really scared. I feel for you, Ilona, if you cannot shop online at all. It's awful braving the shops at the moment. Is there a friend who has online deliveries and who can add a few things to their order for you? I wish I lived in your area, I would happily add some things for you including cat food. Stay safe x
ReplyDeleteNot been in a supermarket for 5 weeks now. I'm shopping at a village community shop, and 3 different farm shops - relaxed, never had a queue more than 2 people long. Better quality food, mostly organic, but not cheap - I'm on my own so not worried about cost just now. I combine the shop with my exercise walks though abit longer than and hour
ReplyDeleteSocial distancing is weird but workable. Reasons for it. Our credit union has drive thru so both lanes open. Quicker than one daughter goes to. She's called grocery shopping a scavenger hunt. Look for what you need. Nope not in that store. Another store maybe. She was out Thurs and was able to find brown sugar I was low on. Phil couldn't find it at Costco. I have no need of 25# pkg that they had. I don't use bank apps. Have a good day.
ReplyDelete