Thursday 23 July 2020

Shopping in silence

How nice to open the fridge in the morning and find I have some food. I went shopping last night after I collected Heidi's tablets from the vet. I timed it to be at the vet at 7.45pm, they close at 8pm, then on to Aldi. They now have red and green traffic lights above the door, the stop go is done electronically rather than paying a person to stand there and monitor the traffic entering. The shop was virtually empty anyway at that time. Two ladies each with a trolley, A man and a woman with hand baskets. It is so easy to shop late. I thought I would get this done before the new rule comes into force tomorrow about wearing a face covering. I have my mask ready but I suspect there will be a rebellion against it. 

Will the shops legally have to enforce it, if they don't will they get fined? I can see a few scuffles breaking out if people are refused entry. The police in one county have said they won't come out if they get a phone call saying someone is not wearing a mask, but they will if a disturbance breaks out. 

Single bananas at Aldi are 13p each, cheaper than buying them in a bag, so I pick out the biggest. 
Getting low on seeds again. I put these in my mini chopper and add the mix to my porridge or cereal. I did buy a packet of mixed seeds once, but even after chopping them there was still a lot of hard gritty bits in it. I didn't like that, won't buy them again. 
Have I got enough tins? I put a tin of beans in the trolley last night, didn't really need to, I already had three tins. Oh well, beans on toast, beans on a jacket spud, beans in a stew. So many things you can do with a 22p tin of beans. 
Going back to the vet experience for a minute. Customers have to wait outside. I gave my name at the open window where a receptionist sits at a desk. She had the tablets ready. I got my debit card out to pay, she puts the machine on the window ledge in front of me, expecting me to waft the card over it. I said I have to punch in the numbers. She puts a small plastic bag over the whole machine so I can continue with the transaction. I wonder how many times she uses that same bag, how many other people have touched it. Luckily I remembered to take my small hand sanitiser with me. They don't take cash.
I called in at the petrol station for some fuel on the way home. Using my gardening gloves which I now keep in the car, and stopping the filling just after the £20 mark. I sauntered over to the entrance taking the exact amount of cash out of my purse, opening the door with a shove from my whole body, and covering my hand with my sleeve to open it to get out. 
It's difficult to do supermarket shopping with gloves on, I tried with soft cotton gloves, can't get a grip on the boxes and jars, so now I don't bother. They have cleaning stations if you want to clean your trolley I don't use them. Other people have touched those bottles of spray, and look at all the waste paper it creates. I push my trolley the wrong way round, back to front, not touching the handle. Or use the sides of the trolley to move it along. I don't know if this makes any difference, but it makes me feel better. 
Shopping has never been so boring. No smiles, no chatting, moving around like chess pieces on a board. No discussing favourite products, just grab your items drop them in a trolley and get out as quick as you can. Hardly a word spoken. 
Anyway, that's me done. A nice day I think, my friend might come a walk with me today. I will put the flags out if she does. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip.  ilona

26 comments:

  1. Funnily enough I always push my shopping trolley sideways as I find it easier to control. It is also less handled as you point out out. Ahead of the times that's a first for me.

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  2. We are all having to learns new ways of doing the most basic of things. I too went for some shopping last night, wearing a mask of course, and was amazed at how many people are waiting for it to become mandatory before they do, Sainsbugs had quite a few non-masked people stocking up.

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    1. I didn't wear a mask last night in Aldi, or tonight in Home Bargains.

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  3. We live in Scotland and even before lockdown, I wore a mask and gloves every time I shopped (husband has serious health issues). All of our supermarkets where we live have antibacterial spray and paper towel to clean the trolley handle and also hand sanitizer. Everyone has to wear a mask in the shops in Scotland now and I haven't heard a single complaint from anyone. Nor have I seen anyone in the shops without a mask.

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    1. Ive also worn a mask and gloves since before lockdown.I have seen more people in them in these last few weeks,but still not many.Ive noticed that the buses that go by me have only a couple of people sitting there...with mask under their chins.As though they remove them as soon as they sit down!.I dont think thats the general idea!.It seems as though the people in Still Lockdown Leicester just couldnt care less and are still doing big groups of maybe 40 to 50 people,all sitting close together,on the parks,x

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  4. I live in South Africa everyone has to wear a mask on leaving home, the supermarkets have a security guard at the door who sprays your hands and the trolley handle. There are screens at checkout and the till area is sprayed and cleaned after each shopper. We are so used to it now. Also if you are doing vigorous exercise outside you do not have to wear a mask but must keep 3 metres I think away from anybody else.

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    1. The infection rate must be very high where you are. It's very low in my corner of North Lincolnshire.

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  5. Wearing a mask inside is now mandatory here in Ontario, Canada, and the bylaw officers are to monitor it, however, there is certainly not enough to make sure everyone complies, and no everyone is. There are fines, but wonder how many will be issued. Having the red and green light at the door is such a great idea, cheaper I am sure than having someone stand there.

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  6. I shopped early this morning and we are required to wear a mask. The store has wet wipes and hand sanitizer at the door so I use that going in (and after checkout). No one complains but it is true that it is quieter in the store with no one visiting too much.

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  7. My understanding is that shop employees are not expected to police mask wearing and that only the police can issue a £100 fine notice. I have used gloves, a mask and organised my own trolley cleaning since the start of lockdown when nothing was available. Vicki

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    1. I've just done a cat food shop at Home Bargains. I shouldn't need to go to a supermarket or shop for another ten days. Let's see how it all pans out.

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  8. I couldn't fit shopping in today so I'll have to go tomorrow. I also have to pick up a prescription, I suppose that's a shop too. I'll be buying a couple more masks to put in the car.

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    1. Business will be booming for those selling masks. We have to wear a mask when we visit our doctors surgery. I only go in once in a while to pick up my hearing aid batteries.

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  9. I've worn masks since this started. The grocery stores in my part of Ontario have staff wash the cart handles for you. They keep track of how many are in the store by the number of carts they give out. I just needed one thing one day and had to take a cart. I carry sanitizer with me and gloves if I am going somewhere there are too many people like Walmart. There are no public loos in the town so hand washing is not an option.

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    1. I went to get the cat food yesterday, all from one shop. I didn't use their baskets or their trolleys. I filled my own bags in the store and emptied them at the checkout, then refilled them once the items had been scanned.

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    2. I like this idea, i hate trolleys and baskets as not very clean, im also concerned on how much disposable masks and plastic gloves end up in landfill after the getting rid of plastic bags for this reason
      Wildlife could also killed not to mention the plastics seeping into our earth, seas and food chain. I got my family some washable masks esp as they need em for school in Sept.

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  10. You're better off using disposable gloves for things like shopping trolleys and picking up things from shelves, then just throw them away when you get in your car. our stores have the hand sanitiser also disposable gloves at the entrance for those who want to use those instead.

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    1. Creating mounds of rubbish to dispose of.

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  11. I know what you mean about silent shopping, Ilona, no one even looks me in the eye now let alone speak. I think people see shopping for food as a task they simply have to get through as quickly as possible. I rarely visit a supermarket any more but sometimes have to pop in for medication. We are not allowed into the GP's surgery at all at the moment, everything is done over the phone. Ailments have to be discussed with the receptionist who will book a rough time slot for the GP to call us back if deemed necessary. It's not at all confidential. I have to remember to close the french doors and windows when one of us takes a call-back otherwise all the neighbours will know what's wrong with us! I have worn a mask in shops for a while but don't bother with gloves, just sanitize my hands when I come out. I very quickly realised how much extra rubbish we were all creating with paper masks and plastic gloves when they began to appear scattered along the pavements and the lane near us. We both use cloth masks but I'm unsure how beneficial they are...

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    1. Everyone is in a sombre mood at the moment, can't see if people are smiling, and a smile means so much. Just to see someone smiling is an uplifting experience. Luckily I don't need to see a doctor, I can imagine how difficult that must be. How awful to feel unwell but be too afraid to try and get help.

      I see mask all over the place, discarded on the roadside, probably thrown out of car windows. I bet some washable masks are never washed, riddled with spit and germs.

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    2. Yes, it's so much nicer to see a smile on people's faces isn't it. I bet you're right about the cloth masks too. We only use ours once (we each have 3) then they're put to soak in hot soapy water as soon as we get home. They dry in no time so there's really no excuse to reuse them. As for just throwing paper ones down in the street, well...words fail me. Someone else has to pick them up and clean the streets!

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  12. Here in New York masks are mandatory in any stores or establishments. I wipe my cart handle down with an antiseptic wipe I bring from home. I do not wear gloves but keep gel sanitizer in my car and use it as soon as I get in, and even wipe it on the car door handle. Then when hope wash my hands well. We have been doing this since February so it is second nature now. I keep a running list of what we need as I will only shop once per week and not run out for a few things like I used to before this virus. Between this virus and the protesting/looting nonsense going on in this country, I can't wait for 2020 to be over.

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    1. I'm not sure if the 31st of December is going to be the turning point for all this madness. We can't turn back the clock. I think all we are going to get is a watered down version of what we had before.

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  13. Yes i do agree shopping has become a boring chore. Face masks are mandatory on store and public transport. I don't bring gloves with me i use my own hand saniser from home i have a small bottle for my handbag and a bigger size for the home. I do find wearing the masks a bit tough as they fog up my glasses and then ihave to adjust it which defeats the porpose as you are not supposed to touch your face well i can only do my best if i need to wipe my glasses so i can see. Will we ever see a an end to this awful way of living so ant social and miserable

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    1. There is a growing movement against wearing face masks. People are openly defying what they are told to do. There are two sides, those who are holier than thou, dictating that everyone should mask up just as they are doing, and those who are determined to make their own mind up and do what they think is right. I can see both sides.

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  14. I do 99.9% of my shopping online now, I can't be bothered with all the faff of masks and so on. I don't have a car so home deliveries are a big help to me in other ways as well. I used to enjoy having a chat and a laugh or even just a smile with others in shops etc but it's all gone now. The experience is so isolating and depressing. People seem to have become very aggressive too, I don't get involved, I can't control other people's behaviours or choices around the virus.

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