I took a ziplock bag with disinfecting wipes and a very long list.
I donned my mask...disinfected my cart and then systematically disinfected everything before it went in my cart. The aisles with toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo were devoid of other customers.
Onward to the grocery part of the store. They are out of many items...cleaning supplies especially...paper products were sparse. I took the last two Lemonade mixes off the shelf, the last four Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Bars, and the last two big jars of Skippy Peanut Butter.
The aisles are one way only...on and on the Wally World voice talks about Covid -19 and social distancing and to follow the arrows up and down the aisles. In the paper product aisle my exit was blocked by two employees restocking shelves...I reversed and backed out of that aisle. In the laundry soap aisle I encountered my first group going the wrong way. Some people wore masks most did not. Children were unattended. In the pasta aisle a little old man was meeting me head on so I stopped in the middle of the aisle and he turned and fled. In the Peanut Butter/Coffee aisle (a very important aisle for my husband) I was met by two groups going the wrong way...I wanted to holler "You idiots." Instead I wrapped up my shopping and headed to the self checkouts where I disinfected the counter, I checked myself out and was on my way.
My advice to all shoppers out there...wear a mask...don't take your children into the store to run around willy nilly...follow the freaking arrows...and stay six feet away from old cranky women.
Far Guy was nervous all the while I was gone. 2 hours from start to finish including travel time...not too shabby. We are set for a while. We will still pick up fresh fruits, milk and bread from the grocery store with curbside pickup and visit the meat market with curbside service.
I came away with several thoughts and feelings. The tone of the voice droning on and one with directions was not at all comforting...it was almost like a bad dream. Many people cannot follow simple instructions. I would not want to shop this way every week...once every three months is good for me. Going back to the safety of our home is great!
Far Side
I shop like that about every 10 or so days. The wrong way people who can't follow directions are pretty annoying. I think I should get a mask with growling large teeth on it? That Covid-19 haunting voice? Yeah, kind of creepy...makes me think of the Orson Welles 1984 book.
ReplyDeleteLast week, I saw the first child in the store. Most of my experiences have been somewhat ok.
I really dislike the gas stations and convenience stores.
I could go on and on about the distancing and how persons don't do it. But you already know that. Hope you can stay home for another 3 months. Or...shop a few more times to stock up for this fall and winter? Sigh, so hard to know what to do.
I have not gone in a store at all. I went yesterday at between 7-8 for my pickup which is for people at risk. I was able to get a hose and even some potted herb plants....Yippee!!! Walmart even gave me a cute little tote bag with all kinds of free samples...I was doing a happy dance.
ReplyDeleteI've seen the lack of masks all around here. The only person I've seen wearing a mask is the Walmart employee who brings out my groceries and loads them in the car. Even the pharmacy where I go no one wears a mask. What is up with these people? Do they not watch the news or do they think it is "fake news"? Please stay safe and away from the "brain dead"! LOL!
Your "shopping experience" had me rolling in my chair. sounds like the store I go shopping at. Only my store doesn't have the loud speaking droning on and on. . My store finally go rid of the one way aisles, since no one was following them anyways. Lucky me as there aren't too many kids in my store. But it is the same with the masks. Some people wear them others don't. I try to wear mine when I am in a store or business, but otherwise I don't; as I have trouble breathing when I wear a mask. Glad you survived the experience tho.
ReplyDeleteIt is different here: almost everyone wears a mask, and some stores won't let you in without one. You don't have much outbreak of the virus up there, I don't think, different than most counties. In any event, I hope you don't have to go out again any time soon. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have seen so many facebooks posts yelling about not wearing a mask, no one will make them wear a mask and refusal to follow the aisle restrictions that I have decided not to return to stores. We shop at our local IGA once every two weeks at 7 am, the minute they open. Only my husband goes in. We do once a month delivery from Aldi. Anything else comes by mail from Amazon. I think it is safe to go out with distancing and masks, but only if other people follow the directions. My rural county in Ohio had 13 new cases last week with one hospitalization.
ReplyDeleteSadly on Twitter people are screaming "why do you wear a mask"? "You are just killing yourself." Really breaks my heart.
DeleteIt’s mostly young people in my community who don’t wear masks. I’m dreading when the University reopens for in-person classes and the students return. It won’t be safe to go anywhere.
ReplyDeleteI live in a state where our governor never wears a mask and never did any kind of state-wide stay at home order. So . . . you can imagine the percentage of mask wearers around here. I did my own shopping this week too. Our paper products seem to be mostly back to normal stocks but other items are still sparse. I usually buy a 3.5 lb bag of cat food, but the only size available of that type was 7 lbs. The medium size jars of peanut butter were picked over. If you wanted the gigantic jar or the little tiny jar, then any brand was available. And no cleaning supplies again as usual. I have to agree with Nancy - it won't be safe to go anywhere.
ReplyDeleteYour experience is so similar to mine I had to laugh out loud, although, it really isn't funny. Supplies are very slim here...baking things non-existent, some random brands of paper goods, all canned beans...nothing...the list goes on and on. I'm, actually starting to get a bit worried.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how many grocery stores you have to choose, but I have given up on our better priced grocery stores for one with a more expensive reputation, and find that to be a be a safer choice. Less people, more money...And everyone wears a mask around here.
ReplyDeleteWe've shopped the same way forever and now all of a sudden it is like we are on a different planet. I know we have to do it like this to be safe but this is all so strange. I usually shop in the middle of the week and at least a portion of the people wear masks but I had to run in the store last Saturday for something and no one was wearing a mask except the workers. So, definitely avoid weekends. Around here it is just us older folks that wear masks. They open up everything in our state tomorrow. It is every man and woman for themselves!
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that if we all wore masks (of course there are exceptions), this thing would be under control pretty soon.
ReplyDeleteYou are so brave. I can't do the store thing yet. Even though our new cases are way down finally. The whole vibe is just so unsettling to me. Between Amazon, Walmart and our grocery curbside pick up I'm good. I have no desire to mix and mingle with anyone after what my sister and her husband have gone through. Araignee
ReplyDeleteIt is so crazy out there! I only go to the store once every 2 weeks or so and am amazed to see how many people aren't wearing masks and I'm also shocked people would even take their children into the stores right now. If people are going the wrong way, I'm nice about it but I definitely let them know that they can't do that. The grocery shopping experience is definitely surreal these days!
ReplyDeleteMy husband refuses to go into Walmart and is ordering as much as he can off the internet to be mailed. People in the local grocery stores are mostly ignoring social distancing, not following the arrows, and are not wearing masks. I am more nervous now than I was at the height of the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteOf all things I forgot milk in my grocery pick up last week. This morning I went to the store in the small(er) town near our lake trailer to get it. I wore a mask but was the only person in the store with one on. They have had very, very few cases in this county even though it's right next to the one I live in and we had lots of cases.
ReplyDeleteI just heard of another elderly friend in the Seattle area who was admitted to the hospital this weekend with Covid-19. It's still so scary out there.
Blessings,
Betsy
I saw a meme the other day that suggested people are getting "bored" with the pandemic. I suspect some of those folks were in your store. Thankfully our Walmart doesn't have the droning voice - that would drive me nuts!
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay well.
Many of us are concerned about venturing out because we are afraid, it was back in March that I las went to a shopping centre
ReplyDeleteShopping is chaotic right now. Too many people can't or won't follow the rules. They can't get it through their heads that for some people (elderly me!) it's very important to not get the virus.
ReplyDeleteYour shortages astound me. We aren't experiencing them here in Ontario. Today I ventured into our bulk food store for the first time since I'd been back since falling in there last winter. An employee greets you and escorts you around while you tell them what you want and what quantity. Some may not like it one bit, but the young lad was pleasant and kept up a friendly banter. Customers dont touch anything prior to checkout And they have recycled paper bags which I love!!
ReplyDeleteAll the bulk sales here in B.C. are in prepackaged containers which defeats the whole purpose of buying only as much as you need or want. I hope we move to having a system like you describe. I would welcome that.
DeleteWith an experience like that, I can see why you'd only want to venture out once every quarter. I try to stay away from that store all year long, so I'm with you on that one!
ReplyDelete:( shopping is not fun
ReplyDeleteI refuse to go to Walmart.
ReplyDeleteShopping here is pretty good, most of our shelves are fully stocked again and people are really good about following the arrows and physical distancing. Not a lot of masks though. We actually don't have any cases of corona virus in our town. We are required to wear masks at church though.
Shopping sure has changed, hasn’t it. We’re still letting someone else shop for us. As we pick up in the parking lot we see all the people coming and going inside without masks and until the numbers stop soaring or hell freezes over and the governor tells people to put on masks I guess we will continue to pick up in the parking lot. I sure don’t like someone else picking out my produce, though. Seems to all come from the bottom of the barrel!
ReplyDeleteI have done my level best to stay out of Wally World. I have been there twice since the first week in March, and I have to say that I have not missed it at all. It's the only place I have been where people consistently do not wear masks or follow the social distancing. Since, Walmart doesn't see fit to require their customers to comply, I choose not to shop there.
ReplyDeleteGlad you don't have to do that often. Hope this isn't going to be the "new normal" forever.
ReplyDeleteIt always amazes me how much trouble many people have in following even the most simple of instructions.
You give good advice for shoppers!
ReplyDelete