Shopping in the Time of the Coronavirus

[batmagadanleadoff]

The masks suck, I'm with Kase. I didn't wear one at the store until they were mandated and I will stop wearing one in the store once they no longer require it.

How do youse know you're not asymptomatic spreaders? I agree that it sucks. Everything sucks these days. But not wearing a mask is outrageous and the height of inconsiderateness as far as I see it.

[Ceetar]

That would be okay if we had adequate leadership that would've put the mask-wearing rule in effect earlier, and would end it when it wasn't as necessary. But that's not the case.

There's a case to be made that mask wearing should be like like headphones for your phone/music going forward. You don't _have_ to do it if you're in a crowded subway/store/etc..but you probably should.

But for that to happen we should probably work on making them a bit more comfortable.

[batmagadanleadoff]

There's a case to be made that mask wearing should be like like headphones for your phone/music going forward. You don't _have_ to do it if you're in a crowded subway/store/etc..but you probably should.

Mask wearing should be mandatory, and the rule should be enforceable, subject to a meaningful penalty that should act as a strong deterrent. Green and red lights aren't optional suggestions and people aren't allowed to shoot guns randomly into crowds. I don't see the fucking difference here. That's how covid-19 spreads -- unmasked people talking and breathing and singing and shouting. Medical responders are getting covid-19 at a lower rate than the general population even though they're in close contact with infected people 'round the clock because of the nature of their work -- because they're always masked.


If the general population wore masks regularly, the covid-19 death rate in this country would be lower by 80%, studies show.

[Ceetar]

I was speaking to like, how many people would get the flu, or hell just a cold, masked vs unmasked in like, 2023.

Just spitballing where we go as a society (granted as a society we're going towards "just let 'em die" but I can dream..) Like it's a random fall day and you wake up sniffly but are still going in to work, mask up, sanitize your hands, etc.

[kcmets]

If the general population wore masks regularly, the covid-19 death rate in this country would be lower by 80%, studies show.

Maybe Monarch Mario shoulda mandated earlier; especially in the city, Westchester and
Nassau. Of course, we'd never read (or hear) a sentence like that from his posse press.

But back to shopping, the supermarkets here are pretty much back to normal except for
prices still being high. I like the one-way aisles. Hope that sticks.

[Ceetar]

the one way aisles are nice now, for avoiding people, but it's a disaster as people get less nervous and just stand there blocking aisles and then I have to turn the other way to get around them. Granted, this is always a problem. I think it's the heightened awareness of other people that I appreciate, and that seems to be fading.

And yes, the governor has been as disaster (and Murphy is basically just following his lead.) but he speaks nicely so the media likes him.

[cal sharpie]

Yes, things should have been done earlier at the state level and certainly at the federal level (which is where it really needs to be done rather than letting states do whatever they want willy-nilly) but actually since the shut-down Cuomo (Andrew not Mario) has been on the right side of things in managing the terrible outbreak in NYC and the surrounding counties.

Nobody likes wearing masks and I hope once this ever ends it stops being a thing but while it is a thing there's no excuse for not wearing them in public. My son and his girlfriend came over the other day and we sat in the backyard maskless but we were all informed adults who took the risk between ourselves. Not the same on the streets or in a store.

[kcmets]

I wear a mask now, and have since mandated.

Mario lol, talk about my slip on the ol' freudian banana peel...

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

One way aisles are a disaster in most cases. Shoppers hate em, nobody can adequately enforce them and some companies that did it have already un-did it.

What needs to happen is for stores to whack every other aisle, and get by on less crap in their stores. They pretty much already are doing the latter but the former can't really be done overnight.

The story of the whole pandemic has been shirking responsibility, individuals, governments, agencies on down the line etc. and guys like Cuomo and grocery store workers have stepped up in the void. It starts at the very top and that's been a catastrophe

[Ceetar]

One way aisles are a disaster in most cases. Shoppers hate em, nobody can adequately enforce them and some companies that did it have already un-did it.

What needs to happen is for stores to whack every other aisle, and get by on less crap in their stores. They pretty much already are doing the latter but the former can't really be done overnight.

The story of the whole pandemic has been shirking responsibility, individuals, governments, agencies on down the line etc. and guys like Cuomo and grocery store workers have stepped up in the void. It starts at the very top and that's been a catastrophe

absolutely.

and the shelves thing, I mean, I'd love that that. But not particularly easy especially in the denser areas. It also doesn't help that stores still continue to restock everything during the day. So not only is there a cart in the middle with a person perusing the 7 bags of flour left, there's a giant cart full of jelly being unloaded. I think we need more open areas, where they can put the hot items without having to unpack them. I walked through the busy baking aisle the other day onto to discover a giant pallet of flour in the ..i don't even know what it's called. 'seasonal food' aisle? There's always big displays of stuff there.

[MFS62]

They've gone back to using plastic bags in Connecticut after banning them last year.
Later

[kcmets]

The one way aisles are working in giant stores we go to, it would be a
shame to see them go. #lgm #ygb #ymdyf

[metsmarathon]

between the stores i go to and the times i go there, i've never seen a need for a one-way aisle.

granted, my usual store doesn't have 'em, and the one supermarket that does, which i otherwise hate, is not busy enough for them to matter. at least, when i go there. currently, and until forced to do otherwise, if the aisle is empty, i see no reason not to enter it from the wrong way. if someone else comes into the aisle, i leave following the arrow.

i'm quietly, and meekly, subversive.

[Frayed Knot]

I go with the bandana get-up on those occasions when I'm out and about in places where I'm likely to run into people.
That works out well because then if an opportunity to rob a stagecoach happens to pop up on my way home I'm all set.




On the whole 'shoulda done things sooner' angle, remember that the early advice was for the public to NOT wear masks.
Now this was partially done so that the masks that were available could be steered towards medical folks. But there was also the idea that non-medical masks [bandanas, cloth, homemade get-ups,
Freddie Kruger stuff] weren't going to stop viruses from getting in anyway and so the CDC/gov't didn't want to recommend something that would give a false sense of security. Staying in and social
distancing were the order of the day, not the wearing of face shields until they finally realized that doing so is at least a partial guard against letting the virus out from those asymptomatic folk.

[Ceetar]

the mask stuff was entirely about like the N95 and making sure healthcare workers had them. They didn't have the facts yet ,and said so. But that's not what anyone means.

It's the testing thing that should've started up in February or earlier, and the quarantining , and the tracing. And hell, the study of the damn virus that was shut down last year. Oh and the tossing out of the existing plans.

We _literally_ just let the virus run wild for weeks while downplaying the seriousness of it, against expert advice.

And how we've decide our half-hearted attempt was enough, and have given up.

[TransMonk]

One way aisles are a disaster in most cases. Shoppers hate em, nobody can adequately enforce them and some companies that did it have already un-did it.

What needs to happen is for stores to whack every other aisle, and get by on less crap in their stores. They pretty much already are doing the latter but the former can't really be done overnight.

The story of the whole pandemic has been shirking responsibility, individuals, governments, agencies on down the line etc. and guys like Cuomo and grocery store workers have stepped up in the void. It starts at the very top and that's been a catastrophe

X1000

[Frayed Knot]

So one of the downsides I've noticed of the (partial) reopening trend is that the price of gas is shooting back up again. We shouldn't complain too much since it's still below where it
was before this all started, but it seems like it's been jumping up by nickels and dimes almost daily recently and is maybe half-buck/gallon higher now than at its low point.

On the plus side, since somewhere right around March 1st -- conveniently right about the time the pandemic started to hit and also when I splurged for a new bicycle -- I've logged
more miles on the bike in those not quite four months (1,002 - ticked it over the 1K mark this morning) than in the car (approx 900) and a good chunk of the car mileage was spent
driving to some location where I could go biking.

[Lefty Specialist]

Still haven't put gas in one of our cars since March 12th. it's been driven fairly frequently, just not very far. The other car has only been gassed up once since all hell broke loose. And I've probably put more mileage on my bike in the last three months than in the previous 5 years combined.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I've been noticing that the shopping situation has been normalizing. No more oversized crowds at the supermarket and no more shortages, for the most part. About two weeks ago, however, I did run out of those disinfecting wipes that I'd never purchased before this health emergency. And I can't find them anywhere, now. Everybody's out of those. At least where I shop. And it's fucking up my system. Because when I buy groceries, the stuff that doesn't need to be refrigerated, I put in a designated section, which I leave there for about two days until whatever virus might be on those items dies out. But the stuff that needs to be refrigerated, I wipe down with those wipes.

[MFS62]

About two weeks ago, however, I did run out of those disinfecting wipes that I'd never purchased before this health emergency.

They were rationed, one to a customer, sold in the customer service section of my local Stop-and-Shop, and as of this morning they are all sold out.
Later

[Frayed Knot]

About two weeks ago, however, I did run out of those disinfecting wipes that I'd never purchased before this health emergency. And I can't find them anywhere, now. Everybody's out of those. At least where I shop. And it's fucking up my system.

Those wipes were the first thing to disappear, even before toilet paper. And, unlike TP, it was at least logical that demand for them shot up and and supplies were wiped out (pun partially intended).
Demand obviously remains high but they're starting to reappear in stores although in small quantities so you almost have to turn up in the store as they're being stocked.

[batmagadanleadoff]

About two weeks ago, however, I did run out of those disinfecting wipes that I'd never purchased before this health emergency. And I can't find them anywhere, now. Everybody's out of those. At least where I shop. And it's fucking up my system.

Those wipes were the first thing to disappear, even before toilet paper. And, unlike TP, it was at least logical that demand for them shot up and and supplies were wiped out (pun partially intended).
Demand obviously remains high but they're starting to reappear in stores although in small quantities so you almost have to turn up in the store as they're being stocked.

Yeah, I'm getting that sense because I'm literally out hunting for these like a tiger hunts prey. No luck.

[Lefty Specialist]

Harmon Face Values. I've been able to score wipes (generic, but still) multiple times there. We're well stocked. If there's one near you, check it out.

[Ceetar]

I've been noticing that the shopping situation has been normalizing.

same, which is stupid, because maybe there are less infected people (here-ish) than when the restrictions went into effect, but the virus IS still out there and being safe and cleaning things and what not should be being rolled back, maybe ever. (also, dammit, please prop open doors. don't recycle air if you can help it, try not to completely block aisles while restocking!

I have notice some shortages. couldn't get surface cleaner for wiping down kitchen counters ,etc, last week, though it's there today. but mostly things are there. maybe a _little_ picked through.

we've mostly stopped wiping groceries down though. will leave bags of non-perishables in the basement until we need them, but mostly it seems like there's pretty much no chance someone could leave enough virus on like, a plastic bag handle or a carton of milk so that it's going to infect us hours later after being transported, scanned, bagged, remove, put in the fridge, grabbed again later, and then maybe touching a mouth or eye.

we're still trying to limit trips though, buying extra, etc.

[Frayed Knot]

I've been noticing that the shopping situation has been normalizing.

same, which is stupid, because maybe there are less infected people (here-ish) than when the restrictions went into effect, but the virus IS still out there and being safe and cleaning things and what not should be being rolled back, maybe ever.

The fact that stock on these items is creeping upwards is more likely a sign that supply is starting to catch up to demand rather than simply demand dropping off.