Safe grocery shopping

[simpycurious]

16 hours ago, simpycurious said:

They have to leave them at the guard's gate here.  It is definitely CRAZY.  Also, just order groceries  and have them delivered.  I got an economic report late this afternoon from one of our consultants and EVERYONE sees it getting worse and lasting until at least June or July.  

Seriously, call the store and have them deliver the GOODS.  

[amaysngrace]

I’m gonna wear some old scrubs I have from when I was a medical assistant to the grocery store so people stay far away from me.

[preraph]

You have to be very careful with masks and gloves because the outside of them must be considered contaminated. I think a lot of people are reusing their masks. And their masks are just a couple inches if that below their eyes and may be contaminated. 

[preraph]

33 minutes ago, jah526 said:

I bet it was all gone in seconds. Once I was near a soda truck that had wrecked in an intersection. The cops on the scene told me to take as much as I wanted!

That would be better than what actually happened which is it all burned up.

[smackie9]

What bothers me the most in all of this is the display of selfishness of people taking more than what they need without a single thought for others. 

[Ellener]

8 hours ago, smackie9 said:

What bothers me the most in all of this is the display of selfishness of people taking more than what they need without a single thought for others. 

We don't see a lot of that here, I myself never take the last of anything but other people must be the same because there's often a handful left

There was an article on the BBC yesterday about supermarket supply chains, I'll go find it...

[Ellener]

Here it is:

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200401-covid-19-why-we-wont-run-out-of-food-during-coronavirus

'The true source of the empty-shelf issue lies inside the retail shops themselves. “In other words, and in many occasions, supermarkets do actually have products in their storerooms, but they do not have enough staff to bring it to the shelves as fast as they are taken from them,” Garza-Reyes says. In response, major retailers around the world have begun hiring new workers to fill the gaps.' That's what we saw here, and the stores changed their opening hours to restock better, and hired a bunch of new workers.

[smackie9]

7 hours ago, Ellener said:

Here it is:

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200401-covid-19-why-we-wont-run-out-of-food-during-coronavirus

'The true source of the empty-shelf issue lies inside the retail shops themselves. “In other words, and in many occasions, supermarkets do actually have products in their storerooms, but they do not have enough staff to bring it to the shelves as fast as they are taken from them,” Garza-Reyes says. In response, major retailers around the world have begun hiring new workers to fill the gaps.' That's what we saw here, and the stores changed their opening hours to restock better, and hired a bunch of new workers.

Not true. I have seen it for myself. People are hoarding. There were people lined up around the block with their carts, and then leaving with a mountain of toilet paper. They finally clued in that they had to hire security and put limits on certain items to stop the hoarding. There is actual video of a couple leaving the store with all the meat that was in this small town grocery store here in BC. It's real. People are filling their garages and freezers with food and product. This has nothing to do with the lack of ability to stock shelves. I have never in my life have ever seen such insanity. The retailers are hiring more staff and changing the hours because they need to sanitize the store, and products completely everyday, before they restock. That with the stupid hoarding it's a recipe for disaster. People are needlessly in a panic. There are no shortages so people need to chill out.

Edited April 3, 2020 by smackie9

[FMW]

All the stores I've been in have signs up limiting the number of a particular item you can buy.  They wouldn't be doing that if people weren't hoarding!

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, smackie9 said:

People are needlessly in a panic. There are no shortages so people need to chill out.

Wow, haven't seen much of that here, it made the nightly news one day when some idiots were fighting over something in a store...though to be fair I'm in one of the largest cities where we have been through numerous disasters and people don't panic much plus there are literally hundreds of grocery outlets.

There's a ban on product returns in most stores here during the pandemic so if anyone did stockpile they will be stuck with the stuff. And yes, there are now product limits on the most in-demand items @FMW And no price-gouging, which is illegal here during a state of emergency! In fact prices have not gone up even on the most in-demand items.

Hope you get what you need there.

[smackie9]

The problem is, we have never had any kind of disaster. This is all new to us. As we go along, the government and retailers are learning how to control this. Corporations are slow to respond. As soon as this virus hit, I saw it coming. I was real confused as to why Costco of all places didn't react soon enough. They are still lined up to this day tho. People are such dolts. I have never been so disgusted. I have elderly neighbors that are so afraid to even go to the store when it's only open for seniors. They watch the news and see all these line ups and people grabbing stuff, empty shelves. It's just terrible.

[Highndry]

I am ordering my groceries from the store online, then picking them up. The store puts them right into the back of my truck. They do not want the customer to get out, which is fine by me. When I get home, I put everything shelf stable into a quarantine area for 3 days minimum, preferably longer. The refrigerated items go inside with me where I sterilize them much like this gentleman does, then I put them away.

All that being said, it's a very tiresome routine, and I noticed that he was kind of careless with a few things he did, like not really being thorough when he washed a few of the items, but maybe he did a better job beforehand so he knew they were clean.

 

[Ellener]

On 4/3/2020 at 9:56 AM, smackie9 said:

The problem is, we have never had any kind of disaster. This is all new to us.

I live in Houston, the world's foremost sinking city on a Gulf coast prone to major storms, sometimes it seems all we have is disasters. But things do mobilise and organise fast here as a result, it's true.

Hope things improve for you soon.

[smackie9]

9 hours ago, Ellener said:

I live in Houston, the world's foremost sinking city on a Gulf coast prone to major storms, sometimes it seems all we have is disasters. But things do mobilize and organize fast here as a result, it's true.

Hope things improve for you soon.

The only thing that needs to change here is peoples attitudes. There is no shortage of food, etc, but everyone is acting like there is. It is under control somewhat by limiting amounts, but still can't find toilet paper. We have a manufacturer here like 10 mins away, so it's not like it has to get shipped in. Ridiculous I say.

[Ellener]

2 hours ago, smackie9 said:

no shortage of food, etc, but everyone is acting like there is.

Blimey.

I've never understood buying a ton of food, we are told to stockpile enough for a storm, which is way less than you'd think, at the start of storm season. If you stockpile a bunch of perishables and frozen stuff and the power goes out it's all lost.

I see people running around on days like Christmas Eve etc with carts piled and wonder if they know- the store will only be closed for one day at most! Some not even that...

Must be a primeval instinct- lizard brain? or something 🦎

[preraph]

Ellener, some of us are not supposed to go out at all!  So we NEED to stockpile food and toilet paper to stay in.  Plus people are home for at least twice as long as they were before this, so they can't use the toilet paper at work and aren't eating out at lunch, and the kids aren't in school eating in the cafeteria and using those bathrooms.  They NEED twice as much of everything per day as normal, and then if they're trying to stay in, as instructed, people like me want a month's worth, so that's me needing 8 times my normal needs to last a month, 2x per day, 2 times per week.  

 

They tell old people, Have someone go to the store for you.  Well, uh, those people aren't allowed to buy one package of TP or any of the other rationed things for me and then one for themselves.  They're all rationed.  Plus no one is going to go to the store for you at 6 a.m. every morning until they find what you need as soon as the truck comes in before it's sold out.  So when you can find what you need, if they will let you, which they won't, you buy it.  I'm glad I got out ahead of this with some things.  But every day I'm still trying to put a delivery or pickup order together, and eventually, unless something changes, I will have to go to a store and further expose myself to find TP.  Still no one has it listed for pickup or delivery.  I keep waiting and hoping.  

 

People are trying to do what they've been told to do, which is get in supplies and stay home, but they can't.

[Ellener]

Alright @preraph I doubt you are stockpiling though!

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, preraph said:

Have someone go to the store for you. 

That's what all the Covidiots who can't stay home for a day could be doing...getting other people's toilet paper!

Whoever predicted we'd discuss toilet paper this much in 2020? 😄

[preraph]

5 minutes ago, Ellener said:

Alright @preraph I doubt you are stockpiling though!

I would if I had the chance!  For next virus season.  

 

See, I would feel bad asking anyone else to risk their health to go get me something.  I'd feel terrible if they got sick.  I'm writing all the politicians telling them to tell the stores they HAVE to allow pickup and delivery on TP and the hard to get things, because right now, they're forcing you to come in the store to look for it.  It's nonsense. 

Edited April 6, 2020 by preraph

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, preraph said:

I would if I had the chance!

scandalous!

1 hour ago, preraph said:

I'd feel terrible if they got sick.  

They're out anyway see, with my plan, win-win 😉

[preraph]

Yeah, but they need as much as they can get for their own family, too.  I have had two people offer.  One is an old client of mine.  Very nice of her.  Haven't talked to her forever.  Then my best friend, but honestly, she has kids and contact with her would be risky.  Plus I'm sure she needs stuff herself.  

[mark clemson]

"Safe grocery shopping". Sorry, no such thing anymore. Maybe in 6 months or so...

*Stocks up on disinfectant*

[Ellener]

1 hour ago, mark clemson said:

"Safe grocery shopping". Sorry, no such thing anymore. Maybe in 6 months or so...

*Stocks up on disinfectant*

was there ever?!

I'm sure if we saw half the goings-on in food production we'd never eat again...

[SumGuy]

On 4/1/2020 at 9:49 AM, stillafool said:

I think they just lied and said that to keep us from ordering them so there'd be enough for hospital staff.  Of course it wouldn't hurt to wear a mask.  I noticed everyone in China was wearing them.

Doesn’t hurt but it can provide a false sense of confidence as the openings between the weave of the mask are way too large to stop a virus.  Everyone wears them in China and Asia mostly to block out particulate pollution, which is very bad for you.  
 

The primary reason masks are now being recommended is not to protect you from catching it but to lower the chance you spread it.  If you have it the mask will help catch a lot of the larger water particulates you exhale and send forth when speaking, and certainly will limit the range of any cough or sneeze.   
 

But if you are standing face to face and talking with an un-masked infected person...a typical cloth mask is going to do little to protect you.  

Edited April 8, 2020 by SumGuy

[preraph]

Two things:

 

I have changed how I bring stuff into the house from before.  I was santizing everything outside or in the garage, but now I will only do that for groceries that have to go up before spoiling.  Got some shipments of dry goods (prescriptions, bug spray, paper plates, some clothes) and I got my kitchen tongs and used them to pick up the packages and carry them into the library (no traffic in there at all and no air circulation) and I'm leaving stuff like that sit until I need it still in the package.  But if it's in a box, I'm using the tongs and scissors to open the box to get air circulation because to get rid of the virus it needs air, not to be sealed up.  I took it out of the box.  Anyway, tongs are good to hold onto it and cut it open without having to get anything on your hands or having to use up your gloves or wipes.  I am still wiping stuff off when I go to use it, but I don't feel I have to be as careful since it's sat a few days.   I put the tongs back outside in the planter on the porch until needed.  

 

The other thing, I really like is how restaurants are adapting to this situation. The first I heard of it is TGI Fridays told me when I picked an order up a couple of weeks ago they had just been approved to sell (raw) meat there since they could get meat and groceries were out.  

 

Then today I got notice from Panera Bread that they will have limited grocery pickup and delivery, very limited, just a few vegs, MILK and yogurt, but they make bread.  So I have a location I can drive through to get bread and milk!  I just love that.  I've always wanted drive thru's for more things.  So if my bread doesn't come on my order Monday, I'll treat myself to a two-fer salad and sandwich from Panera and grab a couple loaves of fresh bread there in the drive-through.  

 

My sister said Texas Roadhouse (great cheap steak place always crowded) is selling meat too.  They have the best quality steaks.  I'm going to check it out, though I'd probably rather just take out one they already cooked so I can have their good caesar salad with it.