Yesterday at the store

[The Genealogist]

I knew when I got to the supermarket yesterday that it was going to be a madhouse, as the parking lot was jammed. Inside it was packed. I got a typical week of groceries with my partner. The hand sanitizer section had been replaced with a display of 91 percent isopropyl alcohol, aloe gel, and a recipe for making hand sanitizer. At the checkout line, every lane was open and full. I saw a lot of peolle with TP in their carts. The checkers I saw were all frazzled. I thought the one in the lane next to us was going to flip out. The two people ahead of us both had orders well over $200. Our checker tiredly told us this was typical.

I shop there at that time every Sunday and had never seen it like this. It was almost surreal. You could feel the nervous energy with a lot of those shoppers.

We need leadership, and we are getting instead a man of chaos making things worse.

[Sherman A1]

1. I am happily retired from the grocery biz

after 4+ decades and glad to miss this adventure. I will say that if you shop on Sunday be sure to do so before 11am, the earlier the better.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. Congrats! I still have friends that work at Schuck's etc., I bet they can't wait either (retire)...

Hopefully you are enjoying what you have worked so hard for!

[Sherman A1]

7. I hope that your friends are soon able to retire from there

I did 43 years with them and while not the worst place in the world, that was more than enough.

[SWBTATTReg]

8. I understand (more than enough)! I am hoping over next couple of years he'll be able to.

A well deserved break from the nightmare sometimes working in the retail world entails.

Take care!

[ScratchCat]

2. I went to my local stores Friday

Wondering what it was going to be like and neither Wal-Mart nor Publix were out of a single thing and nobody was acting like there was any problem with anything.

Guess its regional

[CountAllVotes]

4. Same story here

I went shopping on Friday as well.

The stores were well-stocked.

There was no hand sanitizer or alcohol but there was plenty of food, toilet paper, etc.

This is in a very rural part of northern California with a small population.

[jberryhill]

6. Yup, I'm thinking it's regional

The various descriptions do not match the reality where I live. Some places must be more panicked than others.

[Kali]

11. !!!

your avatar

[jberryhill]

12. Laugh now, cupcake

[Kali]

13. Especially funny

Just sat through sales pitch/presentation on zinc and bovine immune response.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. You said it best! We need calm and rational leadership, instead of chaos and mayham...

Perhaps now it is time to invoke the 25th amendment being that he is willingly putting himself in danger (and others too) by continuing to have this stupid campaign rallies despite the recommendations not to, so as to not expose more to the CV.

[peacebuzzard]

9. went to 7 stores yesterday; No antiseptic gel anywhere.n/t

[jberryhill]

15. You went to seven stores specifically looking for that?

Or were you out shopping in general?

I couldn't imagine spending that much time for something so easily substituted.

[peacebuzzard]

16. Yes I did. I finally did resort to buying ingredients

To make my own. I have long distance international flights this week, and I need travel size antiseptic virus killing gels.
Wish I did not have to go, but that is not optional.
So now not only do I have to make the gels, I have to load them into tiny travel size containers.

On edit: TSA will not let your luggage through with a quart of 90% or 70% alcohol.

[jberryhill]

18. Lens wipes

[peacebuzzard]

19. those are kind of small, I saw alcohol wipes and

they are flimsy maybe 3 x 4 in max.
I am so obsessed about trying to keep clean after touching any surface, and well, you know airports.
and aircraft.
I need to squirt about a plump one inch round of antiseptic gel to lather up in closed tight environments.

And you know what, it probably won't matter one bit. This virus seems to proliferate in low oxygen type environments like aircraft cabins, it's just a matter of time before there will be incidents of whole fights being subject to infection possibility. But hey, since they aren't counting yet, it will be weeks before those numbers come out.

[jberryhill]

20. To what country are you traveling?

Given the inconvenience of flying with liquids in general, my first stop abroad is usually to pick up toiletries. One of my bathrooms has Chinese antibacterial gel, French sunscreen, and similar odds and ends in lieu of souvenirs.

[peacebuzzard]

21. Brazil. I will have everything I need when I get to my destination.

But its the long flight, airport transitions, mobs of people, less than adequate (and tiny) bathrooms (very possibly no water)

But even here in the US when you step into an airport its the same scene. Although the US airports sinks and toilets are usually larger and more apt to work.

So I practice no touch as much as possible, but now with covid19 it will take more vigilance.(probably it's to no avail) It is so uncomfortable normally without a menacing, likely and lurking killer virus. It would be prudent to ground transportation until more assessing can be done. I think Italy and China have done that, Iran possibly has done that ( I think they have an airline). But both the US and Brazil will require several full blown incidents and higher infection rates in order to ground flights and paralyze the transportation industry. There is underreporting going on in both countries.

[Tanuki]

10. For your health, try to shop at a time when the store will not be crowded

if at all possible. I read an interview with renowned epidemiologist Dr. William Schaffner, and that was one if his tips. He said he is in the high risk (for complications and poor outcome) age group, and that if he and his wife need to shop, they'll go late at night. FWIW, he also said that his wife is an avid bridge player but is pausing that completely for now. Avoid crowds and gatherings as much as possible, and follow expert advice. Stay safe! We need each and every one of us safe and healthy!

[peacebuzzard]

17. Where I am, all stock for antiseptic gel is gone,

I even revisited a couple of stores and stock will be arriving; but I have to travel out of the country for my job this week. That’s why I took all day to search.

[Tracer]

14. I don't know where "the Geneologist" lives, but

I did my regular grocery shopping this past Saturday and there were no big lines, nothing was out of stock and it was very calm. I've seen a whole lot worse when a snowstorm is forecast --- then you'd think the world was ending.