Since we'll all be locked in our houses, Coronavirus
- Thread starter mihaid
- Start date
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
I'm trying to isolate, but it's impossible.
RobH1
Well-Known Member
We've been staying in for the past two weeks and taking the obligatory walk for exercise ( pretty mundane for us fell walkers, but ho hum 
). Had to nip out to Aldi for a top up, surprisingly there were no more than 20 people in store, most keeping their distance and speedily shopping. In and out in no time, with minimal contact. No problem with stock either.
Just a wee bee in my bonnet, I am not surprised that the banks are unhelpful to small businesses to survive with easy extended loans, it's in their DNA, but since the taxpayer bailed the banks out during the last crisis (of their own making), I think they've got a lot of gall. I notice the government asks them, pretty please, to help, but they need to bare teeth.
). Had to nip out to Aldi for a top up, surprisingly there were no more than 20 people in store, most keeping their distance and speedily shopping. In and out in no time, with minimal contact. No problem with stock either.Just a wee bee in my bonnet, I am not surprised that the banks are unhelpful to small businesses to survive with easy extended loans, it's in their DNA, but since the taxpayer bailed the banks out during the last crisis (of their own making), I think they've got a lot of gall. I notice the government asks them, pretty please, to help, but they need to bare teeth.
MikeSh
Well-Known Member
The only way to be isolated is to be independent (for the duration).
The only way to be independent is to have all the supplies for that duration with you at the beginning - a stockpile.
People were asked not to do that because the results are well known.
But a few people still did that a month ago and the shops are still struggling to catch up.
So the chances of being able to get a 14 day (minimum) stash into your house now are poor.
We are just being sensible - stay in most of the time, avoid others while walking out, minimum shopping and only by one of us (me). (The latter makes sense as we don't mingle as a family much anyway - separate bedrooms, hardly any physical contact - so we could avoid in-house transmission if I do catch it.)
Trev
The Dumb One
And tons of food a bit past it's best before date is now being dumped. Effin idiots.
Do you not get something similar to this in your area/county?
If you are vulnerable and have an urgent need that cannot be met through existing support networks, or are concerned about the welfare of someone else you can contact
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
What do you mean "do you not get"? If you mean "have you not received", then the answer to that is no. (English isn't your strong point, but I guess that's excusable if it's your second language.)
Received by what means? Is that the letter supposedly sent out from the PM? I guess (being in Wales) I might not be on his contact list. However, my elderly friend in England has not mentioned receiving anything either.
Who is it you are invited to contact? Would it be any use? The government show no evidence of joined-up thinking: "Hey guys, here's a great idea, we all order from Ocado so we'll tell the 80+ elderly to stay at home and go online to order from Ocado too". Well, I'm sorry Boris but I have two 80+ friends who wouldn't know where to start, and there's not enough time to set them up and teach them how, even if it were possible to place an order (and if it were possible to do that while social distancing, even if there was any chance they would remember what to do next time).
The weekend before last I managed to get a Morrison's Click&Collect scheduled for the following weekend, but I had to place the order there and then to secure the booking. Some items I wanted to order were shown as "out of stock", so I couldn't order them (but was that based of projected stock at time of picking? I doubt it). However, I was allowed to edit the order until the night before. On the following Saturday I went in and revised the order. Other stuff was "out of stock".
Not knowing how the system worked, I went down near the start of my allotted time (4-6pm) and waited in the Click&Collect parking area. Every now and then a lad came out with two pallet trolleys and went to two cars. It was not obvious how those cars were being identified. Two hours later I received a text and an email telling me my order had been picked, what was missing outright, and what had been substituted for other items (not very happy, but I decided to take what I could get). My order value had gone down by a third.
The text and email contained a link to a web page where I could register my presence and identify my car. How would somebody without a smart phone do that? As it is, I don't have an alert set for incoming emails.
I believe orders were being picked at the time, from shelf stock not from reserved stock, despite me having finalised my order the previous night. Consequently, my order had to be made up from what was left on the shelf after a day's trading, and the stock control system (when placing an order) is utterly useless.
That is why I say it is impossible to self-isolate, ie not to have to set foot in a shop, unless you already have a support network to do that shopping on your behalf (and take a risk on your behalf - I'm not willing to ask somebody to do that).
EEPhil
Number 28
I have to say many of the people who are supposed to be shielded are not self isolating. The local shops know it as they have "special hours" for NHS staff and vulnerable persons. The local Co-op has three elderly persons estates very close by. I've seen many over 80s queuing for the special hour and ending up with just a newspaper because the shop has sold out of (yes, you've guessed it) milk, toilet roll and sometimes bread. The question is why are they not self isolating? Probably they don't have a support network; their children may live far away and are not supposed to visit. As BH points out maybe they are not technically literate or don't have a computer. If you do have a computer, not all websites work properly (take note British Gas, TSB).
Don't forget the government and the advisors (including representitives of supermarkets I think) have said there are no shortages. There are plenty of toilet rolls. We are manufacturing them. Distribution is a problem. Hmm. Substitute PPE or ventilators for toilet rolls and the same excuse is given.
If and when Boris's letter arrives I might annoy Severn Trent Water and use it in place of the missing toilet roll.
I couldn't agree more. What I find really annoying was Grant Shapps saying only shop once a week. What with shortages and the supermarket limits you can't do that. Chris Whitty says only go out food shopping. Why then have the government allowed Post Offices, banks, hardware stores and bicycle shops to be open? One person says essential shopping, Whitty says food shopping. Which is it? If you're food shopping then are you allowed toilet roll and cleaning equipment (essential!)? Mixed messages galore. Also odd that the three proponents of isolation and distancing are currently self isolating. Did they not follow their own advice?
Don't forget the government and the advisors (including representitives of supermarkets I think) have said there are no shortages. There are plenty of toilet rolls. We are manufacturing them. Distribution is a problem. Hmm. Substitute PPE or ventilators for toilet rolls and the same excuse is given.
If and when Boris's letter arrives I might annoy Severn Trent Water and use it in place of the missing toilet roll.
My simple mobile phone (numerical keys only) does claim to have the ability to go to a web page link. I've never tried it. Can't see it being very easy to do, and I expect the browser will be classed as out of date and won't work.
I couldn't agree more. What I find really annoying was Grant Shapps saying only shop once a week. What with shortages and the supermarket limits you can't do that. Chris Whitty says only go out food shopping. Why then have the government allowed Post Offices, banks, hardware stores and bicycle shops to be open? One person says essential shopping, Whitty says food shopping. Which is it? If you're food shopping then are you allowed toilet roll and cleaning equipment (essential!)? Mixed messages galore. Also odd that the three proponents of isolation and distancing are currently self isolating. Did they not follow their own advice?see? you've done it again. you assumed, again, I was talking about receiving some letter.
I meant, don't you have/or are about to get a county helpline wherever you are in wales? for people exactly in your situation?
absolutely agree with everything. still, for some people it is absolutely impossible to do the 7 foot thingy, police, ambulance, hospitals and i hear that even the setup in downing street can't cope with it.
MikeSh
Well-Known Member
The problem is that these people probably never go near a supermarket themselves, so are blissfully unaware of reality.
It's 6' 9"
The trouble is that this magic 2m is a massive oversimplification. It would be better if people could understand what the issues are and the surface transfer problem, but that's never going to happen.
Our Waitrose has cleaning stuff for you to use (spray bottle and paper towel roll), but the bottle and towel roll is handled by other people. So you dutifully clean the trolley or basket handle, but possibly pick up virus from the cleaning equipment. No hand sanitizer of course.
Two people stood mostly idle at the door controlling entry ... It would make more sense for them to clean the trolleys/baskets when they are returned (wearing gloves of course).
EEPhil
Number 28
I was trying to do the sensible thing. I usually pay in cash. (I like cash!) But, the shops would prefer not to handle cash at the moment. So I put the card in the slot. Er, I've got to put the PIN in on a machine that umpteen other people have touched. The kind checkout girl passed me a bit of paper towel she freshly ripped from a roll - using her gloved hands which have touched the food, cash, receipts and other stuff! I used it, but remembered to wash my hands!
Yes, I wouldn't advise trying it, but a conversation with the police (usually 2 up in a car) that stop you asking why you're out or telling you to keep 2m apart about their lack of social distancing and are they going to issue themselves with a £60 fine.
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Further to my experiences with Morrison's, there was a report in Tuesday's paper (I think) that somebody trying on-line ordering for the first time (it just happened to be Morrison's) placed their order for a fortnight's time... but the payment is taken when the order is completed just before collection/delivery, and RBS blocked it as unusual activity.
It's ridiculous. They, the bank, should contact you and if genuine allow it. I've lost money with this stupid system.
gomezz
Well-Known Member
Indeed. Stupid would be charging the customer for the cost of their order at the time it was placed before the picker had found that not all the items were available for delivery (especially so at the moment with limited availabilty) and then having to wait for the overcharge to be refunded. Though in this case surprised that Morrisons did not call the customer to get the OK to try and reprocess the payment or ask if there was an alternative means of payment they could use. Last thing the supermarket wants is a lost sale and a picked order that needs time to put all the items back on the shelves.
Ezra Pound
Well-Known Member
Now you have made the giant leap from cash to card you need to look into contactless payment, most credit / debit cards have this built in with a limit of £30 (recently raised to £45 I'm told)