So..."Let Elderly People Shop Early" - what's "Elderly"?

[PatrickA5]

Ohio has that policy as well with the stay-at-home order. The elderly are to stay home as much as possible. Because they won't, IMO, millions of people have become unemployed or minimally employed. Are people like your FIL aware of that, or do they even care? My FIL/SMIL have that general attitude as well.

My FIL is generally a very nice person, but nobody is going to tell him what he can and can't do. Unlikely he's considered his actions in terms of people being unemployed. He's got his money. He doesn't really concern himself with other peoples money problems as long as they don't come wanting his money.

He has learned to Facetime with the grandkids and great grandkids. We're all trying to stay away from him because if he catches it, he won't last long.

 

[Amethyst]

What are old people who live alone supposed to do, if they can't afford to pay someone else to do their shopping? Not everything can be delivered everywhere.

I agree that old people do make a habit of hanging around stores waiting for them to open. It's one sport they can still take part in. It's particularly popular in Florida, where it's never too cold to wait outside in the early hours.

Our state (Oklahoma) has a "Safer at Home" policy geared for those 65 and older. Basically, these people are supposed to only go to the grocery store and pharmacy. .

 

[Texas Proud]

I am not going at 6 am to Walmart to shop early....


The line at the grocery store is horribly long... same as Sam's Club...


I was able to snag some facial tissue at Sam's the other day so if we do run out of TP we have something...


We also have the hand held sprayer in the shower

 

[Dtail]

Will try the BJ's senior hour at 8am on Monday. Walmart worked for me last week.
Not a lot of other stuff to do this early.

 

[jollystomper]

I did the senior hour at Costco yesterday. Very long line, took almost 45 minutes to get in. People were pretty well separated, by shopping carts and yellow taped pallets. When I came out, the line was about 1/10 as long.

The store had pretty much everything (except the $5 roast chickens, which were still roasting).

I posted in the "Shopping and restocking update" thread that when I went to the Costco senior hours I was in the entrance line at 7:30 and they actually opened for shopping at 7:40. Few people were in the store, I was able to get my stuff and be out of there just after 8, when the parking lot was filling up and the big crowds started rolling up. No guarantees, but if I have to go again I will go early in case they decide to open before the advertised hours.

 

[Amethyst]

Just remember not to flush facial tissue. It might be hard to get a plumber. Unless you are one, of course.

I

I was able to snag some facial tissue at Sam's the other day so if we do run out of TP we have something...

 

[harley]

I have a plan. I'm going to Costco Monday evening about a half hour before they close, and I'll pick up everything I want that they have. I'm hoping that they'll be doing some stocking for the next morning and a lot of it will be there. If not, I'll come back early the next morning and deal with the lines and the people. It will be an interesting experiment.

 

[Ready]

I have a plan. I'm going to Costco Monday evening about a half hour before they close, and I'll pick up everything I want that they have. I'm hoping that they'll be doing some stocking for the next morning and a lot of it will be there. If not, I'll come back early the next morning and deal with the lines and the people. It will be an interesting experiment.

In case you haven’t noticed, effective today all Costco stores in the US now close at 6:30pm on weekdays.

 

[aja8888]

Went to Walmart at 2:30 PM this afternoon (Saturday). The store was moderately busy. No eggs, but stacks of toilet paper in the isle and no limit quantity. Most shoppers just walked by the stacks and didn't take any. Neither did I.

Looks like TP is not as big an issue here in the north Houston area (at least for today).

Beer was stacked in the coolers in the large areas where food usually is. And I mean a lot of beer.

 

[FrankiesGirl]

I have gray hair, but am in my 40s, and any of the kids (20-somethings) won't be able to tell your age unless they card you.

I have had two of these young workers tell me about the elder shopping hours. I seriously don't look 50, let alone 60 other than having gray hair, so they're just assuming.

And was also told our local Aldi is getting TP and paper towels in every shipment in quantity but still getting wiped (ha) out within hours so the hoarders are still at it. Also told me they are not getting more than a single case of hand sanitizer that is intended for the store's usage (cash register/stockers).

 

[Amethyst]

The local Wal-mart opens at 0700. I arrived at 0710, and the old people had already cleared out the TP shipment they'd just gotten in. There were old people all over the store with TP in their shopping carts, and the paper aisle was bare. Ten minutes! Like piranhas on a carcass!

No butter or eggs, but at least they had some yogurt.

I
And was also told our local Aldi is getting TP and paper towels in every shipment in quantity but still getting wiped (ha) out within hours so the hoarders are still at it.

 

[Amethyst]

Frankie - If you're over 40, they honestly cannot tell you from a 60-year-old, since young people key in on hair color. My Mother had white hair when I was born (she was 39); she told me people would compliment her on her pretty granddaughter (me). Yet photos of her show that she had taut skin and youthful features under the white hair, plus a slim figure.

I have gray hair, but am in my 40s, and any of the kids (20-somethings) won't be able to tell your age unless they card you.

I have had two of these young workers tell me about the elder shopping hours. I seriously don't look 50, let alone 60 other than having gray hair, so they're just assuming.

And was also told our local Aldi is getting TP and paper towels in every shipment in quantity but still getting wiped (ha) out within hours so the hoarders are still at it. Also told me they are not getting more than a single case of hand sanitizer that is intended for the store's usage (cash register/stockers).

 

[Pellice]

Another positive for the shopping situation - across the board, not just senior hours - is the absence of kids. Almost no one bringing his/her kids. That speeds things up as much as anything.

 

[Dtail]

The local Wal-mart opens at 0700. I arrived at 0710, and the old people had already cleared out the TP shipment they'd just gotten in. There were old people all over the store with TP in their shopping carts, and the paper aisle was bare. Ten minutes! Like piranhas on a carcass!

No butter or eggs, but at least they had some yogurt.

Referring indirectly to a previous comment you made, when folks have "plenty", everyone is fairly nice, but in this type of situation it turns many into every person for themselves.
What is the next step, as many guns and bullets are being bought up?

 

[Amethyst]

I mentioned that guns were probably next, a couple weeks ago. In a concealed-carry state, this is a real concern. Store rage, instead of road rage.

Referring indirectly to a previous comment you made, when folks have "plenty", everyone is fairly nice, but in this type of situation it turns many into every person for themselves.
What is the next step, as many guns and bullets are being bought up?

 

[SheitlQueen]

I went to a local grocery store during senior only shopping hour but they were letting everyone in so I see no point to doing that again. At Costco I went and there was a massive line of seniors waiting to get in. I did wait, but it would have been better just to go in during regular hours because the people working their said it has not been busy the last several days. No more senior shopping hours for me.

 

[Pellice]

Another angle to all this is that shoppers *may* simply be spacing themselves out in time better than they normally do. I've been driving by groceries to observe the best times, and, really, the parking lots seem rather evenly filled compared to the "normal" schedule which has people going to work during the daytime. I used to duck into the grocery before work to pick up items on my way in. It was always deserted. It isn't deserted now, but that's because the situation *may* actually be working to distribute shoppers more evenly.

 

[harley]

I have a plan. I'm going to Costco Monday evening about a half hour before they close, and I'll pick up everything I want that they have. I'm hoping that they'll be doing some stocking for the next morning and a lot of it will be there. If not, I'll come back early the next morning and deal with the lines and the people. It will be an interesting experiment.

Well, I'll tell you, Costco's got it going on! I got there at 5-ish, and there were very few people there, maybe 100 or less total. I brought a cart in from the parking lot, which I had wiped down really well with my disinfectant wipes. But they wouldn't let me use it, I had to use one of the ones they had disinfected.

I had a huge list, intending to not go back out for about a month. I was amazed at the selection, with a few odd items missing. Obviously no disinfectant items, but plenty of beef, chicken, and fish. Also plenty of produce and berries. The only eggs they had were the 24 pack of organic brown eggs, more expensive than usual, but what the heck. And no Grey Poupon, for some reason. No spaghetti, no black tea, and no canned vegetables.

But the people working there were obviously taking sanitation seriously, and they were all at least moderately cheerful and efficient. Overall I was quite impressed, and I'm not going to have to go back in the morning.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah, the costco has senior shopping from 8 to 9. I'm still sleeping then.

 

[CaptTom]

Report from the trenches this AM:

Our supermarkets and Walmarts all open up around 7 around here. Senior happy hour is typically 6-7. I hit Walmart at around 7:10. It was busy for a Tuesday morning but not crowded. Easy to keep the appropriate social distance. Lots of employees selecting items for the grocery pick-up service.

Got everything on my list. Plenty of dairy and bread. Good selection of meat & produce. Paper towels and toilet paper almost empty, but there were some. Canned goods a bit low but still plenty. No hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes. Oddly enough, the entire stock of dish detergent was gone, except for a few small bottles. They did have a fair selection of bleach.

Then I had to go to the CVS Pharmacy inside Target on the way home. Their senior happy hour is 8-9. They challenged me at the door at 8:40, but let me in to pick up a prescription even though I don't meet the 65-or-over rule. The place was nearly deserted. Most places around here use 60 or over as the limit. No clue why Target is different. No big deal, I rarely shop there anyway.

At this point I'm hoping I'm good for at least another 2 weeks. If I have to go out again, it'll be to the local supermarket for produce, dairy and meat.

 

[statsman]

Actually took advantage of Trader Joe's senior (60+) and disabled only hour today (8-9am). They implemented this starting yesterday, March 30.

I normally wouldn't have bothered (I'm 60), but (a) a few items we want are still disappearing at our local stores, and (b) the fewer people I have to interact with the better. I found everything but one item today. I shouldn't have to return for several weeks.

Will likely have our DD watch for that one item on her next visit to the store.

 

[Amethyst]

Stopped for milk at the little neighborhood Walmart at 0730. Few cars, no carts going in and out, led me to believe they had no TP. Well, they almost didn't. Every shopper had an 8-pack in his or her cart; I managed to get one of the very last packs.

Picked up a gallon of bleach. I hate bleach and never use it, but there were no other kinds of disinfectant whatsoever.

Plenty of milk; oddly, the 1% was sold out. We still have eggs and butter, so didn't look for them.

There were big packs of the better (lean) ground beef; I got one. Can do a lot with a skillet, ground beef, rice, beans, onions, celery, and various spices.

Between that and the farmer's market vegetable delivery, we are good for a couple more weeks.

 

[Texas Proud]

Went to Walmart at 2:30 PM this afternoon (Saturday). The store was moderately busy. No eggs, but stacks of toilet paper in the isle and no limit quantity. Most shoppers just walked by the stacks and didn't take any. Neither did I.

Looks like TP is not as big an issue here in the north Houston area (at least for today).

Beer was stacked in the coolers in the large areas where food usually is. And I mean a lot of beer.

Where was this? I went this morning for senior hour and got 1 pack of 6 mega rolls... but there was not much there... our HEB has not had any when I go for weeks....