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

[audreyh1]

Yeah, the water thing is weird like the TP thing. The local water here good, really good. I had a person from Tahoe tell me it was good.

But the water shelves at the super are empty. Lotta fear.

And that makes me rejoice as my lost dough will flow back to me just like the water in the city pipes.

The great news is that I realized that those 5 gallon water bottles were an option. Water is not good for drinking at DFs house. A bit disconcerting that so many folks are hoarding bottled water.

 

[Moemg]

Our fresh market has made the first hour for seniors and people with disabilities . I am not sure if I will go then or just regular hours since it is mostly overpriced but very few people .

 

[zwil]

All this must be hitting farmers too. Fresh produce can't stay fresh for very long.

 

[JoeWras]

Ummm... no.
Now days you need 2 people, 1 to shop and 1 to watch the cart so nobody uses your cart as available stock from which to fill their cart while your back is turned.

Seriously? Really?

I've lost faith in us. This really bums me out to hear.

 

[Z3Dreamer]

There are no production shortages, just that demand exceeds supplies in the pipeline. In theory, this should balance out. Soon? Later?

 

[JoeWras]

There are no production shortages, just that demand exceeds supplies in the pipeline. In theory, this should balance out. Soon? Later?

Until they fill up their basements.

Or maybe never. People are buying stuff that will spoil that they'll have to replace.

Ridiculous.

 

[TrvlBug]

Seriously? Really?

I've lost faith in us. This really bums me out to hear.

I was also surprised at this. When I went to the local grocery store for some perishables, an employee found me a couple of travel sized hand sanitizers. She hid them in my cart saying people were taking stuff out of others' carts .

 

[Amethyst]

We were warned about this also. People are very good at telling themselves, "Oh, my kids need this more than that old lady does," or whatever rationalization seems good to them. And there does not seem to be much sense of "we're in this together," as my parents remembered from WWII. It's more like the Great Depression, when the very poor robbed the less poor with little compunction (as my Dad remembered it).

I was also surprised at this. When I went to the local grocery store for some perishables, an employee found me a couple of travel sized hand sanitizers. She hid them in my cart saying people were taking stuff out of others' carts .

 

[Spock]

There are no production shortages, just that demand exceeds supplies in the pipeline. In theory, this should balance out. Soon? Later?

I believe there are production shortages. Look at how much of production is in China and while it may or may not be restarting, there has been a 2-3month air pocket created in production/supply. Containerships that used to have to wait 3ish days for a berth to dock can now pull straight up to the wide open dock without having to maneuver around other ships.

 

[stepford]

I believe there are production shortages. Look at how much of production is in China and while it may or may not be restarting, there has been a 2-3month air pocket created in production/supply. Containerships that used to have to wait 3ish days for a berth to dock can now pull straight up to the wide open dock without having to maneuver around other ships.

For imported goods maybe so, but most of the grocery items we shop for are domestically produced. I haven't seen any evidence that those supply chains are broken yet (though that may become the case if lockdown measures are broadly declared).

 

[2177V]

Walmart had a senior shopping time every Tuesday 6 am to 7 am.

The place was packed! I did not go in.

There are about 72 shopping hours per week so 1 hour represents 1.4% while there are about 16% of Americans over 65. This means there will be 10X more people during the senior shopping time!!!

I ended up at a supermarket with NO senior shopping time and at 7 am, there were hardly any people.

 

[Amethyst]

Well, I went during "senior" time and there were a number of people who didn't look more than 40, including the four guys in green jumpsuits whom I mentioned in another post, buying TP. People use that time to shop before they go to work.

Walmart had a senior shopping time every Tuesday 6 am to 7 am.

The place was packed! I did not go in.

I ended up at a supermarket with NO senior shopping time and at 7 am, there were hardly any people.

 

[statsman]

I didn't realize the age for senior shopping (Tuesdays) at Walmart is 60 and above. At 60 myself, I haven't considered myself "senior". DW and I are well stocked, so we have no critical needs at the moment. But if we absolutely need something, I guess I can go during senior shopping times, although it sounds like lines start for those too. Given the shopping patterns in our area, I can almost guarantee it.

 

[TrvlBug]

Our local Costco started senior hours today. I was planning to go but thought better of it and got there around noon. Not overly crowded, but not empty either. Overheard an employee telling another customer that it was packed during the senior hour. As this is being reported on Nextdoor for other stores that have senior hour, it didn't surprise me. He also stated that they have TP every day but run out very early. They are not getting any hand sanitizer. Very few people seemed to be aware of 'social distancing' .

Next stop was my usual 'super' grocery store. Much less crowded than at their senior hour. Paper products where not to be had, soup, pasta, and the like had sparse shelves, but you could find things. Maybe not in your brand or size. I'm staying away from senior hours.

 

[piccolopat]

Since all of these fabulous hotels and resorts are going empty, I think they ought to quarantine we old folks in them, for free.

...or at least make their stash of toilet paper available to the public!

 

[harley]

Well, I went during "senior" time and there were a number of people who didn't look more than 40, including the four guys in green jumpsuits whom I mentioned in another post, buying TP. People use that time to shop before they go to work.

I'm sure that's true, but that time is also set aside for high risk people. My daughter (35 yo) has asthma, and she is allowed to shop during that time. It's called senior shopping, but it's really for seniors and other at risk people. She doesn't use that, but if she did I'm sure she'd be getting the eye from seniors. She'd need to wear her inhaler on a string around her neck.

 

[Amethyst]

Not sure your daughter would be any safer during that hour, anyway. As others have observed, it tends to be packed; and not everyone is observing, or can observe, six-foot distance. Carts and scooter-wagons crowd the checkout aisles, and others have to get by.

As for getting the eye, hopefully your daughter has a well-developed right-back-atcha look.

I'm sure that's true, but that time is also set aside for high risk people. My daughter (35 yo) has asthma, and she is allowed to shop during that time. It's called senior shopping, but it's really for seniors and other at risk people. She doesn't use that, but if she did I'm sure she'd be getting the eye from seniors. She'd need to wear her inhaler on a string around her neck.

 

[Moemg]

Instead of waiting in long lines for regular stores get creative . Go to a smaller store like "Fresh Market " or a restaurant supply like "GFS".

 

[USGrant1962]

Well, I went during "senior" time and there were a number of people who didn't look more than 40, including the four guys in green jumpsuits whom I mentioned in another post, buying TP. People use that time to shop before they go to work.

They could hire the unemployed bar bouncers to check IDs

Honestly, I'm not impressed with the idea. Hey, if we get one compromised person we can infect the maximum number of the vulnerable population by concentrating them in time and space!

Further, I'm not convinced the the generic senior population should have priority on the latest shipment of TP and hand sanitizer over families with babies, non-senior at-risk people, or health care workers like my BIL/SIL - a general practice doctor and a nurse who work during the day to protect their patients.

 

[gerntz]

So far, a lot of the rules enacted to fight this thing have been honor-based. The authorities are counting on people to have enough decency to follow the rules meant to protect them and others. France in general has a good sense of community and solidarity. If most people play the game, I think that we will see a sizable effect on the spread of Covid-19.

France CV death rate/M population: 17. US: 2.

 

[powerplay]

I went to Fred Meyer this morning during the Senior shopping hour. The store was packed with many more shoppers than I've seen in the last month. I was able to get a couple 16oz. bottles of alcohol so that was good. Then had to wait in line to check out. Blue tape marked the floor to help everyone maintain the 6 foot distance and a couple of the self checkout terminals were closed to help with the 6 foot distance.

 

[audreyh1]

Our local Costco started senior hours today. I was planning to go but thought better of it and got there around noon. Not overly crowded, but not empty either. Overheard an employee telling another customer that it was packed during the senior hour. As this is being reported on Nextdoor for other stores that have senior hour, it didn't surprise me. He also stated that they have TP every day but run out very early. They are not getting any hand sanitizer. Very few people seemed to be aware of 'social distancing' .

Yeah, I think I’m going to avoid senior hours.

 

[MisterBill]

I don't care about shopping early. I'm retired and hate getting up before my body tells me to wake up.

The reason they're doing it is so the seniors get first crack at some hard-to-find items, like meat and toilet paper. However, I read a comment from someone who went to a local supermarket today during the reserved time and said that the store had not finished stocking when they were there, so no TP.

Here in NY, the stores have all gone for 60 and up as the age requirement. I don't think that any are actually asking for proof but they reserve the right to do so if they feel that someone doesn't belong there.

 

[MisterBill]

Further, I'm not convinced the the generic senior population should have priority on the latest shipment of TP and hand sanitizer over families with babies, non-senior at-risk people, or health care workers like my BIL/SIL - a general practice doctor and a nurse who work during the day to protect their patients.

That's an interesting point of view. My local town supervisor actually came up with an edict that all stores needed to have a senior hour (which i thought was overreach). The stores did not add a special time just for our local store but eventually did add it for all stores in their respective chains.

BTW at-risk people are supposedly able to shop during the senior hour in the announcements I have seen.

 

[harley]

Here in NY, the stores have all gone for 60 and up as the age requirement. I don't think that any are actually asking for proof but they reserve the right to do so if they feel that someone doesn't belong there.

It's been a long time since I was carded for anything. I'll have to see if I can find my old fake ID from when I was in college.