Post a pet peeve.

[Annoyed]

@ SGAlisa -- my sister is currently temporarily unemployed, due to economic reasons or sometimes also called "technical unemployment". Doesn't the USA have a similar thing?
For 3 days a week, she goes on forced unemployement.

She also had to go to the food store today... and found that a lot of people still don't get the meaning of "keeping that mandatory" distance.

Our unemployment system will pay for any day the claimant was ready, willing and able to work but was unable to find work. So, assuming she can jump through all the other hoops, your sister could claim 3 days/week for the duration of her benefit period, 26 weeks currently, but that may be extended in the current crisis.

Don't know about where you are, but that social distance of 6 feet here doesn't work here. Overall, this area is far too overcrowded. If you stand 6 feet behind the guy ahead of you in line, you'll have people cutting into the line ahead of you. Best you can do is "extend your zone" by keeping your shopping cart an arms length or so in front of you.

[jelgate]

So it's okay to infect me with your disease because you are inconvenienced by 6 feet?

[Annoyed]

So it's okay to infect me with your disease because you are inconvenienced by 6 feet?

Did I say that? What I said was that if you allow 6 feet in a line, someone will take up the space. And you can't allow 6 feet in the aisles, either. There are just too many people there. And this is at 7 am!

As I said, this area is overcrowded in the best of times.

[Gatefan1976]

Did I say that? What I said was that if you allow 6 feet in a line, someone will take up the space. And you can't allow 6 feet in the aisles, either. There are just too many people there. And this is at 7 am!

As I said, this area is overcrowded in the best of times.

And people like Jel, MG and me have to deal with that every damn day, so forgive us if your inconvenience with selfish people and raging about it pisses us off.

[Annoyed]

And people like Jel, MG and me have to deal with that every damn day, so forgive us if your inconvenience with selfish people and raging about it pisses us off.

I WASN'T raging about it. I was responding to FH's frustration over people not observing social distancing.

[Gatefan1976]

I WASN'T raging about it. I was responding to FH's frustration over people not observing social distancing.

I'll take a page out of your playbook, who said I was talking about you?

[jelgate]

Did I say that? What I said was that if you allow 6 feet in a line, someone will take up the space. And you can't allow 6 feet in the aisles, either. There are just too many people there. And this is at 7 am!

As I said, this area is overcrowded in the best of times.

Yes you can if you don't resort to mob mentality and selfishness. I'll move my product to let you through if you give me a second. I don't want to be infected and get hospitalized/die because you couldn't show common decency

[SGalisa]

@ SGAlisa -- my sister is currently temporarily unemployed, due to economic reasons or sometimes also called "technical unemployment". Doesn't the USA have a similar thing?
For 3 days a week, she goes on forced unemployement.

She also had to go to the food store today... and found that a lot of people still don't get the meaning of "keeping that mandatory" distance.

Hi FH. Thank you for asking...
I never heard of staggered unemployment. That is sort of frowned on over here, at least in NJ. We are either on it or NOT. There is no other option. Any self-employed worker takes risks at having intervals without work or a paycheck. That's why it is imperative over here to learn how to save any spare money and squirrel that away for the days of financial "famine". Same is true with steadier jobs that eventually close their doors for whatever the reason.

Anywho... I was previously on unemployment twice during my entire lifetime (first session lasted 18 months, because no one was hiring in my area, at all... our state became a "ghost state" from businesses moving out due to high taxes forcing them to seek cheaper landscapes in other states). So, I know what is involved with the whole unemployment routines, including the decreased $$ wages in hiring scales, along with longer commutes that are required to be added for each new appointment re-evaluation. I just dread it... and traffic here are usually not easy commutes, but a nightmare experience (been stuck in too many of them, & done that! even in more rural zones, too at any "rush" hour).

Even Temp Agency work is sort of scary, which I have had to do for several months decades ago, but even that dried up when no more jobs became available. I mostly dread looking for new work more, because I'm an introvert and like hiding at my cubicle. Been at my current position for over 20 years, so I simply wasn't expecting this (got blind-sided), especially with all of my spinal (DDD) and displaced hip/foot problems. Even if I could never retire and had to work til I dropped dead at my desk, I was accepting that as a *remote* possibility. But going on the unemployment lines is not something people where I worked were expecting.

I thought about those stocking shelves positions now available, but realized I would end up throwing my back out of whack if I moved the wrong direction or lifted more weight than my spine could tolerate. I cannot even stand for more than a certain length of minutes either, so I can only hope something within my limitations can work out best for me. Sit down work was something I treasured every day (where I was working) because the work was easy, ride in was nearby, and I was able to put my feet up on an elevated stool, and apply heat or ice to my back when the spasms would start up. I would not be able to do that in a new job. New employers tend to frown at those sorts of things; but my current group of former coworkers and I have grown together and helped each other's quirks and physical limitations.

Anywho, not sure if the lay-off is just temporary or permanent. All of that depends on other businesses seeking training in the meantime. Not expecting everything to stay *hunky rosy* either in future months either, especially if this virus or something worse pops up and wrecks everything all over again.

[Annoyed]

Yes you can if you don't resort to mob mentality and selfishness. I'll move my product to let you through if you give me a second. I don't want to be infected and get hospitalized/die because you couldn't show common decency

You still don't get it.

If you're waiting to check out, for example, there is always a line. If you try to stay 6 feet behind the guy in front of you, another person will enter or 'cut' the line at that spot and wait to check out. Not just pass through it and continue on.

In the aisles, with all of the end cap and freestanding displays and such that the market operators have to have the greatest amount of shelf space, there isn't a lot of room left for the customers to move around the store. There simply isn't enough navigable space in the store to have everyone 6 feet apart. Let alone a mass of shoppers during a period of shortages on most staple items. The paper towel and toilet paper aisle of the nearest megastore have been bare for over a week now.

[Gatefan1976]

You still don't get it.

If you're waiting to check out, for example, there is always a line. If you try to stay 6 feet behind the guy in front of you, another person will enter or 'cut' the line at that spot and wait to check out. Not just pass through it and continue on.

In the aisles, with all of the end cap and freestanding displays and such that the market operators have to have the greatest amount of shelf space, there isn't a lot of room left for the customers to move around the store. There simply isn't enough navigable space in the store to have everyone 6 feet apart. Let alone a mass of shoppers during a period of shortages on most staple items. The paper towel and toilet paper aisle of the nearest megastore have been bare for over a week now.

You will get what we are getting here now, customer limits in stores to maintain distance. one out, one in.

[Falcon Horus]

Our unemployment system will pay for any day the claimant was ready, willing and able to work but was unable to find work. So, assuming she can jump through all the other hoops, your sister could claim 3 days/week for the duration of her benefit period, 26 weeks currently, but that may be extended in the current crisis.

Same here.

However, with the current crisis we have different rules in place.

People who are still employed by their employer but are unable to work because of the lockdown, gain 70% of the average pay per month. It's limited to 2754,76 euro so anyone earning less, may gain some. Anyone earning more, may loose some.
There's a 26 % tax to be detracted (this is Belgium after all). Plus there's a 5,36 euro / day extra pay ... pocket money.

Don't know about where you are, but that social distance of 6 feet here doesn't work here. Overall, this area is far too overcrowded. If you stand 6 feet behind the guy ahead of you in line, you'll have people cutting into the line ahead of you. Best you can do is "extend your zone" by keeping your shopping cart an arms length or so in front of you.

Belgium... and our stores have taken measures into their own hands. Lines on the floor. Posters on the walls. Plexi between customer and cashier. One person in, everyone else out and waiting in lines with 6 feet between each customer.

I WASN'T raging about it. I was responding to FH's frustration over people not observing social distancing.

There's a cartoon out (a few of them now, I think) which I think is very to the point .... about that 6-feet distance.

[mad_gater]

At Whole Foods people seem to be pretty good about maintaining social distancing although the store I work in is in the suburbs and so that could help too.....inner city might be a different story....a lot of pushing and shoving usually tends to go on in the inner city

also a lot of people aren't too pleased about the product rationing either

[Annoyed]

You will get what we are getting here now, customer limits in stores to maintain distance. one out, one in.

How practical is that in megamarkets where the shopper count can easily run into the hundreds or even thousands?
You forget the scale that things are done in here.

[Gatefan1976]

How practical is that in megamarkets where the shopper count can easily run into the hundreds or even thousands?
You forget the scale that things are done in here.

Umm, my home store is located next to Hillsong church and school, we get hundreds pouring in every night at 10pm. Now that we have shut down churches and all stores are closing at 8pm it's not as bad, but under normal conditions...………..
Not all states go through the amount of trade you guys do in NY, but I take your point. Also, your megamarts are quite larger than ours (except for maybe our few Costco's, so there is that to consider. Either way, you are going to get to the point where you will have no choice but to do it. Your infection rates are skyrocketing, and you will have to put the brakes on at some point, there's no other way to do it dude.

[Annoyed]

Same here.

However, with the current crisis we have different rules in place.

People who are still employed by their employer but are unable to work because of the lockdown, gain 70% of the average pay per month. It's limited to 2754,76 euro so anyone earning less, may gain some. Anyone earning more, may loose some.
There's a 26 % tax to be detracted (this is Belgium after all). Plus there's a 5,36 euro / day extra pay ... pocket money.



Belgium... and our stores have taken measures into their own hands. Lines on the floor. Posters on the walls. Plexi between customer and cashier. One person in, everyone else out and waiting in lines with 6 feet between each customer.



There's a cartoon out (a few of them now, I think) which I think is very to the point .... about that 6-feet distance.

I agree with the theory. And some smaller stores were doing things like having employees take orders and run purchases out to the customer in their cars. But that concept doesn't work when you're dealing with markets that can easily reach 200,000+ square feet.
I think Walmart builds them 260,000 feet and up in some places, and customer counts to match. The biggest grocery chain in this area has many stores nearing 150,000 Sq. feet. These places are HUGE. Even with that much space, you can't turn a shopping cart around without hitting something with it. They're that crowded.

I think that you folks are forgetting the scale that we do some things on over here. Believe me, this isn't my preference, I would much prefer far smaller stores. But they forgot to ask me.