# Bad practices by shoppers, do you say anything to them ?



## twofor1 (7 Jan 2021)

I was in one of the big supermarkets this morning, a person took out a scrap of a tissue, blew their nose, finished the job with the back of their hand,  put the tissue back in their  pocket and started rooting through the bananas. I suggested politely that maybe they should  wash or sanitise their hands, I think they thought I was a bit of a nut job and just smiled politely saying yes, and continued their search for their preferred bunch of bananas.

Another person was opening the lids of small boxes of mandarins, feeling different ones, putting the best  from 3 or 4 boxes in their box, leaving the numerous mandarins they handled in boxes for others. I said nothing.

Moving on to detergents, another had pulled down their  mask and opened several bottles of fabric conditioner, put them up to their nose and was sniffing them.  Not liking  any of the three,  put them back and moved on. I said nothing.

It is the same all over, a lot of people just don’t get it.

Do you say anything when you see this type of thing ?


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## odyssey06 (7 Jan 2021)

I think people that far gone are beyond reasonable suggestion... if someone has forgotten to use sanitiser or don mask going in you can kinda make a big show of your own use of it to remind them, "I hate this stuff but guess has to be done".

You probably should assume any products in the supermarket aren't sterile and either leave them for 24 hours in the shed or give the fridge products a rub with a dettol wipe. Especially e..g. milk cartons with that film of condensation on them.

Wash any fruit before use.


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## john luc (7 Jan 2021)

You report it to management particularly the one swapping out the oranges


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## twofor1 (7 Jan 2021)

odyssey06 said:


> You probably should assume any products in the supermarket aren't sterile .....................



Absolutely, fridge and freezer items are sanitised once home, fruit / veg is washed, most of the rest stays in the boot for a few days, if needed sooner, it's also sanitised before use.


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## Tintagel (8 Jan 2021)

We did our last supermarket shop on the 21st December, mostly to get milk, bread and fresh vegetables.  Our most recent shop was two days ago and we hope not to go again until early February.

On our last shop we wore both mask and visor. First time ever wearing both. We looked and felt like hospital staff. The reason we did this was due to the fact that people are still walking around supermarkets with their masks under their nose, including supermarket staff. We also heard of a family who have not done any socialising before or after Christmas and have tested positive for Covid. Their doctor suggested that they might have picked it up in a supermarket.

We sanitise our hands on entering the supermarket. We have noticed that many people no longer do this. We sanitise our hands on leaving the supermarket, most others don't.

When we get home we wipe down our purchases with a Dettol type wipe.

We have done this from the start and will continue to do so. If this new variant is super easy to spread we will up our precautions.

I would love to remind people to cover their nose when wearing facemasks. I would love to call people back in the supermarket and ask them to sanitise their hands. I have spoken with one woman who during the summer was hand picking the loose cherries for sale in Lidl. I just got stared at.
I don't bother anymore. What's the point. These are the people who still walk down the middle of the footpath, cough over goods on supermarket shelves etc.   

They have always been selfish and unaware and just plain thick.....and they always will be.

I live beside two of them.....but that's another story.


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## Leper (8 Jan 2021)

Until you live in Ireland it is never the wrong time to do the right thing. If you correct somebody who is pawing  items on supermarket shelves you are putting your own sanity at risk by asking the wrong-doer to stop. Suddenly, you're the victim and the wrong-doer will have plenty of support from the other brain dead shoppers.  You'll look like a crank.

Just keep your mouth closed. Do your shopping. Get out asap. Get home. Store your shopping safely and sanitise everything. Look after yourself first, your family next and not only stay safe, stay sane.


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## RichInSpirit (8 Jan 2021)

I walked into a chipper a couple of weeks before Christmas without wearing a mask.
I was tired and in a world of my own, and I completely forgot about the Covid. I saw this other customer wearing this black face mask and I was thinking he looks very suspicious, definitely a potential till robber. 
Then the peney dropped and I apologised profusely to the couple of people around and ran out to get my mask.


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## joer (8 Jan 2021)

If we all look after ourselves that is all we can do. Some people just will not wear them ,properly, or at all. With the best will in the world it is just not worth the hassle or abuse that you will not doubt get for trying to be a good person .


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## john luc (8 Jan 2021)

Actually the issue with the oranges for me would be a red rag moment. I buy those punnets a lot for myself and for my 91 year old Mother who is in a care home and they are one of her treats, so if I came upon someone doing that well lets just say they would not forget me for the rest of their life.


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## 24601 (8 Jan 2021)

Whatever about mask-wearing there has been a complete over-emphasis on fomite (surface) transmission of COVID. The public health messaging has been shocking on this. COVID spreads via aerosols and droplets so whilst the handling of oranges, bananas and detergent containers is a bit yuck the risk of contracting COVID from such a source seems to be minimal. The practice of sanitising or quarantining shopping is a complete waste of time.


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## Prosper (8 Jan 2021)

24601 said:


> The practice of sanitising or quarantining shopping is a complete waste of time.


Agree with what you say but on this last point I think it's worth wiping down products in hard plastic or glass containers eg. wine bottles. After unpacking the shopping, wash hands.


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## twofor1 (8 Jan 2021)

24601 said:


> COVID spreads via aerosols and droplets so whilst the handling of oranges, bananas and detergent containers is a bit yuck the risk of contracting COVID from such a source seems to be minimal. The practice of sanitising or quarantining shopping is a complete waste of time.


Possibly you are right, I don’t know. 

I do know that persons snot was on those bananas. I do know the other person put the fabric conditioner up to their nose and breathed in and out of the open bottles through their nose.

It’s not a big deal to sanitize anything that has to come in immediately, and leave the rest in the boot for a few days, I am happy to do it even if it is a waste of time.


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## 24601 (8 Jan 2021)

twofor1 said:


> Possibly you are right, I don’t know.
> 
> I do know that persons snot was on those bananas. I do know the other person put the fabric conditioner up to their nose and breathed in and out of the open bottles through their nose.
> 
> It’s not a big deal to sanitize anything that has to come in immediately, and leave the rest in the boot for a few days, I am happy to do it even if it is a waste of time.





			DEFINE_ME
		


The virus fares badly outside of the body on surfaces. It's largely airborne. Fomite transmission has not been a material source of transmission anywhere really - I actually don't think there has been a suspected case of fomite transmission here. It's unlikely that you'd even catch COVID from the snotty bananas as counterintuitive and all as that seems. You might be happy to do it but the public health advice prioritising this is shocking with far too much emphasis on sanitising hands and wiping down surfaces; the fact that you're so worried about the surfaces of the items you're getting in the shop is evidence of the poor messaging.

The VFI was everywhere telling us pubs were "safe places" and were doing everything they could, but this was mostly just useless surface cleaning and hand-sanitising, giving a false sense of security. In low humidity, indoor environments the virus spreads like wildfire. Pubs, restaurants and homes are likely the key drivers of the current wave. Indeed, with the prevalence so high, being in a busy supermarket is relatively risky at the moment unless they are good at managing the number of shoppers and ensuring appropriate air ventilation/purification.

EDIT: Of course, there's no harm in good hand hygiene and surface sanitisation, but my issue is with its focus as a strategy to manage spread. Other viruses can spread more readily this way so it's worth doing all the time.


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## 24601 (8 Jan 2021)

Prosper said:


> Agree with what you say but on this last point I think it's worth wiping down products in hard plastic or glass containers eg. wine bottles. After unpacking the shopping, wash hands.



It might make you _feel_ safer so if you're happy doing it, plough on but I've heard of some older people that are petrified of their shopping bags, which I think is a bit sad and unnecessary.


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## john luc (9 Jan 2021)

My Mother's Care Home will put all items dropped in into 48 hour quarantine


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## odyssey06 (9 Jan 2021)

To paraphrase a Foil Arms and Hog sketch there is a covid vaccine coming but as much as that we need a cop on vaccine.


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## Odea (26 Oct 2021)

I have to say that I am still annoyed at the number of people strolling around shopping centres and supermarkets and not wearing masks or not wearing them properly.  I am also annoyed that the shopping centre managers are not even bothering to ask people to wear a mask.

I find some supermarkets are a lot worse than others. Nobody seems to social distance in any of the Aldi supermarkets that I have visited recently.

I saw a woman stocking shelves in Dunnes Stores recently coughing all over the display that she was stacking. She was wearing a mask and looked like a non Dunnes Stores employee but a rep from a company.

In Woodies last week there was a guy walking around sneezing, straight out. Through his mask. Never turned his head or sneezed in to the crook of his arm.

After two years of being told what to do, the same idiots are walking around with the same thick look on their faces.


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## Purple (27 Oct 2021)

Odea said:


> I have to say that I am still annoyed at the number of people strolling around shopping centres and supermarkets and not wearing masks or not wearing them properly.  I am also annoyed that the shopping centre managers are not even bothering to ask people to wear a mask.
> 
> I find some supermarkets are a lot worse than others. Nobody seems to social distance in any of the Aldi supermarkets that I have visited recently.
> 
> ...


I agree but they are open and well ventilated places and ventilation is probably the single most important factor in all of this. Good hand hygiene is nice but makes little difference. Masks really do help but it's all about air changes.
Think of it like this; if you are in a space where if someone breaks wind and you'll be gagging from the smell then there's a high likelihood of catching Covid from an infected person. If you are in a place where you won't smell their fart after 10 seconds you are less likely to catch Covid from an infected person.


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## Odea (27 Oct 2021)

Lots of "perfume" trails in supermarkets that I visited recently. Do women wash themselves in the stuff?  Absolutely gagging some times....

I visit the outdoor Stillorgan Shopping Centre quite often.....You often get a trail of cigarette smoke from the regulars who hang around the outdoor seating and free use of the outdoor coffee shop seating.


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## johnwilliams (29 Oct 2021)

odea 
i was in aldi other day checkout operators telling people  to move up allowing no spaces at checkout queue .removing those shopper dividers so everyone's groceries on top of everyone else's  not impressed


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## Paul O Mahoney (31 Oct 2021)

I was out yesterday,  good bright day, so, I walked to the green grocer and my wife would pick me up afterwards. 
While I was waiting in the queue to pay, outside a group of young adults literally thundered down the pavement,  all in great form and pushing and shoving each. It was outside so, I thought nothing of it but I went to another shop and they had multiplied by a factor of 3 and were really acting up, throwing exploding bangers or squirting that stringy stuff at each other, not a mask to be seen,  hand holding,  snogging the works.

I was young once too and ordinarily wouldn't give much thought to this, but we are in a pandemic and if this is an example either the message isn't getting through or its been ignored. 

Life has to go on, but is it also the responsibility of everyone to do their bit, and it's not a big ask , 3000 cases yesterday and hospitalisations increasing and fun isn't banned, yet, but responsibility appears to be lost.

I can see 3.5/4 k cases per day soon,  what then? We are only entering winter , the Government will not be quick to reintroduce severe restrictions but honestly I can't see us escaping them. 

Then the usual decrying will begin but nobody will be responsible we hear the usual " the health system is a mess" blah blah blah , it is a mess but why anyone would want to become messier is beyond my understanding.


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## IsleOfMan (31 Oct 2021)

I have seen a number of people wearing the blue surgical facemasks.  They take them out of the packet and put them across their face without even realising that you need to stretch the pleats out over your nose and under your chin.  They look like a blue band across their mouth.

Two years on and they still haven't a clue.

Lots of them about still.


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## michaelm (2 Nov 2021)

It seems that the 000's of cases per day are mostly young people who aren't ending up in hospital, let alone ICU.  I'm not sure that it will make much difference whether the daily case numbers jump to 4k.  Nor am I sure people will abide by new severe restrictions.  The message is getting through, it's just that the younger people don't care any more.  I don't blame them.  Time for the Government to replace all edicts with advisories and accept that we'll just have to live this thing.  The vulnerable, worriers, and anti-relaxers  should take whatever personal measures suit their idiom.


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## IsleOfMan (3 Nov 2021)

michaelm said:


> It seems that the 000's of cases per day are mostly young people who aren't ending up in hospital,


....is this correct? 

We are not getting any breakdown of the figures.  We are told one day that it is in the 5 to 12 year olds but that they are not getting it IN schools but bringing it TO school. 
We are told that half of those in hospital are over 65.......those between 60 and 70 got the AstraZeneca vaccine, is this vaccine allowing breakthrough infections more so than other vaccines?

Are the cases evenly spread through the country?


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## Purple (3 Nov 2021)

IsleOfMan said:


> We are told that half of those in hospital are over 65.......those between 60 and 70 got the AstraZeneca vaccine, is this vaccine allowing breakthrough infections more so than other vaccines?


No, it's because they are old.



IsleOfMan said:


> Are the cases evenly spread through the country?


And are we just doing more testing than other countries?
Given that children are more at risk of serious illness from Flu than Covid shouldn't we just let them get it and use that cohort to build up a level of community/herd immunity?


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## IsleOfMan (3 Nov 2021)

Purple said:


> No, it's because they are old.


....or old with underlying conditions?


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## IsleOfMan (3 Nov 2021)

Purple said:


> shouldn't we just let them get it


I am not sure that anyone would want to see children sick.


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## Purple (3 Nov 2021)

IsleOfMan said:


> ....or old with underlying conditions?


Yes.


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## Purple (3 Nov 2021)

IsleOfMan said:


> I am not sure that anyone would want to see children sick.


But children don't get sick (and yes, I know there's the very odd exception) so let them get it, get over it, and move on. Restrictions certainly have a greater impact on children as a cohort than Covid. 
If you are old, sick or fat just continue to wear a mask and follow the guidelines. You shouldn't be going to pubs and restaurants but everyone else should. If you share a house with a child then wear a mask at home, or would you rather the rest of the country closes down again so you don't have to?


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## Leo (3 Nov 2021)

IsleOfMan said:


> ....is this correct?


Weekly breakdown available here.


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## Purple (3 Nov 2021)

Leo said:


> Weekly breakdown available here.


Over 10,000 cases in the week ending the 15th of October and one death of a person under 65. 
Of the 22 deaths of people over the age of 65 it would be  useful to know if they were vaccinated and if they were already seriously ill or dying. 
Colin Powel was said to have died of a Covid related illness even though he was 84 years old, suffering from Parkinson's disease and riddled with cancer. How many of that 22 are in that sort of catagory?


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