New Topic: How's the shopping where you are?

[KLaban]

I hope you're wrong. I love local shopping if I have to shop. I prefer not having to shop. But if I must, I enjoy a friendly, familiar face and a brief chat, for which even the smaller of the two local supermarkets has time. Small-town life.

Shopping at the Sunday street market was even better, but since the loss of Ann there is no point. Prime fruit and veggies are wasted in my kitchen. In fact, the best thing out of it since has been that bird with the George Michael jeans, or the other one with the Sgt. Pepper jacket.

;-)

So do I.

[Craig Lamson]

Went to Costco and a local supermarket today.

Costco was not too busy and at least 90% of the people were wearing masks.  No chicken except frozen, some beef low on pork. Everything else was pretty well stocked

Local supermarket was not too busy, but only 30/40 of the people wore masks.  Stupid.  Non mask wearers were all ages.  This will just keep the virus going and going. Meat situation was similar to Costco, but more other items were out of stock. Fresh produce and fruit was plentiful. 

It seems that a lot of people just don't give a damn at all.  Indiana starts to open on Monday but the roads were really quite busy today.  Looked like a lot of people were hitting the home and garden stores heavily.

[Chris Kern]

Local supermarket was not too busy, but only 30/40 of the people wore masks.  Stupid.  Non mask wearers were all ages.  This will just keep the virus going and going.

At the two supermarkets I've visited since the mask requirement went into effect here in Maryland, a branch of a regional chain and a Trader Joe's outlet, an employee has been stationed at the entrance both to control the number of customers in the store at any given time and to verify that each person entering is wearing a mask.

However, I've noticed a few people inside the regional store pulling masks below their noses, presumably because they found it difficult to breath, and the other day I even saw an employee who was restocking shelves do that.

And even more people fiddle with their masks, which doesn't necessarily prevent the mask from performing its primary purpose—reducing the risk that the mask-wearer will infect other nearby individuals—but if they've previously touched a surface that contains virus-infected droplets they risk infecting themselves.

My impression is there are a fair number of people who either don't fully understand the rationale for the regulations and recommendations, or simply lack the discipline to adhere to them.  I don't think there are many who are intentionally flouting the rules—at least, not in the area where I am.

[Alan Klein]

At the two supermarkets I've visited since the mask requirement went into effect here in Maryland, a branch of a regional chain and a Trader Joe's outlet, an employee has been stationed at the entrance both to control the number of customers in the store at any given time and to verify that each person entering is wearing a mask.

However, I've noticed a few people inside the regional store pulling masks below their noses, presumably because they found it difficult to breath, and the other day I even saw an employee who was restocking shelves do that.

And even more people fiddle with their masks, which doesn't necessarily prevent the mask from performing its primary purpose—reducing the risk that the mask-wearer will infect other nearby individuals—but if they've previously touched a surface that contains virus-infected droplets they risk infecting themselves.

My impression is there are a fair number of people who either don't fully understand the rationale for the regulations and recommendations, or simply lack the discipline to adhere to them.  I don't think there are many who are intentionally flouting the rules—at least, not in the area where I am.

When I picked up my groceries curb side, I opened the trunk from inside the car from the driver seat.  The stock boy loaded up the trunk with bags of groceries,  At one point, I noticed through the read view mirror him pull the mask up over his nose and wipe it with the side of his hand.  Then go back picking up and loading the bags.

AFter my heart surgery last year, I went to the hospital cardio exercise unit 2-3 times a week.  They put EKG monitors on you as you go from bicycle to treadmill. Each person is responsible for cleaning off their machine when they get done.  So I'm watching all these mainly old people, like me.  None of them are doing it right.  They wipe one handle bar and not the other.  They forget to wipe the electronic panel they spent minutes pressing in the beginning. Then in a streak of seeming clarity, they decide to wipe down the seat I guess for some psychological reasons.  So I learned to ignore what they did and just alcohol wiped the machines myself before I used them.  There is no way to trust the other guy.  They don't have a clue.  You have to try to protect yourself.

[Craig Lamson]

At the two supermarkets I've visited since the mask requirement went into effect here in Maryland, a branch of a regional chain and a Trader Joe's outlet, an employee has been stationed at the entrance both to control the number of customers in the store at any given time and to verify that each person entering is wearing a mask.

However, I've noticed a few people inside the regional store pulling masks below their noses, presumably because they found it difficult to breath, and the other day I even saw an employee who was restocking shelves do that.

And even more people fiddle with their masks, which doesn't necessarily prevent the mask from performing its primary purpose—reducing the risk that the mask-wearer will infect other nearby individuals—but if they've previously touched a surface that contains virus-infected droplets they risk infecting themselves.

My impression is there are a fair number of people who either don't fully understand the rationale for the regulations and recommendations, or simply lack the discipline to adhere to them.  I don't think there are many who are intentionally flouting the rules—at least, not in the area where I am.

No rules about wearing masks here, it’s a personal choice.  And many are simply deciding not to wear them

No doubt that masks are uncomfortable, hot and make breathing more difficult.  They will be nearly unbearable once the summer heat sets in.  That said they are a pretty important layer of protection between now and a future outbreak.  I just wish more people cared enough for others to use the mask.

I had to restrain myself from asking those who were not wearing a mask to use one

[LesPalenik]

When I picked up my groceries curb side, I opened the trunk from inside the car from the driver seat.  The stock boy loaded up the trunk with bags of groceries,  At one point, I noticed through the read view mirror him pull the mask up over his nose and wipe it with the side of his hand.  Then go back picking up and loading the bags.

I am convinced that I'm better off by picking the items myself than by relying on others.
I go to the food store once or twice per week early in the morning, when they are hardly any people in the store, so there is no risk to come into a close contact with anyone. I pay either at the self-checkout line or go through a regular cash register where the cashier is hidden behind the plexiglass shield. The most difficult thing is to open the thin polyethelene bags for carrying the vegetables or fruit when wearing the gloves. I never managed to open those bags with the gloves on, I'll have to take them off for that, but the bags are clean, coming off from the hanging rolls. 

[Alan Klein]

I am convinced that I'm better off by picking the items myself than by relying on others.
I go to the food store once or twice per week early in the morning, when they are hardly any people in the store, so there is no risk to come into a close contact with anyone. I pay either at the self-checkout line or go through a regular cash register where the cashier is hidden behind the plexiglass shield. The most difficult thing is to open the thin polyethelene bags for carrying the vegetables or fruit when wearing the gloves. I never managed to open those bags with the gloves on, I'll have to take them off for that, but the bags are clean, coming off from the hanging rolls. 

Lick your fingers.  That always helps.   

[LesPalenik]

Lick your fingers.  That always helps.   

I know that trick, but it doesn't work when you wear the gloves. And I would never lick anything in a food store. Not even my fingers.
What I usually do is I try to find some bin with wet vegetables and wet my fingers in that water. Or start splitting the bag on the side near the top.

[bcooter]

\  I just wish more people cared enough for others to use the mask.
I had to restrain myself from asking those who were not wearing a mask to use one

I tried to stay away from this area forever in regards to posting and not to take it off track but I Have a few on the ground observations.

The first two, maybe three weeks everyone in SoCal were good. On my small block you always could find parking, then after the mayor and governor clamped down you couldn't find a parking place anywhere.  I didn't need it as we have garages.

The first three weeks buying essentials was hell, the shelves were empty.  Then after three weeks the supply chain opened up and we could time it right and after waiting for an hour could be in and out in 30 minutes.  We bought what we needed but I refused to horde. 

Then 3 weeks latter we finally had a warm, sunny weekend and i could have parked 30 cars on my short block.   I don't know where everyone went but they went somewhere.

Now today we have people running, riding bikes at full speed, no mask in site.  Most are under 30 yrs. old but what a drag.  Our contagion rate went up from 400 per day to 2400, now back down to about 1600 per day.

We tried take away food but when you looked in it was one or two guys, no gloves, not mask working their ass off but not healthy.  My wife is the producer of our company and has dedicated herself to making healthy, fresh food.  So much that for the first time in my life I gained 20 lbs, so started working out in home and have lost 15 lbs of it.

Got 5 more to go and the last 5 lbs are hell to get off. 

I strongly suggest everyone be healthy, move around when it's safe and eat as fresh food you can.

As far as herding or whatever that means forget it.  You can kill yourself or the guy making the delivery.  Be smart, be kind, but most of all keep your distance from others.

I Know it's a drag, my brain use to be running on steroids, now it's running like I'm in slowmotion.

But it's still living . . . today

IMO

BC

[Craig Lamson]

I tried to stay away from this area forever in regards to posting and not to take it off track but I Have a few on the ground observations.

The first two, maybe three weeks everyone in SoCal were good. On my small block you always could find parking, then after the mayor and governor clamped down you couldn't find a parking place anywhere.  I didn't need it as we have garages.

The first three weeks buying essentials was hell, the shelves were empty.  Then after three weeks the supply chain opened up and we could time it right and after waiting for an hour could be in and out in 30 minutes.  We bought what we needed but I refused to horde. 

Then 3 weeks latter we finally had a warm, sunny weekend and i could have parked 30 cars on my short block.   I don't know where everyone went but they went somewhere.

Now today we have people running, riding bikes at full speed, no mask in site.  Most are under 30 yrs. old but what a drag.  Our contagion rate went up from 400 per day to 2400, now back down to about 1600 per day.

We tried take away food but when you looked in it was one or two guys, no gloves, not mask working their ass off but not healthy.  My wife is the producer of our company and has dedicated herself to making healthy, fresh food.  So much that for the first time in my life I gained 20 lbs, so started working out in home and have lost 15 lbs of it.

Got 5 more to go and the last 5 lbs are hell to get off. 

I strongly suggest everyone be healthy, move around when it's safe and eat as fresh food you can.

As far as herding or whatever that means forget it.  You can kill yourself or the guy making the delivery.  Be smart, be kind, but most of all keep your distance from others.

I Know it's a drag, my brain use to be running on steroids, now it's running like I'm in slowmotion.

But it's still living . . . today

IMO

BC

Thanks for the Calif. update.  Just curious, how do you see this changing your business?  I know you work worldwide, do you see issues with travel and such when things open up again?

[bcooter]

Thanks for the Calif. update.  Just curious, how do you see this changing your business?  I know you work worldwide, do you see issues with travel and such when things open up again?

Hi Craig,

Well right now there are very few working.  Maybe some still life photographers and some models that have live in partners are getting clothes shipped to them and they do their own styling, hair and makeup, usually no assistants.  This is for e-commerce.

I do know one talent agent that has a live in photographer that is shooting and probably with a much fuller room than is allowed.

As far as the future, I don't know.  whenever this thing ends, however it ends, will clients jump on a plane and come to LA or London?,  Will I go to them?   Maybe they will because everyone is losing it working from home on a laptop, so we/they may chance it but what are we going to shoot and who for?  There are so many variables.   

I have a friend in Paris that shoots high end portraits.   End of Jan. start of Feb. he photographed a group of Chinese that had flown to Paris.  A few weeks later my friend and his wife came down with what they thought was the flu, but it got worse and they were as sick as they had ever been.  His wife was sicker but recovered in a week, he recovered in a little over 2 weeks.   He's sure it was the virus because they had all the symptoms, but they're not testing in his area, so he's not sure if they have antibodies and even if they do will they protect them for a long time or temporarily.

I don't like to sound negative, but I really don't think anybody knows anything.

IMO

BC

[Craig Lamson]

Hi Craig,

Well right now there are very few working.  Maybe some still life photographers and some models that have live in partners are getting clothes shipped to them and they do their own styling, hair and makeup, usually no assistants.  This is for e-commerce.

I do know one talent agent that has a live in photographer that is shooting and probably with a much fuller room than is allowed.

As far as the future, I don't know.  whenever this thing ends, however it ends, will clients jump on a plane and come to LA or London?,  Will I go to them?   Maybe they will because everyone is losing it working from home on a laptop, so we/they may chance it but what are we going to shoot and who for?  There are so many variables.   

I have a friend in Paris that shoots high end portraits.   End of Jan. start of Feb. he photographed a group of Chinese that had flown to Paris.  A few weeks later my friend and his wife came down with what they thought was the flu, but it got worse and they were as sick as they had ever been.  His wife was sicker but recovered in a week, he recovered in a little over 2 weeks.   He's sure it was the virus because they had all the symptoms, but they're not testing in his area, so he's not sure if they have antibodies and even if they do will they protect them for a long time or temporarily.

I don't like to sound negative, but I really don't think anybody knows anything.

IMO

BC

Thanks BC.  I worked three days last in an empty factory on units that had been sitting for a month. It was pretty safe.  BUt I don't know where it goes from here.  I'm in the age group that needs to be worried as is my wife and we have my 90 yo mother living with us so I need to be careful.  My clients factories all opened up today and are starting production. I suspect in three or four weeks I'll have stuff to shoot again.  I just need to decide if its safe yet or decline.  I would prefer to work but I wont chance infecting us.  Its going to be a tough decision.

Best of luck to you .

[Alan Klein]

Craig, You're in a quandary. Good luck.  I hope it all works out.  My mother-in-law is 97 and is in an assisted living place which is dangerous.  I believe some people there have died.  They don't let my wife or me in; no one can visit.  They can't leave.  The nurses seem to be well stocked with PPE.  I offered some masks I got from China, but they said they didn't need them, they were OK. 

We speak to my wife's mom through the nurse's phone sometimes visually.  The dining room was shut down and everyone has to eat in their apartments. Everyone's by themselves. So my wife and I kicked around taking her back to our place.  But then it's not safe that much here either.  We go in and out although we're not working.  But you do make visits to stores, pickup food and boxes and mail.  Plus she gets good care there with doctors.  But my wife is feeling guilty conflicted with what to do.  I told her it's up to her, whatever she wants to do. I don't want to push her either way because if something happens to her mom, frankly, I don't want to be responsible.  It's her mom.  It's a conundrum. In our 55+ community of around 1100 homes, another person just died, the second death that we know of. 

[Chris Kern]

Interesting grocery shopping experience today.

My wife, who emigrated from Taiwan many years ago, decided she wanted some fresh produce and frozen packaged food that isn't available in our mainstream supermarkets, so we headed over to a local "Asian supermarket" to pick them up.

The large store was sparsely populated during our early afternoon visit.  The wider-than-standard aisles were mostly empty and, even when they weren't, easy to navigate while maintaining appropriate "social distance."

Masked and gloved young men and women―all of them hispanohablantes, as far as I could tell―were pulling older produce off the shelves and replacing it with fresh product.  One of the big draws of this Chinese-owned chain is the quality and variety of its produce, some of it from Asia but most of it probably of North American origin.

The impressively-large fresh fish counter―another popular feature of this supermarket among Asians and non-Asians, alike―also appeared to be ready for business-as-usual, albeit without the usual queue of customers waiting to be served.

On the other hand, some of the shelves typically filled with imported nonperishable products were less well-stocked than usual.  I figured that was a reflection of a reduction in container traffic between China and the United States.

Under normal circumstances, the outlet also rents about a dozen stalls to delicatessen, bakery, and other specialty vendors.  These were all dark today―a big disappointment to me because I was really looking forward to picking up a loaf of da bing (大饼).

There is a substantial ethnic Asian population in the small Maryland city where we live and this is only one of several Asian supermarkets, so competition may account in part for the empty aisles today; early afternoon also seems to be a relatively quiet period at our regular supermarket chains.  But I also suspect many of the store's regular customers are salaried professionals who are busy working from home during the pandemic.  No doubt the place is still crowded on weekends.

[Alan Klein]

Went to Costco and a local supermarket today.

Costco was not too busy and at least 90% of the people were wearing masks.  No chicken except frozen, some beef low on pork. Everything else was pretty well stocked

Local supermarket was not too busy, but only 30/40 of the people wore masks.  Stupid.  Non mask wearers were all ages.  This will just keep the virus going and going. Meat situation was similar to Costco, but more other items were out of stock. Fresh produce and fruit was plentiful. 

It seems that a lot of people just don't give a damn at all.  Indiana starts to open on Monday but the roads were really quite busy today.  Looked like a lot of people were hitting the home and garden stores heavily.

If the virus starts getting a comeback big time, everyone will get scared again.  Then, they'll never come out again.   

[Craig Lamson]

I made a trip to Lowes today to get some tools to tear down a planting bed block retaining wall.  The store staff was great, everyone in masks.  After each customer the cashier wiped down the card reader, countertop and the customer side of the plexiglass divider. 

Customers were a different story.  Very few masks, mostly older customers and a few younger. Everyone else was maskless and when we went out to the garden center, it was packed and people were way too close together.  We did not stay and went back inside. 

I tried takeout yesterday. Went to Culvers, a regional chain.  They were doing a great job, drive up only everyone in masks and gloves.  I would do that again.

[Guillermo Luijk]

Madrid - Spain

By the 13th of March there was already shortage of some articles in the supermarket: milk, toilet paper, dishwasher detergent, some fresh vegetables and fruits,...
Luckily a human being can survive more than 3 weeks without eating at all, not to say how well we can live just by changing some of our diet for alternative stuff, so I never cared about going in the opening to do the shopping but preferred to wait till lunchtime so the shop was nearly empty of customers.

This shortage lasted for less than a week. I guess those families compulsively buying milk, rice, pasta, toilet paper,... finally filled all their available storage room and everything went back to normal again. A friend of mine working in the business said that they raised sales by about 70% those days.

We now mainly do the shopping online (with a delay of nearly a week), only eventually visiting the supermarket to get those particular items we run out. As I mentioned, never worried about supplies because replacement of goods has always been guaranteed from one day to the next, all the madness was just about the people.

A funny picture I took in our first visit to the supermarket in the coronavirus era:



I had never tried them but we took these cardoons home, we didn't want them to remain so lonely there.

Regards

[Alan Klein]

I've lost a few pounds.  No pizza, ice cream, Dunkin Donuts, cookies.  Not eating out has eliminated lots of other stuff, appetizers, bread, desert, french fries and the rest of the bad stuff.  Cardiologist s are saying heart attacks have gone down 40% since the virus started.  They think people are afraid to call for an ambulance and dying at home.  I think they're just not getting attacks because they're staying away from the junk.

[Guillermo Luijk]

Being a diabetic with weight issues
(...)
AFter my heart surgery last year, I went to the hospital cardio exercise unit 2-3 times a week.
(...)
I've lost a few pounds.  No pizza, ice cream, Dunkin Donuts, cookies.

Alan, if you need a coronavirus to stop eating Dunkin Donuts I'd definitively give it a thought. I hope you're not a smoker too!

Regards

[Rob C]

It's lousy. All the camera shops have been out of business for years now.

And those, I really did miss when I was still in buying mode.