New Rules at the Grocery Store

Sunday, March 29, 2020: To address public and employee safety, each grocery store chain makes up its own precautionary measures. In the absence of national guidance, some have taken great pains to ask their customers to line up, at a distance of six feet from each other, the appropriate “social distance” health professionals tell people to keep between themselves and others to avoid COVID infection. Chalk markings or strips of masking tape have appeared on the sidewalk in front of stores to mark where customers are to wait before entering and also while waiting in the checkout line.

That is the case at Trader Joe’s, which only lets in 40 customers at a time. Those monitoring the flow of traffic also wipe down the handles of shopping carts and hand-carried baskets. This is a cursory wiping, at best, as one disinfectant-laden cloth is used for many baskets. They are trying.

At the local Fred Meyer store, the floor is marked with blue masking tape X’s to indicate places for customers to stand, six feet apart, while waiting in the cashier line. On a recent visit, I used a self-checkout station, where 6 stations were located, but only 4 were in use so that they could separate customers the proper distance. So far, so good. While waiting, one employee even approached our line to instruct us about where we were supposed to stand. There is a learning curve, with different rules at each store. Some customers get distracted and slip up, but most are trying to learn the rules and taking them seriously, including me.

When I finished paying at my self-checkout station, I turned around to find two employees blocking my way out. The same employee who instructed customers to stand six feet apart was standing within inches of her co-worker in the center of the self-check area. I could not walk between them and the other customers at the checkout stations without coming too close. I stood kind of stuck, looked at them and asked, “How do I get by?” They immediately moved to one side but within two feet of other customers. Oh, dear. Putting others at risk was not my goal. I took my groceries and left quickly, hoping to give those I left behind some extra space.

I can’t blame the stores or the employees for the apparent contradictions between theory and practice. The stores aren’t set up for social distancing and the employees, who place themselves at risk of infection each day they work at an “essential business,” are challenged to stay safe within the physical limitations of the stores. Floor plans did not anticipate pandemic conditions.

To be most safe, I will try to stock up on groceries on each visit and avoid quick trips in and out.