Early Grocery hours for Seniors

[Silver Bullet]

A lot of grocery stores are opening early or are reserving the early couple hours for seniors during the virus crisis. 

Hopefully getting up early won't weaken my immune system!   

[Ben]

I saw Costco started that this week for tue and thu from 8-9AM.  I might try it next week and see if I get carded, because I'm 30. Well, in November I'll be 30.

https://youtu.be/DAWYX5NG91M

[Hawkmoon]

My supermarket started that a couple of weeks ago. I went once -- the parking lot was as filled as it always has been on a weekday afternoon, and the store seemed to be about as busy as normal, too. There must be a LOT of seniors in this corner of the universe.

Walmart is now doing it on Tuesdays, from 06:00 to 07:00. I dragged my carcass out to the Super Walmart I usually go to yesterday. It was totally different from the supermarket. The parking lot was almost empty. There was a store employee at the entrance, scrutinizing people as they came in. He didn't say anything but I guess his function was to turn back anyone who didn't appear to be over 60. There were VERY few shoppers in the store, so never a problem with maintaining "social distance."

They had two registers open, and no lines at either. For once, I decided to use a debit card rather than cash, and to use the self checkout. That Walmart has about a dozen (maybe more) self checkout stations. When I was checking about, just before 07:00, I was the only person in the entire self checkout area. There was one other person who was just finishing up as I came into the area. It was a much better experience, overall, than at the local supermarket.

[Doggy Daddy]

They had two registers open, and no lines at either. For once, I decided to use a debit card rather than cash, and to use the self checkout. That Walmart has about a dozen (maybe more) self checkout stations. When I was checking about, just before 07:00, I was the only person in the entire self checkout area. There was one other person who was just finishing up as I came into the area. It was a much better experience, overall, than at the local supermarket.

I'll bet that self checkout needs disinfecting more than the cart handles do.  Are they scrubbing it down after every customer?  Do they have wipes at each terminal?  At the regular checkouts all I have to touch besides my debit card are my purchases and my receipt.  No screen, no bar code gun.

[Hawkmoon]

I'll bet that self checkout needs disinfecting more than the cart handles do.  Are they scrubbing it down after every customer?  Do they have wipes at each terminal?  At the regular checkouts all I have to touch besides my debit card are my purchases and my receipt.  No screen, no bar code gun.

Good point. My stuff didn't touch anything -- I took each item out of the cart, waved it over the scanner, and put it back into the cart.

[zxcvbob]

I'll bet that self checkout needs disinfecting more than the cart handles do.  Are they scrubbing it down after every customer?  Do they have wipes at each terminal?  At the regular checkouts all I have to touch besides my debit card are my purchases and my receipt.  No screen, no bar code gun.

I went to the Porter, Texas super Walmart yesterday morning for Senior Day.  Only one entrance was open and there were a couple of employees there but they weren't carding anyone.  Spray bottles of disinfectant and paper towels at the corral for the carts to spray the handles.  There was a lady at the self checkout area wiping down the terminals between customers, but I doubt she was doing it between every customer.  (it was slow enough, it was hard to tell)  I went through self-checkout with a big cart 3/4 full and that was a mess; I'd check for a while, then bag up my stuff and set the bags on the floor and the machine yelled at me to scan the next item.  Then I'd scan some more.  When I got over $100 it kept calling for a supervisor after every item.  I figured out what it probably was, and totalled-out my purchase and started over for the rest of the items and everything was fine.

I took my mom's glasses to the vision center to get one of the lenses replaced, and they made me sign a statement that I hadn't been out of the country lately, didn't have a fever, etc.

I'm not good at estimating crowds, but I's say there were about 100 people in the store, and it's a *huge* store so that's pretty empty.

When I got it all home, we threw all the bags away and sanitized most items with a bleach dunk, and a few with Lysol spray if they didn't look bleachable.  (the fresh produce got dunked)

[HankB]

The local Randall's store (part of the Safeway/Albertson's group) started a senior hour (from 7 to 8 am) this week. I took my mother there yesterday and the store was more crowded than I've seen it any time since its grand opening. I would guess at least 1/3 of the customers weren't actually seniors by any reasonable definition, and there were no gatekeepers. LOTS of empty spaces on the shelves that weren't restocked overnight, including things like disinfecting wipes, flour, rubbing alcohol, and so forth and so on. Too few cashiers and long lines, but we were lucky to be in the right place when a new checkout line opened.

We then went to the HEB across the street which opened at 8:00 AM. There was a LONG line already formed up at the main entrance, with several employees acting as gatekeepers (to give you a "sanitized" cart) and one cop to maintain order. No pushing or shoving, so the people were well-behaved anyway. As my mother and I approached the line, one nice lady near the front of the line gestured to us and said "Please, ma'am, get in front of me." She saw a sweet little old lady in my mom and did us a nice turn.

Still some empty places on the shelves at HEB and we didn't get a few items on our shopping list, but I DID get some disinfecting wipes and 91% isopropanol. Quantities WERE being limited on everything from canned goods to meat. (e.g., 8 cans of veggies, 2 bottles of isopropanol, 4 packages of wipes, etc.) Plexiglas shields up by the cash registers, and the doors by the registers were "exit only" with a gatekeeper using one of their in-store wireless hookups to count the people leaving, which let the entrance gatekeepers know how many to let in. So the store was limiting inside crowds. Everyone was well behaved.

Naturally, we used the hand sanitizer I put in the truck as soon as we got in after we put the groceries in back.

(This was all in a suburb just west of Austin, TX.)

[Silver Bullet]

Naturally, we used the hand sanitizer I put in the truck as soon as we got in after we put the groceries in back.

We've been doing that for weeks.  Sometimes I spray and wipe the items with alcohol from a spray bottle when I get home.

Maybe a flame thrower would be quicker, just pile everything onto the garage floor and give them a quick sanitizing toasting.

[230RN]

 Wednesday 25 Mar 20, Wheat Ridge CO

Today I stopped by one seniors-only 7AM to 8AM store and the line of seniors went way around the corner of the building with the nominal 10 foot social-distance spacing.  They were also only letting a few people in at a time. I saw how long the line was, decided I could not stand there in that line, even leaning on a regular shopping cart,  for what looked like it would be at least a half hour.

So on the way home I drove by an equivalent store (I'm avoiding names here) about 7:15AM and there were no lines and nobody guarding the doors (which were wide open) so I parked in one of the many available handicapped spots, put on my paper mask, and went in.

Not familiar with the store so it took a while, but they had toilet paper, inluding Scott 1000 sheet rolls.  They also had Clorox, but no alcohol (I asked).

Our Governor is "locking down" the State even further tomorrow, so we'll see  how that goes.

zxcvbob said,

...

When I got it all home, we threw all the bags away and sanitized most items with a bleach dunk, and a few with Lysol spray if they didn't look bleachable.  (the fresh produce got dunked)

....

Anyone know how long this particular virus remains viable just sitting on a surface?  

I understand from a couple of years ago that the virus de jour on a surface could still infect a human for 72 hours.

I put a couple of those alcohol-soaked tissues they provide in the basket as I tool around the store in the electric cart.

I wipe down all the controls on the cart as well as the 110 charging plug before starting to shop.

By the way, last week when I went in to the Kaiser medical building, I saw someone else besides me using a scarf as a mask.  Not much more or less protection than a paper mask, but better than nothing.

Terry, 230RN

[Doggy Daddy]

Not familiar with the store so it took a while, but they had toilet paper, inluding Scott 1000 sheet rolls.  They also had
zxcvbob said,
Anyone know how long this particular virus remains viable just sitting on a surface?  

I understand from a couple of years ago that the virus de jour on a surface could still infect a human for 72 hours.

Terry, 230RN

Attachment has been circulating lately regarding viability on several types of surface.

[Ben]

The local paper reported that this first week of "senior time" at costco had over 200 people in line. It doesn't sound like it's worth it. I would only go for some costco specific food, so I'll do without both the food and line and stick to my local grocery. Sounds like senior time is still composed of tp purchases anyway.

[230RN]

Thanks, Doggy Daddy, that was helpful.

Ben, that's what I concluded after seeing that line at store 1.  After I hit the wide-open store 2 that same morning, I really felt sorry for all those folks on that senior line.  I guess the real value in the senior hours and one-in-one-out is the very low customer density and the idea that they could have first pick at the scarce items.

For me, I'd rather get in and get out quickly, limiting my exposure (with my mask on) that way, and take my chances on finding rare stuff (I'm running low on alcohol, but that's about all.)

[TechMan]

Y'all better rethink how long it lasts on surfaces.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615402/coronavirus-might-last-on-surfaces-for-a-lot-longer-than-we-thought/