Coronavirus pandemic and how is it affecting you?

[Mike]

We went to our local ASDA as usual today to do our weekly shopping and I can only describe what was left on the shelves as being very similar to the last couple of hours of a very long closing-down sale.

There was virtually nothing left that any normal person would buy on a daily, or weekly, basis - just stuff that has been on the shelves for ages that most people never buy very often. It was like a huge swarm of very large locusts had descended on the place and taken anything useful away, the staff are at breaking point with unhappy customers and I don't blame them.

There's a '3 items per customer' limit on every product (which is good, but not when it comes to huge packs of toilet rolls), however they have now started a '3 items of alcohol' limit now as well (we found this out at the checkout). So after adding 3 bottles of Spitfire beer and a bottle of wine to the miserable collection of food in our trolley we had to give the lass at the checkout one of my bottles of beer.

This '3 items per customer' limit is for exactly the same product apparently (I could be wrong), so if you go at 6 am in the morning, when they've re-stocked overnight, you can buy 3 packs of every different kind of toilet roll etc. and they'll still sell it to you.

The world has gone mad and has brought out the selfishness in so many people - stop bl00dy panic buying!

[andygolfer]

it'a all gone totally crazy and the shops haven't worked out how to control the hoarders at all. I suppose it will all die down soon when they run out of space to put things. If they pay for all their extra unwanted items by credit card then some will have a frightening bill next time it comes to payment day.

It's also time to help the small businesses, we have a milkman deliver weekly for several years now - long life soya milk (prefer it to cows milk) and eggs regularly and occasional extra items (potatoes for example) so we are giving him extra business instead of going to Tescos where possible. He's slightly more expensive but not enough to put me off using him. Always very helpful when I want to change an order so happy to support him.

[Bobbybefc]

It's gone mad here in Runcorn they opened the local Iceland between 09:00 and 11:00 for pensioners to get there shopping and what happens the idiots push past them and empty the shop unbelievable- Cannot get my head around why people need 24 packs of toilet rolls x 4 unless your running a hotel.

Unbelievable

Bob

[andygolfer]

one of the problems is that shop staff are too scared to confront these morons (and probably wisely), they don't get paid enough to put their safety on the line like that. society is in a bad state these days

Andy

[Mike]

We went back to ASDA earlier and found the shelves a little better stocked than on Friday but still very few of the essentials though, got myself another 3 bottles of Spitfire.

We were behind an old lady in the checkout queue and she had 3 bottles of Jack Daniels, 2 litres of Grouse whisky, 3 boxes of cans of Stella lager (36 cans in total) and a tub of Flora. I said to the wife "she's about to get a shock when the checkout girl takes away 5 of those items". The girl scanned the whole lot and the old lady paid, packed them in her bags and walked off with her trolley.

So!.................I asked the girl about our experience on Friday when we were told that it was a maximum of 3 items of alcohol and that I had to give back a bottle of beer. She said that she'd never heard of that rule and neither had the girl at the next checkout who she checked with, the limit is 3 items of exactly the same item i.e. exactly the same bar-code.

Things are still desperate though, this store is usually open 24 hours a day but has been closing at 22.00 and re-opening at 08.00 for the last week to get re-stocked overnight. Me thinks a lot of people will get a terrible shock when they see their credit card bills! Idiots

[Martin]

Time to get an allotment, a few chickens and a couple of pigs I think!

Martin

[Mike]

Anyway...........................

Why don't supermarkets stop buying 12, 18 or even larger packs of toilet rolls from the manufacturers during this crisis?

We went to Asda today and found 3 x 18 packs of Andrex on a shelf, I put 1 pack in the trolley as we're down to the last roll in the house - but we really don't need to have 19! There were no other packs available, if there had been a 4 pack then we would have taken that instead, this was the first time that we'd actually seen any on the shelves for at least 3 weeks.

We could have bought all 3 packs if we had wanted to as Asda's limit is a maximum of 3 items with the same bar-code number, so we could have ended-up with 55 bog rolls in the house!

Meanwhile, my elder brother (a 70 year old retired doctor who lives in Northants) went to Tesco at 06.15 this morning, put two 4 packs of Andrex in his trolley and had to give one back at the checkout.

Where has common sense gone? Someone please explain.

[Bobbybefc]

I was in work until last Friday and have just been put on Furlough leave for three weeks which the wife is very pleased about. As I only work 4hrs a day I have been told that as I am only on about 6 grand a year- I will get my full wage for up to 12 weeks. Hopefully will be back before then- but some of the lads are on over 25K a year and although will be getting their full pay for three weeks will then drop down to 80% which is for some of them a bind- with big mortgages etc. It is worrying times, not knowing if the firm will keep going if the virus goes on for a long time. I am lucky have got a pension and state pension. Also my wife works. As far as Furlough was concerned my firm selected the lads and girls who were going on it. Did not ask for volunteers. There is a skeleton staff in the factory doing what work we have. Also we have been told that we could get called in at short notice.

As far as lockdown is concerned it should mean lockdown- people where we live in Runcorn are walking out in groups and husbands and wifes are going for walks together which is nice, but do they realise that once the pubs open again, that will all stop. Myself and my wife have stayed in the house the past three weekends- only venturing out to get the odd bit of needed shopping, or to get shopping for the in-laws who are both in their eighties. During my Furlough will be doing lots of jobs around the house and garden which I have been putting off for the past couple of years. Cannot ignore them this time, as her who must be obeyed is working from home.


Keep the faith, keep safe, safe isolate, look after your loved ones- have a beer and maybe we can come through this virus.

Bob

[Mike]

Hi Bob, hopefully things will return to normal in a couple of months time and you'll get back to normal. I really hope so.

It makes me wonder where the government is getting all of the money from to pay Furlough leave and loans for companies though, no doubt the UK will be borrowing vasts amount of cash from the IMF until this is over. It is going to destroy many small businesses and companies and it will take decades for most countries to return to normal.

I was thinking about how the small businesses that are mostly cash-only are going to survive (the government will only give them a certain percentage of their profits from their accounts that have been declared to HMRC). How many window cleaners, hairdressers, taxi drivers etc. actually declare their real earnings + tips every year? They are in for a real shock!

Keep safe guys.

[Bobbybefc]

Hi Mike- Yes it will be interesting to see how many actually survive this virus- it is going to take years for the country to recover- from this. Whether or not our firm survives is another matter- they are quite a big firm with a good turnover. Again if it does survive, it will be interesting to see how much of it does survive. I also see Debenhams who were already in a mess financially look like they maybe going to the wall, with 22,000 jobs going. I see LFC put their staff on Furlough and claiming cap in hand from the government- quite unbelievable that is with the kind of money they have- apparently made 100 Million last year from the Champions League.

Anyway Onwards and upwards only missed out on my Lanzarote Holiday for this month, numerous aircraft days out and a couple of concerts. Can't grumble though.

Bob

[Bobbybefc]

If they work for the same company albeit a parent, I suppose it is legal. There are lads in our firm who have not been furloughed and they are having to muck in a do my job. Not what you are asking I know. Fingers crossed that this virus gets sorted sooner than later. Good thing about my firm is that they are contacting all furloughed employees weekly to let us know the up to date news, my firm have got five new orders and a further eight in the pipeline which they look like getting, so for myself the future looks bright at the moment. Also I have got three weeks off on full pay, which I believe will extend for a bit longer after that.

Keep the faith- self isolate, keep safe, you know it makes sense.

Bob

[Bobbybefc]

Start my fifth week of Furlough next week (May 4th) cannot wait to get back- if there is a back to get back too. Although its nice to get paid for being off- it is boring- I think apart from the odd visit to the shops and to check the wife's parent's and driving to the cemetery to check my son's grave, I have been out about three times apart from the garden of course. But on the positive side, the waist line is expanding

Take care peeps, things will eventually get better.

Bob

[Bobbybefc]

Ended up with just 6 weeks on Furlough- and have been back at work since the middle of May- even though some of the restrictions have been lifted- I am still reluctant to go to any airfields etc, nor pubs- as the virus believe it or not is still out there, and the youngsters who thought they were untouchable have started to get infected. I don't even watch the sport on the TV as I believe it's no good without spectators.

Miss visiting airfields, and also going to the match, meeting up with my mates in the pub before the game and having a chat- hopefully we will meet again in the near future, but the way things are going, cannot see that happening until at least November at the earliest.

Rant over- stay safe and enjoy the hobby

Bob

[Martin]

Social distancing seems to now be a thing of the past, I can't remember the last time I had to queue to go into a supermarket, it's like now we have to wear masks, everybody thinks they're protected from the virus.

Martin

[Bobbybefc]

I know what you mean Martin- our local pubs are rammed at the weekend- the track and trace system is a joke- with hardly any publicans doing what the Gov has asked them to do. Feel sorry for the the people cutting short their holidays this week, and again no I don't feel sorry- people have been warned that they may have to self isolate on their return from certain places, which has proved the case. But they have still gone. I have rescheduled both my holidays due this year to next year.

I work with a lad who has been on Furlough for 16 weeks and has booked a holiday to Turkey in two weeks time- in his words, a well earned holiday- unbelievable- unfortunately 50% of the country are the same mindset- and the other 50% who also known as the suckers who adhere to the rules.

The dunderheads will be the first ones to moan when the pubs shut again, or they lose their jobs because they are pig ignorant. Rant over.

Up the Toffees

Bob

[Tally-ho]

Clearly we're not in this together.

"Parliament’s bars exempt from 10pm coronavirus curfew". (The Times 28 Sept)

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/parl ... eYNPZ5VBQ4

[Tally-ho]

Update on the above:-

A major backlash by members of the public has resulted in a massive U-turn by parliamentary authorities. Bars and drinking hideaways within the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament) will now also close at 10pm, as is the case with bars and pubs for ordinary citizens. What goes round comes round!

[Mike]

Question:

I work for a automotive company, as a delivery driver, and have just been furlough. The company as a larger business has another same type of company, which also furlough some of its workers. Its come to my attention that those who are left, on the other company, may be used to help fill My company's furlough posts. Is this legal?

David, you have asked two questions in this thread and other members have done their best to answer them. Here we are about six months later and you have either :-

1. Forgotten that you have asked them.

2. Have read the answers but you don't have the decency to thank those that have replied.

I have quoted one of your questions in this post so you will get a notification when you next log on, you have a history of asking questions (on both here and on Fighter Control) and never replying to the answers.

[Bobbybefc]

We go again- another month's lockdown from next Thursday- but at least this time Boris and co are letting me and others go to work, unlike some poor people who have lost their jobs and are on reduced wages, and struggling. The last 7 months have not been easy with no Holidays, no pub, no football, no concerts, no airshows or aviation trips out, and no meeting up with good friends on a regular basis.

But I suppose worse things happen in life.

Stay safe

Up the Toffees

Bob

[andygolfer]

It looks like a more considered and measured approach this time whereas the first lockdown, when it finally happened , was done as a bit of a knee-jerk and stopped everything.

hopefully this will work, reduce the infections and ease pressure on the NHS - it's a fine balance but I do hope people follow the rules as laid down rather than look for loopholes or woolly interpretations or even worse just ignore them

fingers crossed otherwise it could be a long lonely winter
Andy