I went to Whole Foods yesterday. It was an awful experience.
Before entering the store, I was impressed by the fact that they were controlling how many people were allowed to enter at any given time. Waiting in line for my turn, I congratulated myself on choosing this grocery store for my weekly outing instead of the other two I often shop at. This store was clearly taking the virus seriously.
My sense of well-being evaporated quickly once inside. Yes, the number of customers was being controlled but the number of people putting together online orders had exploded. They were young and had no protective gear. They congregated and talked as they touched everything in the store. While they walked, they stared at their phones for the lists of what they needed to gather, oblivious to people around them. When standing still, they clogged the aisles. When moving, they invaded every attempt to social distance.
Like many, I find going to the store to be a stressful experience in this time of disease. I plan before I leave the house. I cover every part of my body that I can without donning a burka. When in stores, I am hypervigilant about where I am in the context of other people, about what I touch, about every step of the process. When I get home, my anxiety mounts as I mentally replay everything I did, wondering if I made a mistake. Within hours, I have pulled out my calendar to mark when 14 days will have passed from the time of the outing.
Yesterday at Whole Foods, I felt like I was being chased by a swarm of bees.
There has to be a better, safer way for stores to manage this process. One that protects staff and protects customers.