Essential vs non essential items discussion

[bramling]

Cannot agree with that, these people need our support as well. We'll be getting an Indian tonight. We pay online, the driver knocks on the door and walks away, no contact needed. It's just a case of following your usual hygiene steps when unpacking the cartons, the cooked food itself is fine.

The one we normally use is too far away to deliver, so it means a journey out. I'd consider collecting one on the way home from work, but I don't think it's in the spirit of the current situation to make a special journey.

I think the concern at work was more about sundries, things like pappadoms than the meal itself. The conclusion was along the lines of "if you can't have the pappadoms then it's not worth having any of it". To be fair we'll probably have a takeaway at some point even if we avoid some of the add-ons, I agree that it's probably on balance better to be supporting such places.

 

[Darandio]

The one we normally use is too far away to deliver, so it means a journey out. I'd consider collecting one on the way home from work, but I don't think it's in the spirit of the current situation to make a special journey.

I think the concern at work was more about sundries, things like pappadoms than the meal itself. The conclusion was along the lines of "if you can't have the pappadoms then it's not worth having any of it". To be fair we'll probably have a takeaway at some point even if we avoid some of the add-ons, I agree that it's probably on balance better to be supporting such places.

We've been just been avoiding the cold side salad and onion salad. The poppadoms have been cooked at a very high temperature so should be fine other than a handling issue when packing it up. Just to make sure, we have also been putting them in the microwave for a minute before plating up and we're still here.

 

[sheff1]

We have been itching to get an indian takeaway, but considering it would involve driving out to get it we've decided that's injudicious. Plus after a discussion at work the general consensus seems to be to avoid takeaways!

Well that is obviously a choice you and your colleagues are perfectly entitled to take. Nobody is forced to go to any open facility if they do not want to. Similarly no one is forced to buy any items they deem non-essential when at a supermarket etc.

The issue is that far too many people seem to think because they do not want to do something which is 100% allowed everyone else should be banned from doing it .....

..... see post #26 above as a good example.

 

[bramling]

Well that is obviously a choice you and your colleagues are perfectly entitled to take. Nobody is forced to go to any open facility if they do not want to. Similarly no one is forced to buy any items they deem non-essential when at a supermarket etc.

The issue is that far too many people seem to think because they do not want to do something which is 100% allowed everyone else should be banned from doing it.

The main bugbear I have is non-essential activities which get in the way of key workers going about their work. This is part of the reason why we had to have the lockdown in the first place, as people weren't doing what they'd been *asked* to do, so they had to be *instructed*. The more non-essential activities take place, the more it obstructs key workers and potentially increases risk to them. As long as people are thoughtful there shouldn't be a problem, but experience shows this hasn't always been happening.

Remember the NHS worker in tears because the shelves had been plundered? We can't have a situation where key workers finish their shift and have to queue for an hour to enter the supermarket simply because people are killing time. Hence there does need to be a realisation that non-essential activities do need to be *minimised*, if not completely eliminated. Some people seem to find the idea of minimising difficult to comprehend!

IMO some people do take the basic services we've become used to like health care, transport, food supply (etc) a little for granted. It really is the case at present that if the key workers lose patience then we might start to find out what it's like not to have these services readily available on tap.

At the same time, *any* non-essential contact is a potential source of transmission, which is what we're seeking to avoid. Again we can't realistically eliminate all contact, but we can try to minimise it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Cannot agree with that, these people need our support as well. We'll be getting an Indian tonight. We pay online, the driver knocks on the door and walks away, no contact needed. It's just a case of following your usual hygiene steps when unpacking the cartons, the cooked food itself is fine.

Indeed. If you doubt the hygiene practices of a particular establishment enough that you think you could get COVID19 from the actual food, you shouldn't be eating there normally, either.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I think the concern at work was more about sundries, things like pappadoms than the meal itself

That makes no sense. If you believe that you could catch ANYTHING a member of staff had off any part of the food, then you should never eat there because their hygiene practices are suspect.

 

[packermac]

Hardly an insuperable challenge! Just move the non essential stuff to one end of the store and cordon it off. That would give a more efficient flow of customers around the remaining aisles. No need for staff to "police" it - program the tills not to accept non essential items.

But heaven forfend the supermarkets should be asked to do anything that might dent the extra profits they are raking in during this crisis! Meanwhile Debenhams is not allowed to open and has gone bust....

But still selling online with large discounts.

 

[111-111-1]

The one we normally use is too far away to deliver, so it means a journey out. I'd consider collecting one on the way home from work, but I don't think it's in the spirit of the current situation to make a special journey.

I agree with you with your conundrum.

A local brewery offers pick up of pre-ordered beer which I would like to try its products and support it being small and independent. It's a 6 or 7 mile return journey nowhere near my trip to work or anywhere else I have need to go so do not feel it is justifyable.

Last week I could not be bothered to cook after a long day at work and it being late. 5 mins walk away is a new pizza restaurant, how unlucky to have opened 6 weeks ago, which you can phone an order/pay and pick up. I had a walk combined with shopping earlier so neither was a reasonable excuse and as I take a strong line on people pushing limits wondered whether I should go. In the event I decided to order one, in doing so I saw very few others out all at a distance and the only contact I had was the box being handed to me at the door. Boarderline I know but at least I can say in a small way I have supported a local independant, they will also get used in the future as the quality was exeptional.

 

[bramling]

That makes no sense. If you believe that you could catch ANYTHING a member of staff had off any part of the food, then you should never eat there because their hygiene practices are suspect.

Yes this is a fair point. I will probably pick up a takeaway at some point whence I can do it without having to do a special trip. Thusfar work timings haven’t facilitated it.

 

[Llanigraham]

Order one from Deliveroo or Just Eat if you want one.

Funnily enough they don't cover the whole country!

 

[Jagdpanther]

If we ALL can just get it into our heads that we ALL need to reduce as much unnecessary human contact as possible then the sooner we can get out of this. If we ALL insist on making pathetic excuses not to to do this and continue to try and justify our actions then the longer it will take and the more people will die. It is as simple as that.

 

[Bantamzen]

The main bugbear I have is non-essential activities which get in the way of key workers going about their work. This is part of the reason why we had to have the lockdown in the first place, as people weren't doing what they'd been *asked* to do, so they had to be *instructed*. The more non-essential activities take place, the more it obstructs key workers and potentially increases risk to them. As long as people are thoughtful there shouldn't be a problem, but experience shows this hasn't always been happening.

No, the reason for the lockdown is to minimise the initial impact on the NHS whilst capacity is raised.

Remember the NHS worker in tears because the shelves had been plundered? We can't have a situation where key workers finish their shift and have to queue for an hour to enter the supermarket simply because people are killing time. Hence there does need to be a realisation that non-essential activities do need to be *minimised*, if not completely eliminated. Some people seem to find the idea of minimising difficult to comprehend!

What did "non-essential" items have to do with people going daft with panic buying essential food items? Most supermarkets now have dedicated times for key workers, and some even offer them priority no matter what time they turn up.

IMO some people do take the basic services we've become used to like health care, transport, food supply (etc) a little for granted. It really is the case at present that if the key workers lose patience then we might start to find out what it's like not to have these services readily available on tap.

At the same time, *any* non-essential contact is a potential source of transmission, which is what we're seeking to avoid. Again we can't realistically eliminate all contact, but we can try to minimise it.

And essential items aren't a potential source? In reality there is very little risk of transmission provided you stick to the very basic principle of washing your hands before you touch your face or handle food. Why is this so very onerous that we must insist that some as yet undefined items be seen as a risk?

If we ALL can just get it into our heads that we ALL need to reduce as much unnecessary human contact as possible then the sooner we can get out of this. If we ALL insist on making pathetic excuses not to to do this and continue to try and justify our actions then the longer it will take and the more people will die. It is as simple as that.

Would you care to give some examples of these excuses from these threads? Because as has been pointed out goodness knows how many times, these measures are in place to prevent the NHS from being overloaded, not to prevent the spread of the virus which is pretty much inevitable.

 

[yorkie]

If we ALL can just get it into our heads that we ALL need to reduce as much unnecessary human contact as possible then the sooner we can get out of this. If we ALL insist on making pathetic excuses not to to do this and continue to try and justify our actions then the longer it will take and the more people will die. It is as simple as that.

If it is as simple as that, please create a new thread with your evidence.

I do think some people are over-analysing things a little....

I think you might be, yes

 

[Bantamzen]

Well that is obviously a choice you and your colleagues are perfectly entitled to take. Nobody is forced to go to any open facility if they do not want to. Similarly no one is forced to buy any items they deem non-essential when at a supermarket etc.

The issue is that far too many people seem to think because they do not want to do something which is 100% allowed everyone else should be banned from doing it .....

..... see post #26 above as a good example.

This is probably the most accurate statement I've seen in a while. Whilst extraordinary measures are needed to buy time for the NHS, some people seem to want to use this as an excuse to impose their own ways on others.

 

[leightonbd]

Why avoid takeaways? Order one from Deliveroo or Just Eat if you want one.

Hear hear. Ordered a double(ish) so as to have some for next weekend ...

And absolutely hear hear to: wipe the plastic delivery trays as you would anything else, these days ... and wash hands after handling. Then enjoy dinner.

 

[Meerkat]

Hear hear. Ordered a double(ish) so as to have some for next weekend ...

And absolutely hear hear to: wipe the plastic delivery trays as you would anything else, these days ... and wash hands after handling. Then enjoy dinner.

Wouldn’t the safest method be to tip the stuff onto a plate, bin the containers, then thoroughly wash your hands?

 

[nlogax]

I'm all for ordering takeaways during this time, but am restricting myself to one every couple of weeks purely for lard-avoidance Don't know about you but I find I'm eating much more healthily at the moment. Cooking proper meals, batch-cooking for the freezer, that sort of thing. Tonight is cauliflower and broccoli cheese with pancetta.. while at the same time there's a curry happening in the slow cooker to be bunged into the freezer!

(this really belongs in the food thread doesn't it..?)

 

[Jozhua]

Eh, I mean if you stop to buy a telly in tescos along with your shopping, don't see how it makes a difference, those aisles are almost empty anyway.

Probably avoid taking a trip out purely for the intention of purchasing "non-essential" items, but otherwise probably not to worry.

I was also thinking the other day, I badly need a haircut and some new underwear... Left long enough, doesn't everything become kinda essential?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Order a pair of clippers and underwear online? It's not like you can try it on, so going to a shop for it (rather than picking it up because you went for bread and milk) seems the definition of unnecessary.

 

[al78]

Be careful what you wish for if you advocate people should only be allowed to purchase essential goods (I'm not saying anyoine here is). The ultimate definition of "essential" is, would someone die without it? Under that definition, no-one would be allowed to buy anything other than food, drink, and clothing. Lack of access to a television/newspaper/laptop/alcohol is not life threatening.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Be careful what you wish for if you advocate people should only be allowed to purchase essential goods (I'm not saying anyoine here is). The ultimate definition of "essential" is, would someone die without it? Under that definition, no-one would be allowed to buy anything other than food, drink, and clothing. Lack of access to a television/newspaper/laptop/alcohol is not life threatening.

It is interesting that South Africa have, on the back of concerns about people smoking/drinking more while at home, banned the sale of both alcohol and cigarettes during lockdown.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Be careful what you wish for if you advocate people should only be allowed to purchase essential goods (I'm not saying anyoine here is). The ultimate definition of "essential" is, would someone die without it? Under that definition, no-one would be allowed to buy anything other than food, drink, and clothing. Lack of access to a television/newspaper/laptop/alcohol is not life threatening.

Yes but access to a laptop might be absolutely essential for home working. And not all employers give out laptops for home use

 

[111-111-1]

Lack of access to a television/newspaper/laptop/alcohol is not life threatening.

Whilst not directly life threatening other than alcohol the others may if they are way people get there main information on how the situation is progressing may well be essential. The fact that Off Licences and breweries are allowed to continue in business suggests that government accepts that a release is needed for people through this in line with being allowed out to exercise.

With the example of TV/Laptop, additionally things such as cell phones and household utencils, I would advocate that it should only be for replacement of broke things not just because someone fancies a new one.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yes but access to a laptop might be absolutely essential for home working. And not all employers give out laptops for home use

There's barely any sense in going out to buy a laptop when there's all manner of them on sale online for next day delivery, usually better and cheaper than anything PC World will flog you.

 

[111-111-1]

There's barely any sense in going out to buy a laptop when there's all manner of them on sale online for next day delivery, usually better and cheaper than anything PC World will flog you.

As PC World and the like have all been closed at present unless you go to Argos in Sainsbury or the like, and combine it with as essential shop there are not many options.

 

[Bald Rick]

There's barely any sense in going out to buy a laptop when there's all manner of them on sale online for next day delivery, usually better and cheaper than anything PC World will flog you.

How can you buy a laptop online if, err, your laptop is broken?

 

[Bletchleyite]

How can you buy a laptop online if, err, your laptop is broken?

Using your smartphone?

Ring a mate and get them to order it for you?

 

[Enthusiast]

How can you buy a laptop online if, err, your laptop is broken?

What a silly question! Go down to your local library or internet café, of course! Oh! Hang on......

 

[Busaholic]

If only 'essential' shops are open and you are free to buy any item there, only subject to age criteria for certain items and current restrictions by some stores on how many of some items you can purchase at one time, then anything you find in store should be considered 'essential'. No-one has pointed out, AFAIK, that the wording of the legislation doesn't require any item you're purchasing to be essential to you, so you have no reason to have to get into an argument with the local plod if they're stupid/impertinent enough to start searching your shopping bags for no valid reason.

 

[Qwerty133]

If only 'essential' shops are open and you are free to buy any item there, only subject to age criteria for certain items and current restrictions by some stores on how many of some items you can purchase at one time, then anything you find in store should be considered 'essential'. No-one has pointed out, AFAIK, that the wording of the legislation doesn't require any item you're purchasing to be essential to you, so you have no reason to have to get into an argument with the local plod if they're stupid/impertinent enough to start searching your shopping bags for no valid reason.

Another interesting side effect of the virus appears to be that shop staff are being much less strict about who they are asking for ID when purchasing age restricted products (unless I suddenly look much older in the past few weeks).