Checkout choreography in the plague of coronavirus
How to pay for your groceries safely
Do you buy groceries — or anything else — in a store? Do you remember back, Before Coronoavirus, when the only issues were remembering what you needed and how much you could afford? Now all that fits beneath a thick layer of precautions: wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from other people(customers and staff) while shopping, ….
There is one more step, one set of steps, that is being left out of the collective consciousness.
It’s easy. It makes everyone safer. Yet very few people are doing it.
What is this miracle extra step?
To put it plainly: stay the heck away from the cashier!
Customers standing close to the cashier, back before the coronavirus plague. That was fine then. Now it’s really, really bad.
Why? You plan ahead to spend a minimum of time in the store, precisely because During Coronavirus it is not safe to be around other people. Anyone could be infected and contagious. That includes me. It includes you. The cashier is there all day. They depend on you to keep your distance during the dance of checkout.
How? As an example, here is the set of moves you would use in my local Trader Joe. Adapt as needed.
First of all, use a cart if you can, not a basket. Read on to see why.
It’s your turn to checkout!
Deliver your stuff to the station: Push your cart gently in the direction of the cashier, while you stay 6 feet away. For a basket, walk up slowly so the cashier has time to back away; keep your body behind the plexiglass shield as you put the basket down; back up immediately to the 6 foot line.
Pay: When it is time to pay, walk up, keeping your body behind the plexiglass shield. Reach out your arm with your credit card or phone payment or whatever. Do what is needed while keeping most of you behind the shield.
Get your bags: For a cart, back up 6 feet so the cashier can push your cart back to you. For bags not in a cart, take them while staying behind the shield as best you can; get away from the station promptly.
There! Like I said, easy. The life you just saved may be your own. Maybe you saved the lives of the cashier’s parents. On their behalf, I thank you.
