My local ASDA now seems to be a free for all again. I've not had to queue on any of my visits over the last couple of weeks, and the last two there has been nobody manning the door to limit entry. Seems same at Morrisons & Aldi too.
The one way system they have in ASDA is pointless. The store is massive and the isles very wide. You still have to walk past people stopped in the isles picking something up, especially those who take ages. It is generally ignored, probably because they seem to change it every other week (and are then greated by the previous no entry sign and an arrow suggesting its ok to walk dowwn there with out being sent to the Gulag).
At the Bus station in town, some bright spark has come up with the following to 'aid social distancing'. Closing off 4 of the 10 stands (usually 7 in regular use with frequency of service from 10 mins to every hour). Of the 6 that are left, 2 have been designated as drop off only, then the buses move forward to pick up on one of the remaining 4 stands in use that are pick up only. But of course, all of those that have been dropped off, then have to walk past those queueing to get on the same bus they have just got off. With the reduced number of stands, everyone is shoehorned in to a small area, so you then have a fair number of people all waiting for different buses, and its impossible to queue 2 metres apart, especially when combined with all those that have been dropped off at the far end trying to fit in the mix as well.
The local indoor shopping centre (I use the term shopping losely, as unless you want a mobile phone or a vaping product, theres not much else there), has a walk on the right hand side system in place, so those passing in the opposite direction then don't mingle with anyone coming the other way. What instead happens is everyone is shoehorned in to a narrow pathway rather than being able to spread out, and get caught behing the slowest person so everyone bunches up, terrified to even try to pass them. Any attempt to pass said slow person and even dare to stradle to 'DO NOT PASS' line down the middle is met by a medley of loud hailers and being surrounded by over zelous people in high viz vests who seem to think 2 metres is about the length of an arm.
Also, everywhere is adorned by signs saying Dont do this, dont do that or else.
I hope that the 2 metre guidance does get dropped soon, at least in the interim, reduced to 1m. Its not sustainable. People, being people, even the introvert ones need social interaction. Its part of our psyche. You can't beat that out of people no matter how hard you try. Eventually it will fail anyway, which it is starting to do, because people, will be, well, people.
When ever there is a slight easing of lockdown, social media is full of 'It's too soon', '2nd wave coming', 'Millions going to die' and the like. When is the right time? The idea of lockdown was to flatten out the curve, ensure the health service can cope, and not be overwhealmed like in some countries. It was never about total eradication or staying under house arrest until a vaccine, but with what you read now days from Government and scientists, this seems to what they want us to believe. At some point we will have to accept, just like with any other virus, that some people may succumb to it. At the moment, it seems to be sod everything else and what ever anyone may die of as a result. Some people mental health is really suffering too, I have seen this first hand, and its scary, but in the great big scheme of things, this seems to no longer matter.
I am glad people from single households can now meet up again, and even dare to be less than 2 metres from each other, I hopefully will take advangtage of that this weekend. Hopefully the beginning of the long road back to a normal normality, not a 'New Normal'
