Jobsworths.

I haven't been in a shop/cafe/on a bus since last March, and I know that when I venture back into 'real life' there will be things I will get wrong. It won't be because I 'don't think the rules apply to me', though - it will be because I'm not very sure what they are, as applied by individual retailers in their stores.

Throughout the pandemic I have seen (online) a significant number of people being unpleasantly superior, from the shopping police and 'is that an essential item?' brigade at the start, through the 'you are being selfish by having shopping delivered' mutation a bit later on, the ones adopting the tabloid language of 'Covidiots', the ones who think they own the beach/woods/pavements and the school prefect types who love insisting on rules for the sake of conformity. It all got quite nasty very quickly, and in some ways I am not looking forward to getting back out there amongst them.

I'm not saying that the majority of rules have not been for the common good, and I do think that mask-avoiders and party-goers are antisocial and have no regard for the safety of others. That is no reason for people like the OP to be shouted at, however, or spoken to angrily.

In you shoes, OP, I would like to think I'd have had the presence of mind to ask to speak to the manager, but in reality I would probably have pretended not to hear and sloped out of the door in front of me, unless there were people heading towards me, in which case I would have cringed with embarrassment and headed back into the store.

kircubbin2000

I have been to Sainsbury for the first time in nearly a year as son has been doing my shopping. I was up early and just felt like getting out so I had finished by 8.30.
As I was leaving , the security woman shouted at me that I was leaving by the wrong door, the entrance one, which I have always used before covid.She told me angrily to go back and out the far door.
As the shop was empty and I was almost outside I left and told her I'd know the next time. Would you have gone back into the shop and used the other exit?

I've recently spoken to a person that was a volunteer in vaccine organising.
At first the non voluntary staff in the hi-vis jackets were like every one else helpful and pleasant. After a week they were draconian, surly and obnoxious. Giving people power can have a very unpleasant affect.

They could just be at the end of the road on telling people they're using the wrong door. I bet she felt like saying, can't you read the notices?

yes i would have gone back as i might have bumped into another person .

Laronsmum..." Can you imagine if someone coughed on you. You'd be complaining"
But we're not imagining, we're dealing with the facts here. And the facts are no one was around but a stroppy security person. No one was around to cough, wrong door or not, someone taking off their mask to cough in someone's face is a deliberate and offensive act, OP was not acting deliberately or offensively, I'm afraid your case would not stand up in a court of covid law. I think this conversation has become bordering on ridiculous now. My advice to OP, is next time you make a mistake, don't post it on here. It's really not worth it. People love petty arguments, it's a sign of getting old.

I'm definitely with Shropshire lass on this one. I would have apologised and gone back and through the right door. Having said that, it's never okay to shout at a customer or anyone really. But you'll just have to assume she was having one of those days and forgive her!

If that’s her usual job she’s doing it badly. There was absolutely no need for her to raise her voice. You are a customer after all. In the circumstances I’d have done exactly what you did.

Gosh, there are some entitled snobs who think the rules don’t apply to them here.

I would have done what you did. I’m tired of being barked at by people with a bit of power. I know they have a job to do but a little courtesy would help. In each case I have not intentionally broken any directions and I have not been aggressive - just made a minor unintentional mistake. Sadly the longer lockdown goes on the more people are going to snap I think. Enjoy your trip out - here’s to many more of them!

Well, never mind, it's done now. I got a telling off in Tesco for using the wrong escalator - there was a lady at the top of the wrong escalator especially to tell us this - so why not put a sign up downstairs to prevent it in the first place?
"Pardon me for not being psychic" comes to mind.

I have worked with the public throughout the pandemic (taken on a part-time job to replace the career and role I was made redundant/retired from during the first lockdown) and have been shocked at the abuse I’ve received. I’m cross and tired and just want to shout pull your neck in. No need to be rude with those of us with low paid customer facing roles. You were lucky to be able to isolate/shield, many of us have to go out and work.

No but I would have apologized.At our Sainsburys the in door & out door are right next to each other! Maybe she as having a bad day. What annoys me is that despite loafs of notices asking people to shop singularly there are still people going in in pairs.OK if you have a young child then yes of course but why does anyone need to take their husband? Unless they are disabled of course. The men always look bored & fed up. I would never go food shopping with my DH. He takes ages to go round. He does often go to Morison's on his own as he likes some of their stuff but I went with him once & it nearly drove me potty. He stopped & talked to every member of staff we passed & he knew all their names. No wonder he is out for hours. I bet they dread him coming in . Hopefully he can get back to work before too long & give them some peace.

We need to remember that for almost a year now retired people have been able to choose whether or not to go out. Except for the clinically vulnerable that is a luxury. Others have had to carry on as normal going to work and doing their shopping. They’ve had no rest and have often had to work harder than before, not to mention exposing themselves to the risk of contracting covid. If you have stayed at home you have been fortunate to be able to do so. Yes things are different now and we must accept it. Of course there is never an excuse for rudeness but shop staff have a thankless task and will sometimes be tired and angry. We have to do as we are told or stay at home.

I’m assuming that, as it was a major supermarket, there were clearly visible written signs with arrows saying ‘exit’ and ‘no exit’. It’s not unreasonable for the supermarket staff to assume people can read, and to expect them to follow the written directions. They get into trouble from their supervisors if they do not police the entrances and exits, so they have every right to expect shoppers to observe the signs.

I have no sympathy at all with the ‘I did something stupid and got told off, poor me’ attitude of the OP.

She didn’t need to be rude. We are all on short fuses.

I would have apologised nicely and explained. would probably have gone back through correct door too. She's doing her job and can get sacked if not doing it correctly. Would hate to be a shop worker in this pandemic.

Fernhillnana

She didn’t need to be rude. We are all on short fuses.

Some with more reason than others - you know the ones who’ve been trying to keep us safe and going out to low paid jobs with all the attendant risks and putting up with abusive selfish behaviour from the public.

Yes I would have done as she asked. I found it difficult when I first ventured out, we are used to going up “down isles”
I suppose she was doing her best to keep us safe.

No I would not have gone back, if I was already almost outside and especially if I was shouted at and if it was empty.

AmberSpyglass

Gosh, there are some entitled snobs who think the rules don’t apply to them here.

I think there is definitely inherent snobbery in the comments about the low pay of shop workers, as though that explains the rudeness of the one who shouted at the OP angrily. Would those who commented on that be happier to be shouted at by someone on £100k a year, or think that only the middle classes have manners?

As for the rules 'not applying to them' - the OP has said that it was a mistake, that it is the first time she has been out in nearly a year, and that the door she was heading for was the one she has always used in that shop. Why assume that she was deliberately flouting the rules?

Doodledog because OP could have done as directed, excited via the requested exit and apologised. I’ve been in the exact situation as op, I have to travel around London for work, and I apologised along the lines of “sorry not concentrating” and exited correctly. Not difficult to be polite to those in customer facing roles during a pandemic

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I had to go to ours a couple of weeks ago. Theu have two doors so one in one out?? But no. One was closed and the other one had been divided into in and out with just one of those ribbon things between. Not much division of people at all.

I’d have done the same as you. Had the shop been busy you would have noticed that others were going the other way. As it wasn’t busy at all it didn’t make any difference. If a large space is empty of people I wouldn’t walk in a circle or around the edge, common sense.

I would have just smiled sweetly as I carried on walking out the wrong exit..
Had they have told me I probably would have taken notice but shouting & embarrassing someone is wrong.
Now you know for next time