Grocery Store Pandemonium

I cannot say without hesitation that this Skeet is about Howard County but…I’m pretty sure it is.

I went to Costco and Trader Joe’s about 20 miles away and holy shit what absolute madhouses. I know it’s a tired observation, but still. People go *insane* at a prediction of snow.

I certainly have memories of this kind of shopping experience but they are not recent.

1) We haven’t had any significant snow events in recent years. (Have we? I’m almost afraid to claim this.) 2) I rarely go into grocery stores in person anymore.

When you use shopper/delivery services you still have to cope with the availability of a shopper and the possibility that popular items will be shopped out, but, the experience is not the same. So I’m not going to hold forth as any kind of expert here.

The post about Costco/Trader Joe's reminded me of a lament on the Columbia Reddit a few months ago that the local grocery stores were always crowded when the poster wanted to shop. A response:

All of those people are shopping at those times for the same reasons you are. You are literally part of the reason it's crowded.

That, in turn, reminded me of this billboard:

“You are not stuck in traffic. You are traffic.”

I got to thinking that maybe it was how people behaved under these circumstances that was the problem, rather than the sheer crush of customers alone. I did some digging around on Google and found two sorts of answers to what I was asking.

What to shop for before a snow storm.
Etiquette for how to behave while at the grocery store.

But I was looking for that elusive third thing: etiquette for how to behave while grocery shopping before a snow storm.

Yes, there’s probably some crossover here. But I think this may be a special case requiring special guidelines. A lot of it probably comes down to the well-known quote:

Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always. - - Ian McLaren

But, since I have you here, why don’t we make our own list? Here goes.

How to Behave While Grocery Shopping Before a Snow Storm.

1. Don’t take the last several of something crucial like bread, milk or toilet paper when you could make do with less so that others have a chance.

2. Try not to put your children in a situation where they are likely to melt down.

3. Refrain from seeing grocery shopping as a competitive sport or military exercise.

4. See and treat store employees as real human beings who may be having a Really Hard Day.

What would you add? Let me know.

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