Did 2 shops today

I have had a hard time finding any phone shops during this very difficult time.
Today I actually went out and did two gas station shops that only required inside purchase only.
I observed the outside before going inside, walked around the store, made a purchase and immediately went to check the restroom and washed my hands and the product with soap and left.
The station required people to wear masks, socially distance themselves, and they had plexiglass all around the cashier area with only a hole to put the product in and to pay,
The staff was all wearing masks and gloves. Once in the car I wiped my hands with hand sanitizer.
It felt goods to get out, Most of my area is still very closed and I do not see much of a change for the next few weeks.

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What state are you in?

Florida. I live in South Florids where almost everthing is closed.
I just got an email that our community pool will open next week. Beaches remain closed.
I think they are opening parks and golf courses with social distancing.

A community pool would likely be "Ground Zero" for encountering people who won't pay attention to any social distancing rules.

I didn’t say I was going to use it especially since every kid is home from school. Maybe it will give them some diversion.

I'm in Central Florida. DeSantis is planning to announce his re-opening plan on Friday, I believe. I didn't even think about school kids--good idea to avoid that pool!

I came across some shops this morning starting May 1st for gas stations that is exterior appearance only. No going inside. Only $10.00 each but a least it's gets me out of the house!

It was made clear very early on that the chlorine used in swimming pools is not strong enough to sanitize against even wimpy viruses. The only possibly safe pool at the moment is the one in your backyard that nobody beyond your isolation group uses. And at least in my area of South Florida the golf courses were left open because they are "essential exercise". I don't think they even considered limiting the number of folks in the golf cart who aren't in the same isolation group and/or the caddy.

@Insight wrote:

Florida. I live in South Florids where almost everthing is closed.
I just got an email that our community pool will open next week. Beaches remain closed.
I think they are opening parks and golf courses with social distancing.

Remember, just because a store might be open in order to provide essential services, most businesses are not essential. That includes each of our businesses (self-employed mystery shoppers).

To conduct any in-person shop is questionable, if not illegal. It is bad enough to conduct one on those rare occasions when one must venture out for an essential product; the shopping adding time to the in-person interaction with each minute of extra time in store being 60 seconds of time when one may either be infected or when one may infect another. It is all the worse to venture out with the purpose of conducting a shop at an essential business: unethical and likely illegal, in my opinion.

Unless one is providing essential work - e.g. healthcare services, fire fighting, essential food distribution (vegetables and milk, but not chocolate and junk food) & etc. one should stay home except when absolutely necessary. For most people, that means leaving home every few weeks.

Hmm. Price audits are mandatory! These are intended to protect consumers. Is it ethical to avoid this essential aspect of consumer care, especially when panic and opportunism might be running high?

Finding the ethical pinpoint is not so easy sometimes.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Hmm. Price audits are mandatory! These are intended to protect consumers.

Often price audits are done for the opposite reason: to ensure retailers are not offering discounts on priced-fixed products.

I cannot see price audits as being anywhere near essential except if it is being done by the government. But each person needs to weigh their own needs while being cognizant of their own exposure and the chance they may expose others.
This morning I saw an offer for a price audit paying $90!! In LA where there are not many bonus opportunities above a few dollars. It turned out the $90 was for a combo of two audits which evidently could both be done at the same location if you were lucky enough to be able to find both scheduled that way. And one of them required a purchase of $20. These seemed to be at small convenience stores. They recommended you could just quickly snap photos of entire shelf racks and then leave the store and check your pics for prices. Hmm, I am not that handy with photos but even sometimes when i have tried taking a photo of one price tag I sometimes had to retake it several times before it was actually easy to read...esp those tags that are not flat and vertical but rounded on a curved edge of the shelf.
I did do one food co op shop last week. It was nice to get out and I needed some food they sell there to make my stay at home experience more rewarding with enticing meals to eat. Only one interaction needed.

Rousseau,
Just stay home and you don’t have to keep worrying about what everyone else is doing. The country is opening up and getting back in business. It’s time to work. It’s time to spend.

@roxy1 wrote:

Just stay home and you don’t have to keep worrying about what everyone else is doing. The country is opening up and getting back in business.

Well, we do have to worry about what everyone else is doing because it screws it up for those who are being responsible.

You are talking about a country that's still averaging over 30,000 new cases daily and has overtaken every other country in the world in terms of cases, deaths and apparently...poor decision making.

Stay at home order for Texas ends tomorrow.

One of my friends here in Calif spoke with her brother in Atlanta the other day who told her that in his area the majority of the places allowed to open (hair, tatoo?, gyms etc.) had chosen not to open. I suspect that many places around the country will decide not to open just yet due to the cost of doing business with the restrictions...restrictions on how to carry on business and also the health and wellness cost to their employees and customers being exposed.

And... who is protected?

@Rousseau wrote:

@Shop-et-al wrote:

Hmm. Price audits are mandatory! These are intended to protect consumers.

Often price audits are done for the opposite reason: to ensure retailers are not offering discounts on priced-fixed products.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

SteveSoCal,
The number of new cases across the country is irrelevant when discussing specific states opening up. So is comparing a country our size with other countries. Just like when you kept using Italy as an example because using the worst case situation helped your side of the argument. You slant just like the media does. But you already know that.
And “being responsible” is a matter of opinion. So is questioning decision making.
732 people have died in Texas. The population is 29,000,000. That’s a death rate of .000025. You think that justifies keeping people out of work? The hospitals never came close to being full and the testing centers are so under-utilized that they’re talking about scaling them down.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2020 10:57PM by roxy1.

Rousseau,
Which way does your moral compass point when it comes to people raging that businesses stay closed while they themselves sit home collecting fat unemployment checks from the government? People trying to influence the government so their workplace stays closed so they can ride the gravy train as long as possible. That’s moral? That’s socially responsible?

@roxy1 wrote:

SteveSoCal,
The number of new cases across the country is irrelevant when discussing specific states opening up. So is comparing a country our size with other countries. Just like when you kept using Italy as an example because using the worst case situation helped your side of the argument. You slant just like the media does. But you already know that.

And “being responsible” is a matter of opinion. So is questioning decision making.
732 people have died in Texas. The population is 29,000,000. That’s a death rate of .000025. You think that justifies keeping people out of work?

Yes I do. You seem to incapable of understanding anything other than your own opinion, but you want to talk local?

Texas now ranks #10 for cases in the USA and just 3 days ago, the Dallas News was saying there needs to be an increase in testing:

[www.dallasnews.com]

Your state is still growing heavily in cases and has not yet begun to see a final death toll, so you are the one who seems to be slanting the details....the Houston Chronicle today release a chart based on data from Texas Department of State Health Services and there is no slow in case numbers.

[www.houstonchronicle.com]

I no longer need to use Italy as an example because the US now has the most deaths and cases per capita of any country. The opening of your state is a political move, and the decision making with that will not be in question if the virus continues to spread...

But what about the people in every state who do not qualify for federal or state unemployment benefits and also do not have ongoing job income or severance pay? Are we expected to let them wither?

I personally do not have the money to make up the monetary difference for them. All I can do is hope for the best in money, relations, general life satisfaction, and health for them and their customers as they attempt to generate revenue.

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

@Opanel wrote:

I'm in Central Florida. DeSantis is planning to announce his re-opening plan on Friday, I believe. I didn't even think about school kids--good idea to avoid that pool!

Maybe all the urine in the pool from the kids will be the new "vaccine" for COVID-19.

@Flash wrote:

It was made clear very early on that the chlorine used in swimming pools is not strong enough to sanitize against even wimpy viruses. The only possibly safe pool at the moment is the one in your backyard that nobody beyond your isolation group uses. And at least in my area of South Florida the golf courses were left open because they are "essential exercise". I don't think they even considered limiting the number of folks in the golf cart who aren't in the same isolation group and/or the caddy.

That is ridiculous that golf courses are considered essential exercise. You get a lot of exercise riding around in a golf cart drinking cocktails. The real reason they kept them open is because most golf courses are private country clubs for the rich and wealthy. Doesn't someone from the White House own a golf course in Florida? I rest my case!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/2020 04:00PM by LuvsTraveling.

@LuvsTraveling wrote:

@Flash wrote:

It was made clear very early on that the chlorine used in swimming pools is not strong enough to sanitize against even wimpy viruses. The only possibly safe pool at the moment is the one in your backyard that nobody beyond your isolation group uses. And at least in my area of South Florida the golf courses were left open because they are "essential exercise". I don't think they even considered limiting the number of folks in the golf cart who aren't in the same isolation group and/or the caddy.
That is ridiculous that golf courses are considered essential exercise. You get a lot of exercise riding around in a golf cart drinking cocktails. The real reason they kept them open is because most golf courses are private country clubs for the rich and wealthy. Doesn't someone from the White House own a golf course in Florida? I rest my case!

I golf and I am not rich. I don't use a golf cart, I walk the entire course and only drink water while golfing or on the driving range. Every POTUS in my lifetime has golfed. Maybe you should rethink your gross generalities.

@tstewart3 wrote:

I golf and I am not rich. I don't use a golf cart, I walk the entire course and only drink water while golfing or on the driving range. Every POTUS in my lifetime has golfed. Maybe you should rethink your gross generalities.

Do you golf at a private country club? And my comment said that someone in the White House OWNS a golf course. I did not say anything about presidents who PLAY golf. Big difference.

I live near a public golf course. I would use it if I had some skills. Can you say, 'Fore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. - Lao-Tzu

Nevermind.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2020 07:20PM by 2stepps.

@Shop-et-al wrote:

I live near a public golf course. I would use it if I had some skills. Can you say, 'Fore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

When you can find garage sales open, look for some used clubs. In the begining look for clubs for your height. You can probably find a used set for around $40-50. Or maybe the public golf course has a bulletin board someone is selling their used clubs.
Start on the driving range to see how far and accurate you can hit the ball. Buy a used book on golf and read it. As in most sports played with a round ball, its in the angles and being able to place the little ball where you want it. Above all have fun, meet people, get a little sun and exercise.

@barbage wrote:

I came across some shops this morning starting May 1st for gas stations that is exterior appearance only. No going inside. Only $10.00 each but a least it's gets me out of the house!

I saw one of those today but the problem is that it is right at 100 miles round trip. If I was making any money on phone call shops it would be a great income off-setter but alas I do not.

I did one of these at a gas station about 4 blocks from my house where I often buy gas. There's a minimum requirement of one photo of the convenience store building. There were 5 observations (photo required only if it was dirty/disorganized) and the report had six yes/no questions and one very short narrative describing the cleanliness. No purchase requirement although I chose to buy gas. I was there 5 minutes and the report took about 5 minutes. I went back to grab a couple more since it was so easy and fast but they were all gone.

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Did 2 shops today

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