The New Normal: How Your Local Shop Is Going To Look

I don’t understand how this is supposed to work.

Firstly, how on earth are shoppers supposed to go into the town (at least an hour on the depleted bus services we have now,) buy everything on their shopping list, and then lug all their shopping home, a total of three hours or thereabouts, all the while without going to the toilet? My local Marks & Spencer Food Hall is at the Gyle Centre in Edinburgh. The Gyle Centre has at least five toilets, all of them closed. I asked to use the toilet in the Food Hall: like most diabetics, I need to use the toilet often, and the toilet in the Food Hall was open for use by staff. The lady refused. I asked whether she would prefer me to piss on the floor or to go out into the car park. She was most offended by that. I can’t think why.

Secondly, once shoppers have reached the store, are we seriously expected to find everything on the shopping list in a single pass around the one-way system? Or are we seriously supposed to march round and round the one-way system until we have found everything we need?

And to top it all, the World Health Organisation tells us that there is no evidence that coronavirus is airborne. Suppose it turns out that coronavirus is not airborne but, like poliomyelitis, is spread by other means?

Back to the drawing board, guys.

I acknowledge the Mail Online for providing the original diagram in its issue dated 14 June 2020, now unavailable.

15 June 2020. Today’s edition of You and Yours on Radio Four received several emails about and how the closures of public toilets made shopping almost impossible.

Later on 15 June 2020. It has been pointed out to me (thank you, Georgia) that the way to get everything you need in a single pass through the one-way system is to put at least one of everything into your trolley as you go around the shop. Then when you have almost reached the check-out, take everything you don’t want out of the trolley and leave it there.