Shopping in Aldi - New System!

[Mr Tom Morrow]

A warning to all: avoid using Aldi at the moment if you can.

I've just got back from a truly awful shopping trip there.
Having queued up, patiently and socially distancing, as I neared the entrance a shop worker clipped a carabena onto the belt loop of my jeans, my perplexed expression must have said it all as she explained that whilst people are distancing in the queue outside, they aren't distancing once inside the store.

So what some Donut has dreamt up is to rope 6 or so customers together with 2m of rope between each of us!

Well these are strange times and with the threat of a second wave of infection I thought I'd best not complain and just tow the line (so to speak).
I'm telling you now, what an absolute idiotic idea this is. We've negotiated our way in to the store, some with trolleys and others trying to grab a basket before the berserk conga line drags them away.

I was near the middle of the rope picking up some veg, the woman at the front, who was trussed up like a kid in a harness was trying to drag the whole line to the apples and the bloke at the back trying to pull the other way to get his hands on last weeks courgettes which were now this weeks courgette offer.

It was like tug-of-war for the deranged.

It's embarrassing to say, but I lost it, started ranting and raving about the rope and how on earth are people meant to shop like this, I went to unclip the carabena which miraculously brought the attention of the staff who told me I'd be asked to leave the shop if I uncliped. " we're not rock climbing, we're trying to buy cheese" are words which I'll carry with me to my grave.

Strangely this outburst had the effect of bringing our train together as a team.
We carried on now with lots of communication, people passing stuff along the line to other to fill their baskets. Now I know passing things to one another could spread the infection as much as person to person contact but I honestly think if we hadn't have done, I'd still be there now.

As we started along the aisle I generally refer to as "biscuits and creosote", it was clear from the melee that all was not well in the adjacent aisle. As far as I could tell there had been 2 trains of people and a lady in the middle of one chain had ducked under the other to get her hands on a pop-art cat bed.
The tangle had resulted in a multi-pedestrian pile up in which the epicentre resembled the deity Durga, it wasn't clear how long they'd been there but one old chap was trying to free himself by feverishly sawing at the rope with his house keys.

We navigated the remaining aisles without major trauma, other than having to rescue Doreen (2nd in line) after she fell in the chest freezer trying to reach the last beef Wellington.
We were individually unclipped prior to the till, at which point any camaraderie we'd had quickly evaporated as everyone scrambled for the first available till.

With the ordeal still impeding rational thought, it was a welcome and familiar sight to have the check out throw all my shopping on the floor in the normal 1000mph fashion. I really did not appreciate being strung along like that, but I hope you did.

I don't think I'll be going back there in a hurry!

[bella9]

Mr T, are you sure this wasn't a bad dream? 🤔

[loola30]

Nooo that can’t be true. I’ve sat here in fits of giggles 😂😂

[maidmarian]

Originally Posted by Mr Tom Morrow

A warning to all: avoid using Aldi at the moment if you can.

I've just got back from a truly awful shopping trip there.
Having queued up, patiently and socially distancing, as I neared the entrance a shop worker clipped a carabena onto the belt loop of my jeans, my perplexed expression must have said it all as she explained that whilst people are distancing in the queue outside, they aren't distancing once inside the store.

So what some Donut has dreamt up is to rope 6 or so customers together with 2m of rope between each of us!

Well these are strange times and with the threat of a second wave of infection I thought I'd best not complain and just tow the line (so to speak).
I'm telling you now, what an absolute idiotic idea this is. We've negotiated our way in to the store, some with trolleys and others trying to grab a basket before the berserk conga line drags them away.

I was near the middle of the rope picking up some veg, the woman at the front, who was trussed up like a kid in a harness was trying to drag the whole line to the apples and the bloke at the back trying to pull the other way to get his hands on last weeks courgettes which were now this weeks courgette offer.

It was like tug-of-war for the deranged.

It's embarrassing to say, but I lost it, started ranting and raving about the rope and how on earth are people meant to shop like this, I went to unclip the carabena which miraculously brought the attention of the staff who told me I'd be asked to leave the shop if I uncliped. " we're not rock climbing, we're trying to buy cheese" are words which I'll carry with me to my grave.

Strangely this outburst had the effect of bringing our train together as a team.
We carried on now with lots of communication, people passing stuff along the line to other to fill their baskets. Now I know passing things to one another could spread the infection as much as person to person contact but I honestly think if we hadn't have done, I'd still be there now.

As we started along the aisle I generally refer to as "biscuits and creosote", it was clear from the melee that all was not well in the adjacent aisle. As far as I could tell there had been 2 trains of people and a lady in the middle of one chain had ducked under the other to get her hands on a pop-art cat bed.
The tangle had resulted in a multi-pedestrian pile up in which the epicentre resembled the deity Durga, it wasn't clear how long they'd been there but one old chap was trying to free himself by feverishly sawing at the rope with his house keys.

We navigated the remaining aisles without major trauma, other than having to rescue Doreen (2nd in line) after she fell in the chest freezer trying to reach the last beef Wellington.
We were individually unclipped prior to the till, at which point any camaraderie we'd had quickly evaporated as everyone scrambled for the first available till.

With the ordeal still impeding rational thought, it was a welcome and familiar sight to have the check out throw all my shopping on the floor in the normal 1000mph fashion. I really did not appreciate being strung along like that, but I hope you did.

I don't think I'll be going back there in a hurry!

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Omg I can't believe this!😂😂😂😂

[Mr Tom Morrow]

My Son sent it to me.

[Scaramouche]

😂😂😂😂 Oh My!


I’m sorry to say that I have just howled with laughter at this! I don’t want to be part of this strange stressful conga, but I am tempted, just so I can see the state of our Aldi when we go to pets at home in a minute.

[Mr Tom Morrow]

I would love to turn up at our local Asda with 6 people and such a rope. Can you imagine the looks we would get.

[Smilesonfaces]

Ha ha. I’m sure you’re having us on ( and I am fairly gullible !)
I have just been to Aldi for the first time in about a month. It was so much better than last time I went. Quite easy to get around, only a small queue to get in and people seemed fairly well behaved. I’m not sure how I managed to spend £120 in there though !

[Dazed]

Saw this on the ‘overheard at Aldi’ FB page. Made me chuckle. It’s a funny page

[Guest]

I am crying with laughter and have been reading it out to DH.

I actually believed it too.