It has been a long while since I’ve posted anything. That’s what OTR truck-driving and a hectic life will do I guess. I thought this topic deserved discussion and, perhaps, a more public forum than just my Facebook wall.
Rachael and I had to shop over my break; so I don’t feel bad about having gone out with our list. So here’s our observation of a problem with the current setup: with Walmart and Publix being the clusters that they currently are... *IF* they’re allowed to continue this way, how can we truly justify keeping so many homebound and unable to work? This whole forcing people to not work at all probably *is* completely reasonable and necessary in the big picture, but to us seems totally useless as long as what we saw this weekend continues to happen.
Suggestion: We have the technology already in place to do so much better. Store employees can take orders over the phone or online from anyone who can, or at the door from the relatively few who absolutely can’t. Then employees can load carts like they normally do these days anyway for pick-up deliveries. Set those labeled carts in a prearranged pick-up location either inside or a controlled location outside.
Walmart Delivery, Uber Eats, Instacart, and other hired delivery programs hire tons of folks who desperately need any kind of work right now and will accept the somewhat increased risk. Those drivers drive onto the store property: interacting with as few associates as possible, they pick up the groceries and deliver directly to the customer’s door. They can pick up and deliver the groceries without ever really having to get within 10ft of anyone.
Would this be a pain for associates? Yes. Could grocery stores and delivery apps hire a TON of new, temporary employees to make this happen? Why not?
The fact that we’re making the economic wheels halt completely in so many sectors of the economy, while allowing frenzied, group shopping to happen in relatively close quarters the way we saw it happening over the weekend defeats the whole purpose. Do it right, or don’t do it. We have the tools at our disposal to really do this right. But let’s not fool ourselves while lessening the impact of those who are truly sacrificing their livelihoods already.
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