Stop shouting at amazing supermarket staff like JD in Porty! – Hayley Matthews

Don’t be a loo roll-grabbing supermarket zombie and don’t be rude to the people risking their health to keed us fed, writes Hayley Matthews.
Keep your distance - politely - while you are at the supermarket (Picture: Michael Gillen)Keep your distance - politely - while you are at the supermarket (Picture: Michael Gillen)
Keep your distance - politely - while you are at the supermarket (Picture: Michael Gillen)

I always try to be nice, all of the time – although the odd playground mum may have experienced otherwise (mind you that’s a different ball game altogether if the mama bear is awoken).

For 99.9 per cent of the time I’d say as long as nobody gets my hackles up, I’m very nice and will always do my best to be pleasant.

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But it alarms me massively just how many people I’ve witnessed recently being utter idiots to each other and over nothing. It also always seems to be in a supermarket.

It’s a journey I now dread, as everyone is thrashing about like extras from the Walking Dead, but the abuse I’ve heard staff taking from these loo roll-grabbing zombies has truly been brutal.

So I want to give a supermarket shout-out to someone who I witnessed getting it tight, for no other reason than doing their job. So JD in the wee Sainsburys in Portobello, there was no need for that woman to shout at you when you asked her to go round the one-way system.

I could see you were taken aback by her rudeness and I’m sad to say you’re not the only person I’ve seen in the past few weeks who’s been barked at for doing their job.

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Supermarket staff are all amazing – like doctors and nurses, they are risking their health, and all to make sure that we’re able to feed our families. So cut them some slack. This is a wee thank-you to all the JDs out there and I’m sorry for all the stick you’re getting just now.

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In a divided nation, which side are you on?

I need to moan about something that’s been bothering me for a while now and recently it’s really been bothering me even more, plus I can’t work out why people do it. It’s disgusting, it’s loud and it’s probably not recommended in times such as a global pandemic.

So what am I talking about? Blowing snot out of your nose on to the pavement and with NO TISSUE! Even typing the words makes my hairy wee toes curl!

You’re disgusting if you do it and I’m surprised there isn’t a PS at the bottom of the wash your hands leaflet given out by the government that states: “Oh and please don’t snot out in the open air and leave your germs all over the pavement, you manky lot!”

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It amazes me that there are so many taking things very seriously and actually keeping their distance, being sensible and actually looking out for each other.

And then on the other end of the scale there are the numbskulls walking about in groups, spreading their germs as well as sneezing, coughing, spluttering and ignoring all the sensible advice.

So to the ‘super spreaders’ out there meeting in groups, hanging about and putting everyone at risk, if you do anything please just snot into a tissue because it really is grim to watch.

The population truly has been divided, those who are walking about wearing gloves and surgeon’s masks and those rocking about snoting their brains out on to the street! Which one are you?