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[OPINION] When people cut in line, and other lockdown shopping woes

Maw Tuazon

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[OPINION] When people cut in line, and other lockdown shopping woes
'This lockdown brings the best and worst out of people'

I’ve seen posts from friends saying that we’re currently in a post-apocalyptic movie or series of sorts. Instead of dodging zombies to avoid being eaten alive, we avoid people for fear of contracting COVID-19. Have you seen that meme about being a “tribute” in the Hunger Games when you do a grocery run? It’s actually pretty accurate (and not at all funny) when you go out to get essential supplies.

I am able to say this because I was tasked to do so yesterday. It was my first time to go out since the lockdown started, and honestly, the experience was surreal and quite overwhelming – another reminder of the things we’ve taken for granted when we weren’t in this predicament. 

My day started early. Mom woke me up at 8 am; she told me that I’d encounter long lines at the grocery and pharmacy. After smoking and drinking coffee, I started to prepare the needed precautionary measures (face mask, eye goggles, surgical gloves, hand sanitizer, alcohol spray, hoodie, and track pants). I also had to consider the return trip so I left clothes and a towel at our tiny, out-in-the-open garage so I could take a quick bath before I entered the house again. To add, I also soaked a rag in alcohol so that I could wipe the grocery items that I’d be bringing back.  

Tedious is an understatement, but I’m not complaining. I am grateful that we have money to buy the things that we need, as I know that some of our countrymen do not have the means to do so. As much as I’d like to help financially, I don’t have a job right now so the most that I could do is be encouraging and supportive to those who are struggling mentally.

Before I digress, here are a few of my observations from my “adventure.” 

1. Lines, lines, lines

What my mom said was true. I left at 8:30 am and I got back at 12:30 pm. That’s 4 hours just to go to 3 establishments that are a few blocks away from our house (Southstar Drugstore, Mercury Drug, and Robinsons Easymart). By my estimate, the time I spent falling in line was 2.5 hours. The remaining 1.5 hours was for walking to and fro and for buying goods. (READ: [OPINION] Notes from a supermarket on the last day of freedom)

2. Rampant discrimation

I was #30 at the Mercury Drug line when Kuya #50 coughed repeatedly. He was wearing a face mask like all of us there but most of the people near him eyed him suspiciously. Manang #49 moved away and loudly said that he shouldn’t be out (“inuubo ka na nga, lumabas ka pa“). Ate #48 and Manong #47 did the same thing and told him to leave the line. No one even thought that it could be a simple throat itch; most automatically assumed that he was sick. 

3. Out-of-place sense of entitlement

I was near the entrace of Mercury Drug when all of the sudden, a woman got out of a car and went straight to the guard. She didn’t look like a senior citizen. At most, she was probably 40-45 years old. She told manong guard that she had a lot of points on her Suki Card so she had to be allowed to go in immediately. When that argument didn’t work, she then said that she was a friend of a barangay official. Those of us who heard her were fuming mad at that point. It was a good thing that she wasn’t allowed inside as the guard bravely told her to fall in line. Humiliated (as we all clapped at what manong guard did), she left after yelling expletives.  

4. Physical distancing inside stores is a joke

Yes, the lines outside give you a sense that physical distancing is being practiced, but that isn’t the case when you enter the establishment. Even when they’ve limited the number of people who can enter the store, you can still see shoppers crowding certain areas (the canned goods and meat sections). The only way to keep safe is for you to move as fast as you can, avoiding people (in any way possible) as you get the stuff that you need.  

If you think about it, this lockdown brings the best and worst out of people. I’ve seen leaders act with humility and I’ve encountered normal citizens who prefer to display their egos. This is sad as some haven’t realized that we’re all in this together. We may come from different walks of life but our goal remains the same.

I know that these are challenging times but surely, we can do better. My advice when you go out to do a grocery run: leave whatever sense of entitlement you have at home. Have a grateful heart at all times as we do our best to keep ourselves and our families safe. – Rappler.com

Maw Tuazon is a concerned Filipino citizen who took up Political Science in UP Diliman. In her spare time, she writes fiction and real-life strories while she plots to rule the universe.

 

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