“This is what socialism is like,” an elderly man shouted to us lined up to enter temporarily closed section at Costco.
I found myself in a line more than a block long waiting for the section that houses paper goods, water, and sanitation products to reopen. Once it did, despite limiting items to just two per shopper, many of the restocked items ran out by the time I made my way around the slow-moving parade of shoppers. I mused to myself, “This cannot be because of the rebate check season!”
I should have turned around
A nice lady walking through the parking lot with a cart full of goods suggested that I pick up a cart now as there were no carts available at the storefront. I grabbed a cart from one of the parking lot stalls and continued. It didn’t occur to me that no carts means massive crowds. Anyway, the nice lady was right. There were absolutely NO carts by the front door. Frustrated people were rushing out to the parking lot to locate an empty cart. I silently thanked the lady for forewarning me.
As I walked through the doors, an employee handed me a disinfectant wipe for my hands and the cart handle. Lucky me, I got one of the only two she had left. “I’m all out” she shouted exasperatedly to the people behind me wanting a wipe too. I figured it is because of the coronavirus scare, but I had NO idea just how big this scare is! Then I saw the crowds.
Unbelievable Crowds due to the Coronavirus Scare
I felt like I was in a Frogger game as I tried to navigate to the shelves of merchandise through the swarms of flowing carts. I had to stop several times to allow people to pass me in a woosh. Sort of like the freeway during rush hour.
I gasped at the check-out counters. OMG. A line least a block long led to each individual register. As a result, aisles were blocked, adding to the confusion and overcrowding.
“Why is this happening?” I asked a young man waiting next to me in one of the aisle lines. “It’s the coronavirus. People are scared.” I noted several people wearing masks. And the ones not wearing masks wore frowns.
Consequently, I limited the items I intended to purchase and eased my way into one of the long check-out lines. It moved pretty fast, considering. I felt like a survivor as I exited the store to return to my car. I paid it forward and told approaching folks to grab a cart where they could find one.
This Coronavius scare is real
As a result of the scare, I imagine most Costcos face similar crowds and shortage of supplies. If you can, avoid Costco. To see all the panicked people, and all the empty shelves is an unsettling experience. After this post, I am going to practice one of my tips to feel a little better.
