Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

It’s only sensible when considered by idiots, a lot of that heppening,

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

same way block boarding of airliners is considered sensible ¿

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

Tamb said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

No overtaking allowed?

Tamb said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

Ideally this would work if everyone did as they were told.

Tamb said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

Of course you do, because there are people selecting stuff from shelves. Often in aisles that you don’t need to enter and are only passing through because of the blessed arrows.

captain_spalding said:

Tamb said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

No overtaking allowed?

Not if you respect the 1.5m rule.

Bubblecar said:

Tamb said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

Of course you do, because there are people selecting stuff from shelves. Often in aisles that you don’t need to enter and are only passing through because of the blessed arrows.

You should wait until the selector moves on & maintain the 1.5m

Tamb said:

captain_spalding said:

Tamb said:

Because with one way traffic you won’t pass anyone in the aisle.

No overtaking allowed?

Not if you respect the 1.5m rule.

That would result in people blocking aisles that they don’t even need to enter, while they wait for shoppers to clear so they can continue following the arrows to where they actually need to be, if they ever get there.

Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Bubblecar said:

Tamb said:

captain_spalding said:

No overtaking allowed?

Not if you respect the 1.5m rule.

That would result in people blocking aisles that they don’t even need to enter, while they wait for shoppers to clear so they can continue following the arrows to where they actually need to be, if they ever get there.

Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Nor tof forums posting as government entities.

• Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Ignoring rules that you think are stupid, or think don’t apply to you, is how you end up with packed beaches during a supposed lockdown…

furious said:

• Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Ignoring rules that you think are stupid, or think don’t apply to you, is how you end up with packed beaches during a supposed lockdown…

uh that was the prime minister wanting prime time football for himself and leading by example

furious said:

• Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Ignoring rules that you think are stupid, or think don’t apply to you, is how you end up with packed beaches during a supposed lockdown…

Not in this case. The arrowed aisle routes are a hindrance to effective social distancing.

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Are the aisles somewhat narrow there such that folks passing each other in opposite directions would come within 1.5 m of each other?

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Are the aisles somewhat narrow there such that folks passing each other in opposite directions would come within 1.5 m of each other?

That’s about the width of the aisles at our IGA. No arrows. a few lines before the checkouts for distancing.

Bubblecar said:

furious said:

• Fortunately in practice most people use their brains and pay little heed to the arrows.

Ignoring rules that you think are stupid, or think don’t apply to you, is how you end up with packed beaches during a supposed lockdown…

Not in this case. The arrowed aisle routes are a hindrance to effective social distancing.

But going down every aisle you may see something that wasn’t on your list, but you really really want.

It’s a win/win

(for the supermarket and their suppliers)

JudgeMental said:

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Are the aisles somewhat narrow there such that folks passing each other in opposite directions would come within 1.5 m of each other?

That’s about the width of the aisles at our IGA. No arrows. a few lines before the checkouts for distancing.

indeed, this matter should be easy to check, it is not difficult to measure the width of an aisle

dv said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Are the aisles somewhat narrow there such that folks passing each other in opposite directions would come within 1.5 m of each other?

Yes, but the point is that the most effective social distancing is achieved by people using their eyes and brains, not following arrows around the store which take them far away from where they need to be, and needlessly extend the shopping trip while bringing them into the pathway of more people.

of course, people could just fkn wear a mask each

Bubblecar said:

Yes, but the point is that the most effective social distancing is achieved by people using their eyes and brains, not following arrows around

probably true

I have to say the shops here don’t have arrows. They have some dots to indicate spacing at the queues. But in a place with narrow aisles I think the arrows thing makes sense, though you’d hope it would be optional in times of low traffic. The small Chinese store at Dog Swamp completely reorganised their store to widen the aisles to around 1.8 m.

SCIENCE said:

JudgeMental said:

dv said:

Are the aisles somewhat narrow there such that folks passing each other in opposite directions would come within 1.5 m of each other?

That’s about the width of the aisles at our IGA. No arrows. a few lines before the checkouts for distancing.

indeed, this matter should be easy to check, it is not difficult to measure the width of an aisle

well, when I pretend I’m an aeroplane flying down a narrow valley my fingertips knock heaps of produce off the shelves. My ‘wingspan” is around 1800mm

I suggest you upbraid them about their addlepated poltroonery

dv said:

I have to say the shops here don’t have arrows. They have some dots to indicate spacing at the queues. But in a place with narrow aisles I think the arrows thing makes sense, though you’d hope it would be optional in times of low traffic. The small Chinese store at Dog Swamp completely reorganised their store to widen the aisles to around 1.8 m.

No more than two shoppers are supposed to be in an aisle at once (it’s a small supermarket), which is fair enough and an easy rule to follow without the arrows.

And they have a bouncer st the door ensuring that there are no more than 35 shoppers in at one time.

The arrows are just self-defeating. Often you’re a few seconds from the item you need to get, with a clear path, but if following the arrows you’d have to get there via an irrelevant aisle containing other shoppers.

I haven’t noticed any arrows on the floors. Is it only in the up and down aisles? What about across the “top” (at the checkouts) and the “bottom” (in our supermarkets, that’s the fridges or the deli)? Are you saying you have to go up and down every aisle? Can’t you zoom along the top or bottom to the aisle you want, perhaps using one superfluous one to get in the right direction?

buffy said:

I haven’t noticed any arrows on the floors. Is it only in the up and down aisles? What about across the “top” (at the checkouts) and the “bottom” (in our supermarkets, that’s the fridges or the deli)? Are you saying you have to go up and down every aisle? Can’t you zoom along the top or bottom to the aisle you want, perhaps using one superfluous one to get in the right direction?

You can follow an anti-clockwise direction on the outside circuits of the aisles (which are themselves aisles), but if you have a lot of shopping you inevitably find yourself at the “wrong end” of this or that aisle and have to follow the arrows for another half circuit of the whole thing to get at the “right end”.

As I say, in practice most people just use their eyes and brains and only follow the arrows when it makes sense to do so.

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Two places which desperately need arrows are Ikea and Ceasar’s Palace.

With IGA, it actually wouldn’t hurt. Ditto Aldi. It’d be a disaster in Woolworths or Coles.

mollwollfumble said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Two places which desperately need arrows are Ikea and Ceasar’s Palace.

With IGA, it actually wouldn’t hurt. Ditto Aldi. It’d be a disaster in Woolworths or Coles.

Show working.

Witty Rejoinder said:

mollwollfumble said:

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

Two places which desperately need arrows are Ikea and Ceasar’s Palace.

With IGA, it actually wouldn’t hurt. Ditto Aldi. It’d be a disaster in Woolworths or Coles.

Show working.

Bubblecar said:

Our IGA, probably like a lot of places, has marked its aisles with arrows which shoppers are expected to follow around the store in search of their shopping.

This is supposed to “help with social distancing” but it seems obvious to me that it actually makes the problem worse. Instead of going straight to the item you wish to purchase, following the arrows usually ensures that you travel a greater distance past stuff you don’t need, with increased necessity of passing other shoppers.

So why is it considered a sensible idea? Hmm?

our IGA has the same, but the Woolies and Bunnings I went to today does not.. I suspect it’s because IGA’s in general have narrower aisles making social distancing difficult… having said that, while our IGA has the arrows, they are being ignored by most people.