One-Way Aisles

When we go to the grocery store we have to wear masks and keep our social distance, of course. That has been going on for weeks and weeks. Now they’ve added one-way aisles. Signs on the floor:

It requires a bit more thinking, and some people don’t do it, but I think it’s a good thing to try. Do you have to do that where you are? If so, what do you think about the idea?

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21 Responses to One-Way Aisles

  1. I think that would be good to do – as you could look L/R without colliding with someone else, you would feel you were “alone and safe” …but you would have to have some idea what was on each side and how fast someone else is doing the aisle…

    And there are always idiots!

    I would make sure I didn’t make a comment to said idiot because they could be unpredictable and slap you or similar…

    • Jean says:

      Actually I have spoken up a couple of times at the store — one was to a couple wearing their masks around their necks. I simply asked them to put them up and they did. When I saw them later they still had them up. Then yesterday I was coming down an aisle and someone was about to come in the wrong way with a big cart of groceries and I cheerfully said, “Wrong way!” as if they had forgotten. They didn’t look happy, but they backed up. Mostly people around here are cheerful about the whole thing, thank goodness.

  2. Mike Goad says:

    The one-way signs have been up for quite a while, but a lot of people don’t comply.

    We generally go in the morning, rather than later in the day. We have found that there were fewer shoppers then and more people were wearing masks. Arkansas has instituted a statewide policy so people not wearing masks is no longer a problem.

    • Jean says:

      Here they have an employee at the entrance to make sure people are wearing masks. That’s a plus. And we try to go when the store isn’t too crowded, but here it’s hard to predict. Mainly we don’t dawdle and try to keep our distance.

  3. nick says:

    Yes, our supermarkets have had one way systems for a while, with aisles marked for use in one direction only. I have to admit I sometimes cheat and walk down an aisle the wrong way if I want something that’s fairly close and there’s nobody else in the aisle.

    • Jean says:

      I’ll do that too, if something is at the end of the aisle. I just leave the cart outside and quickly get what I need, making sure I keep a social distance. The main thing is it keeps the interactions with other people down.

  4. Madsnapper says:

    We have been doing this at Walmart since they started to senior the second week in March. Not sure if all Walmarts have it but ours does the first few times I went in I kept forgetting and just going down the aisle and then one day a lady said to me not that I care that you’re going the wrong way she said but on the other aisle there’s a lady who just jumped all over me because I was going the wrong way and I don’t want her to jump on you and I looked at her and said what do you mean the wrong way and she pointed at the thing I had walked across that said do not enter we both laughed and I started following the path. It works pretty good except that I walk much faster so I have to pass people and they don’t like it

    • Jean says:

      If I have to pass by someone I go fast and turn my head away from them while I’m doing it. It’s clear I’m not breathing on them and am trying to be polite.

  5. tammy j says:

    it’s rather confusing here. first they did it. now they don’t. and some do.
    and some don’t! I only go to Target and Walmart. but one reason the Walmart has stopped I think… they are remodeling and it’s in general upheaval anyway!
    I actually go there because my pharmacy is there. and I love my pharmacist!
    he’s as great as any doctor I’ve known. he truly loves what he does. and he’s very knowlegable and helpful!
    and I don’t mind the one way aisles. but like most of your readers I go when it’s not busy anyway and in my mask always.

  6. We had the one way aisles for quite a while and I hated them. You end up walking more than you want because you have to go down all the aisles when I’m used to skipping the ones I don’t need. Just this week they took the one-way signs off the floors and I was so glad they did. Too many people weren’t following them anyway. Masks, yes, most people are wearing masks and have been right along although this past week the governor added a $500 fine if you don’t.

    • Cindi says:

      I’m trying not to go into stores because of course I’m compromised.
      But when I do it’s early morning or like at two in the afternoon when nobody much is out. I follow the arrows, But if something is towards the end that I need and nobody’s in the aisle I back my cart in. Going backwards so I can suddenly stop and push forward if someone comes down the aisle. I feel like it’s the least I can do if I want people to stay away from me. I find wearing my cancer beanie has created some distance for me in stores. People have backed away from me and I appreciate that. Or told me oh no go ahead. I’m always a little bit scared to be inside a store and I don’t dillydally.

    • Jean says:

      Yes, the main thing is masks and be polite about keeping a distance.

      Cindy,
      Yes, you have to be extra careful, and I’m glad people are considerate. Take care!

  7. Hootin Anni says:

    We’ve had that at Wal-Mart stores for weeks, but as far as I know (don’t go there much), no-one heeds.

  8. Andrea says:

    We don’t go into stores too much, since this whole virus thing started, but I was always notorious for back-tracking in the grocery store for something I forgot two aisles over… and invariably I would “go the wrong way on the one-way street” if the store had signs like this. It doesn’t take much to confuse this old girl. *LOL* Love, Andrea xoxo

  9. The OP Pack says:

    That has been going on here for a while now, but it seems like most people just ignore it. Most of the time I am at the wrong end of the aisle I need to go down, but at least it gets me a few more steps in each day:)

  10. Ann Thompson says:

    They have the one way aisles at some of the stores here but very few people follow them.

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