Don't Squeeze The Tomatoes

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Shopping will never be the same again because of all the text messages in grocery stores that are part of COVID -19 etiquette.

Text messages begin at the entrance, sanitize before you push that cart. You rub your hands with the foam and push. Careful now. There are text messages on the floor about 6 feet apart and following this arrow and that arrow, and not touching fruit you have no intention of buying.

‘Don’t squeeze the tomatoes!’

Well! I’ve never seen such a sign but the fruit and veg section has text messages requesting us not to touch anything we are not buying because of the virus, the one and only COVID-19.

However, buying clothes (we don’t need most of the time) is when we feel the sting of this virus. Shopping is not leisure anymore. What do they call it, retail therapy? How can it? We waited for an hour before we entered the mall, and 30 minutes to enter the store.

Because of this, we can’t wander about eyeballing jeans, dresses, coats, tops or shoes. Focus. What have you come to buy? Remember the 15 people in the line outside. Shop and scram. Should I buy the green or black bag? Not anymore. Buy the black one, it goes with everything.

Stores are happy about one thing though, very few returns. Some people specialize in returning clothes firstly, because they have nothing to do at home and secondly, because they didn’t need the items in the first place. Returning clothes specialists, think twice now about taking goods back to the store.

I’m bored.

Let’s go the mall and kill time.

What! You want to kill me?

That’s COVID-19 for you. The mall is no longer a community centre. 

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

 

 

 

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