Several days ago, I went to the Meijer grocery store in Champaign, Illinois, to buy two weeks worth of groceries. I am trying to minimize shopping trips and to make them as brief and efficient as possible, so I had a shopping list, organized to correspond to the layout of the store so that I could make one trip through each aisle.
A sign on the door asked shoppers to “please” wear masks, to keep social distance, and to follow the one-way arrows on the floors. “Please” was not enough. I counted 16 individuals not wearing masks, including one store employee. Many others had masks on their chins, covering their mouths but not their noses. Even the employees in the deli department were not wearing their masks properly. I crossed off the deli items on my list without making a purchase!
I spoke to an older lady (older than I, and I am 70) who was not wearing a mask, offering her one of my spares. She informed me that she does not “DO” masks. Part of me hopes she contracts Covid-19. But the part of me that remembers 12 years of Catholic school knows that is unworthy, so I must that hope she changes her mind before she gets sick and infects others.
The encounter that most infuriated me was with a registered nurse. This woman was wearing scrubs (she may have just gotten off work as it was 4:00 in the afternoon). Her ID badge showed her to be an employee of Carle Hospital in Urbana, Illinois. A tag showing “RN” was hanging from her ID badge.
I asked her if she was really a registered nurse and she said she was. I asked her why she was not wearing a mask. She said she didn’t need one as long as she kept a “safe distance” from others. But she was less than three feet away from me when she said this — because she was pushing her cart the wrong way down a one-way aisle, passing within a few feet of every other shopper on that aisle. Then she turned the corner and went the wrong way down the next aisle!
I called Carle Hospital and left a voice mail message with their PR department. I did get a call back the next day from a PR minion who offered a non-apology apology. I told her that was insufficient and that I expected to hear from someone in a position of authority.
Yesterday, I did get a call from someone who identified herself as a VP. She assured me that the administration had communicated to the entire staff the importance of wearing masks while in public. Whatever.
I also contacted the public health department, which said it would contact the Meijer management, but could do nothing else because masks are not mandatory here. And I’ve made multiple attempts to contact the Meijer store manager without success. I’ve been on hold for as long as 20 minutes before giving up.
Here’s what really chaps my a$$ — and what the Carle Hospital VP didn’t seem to understand:
First, the RN may have been exposed to Covid-19 while at work and was potentially infecting everyone with whom she interacted while at the grocery story — including this aging exhippie.
Second, by failing to follow public heath advice, this RN was exposing herself to infection, which she could then transmit to patients, some of whom are quite vulnerable.
Finally, by ignoring public health advice to wear a mask and keep social distance, this RN was validating the conduct of all of the other shoppers who won’t wear masks. Seeing her in her scrubs with her ID badge and no mask is a message to them that a health care professional thinks masks are not important.
I appreciate the reluctance of stores to have minimum wage workers confront noncompliant shoppers. We’ve seen appalling examples of people physically attacking store employees. But I’ll be changing grocery stores, even though I prefer Meijer’s bakery and meat/seafood selections, because some other stores seem to be doing a better job.
Anger and frustration are my most frequent moods in recent days, alternating with helplessness and anxiety. Our governor here in Illinois is taking a lot of heat for his actions regarding Covid-19, but Illinois is making progress, unlike some other states. Nevertheless, it is cold comfort when faced with a health care professional who is so cavalier about placing others at risk.