At the Supermarket on June 20, 2020.
Later today, it will be the first day of Summer. It's Saturday, so I made my once a week shopping trip to my local Cub supermarket in St. Paul, MN. I've been reporting on those trips since the pandemic started.
Today was motorized shopping cart day, for some reason. All eight of the store's units were in use, and people were waiting for an available one in the shopping cart area. I've never seen that happen before.
Here's what was striking: Not even one of the people using those power shopping carts were wearing a mask. Not one. Most riders, however, were very obese. That's not unusual, of course, but serious obesity is a risk factor for those who get the virus. Puzzling.
Mask use in general was down this week, with only maybe 20% of shoppers wearing them. That's about the lowest percentage I've seen so far. Nobody while I was in the shopping cart area took or used the santitizing wipes that the store provides just inside the door to the cart area, either. Puzzling.
I think the news media is showing too many unmasked people these days in crowd shots. That could be because fewer people are wearing them or because they're filming Trump supporters, who refuse to wear masks because Trump doesn't wear one. I don't know.
I imagine we'll see almost no masks on the audience in Tulsa later today. We'll see them on the protesters outside, probably, but not inside, where they would be even more important.
I fear that the drop-off in mask wearing is going to lead to a new surge in cases this Summer. That's too bad, to say the least.
Way to go, Trump! Way to set an example for the nation, dude!
Me? I have a mask on. I use the sanitizing wipes. I use Purell before getting into my car and after handling my grocery bags. I'm trying my best to be careful on these outings. I'd rather not get sick, to tell you the truth.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I get up at 6:30 AM instead of 6:00. 
That lack of personal exposure breeds complacency and carelessness and I'm sure it's worse in many rural areas. But those who have had a friend or relative sickened or died will take it much more seriously......for a while. It's sad to think that people have to know someone that's been sick in order to take this seriously.
MineralMan, I reported around a week ago here on DU about our most recent trips out to two local stores - one for groceries (Kroger) and another for plumbing and garden supplies (Lowes). The contrast in safety measure being taken by store employees and customers between the two was alarmingly striking.....enough so that I probably won't be going back to that Lowes. What pissed me off the most was than on Lowe's web site, they clearly state that the safety of employees and customers is paramount and even had photos of a typical store showing people with mask and social distancing markers. None of that was seen in my store. In comparison, Kroger's store was very safe.
That tells me that individual store managers are making decisions on what to enforce and what not to. I know our Governor and Metro Executive have made strong recommendations on safety measures for individuals and business to take.
This is a snip from the Kentucky Dept. of Health's PDF on requirements for retail businesses:
In addition to the Healthy at Work Minimum Requirements, retail businesses must
meet the requirements below in order to reopen and remain open.....
The document goes on to spell out in detail all requirements for creating a safe retail space. However, it does not state how that would be enforced. The agency does have a web page where we can report non-compliant businesses and I fully intend to report the above mentioned store.
So, I fear we're in for a long, slow slog. It's sad to think that most people don't care enough about their fellow-man to help reduce the sickness and death by wearing masks and do hand washing until we get an effective vaccine.
KY rant done.......
