Coronavirus and wearing masks in stores

[Super S]

I have been hearing that the Costco stores in Oregon (where self-serve is generally not allowed except in smaller towns) are refusing service at the gas pumps if you are not wearing a mask, as part of their requirement that masks be worn by customers. I don't see the point at gas pumps especially if the customer remains in the car with the window up at least partially. This, in my opinion, goes too far.

[storewanderer]

I have been hearing that the Costco stores in Oregon (where self-serve is generally not allowed except in smaller towns) are refusing service at the gas pumps if you are not wearing a mask, as part of their requirement that masks be worn by customers. I don't see the point at gas pumps especially if the customer remains in the car with the window up at least partially. This, in my opinion, goes too far.

Unfortunately, I think Costco can do what it wants to do and if customers do not like it, they should get a refund on their membership and go elsewhere. I didn't renew my membership when it came up recently simply because I was frustrated by how overcrowded the store was and also the early closing on Saturday. I still have Sam's Club simply because it is more convenient for me, the place is a ghost town in the evenings, and is open later on Saturday, but is is a ghost town for a reason, it is a far inferior store to Costco with a lot less product. But it does what I need. Costco got me on a lot of impulse purchases, they are great merchandisers; Sam's, very rarely that happens. I go in for what I go in for and that is it. Costco Stores are very overcrowded as it is so if they lose a few customers from this, it may not be the worst thing.

Costco does not want to be sued by its employees who contract the virus. This is purely a risk management move.

The employee serving gas customers comes within 6 feet of the customer to take their payment card I guess...

Maybe the policy at the gas pump needs to be like this:

Fill ups only - no partial fills.

Customer exits car, inserts Costco card and payment card into pump, then gets back into car and rolls up windows and employee comes and fills the gas. Customer cannot exit car until employee hangs up nozzle. Employee then prints receipt and customer cannot exit car to get the receipt until after the employee has left the area.

There, no interaction at all.

I wonder how this works at the self serve gas stations. First there is the issue of people who get out of the car and start pumping with no mask. Do they get stopped in the middle of fueling? Very few people wear a mask while driving their car so now you want the customer to put a mask on and then interact with the gas pump? That gets the pump handle and keypad full of germs from the customer's germy mask they touched. Then it brings germs from the gas pump onto the customer's mask when they touch it again to take it off. Since Costco provides no window washing amenities (paper towels) you cannot simply take a paper towel and use that to interact with the gas pump as I have been doing when I buy gas. This is not great. But this isn't about the customer. This is about Costco protecting itself.

[veteran+]

Costco is known for their respect and care of their employees.

Kudos to Costco!

[TW-Upstate NY]

Witnessed an interesting dialogue between a customer and a cashier at a local chain market this morning. This guy was holding up the express lane pretty much blowing a gasket because he spotted an employee without a mask on. While he had a valid point he should not have gone off on the cashier who was properly attired mask-wise as was myself. Apparently his berating the cashier brought the supervisor over there. This went on for probably five minutes or more all the while the line is getting longer and longer. Eventually they agree to disagree and she begins his transaction. The guy pays with a debit card using his fingers to touch the pin pad. Here he goes off and makes a scene and then does something like that. I even remarked to the checker about that and she found it ironic as well. This entire period in our history offers a fascinating look at consumer and human behavior to say the least. And being the baseball fan I am and to inject a little humor in an otherwise grim situation, it's like Yogi Berra would say-"you can observe a lot by watching." RIP Yogi-you were truly one of a kind.

[cjd]

I wonder how this works at the self serve gas stations. First there is the issue of people who get out of the car and start pumping with no mask. Do they get stopped in the middle of fueling? Very few people wear a mask while driving their car so now you want the customer to put a mask on and then interact with the gas pump? That gets the pump handle and keypad full of germs from the customer's germy mask they touched. Then it brings germs from the gas pump onto the customer's mask when they touch it again to take it off. Since Costco provides no window washing amenities (paper towels) you cannot simply take a paper towel and use that to interact with the gas pump as I have been doing when I buy gas. This is not great. But this isn't about the customer. This is about Costco protecting itself.

All of the stations here are self serve. There is no mask requirement. I stopped at the Circle K last Friday (I think only my second fill up since the whole virus thing started, I'm saving a lot of gas now.)

I paid at the pump but did not go inside the store. I was however right in front of the entrance and I only saw one person going in or out with a mask on. Nobody at the pumps that I saw had on masks.

I used the edge of my card to press the buttons. There are paper towels below the squeegee, so I grabbed two and used that to pump the gas with. I was intending to do this last time I went but I didn't notice there were paper towels until I was driving off.

[Alpha8472]

I have seen some Walmart pharmacies selling masks from a strange brand. The box was in English but the masks were made in China. It had a stereotypical white person in a suit and mask on it. Somehow it just seems kind of creepy buying these Chinese masks. The Chinese know that selling masks to Americans is like printing money. Americans will buy it. Somehow I feel exploited. The pricing was much higher than what masks were selling for before this pandemic.

There was also a larger pack of masks, but it was a cheaper looking plastic wrapped package with Chinese writing and English translations on a slip of paper. It looked even scarier as if were counterfeit or non-medical quality. This is not really professional looking. The expiration date was a rubber stamp on the paper.

There are no American made masks available. It would take 9 to 12 months to order a mask making machine and most American companies would not want to wait that long. By the time it would get here, this mask shortage could be over.

[jamcool]

There are US companies making masks, but those are going to health care and first responders, not to the general public

[storewanderer]

I went to Whole Foods. As I was walking up I saw a few customers walk out pushing carts, without a mask.

I approached the employee at the door who greeted me and offered a cart. Did not offer me a mask. I said don't I need a mask to come in? She said no, masks are voluntary. I said oh... then she said but I can get you one if you would like. But it is completely voluntary you do not have to wear one. I said okay. She dug the box of masks out of a shopping basket covered with cleaning supplies. So I think I was the first person to take them up on the mask request in quite a while.

Once in the store, every employee had a bandana or otherwise "home made" mask on, except the guy in meat and a couple people in deli who had the blue Whole Foods disposable masks on. Maybe 35% of customers inside had masks on.

I wonder what happened. Last week Whole Foods was mandatory masks, pro actively offered by the person at the door, and almost everyone, customers and employees alike, wore the blue Whole Foods masks.

[Alpha8472]

Employees are required to wear masks. Customers are requested to but not required. The masks also come out of the store's budget. So Amazon wants to give out as few as possible.

[BillyGr]

Employees are required to wear masks. Customers are requested to but not required. The masks also come out of the store's budget. So Amazon wants to give out as few as possible.

The customer rules, of course, may vary depending on state rules.