How is the corona virus affecting you?

caseydog said:
In Texas, it is not a recommendation, it is an Executive Order. Businesses can tell you to leave, and you could even be arrested if you refuse to leave. That's the only way masks work -- if everyone has to wear them in public places. It is like stop signs and speed limits on roadways, they don't work if they are just "recommendations."

CD
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Of course not, anyone understands that but not our goverment apparently.
 
epicuric said:
Most of the banks in my local town used to be open 6 days per week, and generally between the hours of 09:00 - 16:30. Now, most only open five days per week, and the opening hours are down to 10:00 - 14:00. The only places you will queues outside are the odd tiny sandwich shop (that can only accommodate 2 customers at a time), and every single bank. Unlike at supermarkets, the queues outside banks show no sign of reducing though.
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Its the same here - going to the bank now entails advance planning to make sure its open and to find a slot during the working day where one of us can pop out.
Its not a huge problem to us - we don't go to the bank very often, maybe a handful of times per year as most things can be done online. But if we have cash to deposit, or I have a cheque then a trip to the bank is needed (hubby's bank allows him to pay a cheque in via their mobile app - I wish mine did!). I don't mind them cutting opening hours, but why can't one of the days they're open be a Saturday so us people who work full time can get there more easily?
 
We solved the problem of busy shops yesterday by going to the local Co-op in the pouring rain. That kept the numbers down - there was barely a soul in the shop.

Actually, it's generally fairly predictable. We tend to do our weekly bit of shopping at the Co-op at around half past ten to eleven o'clock on a Wednesday. This avoids weekends and lunchtimes. They have a "key workers" slot earlier in the day, so obviously we miss that out as well.
 
The supermarket closest to me either has a queue outside or there's a queue for the cash registers inside. Because the supermarket is tiny when there's queue inside you'll be queueing with no safety distance from the other people and this is your only option unless you want the queue for the cash register to get mixed with the queue for the butchers and the fishmonger or people bumping into the shelves. This is my favorite supermarket chain in the country (owned by Jeronimo Martins which also owns part of Albert Hein in the Netherlands) and carries some of my favorite white label products but these days I'd rather take a 15 minute walk and go to other supermarket that never has this kind of queues.
 
caseydog said:
We have banks on every steet corner. But, they all offer drive through banking, so you can do most transactions without leaving your car. It has been that way for decades, in the US -- nothing new with Covid. If there is a line/queue at a bank, it is a line of cars at the drive through lanes. I can't remember the last time I was actually inside a bank. In fact, I do about 95-percent of my banking transactions online. If I have to deposit a paper check/cheque, I use the drive through.

CD
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My employer has retail/branch locations, and some just opened this week, with restrictions in place, and the rest will open next week.

I might go into a bank branch twice a year at best. I don't even hit ATMs anymore, because on the rare occasions I need cash, I just get it on my next Kroger outing ("Would you like cash back?"). Any checks get deposited through my phone.

Thinking back, the last three visits:

Deposit cash
Buy foreign currency
Review accounts

That covers about three years. When I first moved out on my own, it was the norm to go to the bank once a week.
 
caseydog said:
We have banks on every steet corner. But, they all offer drive through banking, so you can do most transactions without leaving your car. It has been that way for decades, in the US -- nothing new with Covid. If there is a line/queue at a bank, it is a line of cars at the drive through lanes. I can't remember the last time I was actually inside a bank. In fact, I do about 95-percent of my banking transactions online. If I have to deposit a paper check/cheque, I use the drive through.

CD
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The vast majority of our banks are town/city centre based, usually large grandiose Victoria/Georgian buildings, so drive through would not be possible. Plus, a fair number of town/city dwellers here don't have cars anyway!
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Its the same here - going to the bank now entails advance planning to make sure its open and to find a slot during the working day where one of us can pop out.
Its not a huge problem to us - we don't go to the bank very often, maybe a handful of times per year as most things can be done online. But if we have cash to deposit, or I have a cheque then a trip to the bank is needed (hubby's bank allows him to pay a cheque in via their mobile app - I wish mine did!). I don't mind them cutting opening hours, but why can't one of the days they're open be a Saturday so us people who work full time can get there more easily?
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Absolutely agree. Did you know that you can pay checks into most bank accounts via the Post Office. You need a special envelope and to use a paying in slip but it does save a trip to town - we have two Post Office's in neighbouring villages.
 
epicuric said:
Absolutely agree. Did you know that you can pay checks into most bank accounts via the Post Office. You need a special envelope and to use a paying in slip but it does save a trip to town - we have two Post Office's in neighbouring villages.
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Our nearest post office didn't offer banking services until fairly recently but now they do its certainly a possibility (I'm assuming you get the special envelopes from the PO, because the Natwest website doesn't actually say). Though I hopefully won't receive any more cheques until next year now!
 
MrsDangermouse said:
Our nearest post office didn't offer banking services until fairly recently but now they do its certainly a possibility (I'm assuming you get the special envelopes from the PO, because the Natwest website doesn't actually say). Though I hopefully won't receive any more cheques until next year now!
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Yes, I'm with NatWest too. You get the envelopes from the Post Office and use you NatWest paying slip. Very easy. Post offices do all sorts these days!
 
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My wife had an interesting conversation today. She learnt anecdotally that a lady who works with her (only part time) had just been joined at home be her daughter returning from New York. This lady was due to work tomorrow, so my wife, with foresight called her to make sure everything was in order with their quarantine arrangements. [Everyone coming into the UK from any country that is not specifically exempted must quarantine/self-isolate for 14 days, or face a possible £1000 fine. Other members of the same household need not quarantine providing that self-isolation has been observed - the quarantined person must be confined to their own room(s) and no physical contact should be made for the 14 days]. Turns out this lady had picked up her daughter from the airport by car and brought her home - a 2 hour journey. Then they have proceeded to live a normal existence, albeit the daughter hasn't left the house because she wasn't sure if she needed to quarantine herself. The lady herself has been going out and living life as normal. They are both extremely intelligent people - the lady in question had been a legal representative and state official when she lived in the US, and she is a really lovely lady. The daughter is a teacher. FFS, what is wrong with some people? It took us 2 mins to find the relevant info on the official website explaining quite clearly who needs to quarantine, and how. I shall pass no judgement on the fact this lady is rather taken with President Trump ("He gets things done"), and has expressed doubts as to the scale of the covid problem. It was politely suggested that she acquaint herself the the regulations, and that she wouldn't be coming back to work for the next 2 weeks.
 
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It's been a real bank week. I had a bill to pay yesterday at a bank I don't normally use. I asked my son who lives 25 min drive away if his town had a bank of New Zealand. Yes and told me how to get there. I normally pay cash for everything, but had an account number I had to pay it in. I pulled up at the front and for the first time ever I saw a guard with a mask on and allowing people in one at a time. I had a mask in my car (wife's) so for the first time I wore one. All went like clockwork. Paid the bill and left.

Russ
 
epicuric said:
Absolutely agree. Did you know that you can pay checks into most bank accounts via the Post Office. You need a special envelope and to use a paying in slip but it does save a trip to town - we have two Post Office's in neighbouring villages.
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Over here, we can deposit checks with a smartphone app. You don't have that?

My biggest customers pay me by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). It is safe and easy for them and for me. All of my invoices are PDF files sent via email. I love paperless transactions.

CD
 
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