Curbside Pickup Of Disease

We were in the middle of a widespread health crisis, but I still needed some lumber and other supplies, so I placed the order online — and paid for it in full — with the option to pick it up at the store. When I got the email that my order was ready, I headed to the store.

I parked by the door nearest the pick-up registers and found it locked. There, an employee told me I needed to enter at the pro entrance — at the other end of the store.

Since my purchases included a significant amount of lumber, I moved my truck to the pro entrance, which was also near the lumber dept. There was nobody outside from whom I could request curbside pickup, so I entered and asked where I could pick up my order. I was directed to the pickup registers — at the other end of the store.  

But since that door was locked, I had to walk the length of the store inside, through all the other (unmasked) customers. I got there, waited a moment for an employee to call on me, and handed her my order confirmation. She called it in and we waited… and waited… and waited. 

Another employee started coughing during this wait, so I stepped several feet away. I didn’t know what we were waiting for because I’d been emailed that the order was ready to be picked up. Around this time, I told the employee that I wanted to exit the pro door because that’s where my truck was parked. She assured me that I’d be exiting that door.

Then, another employee showed up with a cart loaded with my purchase. Now I would have to go back through the crowd to the pro door. I was really miffed, so I asked if I could get out the nearer door. She said no, but that I could exit through the — relatively close — garden center.

I chose that route, as it got me outside quicker, but now I had an even longer way to push the load — and the sidewalk had been blocked by a couple of delivery trucks so I had to push it through the car lane.

And that’s how this septuagenarian got his exercise today. I am so glad I wore a mask, face shield, and broad-brimmed hat to minimize my exposure to all the yahoo customers and employees wandering around the store with no PPE at all.

So much for “curbside pickup.”