Grocery store cash register: The danger zone

SailinAway · 12-31-2020, 07:30 PM

Researchers agree that the grocery store is one of the highest-risk places for COVID-19, and that the area around the cash register is the riskiest place in the store.

One thing confuses me. In a space measuring about 6' x 6' you have the cashier, the customer, the cashier directly behind the customer, and 1 or 2 baggers. Sometimes there might also be someone training a new employee on the cash register. That's up to 6 people crowded into a tiny space. The space between you and the cashier behind you is literally two feet.

To make things worse, there may be a taped-off area on the floor in front of the cash register that says STAND HERE. No way am I going to stand in that tiny space! I stand 6 feet BACK from the cashier and approach briefly only to pay.

I'm not sure how stores came up with this nonsensical idea of forcing 6 people into a space that's only safe for ONE person.

Also note that research is now showing how little protection the plexiglass shield in front of the cashier offers.

12-31-2020, 07:30 PM	#1
SailinAway Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Posts: 991 Thanks: 256 Thanked 280 Times in 169 Posts	Grocery store cash register: The danger zone Researchers agree that the grocery store is one of the highest-risk places for COVID-19, and that the area around the cash register is the riskiest place in the store. One thing confuses me. In a space measuring about 6' x 6' you have the cashier, the customer, the cashier directly behind the customer, and 1 or 2 baggers. Sometimes there might also be someone training a new employee on the cash register. That's up to 6 people crowded into a tiny space. The space between you and the cashier behind you is literally two feet. To make things worse, there may be a taped-off area on the floor in front of the cash register that says STAND HERE. No way am I going to stand in that tiny space! I stand 6 feet BACK from the cashier and approach briefly only to pay. I'm not sure how stores came up with this nonsensical idea of forcing 6 people into a space that's only safe for ONE person. Also note that research is now showing how little protection the plexiglass shield in front of the cashier offers.