Thread by @MollyMcKew

A story about the supermarket checkers POTUS says must stay on the job:

My dad drove down to the big grocery store that’s serves the whole valley in not-close-to-things, Idaho. He needed aspirin and there wasn’t any left further up the valley /1

If you’ve never lived not in a city or on a shipping route — supplies run out. These communities are the end of the line. You actually have to go to the post office for your amazon packages *gasp*

Anyway. Supplies are getting sparse. Managers not sure when more comes /2

So my dad goes to check out with his aspirin, behind people with full loads (because they are worried and live really far from groceries), which up there is like$4-500/cart. when he get to the front of the line, the young checker bursts into tears.

My dad asks what’s wrong. /3

She says she has three young kids and she and her husband both have to work and she feels like she isn’t protecting her kids because there’s no way she can afford to buy any extra groceries on her supermarket salary, so what is she supposed to do/4

She’s spent all week packing everyone’s emergency rations, bag after bag, cart after cart, knowing she can’t do the same.

My dad is stricken.

So he bought aspirin and a grocery gift card and gave her the gift card.

Knowing my dad, he will go back again. /5

My point here: supermarket workers never expected to be the frontline of civil defense.

Nonetheless their bosses have just promised the president that no matter what happens, they will be on the job.

That has many implications. Look out for people. /6