Tension and New Measures
While many places have shut down, one of the busiest places is now the grocery store. People rush to the toilet paper aisle to see if today can be their lucky day. Grocery carts bump into each other. Many shoppers aren’t wearing masks. The Trader Joe’s in south Reno where Bashay works has all the potential of a contamination zone.
“There's a lot more stress and you can really feel the tension of our customers,” Bashay said. “People are really grateful that we're open and that we're working and that we're still stocked up. ”
New measures have been put in place including staggering people in. “We make sure we only have like 30 to 40 people in the store at a time so people can safely keep their distance,” Bashay said.
Along with customers, Trader Joe’s is also concerned with the safety of their employees.
“Right now we're really just going with what the CDC has been putting out...our company has sent us reusable masks that we can take home and wash and wear everyday. And we have been wearing plastic gloves pretty regularly along with being given breaks to go wash our hands and, you know, just make sure that you're trying to be extra careful.”
Going to Work to Pay Bills
Like many others, Bashay says she has no choice but to keep working. “I have rent that I have to pay and car payments,” she said. She considers herself luck and is grateful for her work despite all the current risks. “Our company has been doing a really good job of trying to keep everybody working as much as they want to,” she said. “So, my hours have remained the same.”
But she sees underlying structural problems. “A lot of people that are working right now are working because they have to pay rent and because they have to support their families somehow,” she said. “And I think it just really points to the bigger issues of our economy and the downfalls of capitalism that people have to put their lives on the line right now to survive.”
The fear of becoming sick has not escaped Bashay’s mind. She says she is not as scared of herself becoming sick but she is weary of infecting others.
“I'm pretty lucky. I'm young, I'm fairly healthy. I have a good immune system. I'm not necessarily scared of getting sick. I am afraid of catching it and not knowing and then spreading it to other people,” she said. “My sister is living with me right now and they're diabetic, so I have fears of bringing it home with me.”
People practice social distancing before being allowed into the Trader Joe’s.
Doing it for the Community
Having to work and still continue school online is yet another stressor for Bashay during the pandemic.
“For me, it's been really difficult realigning my schedule so that I give myself enough time to do all the work in my classes that would've been done in a classroom...I don't have the free time that I know some students have right now,” she said.
Finding a new balance has proven to be difficult, but for Bashay her job has now become more than just a job. She says it has become a duty towards her community.
“A lot of people are out of work right now and I'm lucky enough to not be, I have a job that is necessary for people,” she said. “I'm putting food on people's tables and it feels good to be able to do what I can since so much of this is out of our control. I want to be out there helping people in the way that I can help people.”