Why I would rather be in my local than in a supermarket

From: Brian H Sheridan, Lodge Moor, Sheffield.

WHILE it would be insane for any government not to give precedence to supermarkets over pubs during the present health crisis, Malcolm Toft’s suggestion that, in reality, the pub might be a safer place of refuge than the supermarket is not without foundation (The Yorkshire Post, March 24).

Pubs are no longer the smoke-filled, often seedy, maledominated haunts of 30 years ago. Yes, as many people visit them for the company as for the booze, but they are no longer heaving to the point where you are struggling to get served.

Mrs Sheridan doesn’t like pubs but she allots me two visits a week to my locals. Apart from the occasional exchange with an acquaintance, I am alone with my pint and my newspaper.

From: Diane Haigh MA, Scalby Mills Road, Scarborough.

A GREAT idea suggested to me by an assistant at my local Tesco Express store is why not chain up all the trolleys at supermarkets, thus forcing shoppers to use only hand baskets?

This will certainly curtail the amount of goods people can fit into their basket and, hopefully, make them think about the impact of what they are doing.

From: John Senior, Skelmanthorpe.

SADLY it was to be expected that some people would stockpile. Unfortunately the sight of empty shelves encourages others to follow suit, often removing items as quickly as the shelf fillers place them on the shelf. I only hope the Government has plans to break this positive feedback loop: only the sight of full shelves will stop some people from stockpiling.

From: Anthony Painter, Chief Research and Impact Officer, RSA.

IT is welcome to see many more Conservatives supporting an emergency Basic Income, especially for the self-employed.

The current system is complex, means-tested and cumbersome – polling for the RSA indicates that only 16 per cent of workers could live off £94 per week. There is a real risk that in overly designing a meanstested system, HM Treasury will miss many of those on low-andmiddle incomes the government wants to help.

From: Peter Riakcaby, Selby.

IT seems a little strange to deny four friends playing golf together yet allowing train passengers to be packed like sardines.