What Grinds My Gears: COVIDiot Couples in the Grocery Store

Since our new normal started, I have a new Wednesday morning routine.  I don’t officially have to clock in remotely until 10:30, and since the WalMart Supercenter opens at 7 now, I go there to do my grocery shopping.  Armed with a scarf for the poor man’s mask (the actual ones I ordered haven’t come in yet) and winter gloves (my rubber ones ran out and ibid. with the order), I was ready to stock up on my proteins and veggies (not that I’m, umm, bragging, of course).  And it’s less crowded early in the morning.
 
So, anyway, I saw quite a few couples shopping together.  Awwww.  In these apocalyptic times when the term “social distancing” is now part of our discourse, I’m wondering three things: 1) Do they REALLY need to go to the store together right now; 2) why do some couples insist on taking up both sides of the salad dressing aisle; and 3) why do they need to LINGER there?
I can understand if one-half of the couple is disabled and cannot be by himself/herself, but these are able-bodied people.  Perhaps, the disability isn’t visible, but I see a low probability that so many halves of couples have disabilities that require them to be looked after 100% of the time.
 
Of course, I’m always looking for excuses to blog, so this made my inner scribe happy.  I posted it on CoSP because that’s a safe space to post about stuff like this.  In many places, supermarkets are enforcing a “one cart per person” rule, as well as a “one adult per family” rule.  Southeastern Virginia tends to be a little behind when it comes to progress, so you can’t really expect that here. 
 
My favorite comment: “but they will miss each other terribly for those 5 minutes.  Two halves, etc.  Would you send a half a person into a store by itself?” – Stine Merete Aspheim
 
Stine’s got the right idea, referring to that asinine yet ubiquitous saying of “my other half” as meant to refer to one’s person.  Are you not a whole person? 
 
So, couples, enjoy each other’s company during this time.  But you can leave your “other half” home for an hour.  You might benefit from enjoying your own company as individuals.