JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Many people are playing it safe while running errands during the COVID-19 pandemic by wearing gloves and face masks to protect against the virus. If you're among those covering their hands and mouth while out in public, here's a simple request:
Stop leaving your dirty, nasty gloves and face masks on the ground. Just throw them in the trash, please.
Anyone who's visited a local grocery store lately has likely seen used gloves and masks littered across the parking lot. Maybe you've caught people in the act of throwing their COVID-19 gear on the ground or, worse, you're one of those people leaving possibly-contaminated personal protective equipment on the pavement for employees to pick up. The same employees who are already working tirelessly to stock shelves and ring up everyone's groceries all while dealing with a higher-than-usual influx of customers.
Grocery store employees are doing all they can to make everyone's shopping trip as quick, easy and safe as possible during this pandemic, and now people are leaving contaminated gloves and masks on the ground for employees to pick up?
Below is a gallery of photos taken of gloves scattered across Target, Walmart and Publix parking lots just on Jacksonville's Southside alone.
Gloves scattered across grocery store parking lots in Jacksonville
This needs to stop. The grocery store is not home, and its employees are not a personal maid service.
It's understandable that many people are in a rush to get in and out of the store to avoid exposure to the virus. But efforts to be cautious should not come at the expense of basic manners.
Now more than ever, it's important to be kind and respectful toward one another. From layoffs to lost wages to parents having to homeschool their children all while trying to put food on the table -- everyone is affected by this pandemic and is going through a tough time.
So before leaving any dirty gloves or masks on the ground, remember that the person tasked with picking it up is already going through their own struggles in this pandemic, yet they still showed up to work that day to ensure shoppers were able to get what they need.
Then after you've had that thought, take your gloves (or mask), walk over to the nearest trash can and throw them away like you have some sense.
Erica Santiago is a digital producer for First Coast News who covers everything from crime to entertainment to memes and more. Have a story idea? Email her at esantiago@firstcoastnews.com or follow her on Twitter at @erica_news.