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I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

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Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#141
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In store: you need to have someone stock the shelves, someone walk through the store and pick groceries, and someone handle the payment in person. Chance of infection: depends how long since someone coughed in the store. Online: you need someone to stock the orders and wait for people to drive up for curbside pickup. Chance of infection: low. Surely the second option is both safer and more efficient?

Probably different regions but none of my grocery stores do online like that. They have someone walk the aisles and shop like a regular shopper, and check-out at the cash register like a regular shopper. They will even give you their receipt to verify the order. You're just offloading the risk of infection to someone being paid to grab groceries.

Partially I'm guessing this is an artifact of just-in-time delivery - almost no storage outside of shelves (there's no central storage location that could fulfill orders).

Still, if the stores handle this themselves - it's much more feasible to take extra precautions - from using a locker room to change into a uniform (not bringing outdoor/home clothes into the store) - to using disposable gloves etc.

Ideally, stores would offer only pickup and delivery - and not allow in-store shopping at all.

Would probably make sense to increase staff as needed, as any additional staff needs would scale with increase in revenue.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#142
I must say, from the title I was expecting to be disappointed - but this is a very nice and clear example of a useful little hack combining python requests module and a little web page introspection.

I think maybe I'd have gone down to every 5 minutes, to be a little nicer to the end-point (especially when sharing the code) - otoh once a minute isn't to much of a hammer, I guess.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#143
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Walmart is also tied for my top spot for in-person shopping during this. Walmart gets that spot because of their mobile app which does a pretty good job of telling me what is in stock at my local store. My other top choice is a small (three store) chain in Western Washington called Central Market [1]. (If the name seems familiar, it may be from season 10 of "Top Chef" which was set in Seattle. Top Chef normally sends…

New Seasons Markets in Oregon and Washington are doing all these steps as well.

Our Whole Foods is also limiting the total amount of people in the store, so you have to wait in a line for people to leave before you can enter

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#144
post #128
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you otherwise healthy? If so and if you find almost every food delivery slot taken then I would say yes, you should be doing your grocery shopping in person. It's not a huge burden to change your behaviours for other people's benefit especially if others also do the same.

> It's not a huge burden to change your behaviours for other people's benefit especially if others also do the same. Potentially exposing oneself to a lethal virus is indeed a huge burden, and I do not agree that anyone is obligated to put themselves at risk.

No one is obligated to put themselves at risk but you can think of it as a choice that you can make to benefit others. All the doctors and nurses who have come out of retirement to work in hospitals at a time where their personal risk is high are doing it not because they feel obligated but because they recognise it is something they can do now so that fewer people suffer in the future. Choosing to go to the grocery store even when there are lower risk alternatives should be the same.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#145
post #115

Why is grocery delivery considered a ‘safer’ option than going to the store yourself. I actually prefer to do it myself. I’d rather be the one to lay hands on all my own products. Why would you trust an unknown group of people to take all the proper precautions? Who picked the item by hand? Who is this bringing it to your door? Are you sure they washed hands? Did they accidentally sneeze on anything? Is the vehicle s…

> I’d rather be the one to lay hands on all my own products. Someone had to stock the shelves that morning. I've been keeping my groceries in the bag, sticking the entire thing in the refrigerator, and then not touching it for at least 24 hours. The only thing delivery/curbside pickup changes is reducing the time spent breathing in close proximity to other people.

Other corona viruses are said to survive for two years in the freezer.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#146
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’d rather be the one to lay hands on all my own products. Someone had to stock the shelves that morning. I've been keeping my groceries in the bag, sticking the entire thing in the refrigerator, and then not touching it for at least 24 hours. The only thing delivery/curbside pickup changes is reducing the time spent breathing in close proximity to other people.

> I've been keeping my groceries in the bag, sticking the entire thing in the refrigerator, and then not touching it for at least 24 hours. Unfortunately, this won't do anything to kill/remove the virus, and may potentially make it last longer. You should be washing your items with soap or spraying them with isopropyl alcohol.

Yes it will, the virus doesn't survive long outside the body, it may not be the best way as it can survive more than 24 hours in some surfaces, but it is way better than nothing. Note that spraying them with alcohol is also recommended.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#147
post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Why would you trust an unknown group of people to take all the proper precautions? Who picked the item by hand? Who is this bringing it to your door? Are you sure they washed hands? Did they accidentally sneeze on anything? Is the vehicle sanitary? All of these risks are already present from the stockers and checkout at the grocery store, which is why you should wash/cook everything they touch. Even if most of your…

Fair enough. Sanitizing every item once at your house works too. Maybe I just have an aversion to a bunch of unknown people touching all my stuff, pandemic or not. Either way it’s a good reason to get me out of the house, which a hard to come by now days :) It’s good for my mental health. I can’t let myself just sit around being afraid of the world. This thing isn’t voodoo magic. I’m confident I can safely handle mys…

> Maybe I just have an aversion to a bunch of unknown people touching all my stuff, pandemic or not.

I don't know if this will help or hurt, but by the time you pick it up off the shelf it's been handled by plenty of people.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#148
post #106
post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you otherwise healthy? If so and if you find almost every food delivery slot taken then I would say yes, you should be doing your grocery shopping in person. It's not a huge burden to change your behaviours for other people's benefit especially if others also do the same.

And if the slot gets taken by a 20 year old what has been achieved? It's really down to governments to set up food delivery to affected groups. Altruism can't solve this problem.

I'm assuming that if I leave a slot available, there is a higher chance that someone who is sick or vulnerable will get the slot they need. Maybe you're suggesting that all the slots will be taken by 20 programmers who write bots. Even in that case, I can't see how my behaviour doesn't help the chances of that vulnerable person.

Re: I had to build a web scraper to buy groceries

#149
The supermarket is a post WWII invention. Labour was expensive, so why not have the customer walk around and pick. Typically before WWII shop clerks handed items to waiting customers across the counter.

As any invention it can be reinvented.

Organic farmers started doing deliveries 20 years ago, to compete with the big warehouse boxes.

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