This is 2020. This is not the weirdest thing you've seen.
Say his name! Chris Noden!
Concerned over growing Covid cases, Wales declared a 17-day lockdown that included the mandatory closings of shops selling goods deemed by the authorities to be "non-essential." In order to be fair, they required supermarkets, which could remain open, to refuse customers those same goods. In order to be even more fair they allowed online retailers to sell anything they want the better to destroy small businesses.
I might have editorialized that last part a bit.
In order to comply, supermarkets have had to go to absurd lengths including covering non-essential goods with plastic sheets or otherwise taping off the forbidden wares.
Such as books. Yes, books are banned. All of them.
You can still purchase paper, however, so you know, just write your own dang book.
The list does strike some as arbitrary. You can't buy shoes, but plants and flowers are essential. Children's clothing and toys? Non-essential. Putting on a new deck? Essential.
I guess your kids can play with building supplies naked. (Both fun AND safe!)
After 60,000 people signed a petition noting that this was insane (although they worded it more politely), supermarkets were given "discretion," although no one knows what that means exactly.
Which brings us back to Chris Noden.
After clothes were deemed "non-essential," he decided to test out that theory. With his wife filming, he tried to go into a Tesco wearing nothing but his skivvies and a mask.
Wife Dawn, 33, filmed him as he tried to access the store saying: "Clothes are non-essential - let him in."
Dawn told the workers: "Clothes are deemed now non-essential. Your stores policy says clothes are non-essential. Let him in to buy some clothes.
"This is beyond a joke. There are children out there growing that need clothes."
But a security guard said: "He's not appropriately dressed. Go and take it up with the government." You can't come in dressed like that."
When the staff said they won't let him in, Dawn replied: "So clothes are essential to day-to-day life?" The worker said: "Of course they are."
Patriot? Exhibitionist? Publicity hound?
It's not clear, but given the way things are going, I would highly advise you follow your mother's advice:
Never leave the house without clean underwear.
