To think the government should enforce mask wearing by directing shops not to allow people in without them?

[MyNameIsNotMummy]

I’m not talking about the very few people with genuine ‘exemptions’ . I’m talking whole families and couples who can’t all have medical/psychological issues so can’t wear them.

Several times over the last few weeks, I’ve seen young couples (only younger people funnily enough) and family groups not wearing masks in my local supermarket and town shops.

I asked my supermarket why they are letting them in and they said they can’t enforce it.

Why should I and the majority of people go through the discomfort of having to put one on when ignorant twats like that just decide they’re not going to. We’re protecting them but they don’t give a shit about protecting us?

I think we should all start heckling them to get out and get a mask on like I’ve seen happen in the US.

AIBU in that they deserve to be shamed into wearing a mask if they government aren’t going to be stricter about it?

We all want to get back to normal. It’s imbeciles like this who are going to prolong it for the rest of us.

[hellywelly3]

I work in a shop the amount of abuse we get on a normal day is shocking never mind having to enforce this. We couldn’t physically stop someone entering without putting ourselves in danger

[Sennetti]

why should shop staff have to enforce it?

customers are vile, rude and abusive more than ever since the virus

i'm a retail manager and will not put myself or the staff through that thanks!

[Chootchoot]

YAWN

[Coffeeandteach]

It's not fair to put shop staff in that position. Telling people they can't come in without a mask leaves them vulnerable to being assaulted by those not wishing to comply.

[Shadow01]

@hellywelly3 has summed it up perfectly.
I’m not paid enough to put with any more abuse than we already get.

[hula008]

The government haven't said that shops can't enforce mask wearing.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-us-canada-52540266

^^ This is why shops dont want to ask their colleagues to enforce mask wearing. Jfc they get enough stick for being jobsworths they don't need another stick to beat them with...

[Sennetti]

i was assaulted when we first re-opened,pushed over because an entitled arse didn't care that store was at its safe capacity and he had to queue!!

nope. not happening op! speak to the non mask wearers yourself?

[TooBored]

It's not up to staff on min wage to put themselves at risk of physical harm. The government should have implemented an enforceable law, given police the necessary powers AND funding to enforce it.

[IceCreamAndCandyfloss]

I can imagine a lot of shop staff might not want to enforce it for fear of consequences.

There must a way of doing it though so that the vulnerable shoppers/workers are protected.

[Midsommar]

I'm on a train at the moment and a big group of teenagers has just got off - not one of them was wearing a mask. Also two teenage lads have just got on, also not wearing masks. I don't understand why these cocky teenagers think they are exempt? Really pisses me off tbh. (I know the OP was regarding shops but same principal on trains)

[Bazoo23]

People are such busy bodies about masks its ridiculous.

[Formation]

And what happens if you heckle and you’ve got it wrong? You want to create a bullying culture where anyone with an unseen disability is criticised and heckled by the general population. Great idea!

All we can do is educate, educated, educate. You will still get some people who choose to flout the rules but we shouldn’t be party to a society that allows the generic public to go around demonising those who have real need for allowances.

[ShellsAndSunrises]

Realistically, who is going to enforce it? The shop workers? They'd just get abuse.

And there have been countless threads on here from people who have a condition who wouldn't want to be asked about it by shop staff, who probably wouldn't relish the idea of a close private conversation with someone not wearing a mask...

It's interesting that you've got a lot of people not wearing them, though. I haven't seen anyone not wearing one since they became law, other than kids, and even some of those are in masks.

Sadly it does seem that a few people on my Facebook have dug out decades-old asthma diagnoses to avoid having to wear one...

Overall it is baffling that they've become this controversial, they're a bit odd to wear but you get used to it fast, nobody loves them but they're fine and potentially keeping other people safe.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Because how are shop staff to know who has an exemption and who doesn’t

[Midsommar]

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss I agree. If I worked in a shop I'd be so nervous about having to confront people about this.

[Sennetti]

@Midsommar what did they say when you confronted them?

[DappledThings]

Another mask thread? Seriously? Fucking hell.

[Frazzled13]

The problem is the government have said no proof is necessary, and there is no way for the genuinely exempt to get any proof.
So it puts shops in horrible positions. It's not impossible for a couple to both be genuinely exempt, and when you say family group, are the children under 11?
I'm not saying that those people arent taking the piss, just that the government has avoided a blanket rule for a reason and I don't think they should implement one in the way you're suggesting.
Besides, you could get round it by just walking in separately surely?
In an ideal world there'd be an official form and GPs would have enough time to sign it for all exempt people. But since there isn't, you can't put staff in shops/museums/trains etc in that position.

[TheBodyPiercer]

We enforce it but honestly its difficult having to go on at people every couple of moments when they're with us for several hours & we're close contact!

Funnily enough where I work and the street I work on it only appears to he those over 40 who think that it's a conspiracy and that they are more important than everyone else.

But expecting our 19 year old quiet receptionist to argue with a grown man isn't something she should have to do and wasn't hired to do.

[Formation]

In an ideal world there'd be an official form and GPs would have enough time to sign it for all exempt people.

I see that mentioned a lot but that is still problematic. Forcing people with undiagnosed MH/PTSD problems to disclose an entire history they’d rather keep buried just so they can buy a loaf of bread.

[MyNameIsNotMummy]

So why is anybody bothering to wear a mask at all then?

I don’t understand how this can’t be enforced by using the Armed Forces if shop staff are at that much risk?

The whole country has been forced to a standstill for months, the economy has tanked, children haven’t been to school for almost 6 months, people have lost jobs. Surely trying to contain this virus is important enough to strictly enforce mask wearing which has been proven to prevent the spread?

[Midsommar]

@Bazoo23 not really. People, like myself, are just getting tired of the utter selfishness of some people. Fair enough if you are actually exempt for medical reasons, but the sheer amount of people who just can't be bothered to wear one is ridiculous. Why can't everyone just do as they're told? Other countries respect their government and the law - unfortunately a lot of British people don't.

[Midsommar]

@Sennetti I haven't confronted anyone - I wouldn't want to risk it really! I'll just moan on here instead...

[Frazzled13]

So why is anybody bothering to wear a mask at all then?

Because most people are decent.
Some people are exempt.
And some people are dicks.
But most people don't need it to be rigorously enforced in order to do it - I've hardly seen anyone not wearing one.

[sirfredfredgeorge]

I don’t understand how this can’t be enforced by using the Armed Forces if shop staff are at that much risk?

I think you're over-playing the mitigation masks actually give, most people doing it is enough to really matter, a few people not won't make huge odds - the chances are no-one has the virus most places at the moment. But a few punch ups from trying to enforce it, the picking on certain groups for "fines" or "enforcement", then you've caused more damage overall than the masks have saved.