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Original poster

Mumsnet during the beginning of the Pandemic - please tell me your stories of the maddest comments you saw

937 replies

mumofoneAlonebutokay · 23/04/2025 17:49

Inspired by chat on another thread - one woman was told not to pop to the shop for milk but to put butter in her coffee instead 😄

I wasn't on mumsnet then but would love to know the maddest comments you saw?

I myself went mad during the pandemic 🙈 and refused to leave the house and judged anybody that did, I'll admit 😬😄 - I wish I'd been calmer

Please share 🥰

Edit - I know how awful the pandemic was for those who lost loved ones, and how serious those losses are - this is just about the unnecessary hysteria and comments stemming from that, not to poke fun at those who lost someone or became ill. 💕

OP posts:
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Toodaloo1567 · 24/04/2025 07:32

I’ve always liked a bit o’ data. For me, the following helped to put things into perspective.

Mumsnet during the beginning of the Pandemic - please tell me your stories of the maddest comments you saw
Wimbledonmum1985 · 24/04/2025 07:32

Gardenbumblebee · 23/04/2025 22:39

This wasn't on mumsnet but a local man had a 2m long stick that he would take out on walks with him. If you came close he would wield the stick at you to keep you at bay.

I encountered a woman with the same in Richmond along the river…

Rewis · 24/04/2025 07:08

If you go to the shop. You're only allowed to pick up essentials. So even if you're already there, you can't pick up ice cream.

MixedBananas · 24/04/2025 06:57

BecFlowers · 24/04/2025 01:13

Not a mumsnet post but too funny not to share. I’m a doctor and I’d moved to a new house just before the pandemic started. A group of neighbours gathered at the end of my drive (appropriately spaced, of course!) to berate me for leaving the house “constantly” and demanded to know what job I did that could possibly be so vital that it could not be performed at home. Then one accused me of lying and stood in front of my car and I had to hold up my NHS ID in order to safely pass through the socially distanced mob of furious neighbours. Hahahaahhaa

Edited

Do your still live there? OMG that is horrid. Did they apologise are they sweet snd humble as apple pue now?

Pandenic was a taster of a zombie apocalypse

MixedBananas · 24/04/2025 06:54

In real life. We went out when the "law" changed and went to the beach which was within the area allowed. I was 7 months pregnant and needed a wee and all the toilets were shut. Went to the Texaco who had one and it was locked told the member of staff i was pregnant and needed to pee and they coldly said "toilets have to be locked as people should not be going far from home". So nasty. I was pregnant and needed to pee often and thirsty as it was summer. Some people just showed their true colours and became sadistic.

TheGamblersGone · 24/04/2025 06:50

I think people on here were really horrible during the pandemic. It turned me off mumsnet and I’ll have have the same affection for it as I did prior to the pandemic.

getahhtmapub · 24/04/2025 02:30

When you were allowed up to 6 people in an outside gathering I had a quandary because you have to go through the house to get to the garden and the only loo is in said house.
I had remarkable advice such as make them wee in a bush and whether or not said guests could bring a stepladder with them to scale the fences of three other houses to get to my garden without going through the house.

FloatingSquirrel · 24/04/2025 01:23

Snorlaxo · 23/04/2025 18:10

I remember something about cheese in coffee too.

Lots of people seemingly worried about if you bought a necessity (say formula) and a non-necessity (Easter eggs ) then is that breaking the rules.

Lots of posts about selfish people being out and about when only half of UK jobs can be done by home and the people who stayed at home could only do so because people went out to work and delivered stuff, kept the utilities going etc.

The clapping - I mean wtaf was that about. The free food was at least practical for healthcare workers.

The clapping was nice, made a bit of excitement for the DC and community feel in what was otherwise a very isolating time at first.

RuzGen · 24/04/2025 01:18

Snorlaxo · 23/04/2025 18:10

I remember something about cheese in coffee too.

Lots of people seemingly worried about if you bought a necessity (say formula) and a non-necessity (Easter eggs ) then is that breaking the rules.

Lots of posts about selfish people being out and about when only half of UK jobs can be done by home and the people who stayed at home could only do so because people went out to work and delivered stuff, kept the utilities going etc.

The clapping - I mean wtaf was that about. The free food was at least practical for healthcare workers.

Well to be fair in Wales they did tape off non essential aisles in the supermarket for a while so there's some truth to it being against the rules

StellaShining · 24/04/2025 01:15

Anonym00se · 23/04/2025 18:27

It was crazy wasn’t it? I remember losing my shit with then teen dd. I’d been trying for days in vain to get a Tesco delivery slot, staying up till midnight each night. My ECV DB (who is a Dr) was living with us and he wouldn’t let us leave the house (he has an immune disorder) or we’d kill him. (He is also extremely clinically neurotic).

One day I heard the doorbell ring and when I answered I saw a Tesco van pulling away, and a Tesco bag on the doorstep. I picked it up and it contained a solitary hair dye (ordered by dd who evidently had bagged a slot). I swear to god, I didn’t calm down until around April 2023.

I need to know..did you give her the hair dye or did it get lobbed out a window

BecFlowers · 24/04/2025 01:13

Not a mumsnet post but too funny not to share. I’m a doctor and I’d moved to a new house just before the pandemic started. A group of neighbours gathered at the end of my drive (appropriately spaced, of course!) to berate me for leaving the house “constantly” and demanded to know what job I did that could possibly be so vital that it could not be performed at home. Then one accused me of lying and stood in front of my car and I had to hold up my NHS ID in order to safely pass through the socially distanced mob of furious neighbours. Hahahaahhaa

BobbyBiscuits · 24/04/2025 01:12

JandamiHash · 23/04/2025 23:24

Some nobhead in our village tooted into a French horn every week AngryDS was 3 and he’d wake up every single week and it was like be so hard to get him back to sleep - keeping him awake made him overtired. It was just a pissing contest and really put me off a lot of people in our village tooted into- especially when they would shame those of us who didn’t clap on the Facebook group.

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Hahaha, nightmare! What on earth was wrong with everyone?! Funny story though. Not so funny at the time I'm sure. X

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 24/04/2025 00:43

Drove 5 miles to a deserted reservoir to walk the dog (and the children). There was a sign on the gate saying that no one needed to be out there and your numberplate would be noted and the police called.

PluckyBamboo · 24/04/2025 00:41

Ihateslugs · 23/04/2025 23:32

I know someone who still does this!

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I always wipe my shopping down with Dettol surface spray. I have relatives who work in supermarkets and there are horror stories about staff and customers not washing their hands after visiting the loo, sneezing and coughing all over the place and children licking the produce....

I must be doing something right as I haven't had a day of sick leave for at least 10 years apart from 1 day after having a bad reaction to my first covid vaccine. And, talking of Covid, I avoided it for over 3 years until my husband caught it at his work and kindly gave it to me.

fratellia · 24/04/2025 00:40

SomethingInnocuousForNow · 23/04/2025 18:25

Lockdown with severely disabled children was one of the worst parts of our lives. I'll never forget the "all in the same boat" people. In the end we just did what we needed to do to survive.

This!

I know people who actively enjoyed lockdown. It was a case of no work, a slower pace of life and lots of lovely quality family time in a big house with a large garden. Of course there is nothing wrong with that BUT some of these were the people who found it very easy to judge anybody else for not strictly following rules, quick to shout ‘selfish’ for the most inconsequential ridiculous reasons. There were definitely a lot of these types on mumsnet!

JenniferBooth · 24/04/2025 00:27

Jadebanditchillipepper · 24/04/2025 00:13

JenniferBooth, it almost certainly did.

The Welsh Government also policed the borders to stop people going between England and Wales in cars - utterly ridiculous for people living close to the border who's closest supermarket might be on the other side. And also the ridiculousness of Chester football club being accused of breaking Welsh COVID rules, when it considers itself to be in England, but part of it lies across the border

Fucking batshit Batshit

BombayBicycleclub · 24/04/2025 00:22

When Iceland decided that any nhs worker who was shopping in their special nhs hour before the shop officially opened needed to buy anything we touched because we were a danger to society. So if you picked up a ready meal to check for allergens you had to buy it because you touched it

MrsFrumble · 24/04/2025 00:21

PandoraSoxx · 23/04/2025 23:54

@MrsFrumble I think I remember that poster who told you to carry a fortnight's worth of food.

It was mad.

I was already going with a 40 L backpack and a sholley, but unsurprisingly with 2 adults and 2 children eating every single meal and snack at home, we were getting through so much food! I’m most annoyed that I let myself feel judged. I definitely needed more “Fuck off Brian” energy.

LBFseBrom · 24/04/2025 00:17

I remember a lot of talk on here about how to amuse young children. It was difficult for families with little ones. Also schools came in for a lot of flack - freezing cold, distancing and all that, which is not surprising. Anyone who broke the lockdown restrictions was castigated.

Some people liked it and blossomed during lockdown.

AlinaRawlings · 24/04/2025 00:13

RedHelenB · 23/04/2025 18:15

Way ott , but we didn't know what could happen. I still look at those 2 m marks outside the local supermarket and it all seems surreal But we had to lock down until the vaccines started to take effect.

How do you still believe that 😂

Jadebanditchillipepper · 24/04/2025 00:13

JenniferBooth, it almost certainly did.

The Welsh Government also policed the borders to stop people going between England and Wales in cars - utterly ridiculous for people living close to the border who's closest supermarket might be on the other side. And also the ridiculousness of Chester football club being accused of breaking Welsh COVID rules, when it considers itself to be in England, but part of it lies across the border

HouseCaptain · 24/04/2025 00:09

Don’t wear sandals when shopping at the supermarket.

JenniferBooth · 24/04/2025 00:07

Jadebanditchillipepper · 24/04/2025 00:05

Oh yes, and the Welsh Government also decided to have a lockdown for Christmas 2020 and announced it six hours before it started - suddenly, absolute hordes of people descended on every available shop to get supplies in for Christmas before they couldn't anymore - more than likely massively increasing transmission rather than reducing it!

And Boris, in his wisdom had English children going back to school for one day in January before closing schools again

It probably included people who hadnt got any food in because they were expecting to go to relatives that Christmas.

Jadebanditchillipepper · 24/04/2025 00:06

MrsFrumble that clip is so hilarious!

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