Page 8 | Just got shouted at in a coffee shop for coughing in public 🥴

wildgreyocean · 2025-12-20T15:47:30+00:00

I know I’m not being unreasonable here but I just need some reassurance! I was in a coffee shop after popping to the shops and got a tickle in my throat. I’ve had a cold all week but nothing too severe. I coughed and next thing I know an old man is shouting at me that I’m being selfish and should be self isolating at home, and “don’t I know the NHS is on its knees?!” AIBU to think this is a total overreaction to a cough?!

StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 23:10

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 23:06

She has not said in what capacity though. For all we know, she could be in procurement and totally non-patient facing.

When I was working for the NHS (porter) I could come in with an absolute stinking cold and still have to stay there and work. And I was sometimes moving very ill young children around. I was not sent home.
Blame the system, not the staff.

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I was tagging the person who mentioned not getting paid if they take days off sick

The nhs pay their staff whilst off sick

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 23:06

StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 23:03

But OP works for the nhs

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She has not said in what capacity though. For all we know, she could be in procurement and totally non-patient facing.

When I was working for the NHS (porter) I could come in with an absolute stinking cold and still have to stay there and work. And I was sometimes moving very ill young children around. I was not sent home.
Blame the system, not the staff.

StrikeForever · 20/12/2025 23:05

It is OTT to shout at you, but I’m guessing he was anxious about it. I am asthmatic - atypical in that I don’t often noticeably wheeze, but cough instead. When this happens, or coughing when recovering from a cold and I’m near people, I always say “I’m not contagious, it’s my asthma/I’m past being contagious.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 23:04

StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 23:03

But OP works for the nhs

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Yes and after two instances of sickness you trigger protocols. I’m not going to call in sick for a minor cold when I know I’ve got very limited sickness!

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Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 23:04

StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 23:03

But OP works for the nhs

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Yes and after two instances of sickness you trigger protocols. I’m not going to call in sick for a minor cold when I know I’ve got very limited sickness!

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StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 23:03

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 20/12/2025 22:57

Not everyone can afford time off sick. I started a new job a couple of months ago and don't get paid if I'm off sick until my probation is over so too right I'll be going in if I get a cold.

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But OP works for the nhs

Psychologymam · 20/12/2025 23:02

inamarina · 20/12/2025 20:18

so frustrating how many adults send their kids to school/nursery while clearly sick

Our school repeatedly reminds the parents that a cough/ runny nose are no reason to leave your child at home.

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Parents send their kids to school with temperatures, not 48 hours clear of norovirus, with the flu, chickpox…. None of which are remotely similar to runny noses!!

QuickPeachPoet · 20/12/2025 23:01

That sort of behaviour would have made me cough even louder and more enthusiastically - right in his air space.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:58

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:55

You have said all that. All anyone has to do is hit “see all” on your posts to verify.

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Please do quote the post where I said if I had Covid I’d have done nothing differently.

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SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:58

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 22:56

ANd my local cafe has 3 staff. If one is off sick, they have to shut... so make no money.

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That’s poor business management to assume no one will ever get sick or otherwise be unable to come into work. Staffing levels should always account for some level of absence.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:58

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:57

Well, you have changed your story a few times so perhaps I have failed to let go of your initial and likely most honest account.

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No, you’ve said I said that if I had Covid I’d have not done anything differently.

I actually said that although I’m going to test I’m not sure what difference it will make as what has happened, has happened! Perhaps you should get off your high horse every so often

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 20/12/2025 22:57

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:54

It doesn’t have to be. Studies have shown that businesses are more productive and have lower sickness rates if employees do not go to work when ill.

You’ve gone to work all week with a cold. How many coworkers did you make sniffly? And would you have even caught the cold if another coworker who was sniffly before you had stayed home?

The attitude of go to work even when sick is partly what is dragging our economy down.

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Not everyone can afford time off sick. I started a new job a couple of months ago and don't get paid if I'm off sick until my probation is over so too right I'll be going in if I get a cold.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:57

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:54

You’ve also completely misrepresented what I’ve said, multiple times, to suit your own narrative.

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Well, you have changed your story a few times so perhaps I have failed to let go of your initial and likely most honest account.

XenoBitch · 20/12/2025 22:56

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:54

It doesn’t have to be. Studies have shown that businesses are more productive and have lower sickness rates if employees do not go to work when ill.

You’ve gone to work all week with a cold. How many coworkers did you make sniffly? And would you have even caught the cold if another coworker who was sniffly before you had stayed home?

The attitude of go to work even when sick is partly what is dragging our economy down.

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ANd my local cafe has 3 staff. If one is off sick, they have to shut... so make no money.

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:55

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:44

That’s not what I said. You’re prone to hyperbole and outright untruths aren’t you?

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You have said all that. All anyone has to do is hit “see all” on your posts to verify.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:54

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:54

It doesn’t have to be. Studies have shown that businesses are more productive and have lower sickness rates if employees do not go to work when ill.

You’ve gone to work all week with a cold. How many coworkers did you make sniffly? And would you have even caught the cold if another coworker who was sniffly before you had stayed home?

The attitude of go to work even when sick is partly what is dragging our economy down.

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I was one of the last to come down with it.

I don’t know what you’re hoping to achieve here but you’re just making yourself look silly now.

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Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:54

SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:51

During a common cold, not after.
And I haven’t said can’t go out. I’ve said limit your exposure to others and take measures to reduce risk to others.

Edited

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You’ve also completely misrepresented what I’ve said, multiple times, to suit your own narrative.

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SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:54

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:49

My department would be done within a week. We’ve all been sniffly this week. It’s just a fact of life.

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It doesn’t have to be. Studies have shown that businesses are more productive and have lower sickness rates if employees do not go to work when ill.

You’ve gone to work all week with a cold. How many coworkers did you make sniffly? And would you have even caught the cold if another coworker who was sniffly before you had stayed home?

The attitude of go to work even when sick is partly what is dragging our economy down.

StandingSideBySide · 20/12/2025 22:54

worcesterpear · 20/12/2025 22:48

It raises an interesting question though, would some posters prefer that any front line NHS workers went off sick every time they had a mild cold/runny nose or slight tickly cough? This would surely put most hospitals out of operation throughout the winter at least. As I understand masks, they are for surgeons to wear to prevent their fluids infecting a patient.

I had one of my twins in a neonate unit and everyone wore masks and full ppe
This wasnt during Covid

An NCT friends baby ( they were 11 months old ) died after catching a cold from a visiting child in a children’s ward.

They said the visitor didn’t even come near them but they shouldn’t have been there in the first place

The point is though if frontline nhs workers don’t mask up then yes they shouldn’t be there.
That goes for visitors too

but I understand atm most hospitals are requiring visitors to mask up …for a very good reason

LizzieW1969 · 20/12/2025 22:52

Nevernonono · 20/12/2025 22:45

You’ve no reason to be embarrassed by coughing, it happens!

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Thank you. But according to some PPs on this thread, they get very worried about coughing.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:51

EligibleTern · 20/12/2025 22:50

There's also a kind of hypocrisy in calling people selfish for going to cafes or working when they have colds. Presumably the people saying this want the cafes, restaurants, businesses, theatres, etc., to exist and be open on the occasions they want to go to them, but are choosing to ignore that in order for that to be the case, customers and workers have to go out with colds.

It's similar to how during Covid, some people on here were furious with people for going out and at the idea that they themselves might need to go back out to work, but still expected deliveries to their homes.

I view the risk of catching something as a negative of living in a society, but it's outweighed by the positives (and I don't want to be a hermit in the woods) so I take basic precautions as appropriate, rather than this unrealistic idea of expecting people to be able to regularly withdraw from society en masse and yet still have a fully functioning society waiting there for when they want it.

You can guarantee some of the posters on here were the ones losing their minds when people popped to the shops for something “nonessential” during Covid, or they dared to see people during lockdown.

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SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice · 20/12/2025 22:51

Nevernonono · 20/12/2025 22:44

Oh dear god, get a grip! If we can’t go out with a nasal drip after a common cold, the world will stop
turning!

Yes I have been vulnerable, before you ask!

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During a common cold, not after.
And I haven’t said can’t go out. I’ve said limit your exposure to others and take measures to reduce risk to others.

EligibleTern · 20/12/2025 22:50

There's also a kind of hypocrisy in calling people selfish for going to cafes or working when they have colds. Presumably the people saying this want the cafes, restaurants, businesses, theatres, etc., to exist and be open on the occasions they want to go to them, but are choosing to ignore that in order for that to be the case, customers and workers have to go out with colds.

It's similar to how during Covid, some people on here were furious with people for going out and at the idea that they themselves might need to go back out to work, but still expected deliveries to their homes.

I view the risk of catching something as a negative of living in a society, but it's outweighed by the positives (and I don't want to be a hermit in the woods) so I take basic precautions as appropriate, rather than this unrealistic idea of expecting people to be able to regularly withdraw from society en masse and yet still have a fully functioning society waiting there for when they want it.

Original poster

wildgreyocean · 20/12/2025 22:49

worcesterpear · 20/12/2025 22:48

It raises an interesting question though, would some posters prefer that any front line NHS workers went off sick every time they had a mild cold/runny nose or slight tickly cough? This would surely put most hospitals out of operation throughout the winter at least. As I understand masks, they are for surgeons to wear to prevent their fluids infecting a patient.

My department would be done within a week. We’ve all been sniffly this week. It’s just a fact of life.

OP posts:

worcesterpear · 20/12/2025 22:48

It raises an interesting question though, would some posters prefer that any front line NHS workers went off sick every time they had a mild cold/runny nose or slight tickly cough? This would surely put most hospitals out of operation throughout the winter at least. As I understand masks, they are for surgeons to wear to prevent their fluids infecting a patient.