The joy has been sucked out of everything

[supadoopa]

Let me start by saying I’m in Scotland so this isn’t about masks per se, but about the whole silly dance we are being made to do in order to go about our lives at the moment.

I went to a shopping centre today and won't be back.

It’s the first time I’ve worn a mask for any longer than a quick run into the local coop. I was probably in the centre for an hour and a half but there was sweat pouring down my neck. I felt suffocated and silenced. Hated it.

My baby looked at me like I was a monster and my toddler couldn’t hear me when I talked.

But it wasn’t just masks that were the issue. There was a ludicrous one way system, which makes absolutely no sense to me if we are wearing masks and social distancing. Then every shop had a makeshift entry and exit and their own one way system which no one was observing.

At every turn I was being monitored by security guards, eyeballing me in anticipation of a wrongdoing, ready to pounce.

Almost every shop had a guard on duty forcing you to rub gel on your hands and that of my child before entering.

There were queues everywhere. All but one set of toilets shut, so queue for that too, and toilets themselves as dirty as ever because so many people using the same ones and no cleaning.

Inexplicably in most shops all but one set of tills were shut, again forcing people to congregate in long queues.

All the restaurants were again inexplicably closed apart from, yep, McDonalds and Costa. Both under small enclaves at the back of the centre. But in them you are allowed to take your mask off and eat off a table more or less. But in the main, high roofed wide open walkways of the centre, the mask must go back on.

The shops had little stock.

When I dared approach an M&S assistant to ask for a size (with a visor on like all the rest of the assistants at an angle that perfectly channels their exhalations directly at the person they’re talking too) I was barked at as if I was a naughty schoolgirl to the extent that I put the item back on the rack and walked out without buying anything.

Does anyone else think this is all utterly ludicrous?

Shops will not survive this.

We are all adults with our own minds and perfectly able to manage our selves. Why make masks mandatory if we then have to do all this makeshift posturing to appear to be avoiding each other when really we are being herded closer together.

As someone who you might consider a “hobby shopper” as in it’s one of my pastimes (and I’m not interested in any opinions about having a better hobby, if there weren’t millions like me there wouldn’t be any shops at all). I’m someone who will browse and buy, will pick up bits I don’t really need but just want. I will spend my money happily- if the experience gives me pleasure.

But now I think it’s going to be online for me. I won’t be back at the shopping centre. I won’t be visiting our city centre either as it’s just the same.

Yep, depressing, horrible experience. And I fear it's here to stay.

@rookiemere you're joking, right? I say this as an Asian, knowledge of hygiene is not stellar in my country and we have a very low rate of coronavirus.

@ crossstitchingnana exactly the more people that get put off getting crap they don’t need made by people in shit conditions the better and if that’s ok cos people are employed in shops here that’s shit too and we need to do better as a country. Stop mindless shopping and do things that don’t wreck the environment and fill up landfill

perhaps you could draw up a list of Approved Hobbies

😂

I’ve been to the mall once and it was like being on a day release from prison. Rude security guards barking at and humiliating people in public for accidentally missing a floor arrow etc. Staff acting like you have leprosy even when you ARE following all their rules.

This, absolutely this. I went into Superdrug recently and the woman on the door stopped me and said “Normal shop only, yes?” I was made to use hand sanitiser even thought I’d just used my own, and told I wasn’t allowed in the store if I didn’t use theirs too.

Similarly I was told off in an almost completely empty supermarket for briefly going the wrong way up an entirely empty aisle (which itself meant I didn’t have to do a loop up the next aisle where workers were stacking, so while I technically did the wrong thing it was better than doing the right thing IYSWIM).

So I don’t shop there any more. I keep my custom for shops that use common sense and treat their customers politely.

@Mascotte anything that got people engaging with the real world without damaging it would be fine. It’s a pretty poor state of affairs if we have to wreck our planet to make a wealthy few even wealthier. It’s not a sustainable way of employing people’s

@ItWasNotOK so do you think that the masks are the main reason for low rates of coronavirus?
Ultimately I'll be guided by the science, but if masks are the magic bullet then they shouldn't have opened pubs and restaurants indoors.

And for those speaking about the economy. The economy is going to have to adjust WITH the coronavirus, not ignore it’s main risks, if we are probably going to have to live with this for a long time. It cannot be a silly ‘the economy or people’s lives’ as if it is an either / or. Some sectors are going to take more of a hit - however we all need food, clothes etc and we will still keep buying these whatever. But there cannot be no impact on certain sectors, even if we did nothing, and wore no masks - and no social distancing in shops. Lots of places are opening but people are not fools, they don’t want to put their health at risk and so will not go to places if they feel more at risk.

I went into Superdrug recently and the woman on the door stopped me and said “Normal shop only, yes?”

What does does a 'normal shop' even mean? Like, what would someone be planning if the answer to that question was 'no'?

I honestly can't believe the British public need to be constantly reminded about hand hygiene. It's ridiculous that people don't do this as a matter of habit. As for messages about social distancing, shop floors are covered in signs telling you to stand apart. Why do people need so much nannying in this country?

@ChangeThePassword

I don't agree. There was a thriving parade of independent shops near me. The shop keepers told me they're now really struggling because the parking bays outside have been fenced off to make the pavement wider

Nothing has been said about getting rid of parking. That's a different issue.

The pavements have been “widened” to help with social distancing. Same in my town. It’s been a disaster as the more vulnerable who it’s designed to protect can’t drive in anymore as you can now only park in the car parks. They are a walk away and cost money (how any older people use Ringo not coins?). It’s messed up the traffic as people are now parking opposite to dash in and effectively making roads single lane.People on that side are walking into the road to social distance whilst cars are trying to manoeuvre. It’s another thing that makes shopping difficult and unpleasant ,which is what the threads about.

YANBU. I am not a hobby shopper but my mum is and we would often potter around our town, buy lunch, some bits and pieces for the grandchildren and then coffee etc. Spending quite a lot of money, all in. I won't go now because it's such an unpleasant experience with guards and staff and rules. Not fun.

Yes it’s shit. And I hate that we don’t seem to be able to acknowledge that wearing masks is unpleasant and uncomfortable without someone chipping in about “try working in the NHS” or “not as uncomfortable as being DEAD” or similar hyperbole

I completely agree with this too - for the Covid Mask Full House you also need to be told to try harder, wear it at home to get used to it (yup, I’ll have panic attacks at home as well as in the supermarket - what fun!), have several rounds of “Have you tried...” and finish off with a little reminder of why mask wearing is important, as if you could possibly be oblivious to this.

@ChangeThePassword

I think she meant “essential items only” but it wasn’t clear. If they don’t want people to buy lipstick and nail varnish, why are they on sale? And if it’s ok to buy them, why are shop staff imposing their own rules?

I had the same experience at IKEA today, especially in the cafeteria. It was very, VERY creepy about it!! The staff were in hazmat suits directing everyone around.

Have we had the - if you think a mask is uncomfortable try having to use a ventilator yet ?

@Leflic but here they are planning on narrowing the road to increase space.

Its possible that they are planning to get rid of parking bays to do that, but as there aren't many and they tend to be in more residential areas, I don't see that being a big issue here. I haven't seen any plans though, and I could be wrong. But unless it turns out that Edinburgh Council are planning to get rid of parking bays then the issue is not the same.

Also I don't get the widening of footpaths at the expense of parking.
Public transport seems to be a big vector for covid transmission. Elderly people can't walk far, they need to be able to park near to the shops. This measure will result in further isolation for them .

@TrustTheGeneGenie you’ve not even bothered to read my posts. I’ve repeatedly said that mask wearing will help shop workers who have to work all day in that place, not just be in it out of choice for 1.5 hours. And I’ve also said at least twice to the OP that I can have a certain sympathy with the OP that it is annoying and inconvenient and that a small moan is understandable. I’ve described how I’ve also had to adjust and that it is not easy. However the OP and others like yourself are ridiculing ‘mask wearing’ or other positive actions for other PEOPLE in order to help others not get Covid19 and calling me and others ‘do gooders’ for daring to say that there is a difference between a small moan and ridiculing actions that are going to help other PEOPLE not have a horrible time with Covid19 including shop workers. When I mentioned that shop workers have to expose themselves to more of a risk and wear a mask all day to the OP then she retorted that people had been made redundant from her company so shop workers should be lucky or they could join the back of the queue. OP has shown absolutely zero care for the anyone other than herself. And nor have you. Nothing you've said suggests you care about others. You simply care about covid.

I'm not a shopping as a hobby person, and I actively avoid filling my house with "bits" or plastic tat. But I do enjoy a mooch around charity shops, craft shops and my very favourite - knitting shops. If I can't touch the yarn, give it a squeeze without people glaring at me and have to stand in a big long queue even to get in, I probably won't bother and will just order online.

Yarn shops were struggling hugely even without a pandemic, this will be a final nail in the coffin for lots of small independent businesses, mostly run by women.

@BrightYellowDaffodil

Yes it’s shit. And I hate that we don’t seem to be able to acknowledge that wearing masks is unpleasant and uncomfortable without someone chipping in about “try working in the NHS” or “not as uncomfortable as being DEAD” or similar hyperbole

I completely agree with this too - for the Covid Mask Full House you also need to be told to try harder, wear it at home to get used to it (yup, I’ll have panic attacks at home as well as in the supermarket - what fun!), have several rounds of “Have you tried...” and finish off with a little reminder of why mask wearing is important, as if you could possibly be oblivious to this.

If the OP was indeed just having a bit of a vent then she would also show compassion for others such as shop workers who have to wear them all day. You can’t say ‘it’s terrible for me’ so all your posters on MN have to show me sympathy, and then also say anyone else, including shop workers, deserve no sympathy at all and could quit their job if they didn’t like it. Which is one of the meanest things I’ve heard.

@Downwardfacingdoggy What's a 'proper hobby'? There are loads of people on here clearly needing educating on how we're wasting our lives and are waiting with bated breath to know what's deemed appropriate.

@BrightYellowDaffodil it really doesn't make any sense. I guess if someone was wanting to come in and find their foundation shade and try out all the lipsticks and basically get an entire new make up collection of might be an issue. But there shouldn't be an issue with someone buying a lipstick while they are in the shop anyway!

It actually feels worse now than it did at the start of lockdown. Once again, it feels that there is no end in sight. The lockdown had to end sooner or later, but all these other things like mandatory muzzles could go on for ever, while most of Mumsnet gleefully salivates into their masks at the prospect. They're just constantly throwing pointless restrictions into the mix under the guise of "it's about the virus", all to control us, the good docile obedient taxpaying public, who are sleepwalking into whatever oppressive regime Boris has in mind.

All this stopped being for the greater good months ago. It's no longer about the virus: it's about deception, fearmongering, mind control. This is obvious from the way the government is handling it. The deliberate exaggeration of the death figures speaks for itself.

This is a social experiment by the government, imposing more and more restrictions on us simply because they can, so they can test our response. And so far, they have seen that it is extremely easy to manipulate the public, who won't resist at all, many will just blindly obey whatever roolz are thrown at them, and they will gladly turn on each other.

The sheer fucking hypocrisy of Boris saying "we need to be fitter as a nation" after he had personally snatched away most of our forms of regular exercise. "We're becoming an obese nation": no shit Sherlock. Boris ordered it. And don't say "but we were allowed regular exercise": it's no substitute for the swimming and team sports that we would normally be doing. Boris has now hammered the final nail into the coffin of the retail sector. Goodbye high street, it was nice knowing you.

CAN NOBODY SEE THE GOVERNMENT IS SOFTENING US UP FOR MUCH MORE STATE INTERFERENCE AND CONTROL!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!

Elderly people can't walk far, they need to be able to park near to the shops

I'll be sure to pass that on to my mother, when she gets back from her hike