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AIBU?

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Original poster

Woman sneezing loudly and not covering nose wwyd?!

76 replies

SuperFlyHigh · 21/04/2016 18:59

I was out the other afternoon with my mum in sainsburys, popped round to see her and she said she wanted some bits so would I help carry. Fine I said.

So we're pushing a trolley round the aisles when suddenly we hear and see a woman (obviously the mum) and her adult DD pushing a trolley and the mum sneezing very loudly and not covering her mouth/nose or using a tissue at all.

If it had been once or twice then hey ho but she carried on round aisles got to fruit and veg and carried on sneezing. I think her DD was a bit embarrassed as she tried to distance herself. Anyway I know it wasn't just me judging as I heard another woman loudly complain and to the people on the deli counters. They just sighed and shrugged. Of course mum and I did shopping as quickly as we could then left the store.

I rang my mum on Monday and surprise surprise she has a bad cold (I have one too but not as bad).

Anyway would we have BU to complain to customer service staff? Should we have done so?! I get she was a paying customer.

The woman seemed a bit chavvy but not unusually so....

Thanks for reading!

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/04/2016 21:22

Ok IABU.

I was just annoyed at her lack of manners and subsequently my mum picking up a cold which has gone to her chest.

Yes CS couldn't speak to her. Yes maybe I should have given her a tissue or something but she looked like she either wouldn't use it or would've bitten my head off if I'd offered - hence my chavvy comment she looked as rough as houses and if you know the area you'll know the type well.

Sorry I'm being snobby but we all are sometimes. Will go to waitrose in beckenham next time or the waitrose in Croydon but it's a bugger to park there just for the waitrose you know?! head tilt

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/04/2016 21:26

Thewee but she looked as she was going along like she didn't give a shit, not I her dress.

She just looked like "oh fuck me I can do what I want sneeze and push the trolley and no one minds" and her DD you could see was cringing. In no way did this woman look senile, or anything like that she just looked rude and didn't seem to care much about others around her.

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/04/2016 21:26

I meant nothing to do with the way she dressed.

OP posts:
TheWeeBabySeamus1 · 21/04/2016 21:31

Don't worry OP, like I said earlier, Waitrose probably employs undercover security to stop these "rough as houses" types even getting near the doors. < anti bacs hands to get rid of chavvy germs and pats OP on the head > It'll all be ok in Waitrose.

RealityCheque · 21/04/2016 21:34

Super, you are correct. And yadnbu.

Some people are scummy - she is clearly one of them.

Most of the replies here have deliberately missed the point in order to be goady. The issue is NOT with the constant sneezing, but not covering their mouths. It IS disgusting, antisocial and, frankly, chavvy as fuck.

I would have complained at the time. The staff there DO have a responsibility to ensure that the goods they sell are fit for human consumption and that includes not knowingly allowing unwrapped fresh produce (fruit and veg) to be contaminated with bodily fluid. It's too late now, though.

TattyDevine · 21/04/2016 21:40

Why do you have to do anything at all? Shit happens.

oldlaundbooth · 21/04/2016 21:42

How old was the chav's DD?

Old enough to be embarrassed anyway.

oldlaundbooth · 21/04/2016 21:45

You've had a flaming OP but this Fred has made me laugh Smile

Alexa444 · 21/04/2016 21:47

Cold viruses take 4 days to incubate. Have a Biscuit

WTF do you expect customer services to do? Spray her in the face with antibac? Its disgusting but nothing you can do about it unless you want to turn around yourself and tell her to cover her mouth.

Antanddec123 · 21/04/2016 21:58

I agree it's disgusting but if it offended you that much why didn't you just leave the shop and get away from the germs?
Nothing to be gained from tackling the offender or customer services.
Just a thought...how do you know the person didn't have dementia / learning difficulty etc; maybe that's why the daughter looked embarrassed.

sammyjayneex · 21/04/2016 22:01

Disgusting yes. Reason tot complain to customer devices? No. How is it their fault? What could they have possibly have done? Kicked her out for sneezing ?

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 21/04/2016 22:52

RealityCheque. Yes I should've complained at the time.

Yes it's the not covering of the mouth!!! She could sneeze to hell and back for all I cared as long as she covered her mouth when she sneezed. Or used a tissue to do so.

Her DD looked at best late teens or in her 20s but certainly it looked as if she'd had a word with her mother but her mother was ignoring her.

Oh and this may be accused of drip feeding but the mother was picking up items and reading labels. Even making the odd comment to her DD so I doubt she had a LD or was suffering from dementia. We first came across them in the soft furnishing aisle (you know where you get those ridiculous wicker or wire hen decorations and throws (I love their mohair throw that they've discontinued! etc) but they then made their way into fruit and veg which is near it... And picked up various fruit and veg whilst sneezing all over it.

sammyjane they could either have got her some tissues, given her tissues etc... I actually felt sorry for her as you could see this was most likely a bad cold - I think I overheard her DD ask her (oops sorry a drip feed again) if she was ok at one point.

But now I know that if anyone sneezes or I do and I don't use a tissue or try to cover my mouth or nose then hey I could have SARS or swine flu etc (whichever one spreads through sneezing) and if they're still around so let's spread this round, the plague was probably spread this way, and after all,as someone said on a housing thread today we need an epidemic like Black Death to get rid of people so we can all afford (or our kids can) houses!

There I feel better now!

OP posts:
summerdreams · 21/04/2016 23:12

ShockBiscuitHmm

Jemappelle · 22/04/2016 07:27

This one is meant for Mumsnet Classics.

Prepare for SARS in your crumble! Chav found spreading swine flu and SARS on the best of England's pink ladies.

originalmavis · 22/04/2016 08:16

Chav flu? Is this a thing now? What are the symptoms?

DropYourSword · 22/04/2016 08:35

Say she did sneeze into her hand. She's still picking lots of things up and spreading her 'chavvy' germs. So not sure how you'd be much better off tbh.

wasonthelist · 22/04/2016 08:46

OP This is AIBU remember?

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 22/04/2016 11:07

Drop what is hand sanitizer for then?!

She shouldn't have been out sneezing or shop staff could've easily got her some tissues. We didn't hang around. Surely if you have a cold though and sneeze you carry tissues and use them.

Yes the chav comments are out of order but she looked like your typical chav who doesn't give a shit.

OP posts:
Caatje1974 · 22/04/2016 11:52

This is why you wash all fruit and vegetables before consuming them Smile

DropYourSword · 22/04/2016 12:02

Did she have any hand sanitizer?

runningincircles12 · 22/04/2016 12:28

We didn't hang around

You said she was doing it for up to 15 minutes (kept getting longer and longer). Sounds like the opposite. Who hangs around one shopper for 15 minutes? But yeah it's a bit gross- obviously. Everyone knows that. But you didn't come on here for that. You wanted to know if you should have reported her to customer services and being convinced that your mum caught a cold off this particular woman (maybe but could have been from anywhere). Everyone has told you that you were overreacting about that so that's your answer.

HotNatured · 22/04/2016 13:23

Some people are rank, have no manners or consideration for others and no self awareness.

However, this is not the supermarkets fault !

Original poster
SuperFlyHigh · 22/04/2016 13:34

HotNatured I never said it was supermarkets fault just wondered what if anything they could do as we clearly couldn't!

OP posts:
Grilledaubergines · 22/04/2016 20:55

Oh it was Sainsburys at selhurst park by the crystal palace ground OP? I like that one. Very friendly and your comments about clientele there say more about you than them.

Again, what did you want them to do at customer services? A Fred health check on entry?

Grilledaubergines · 22/04/2016 20:55

free

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