Man with persistent cough shopping with partner - just why?!?

[Defenbaker]

I went shopping today, for essential items, to a large supermarket. There was a small queue, with a security guard letting people enter as others left, to ensure social distancing inside. All very calm and not many people inside, so that was good.

However, in the second aisle there was a man coughing. I thought, oh well, it's probably nothing, just an ordinary cough, don't panic. I avoided him anyway, just in case. However, he then kept on coughing, at regular intervals, all around the shop. He never once used a tissue, or even his hand or the crook of his arm to catch the cough, and the cough was just the sort of dry, persistent cough that medics have described as a symptom! Regardless of whether he had the Covid19 virus or not, he was certainly not being careful to keep his germs to himself. I wondered how many people he could be infecting.

Although I tried my best to avoid him, he then appeared quite near me, where I was using the self scan till. This conversation took place:

Me: "It might be a good idea if you wait outside while your partner does the shopping, as you have a cough."

(He looked stunned, as though the idea hadn't occurred to him.)
Him: "Oh, it's just a cough, I don't have a temperature!"

Me: "That's a symptom, you might have it, you don't know."
Him: "I've been to the doctor... I don't have it."

Me: "So, have you had the test then? Did you have a negative result?"
Him: "The doctor said I'm fine... " (He looked shifty, like he was tempted to lie but found it difficult while I fixed my gaze on him.)
Me: "Even if you haven't got it, people are bound to be anxious when you're coughing all over the store. It really would be best if you wait outside."
Him: "Mmm... maybe... "

All the time his partner said nothing. I got the impression she was a bit embarassed to be with him, as she knew how others would view his germ ridden presence.

He then sloped off. AIBU to think that he had no reason to accompany another (able bodied) adult around the shop, and should have known better than to behave so thoughtlessly during this health crisis?

We all have the right to our opinions, but those who try to shout others down take on a new level of being wrong.

yeah it would she has no legal right to, question anybody say it a thousand times. and yeah all have all said coughing or sneezing without covering is horrible

I cough in my elbow, but I am very aware of covid enforcers judging me in public. But either way my reasons for coughing are no one’s business.

Similarly it is no ones business if people shop in 2s. My in laws shop in a pair, she doesn’t trust FIL to get what she needs, she had a heart bypass and COPD and can’t shop alone in case she collapses. In fairness they have self isolated for 3 weeks, but not everyone has family support like they do.

@Inkpaperstars yeah she was infringing his civil liberties his human right to go about his legal business without being harassed

I am afraid I still don't follow @peterlon1

We don't really live in a society of permissions, we have the freedom to do things unless they are prohibited. Can you point me to the specific law that prohibits someone from addressing another person in a supermarket?

Clearly we don't have the right to detain random people for questioning at will, or to attach legal consequences to the questions asked in a casual setting. We can speak however. Otherwise it would be illegal to ask someone how they are or what the time is. The only possible legal question I can see is whether what we say to someone amounts to harassment. I very much doubt this incident would be classed as such, but in any case you are going further and saying that we don't have the right to ask people questions.

Again, at the risk of breaking the law then, I ask you why you think this?

we have all had our civil liberties curtailed for a good reason by a democratically elected body, that is their role not that of any old busy body in the street. if she really had a problem with it she should have taken to correct way round it, speak to the store management and let them deal with it as it is their property.

You do realise civil liberties work both ways @peterlon

Cross post, ah ok you consider it harassment. I don't really. Also if as I suspect he had a new cough, and was unecessarily accompanying his partner, then the business he was going about was not legal.

I agree store management should deal with these things. Staff are at high risk so they are incentivised to try and clamp down on this kind of thing.

the point is she wan't addressing him she was questioning him, to address him she could have said "my that's a nasty cough you have there" in which case he may have been forth coming and said I know I am sorry but I have asthma or something.

We live in a society where people are asked to take appropriate behaviour (shop alone not pairs unless single parent, 2m apart, use elbow or tissues) but legally there are no Covid police.

Equally, our society does not stop us legally from asking people questions.

Coughing everywhere twat will not be arrested for openly coughing and OP will not be arrested for highlighting this.

There are so many children of NHS nurses and doctors who have lost a parent now and out of respect for them, if nothing else, I wonder why can't people follow the guidelines? Let's look after the people who look after us?

She was perfectly within her rights to vocally object to someone walking around the supermarket coughing all over the place while making no effort to cover his mouth during a world wide pandemic.

Regardless of the reason why he was coughing he was being unhygienic and rude and in the present climate likely to be causing serious alarm to anyone vulnerable or caring for somebody who is vulnerable.

but he did say @Inkpaperstars he had been to doctor how do we know he wasn't on his way back from there and they stopped to do the shopping together as they have no car and it takes two to carry it. there are so many variables, but addressing him would probably have engaged him into a free conversation in which he may have imparted such information. but she clearly states she fixed him with her gaze, probably putting his back right up and making him clam up. it how you go about it not what you are trying to squeeze out of the poor guy.

No one disagrees with the second part of your statement @Carbosug but FFS read the thread down, civil liberties, human rights, not the Covid police etc etc.

I have read the thread peterlon thank you. And have managed to respond without shouting and swearing.

@Carbosug yes i know that which is why I stated she should have raised her concerns with the store in that situation they are jurisdiction, not her she could have got herself into a lot of bother. she didn't know if he was a drug user or an alcoholic, or just damn nasty and he could very easily have turned on her. I know I have been in the situation and done all the training on it etc etc.

Yes it's disgusting but it doesn't give strangers the right to tell him he would be better waiting outside.

Yes it does. Peoples lives are at stake. He could be shedding copies of a virus that is killing thousands of people worldwide EVERY DAY.

What is so hard to understand? She shouldn't be rude, but this guy should go ahead and possibly spread a potentially lethal virus all over the place? She's the one with the problem here?

What is it about easily transmissible virus causing deadly global pandemic that people don't seem to be understanding here? That guy should have been taken to task by every other person in that shop for not covering his mouth at the very least.

@Carbosug I just get a little bit irate when people don't listen to common sense, and the common sense it the previous post she did not know how he would react. it is a very silly thing to do, was in supermarket few days ago had to as ran out an not delivery, so had to take my tired aching old body that doesn't work out, despite the risks to my health.(high risk) and was in supermarket and some guy was asked politely to wait in the queue, and boy did he fly into one at the drop of a hat and to look at him butter wouldn't have melted in his mouth.

Peterlon if the 'poor guy' has Covid19 the items he covered in droplets will potentially have it for up to 9 days.

That's potentially someone's 13 year old, someone's parents, NHS staff lives gone just as has already happened. For the sake of him tagging along, not using tissue, not caring.

I really don't care if someone farts near me, I really care if they openly cough particularly around food.

I am only saying it for her protection at the end of the day, this virus has turned ordinary people into monsters, and they are worse than the virus itself

Yes it does. Peoples lives are at stake. He could be shedding copies of a virus that is killing thousands of people worldwide EVERY DAY.

And he could not be. Either way, it's not up to a nosey stranger to tell him he should wait outside*

What is so hard to understand?

I'm beginning to wonder the

She shouldn't be rude, but this guy should go ahead and possibly spread a potentially lethal virus all over the place? She's the one with the problem here?

Did you miss the 49 million suggestions as to other reasons for the cough?

What is it about easily transmissible virus causing deadly global pandemic that people don't seem to be understanding here?

We understand it.

That guy should have been taken to task by every other person in that shop for not covering his mouth at the very least.

Taken to task by everyone in the shop 😂

Get a grip. It's fucking rude and offensive to question people about their medical history suggest they wait outside.

Yes we ALL agree he should have used a tissue, but there is no way at all, regardless of the pandemic, that strangers have any right to ask questions and say you would be better waiting outside.

This thread has really opened my eyes to how many ignorant and rude fuckers there are walking our streets. Keep yourselves safe and don't poke your noses in to things that are 100% not your business.

@Enough4me have you read the document that tells you how long it last on different types of materials? and are you aware that is only a TRACE that they find not enough to do harm to catch the virus from someone who has touched something you then touch has to follow a very strict chain of events.read this link please it will set your mind a peace to a degree. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/26/dont-panic-about-shopping-getting-delivery-or-accepting-packages/
each hours that passes it goes down in strength by 50% providiong that that material keeps it for and hour they are all different.

but the important thing to remember is as they keep saying wash your hands do not touch your face unless your hands are clean. as long as you follow basic cleanliness you are keeping yourself out of harms way.

I've just seen the photo released on Twitter of the poor 13 year old's funeral. I'm not going to describe or post as some may already be suffering with mental health at this time, but I wish all the people ignoring the guidance could see it. Perhaps a real wake up call.

@inflam
This thread has really opened my eyes to how many ignorant and rude fuckers there are walking our streets. Keep yourselves safe and don't poke your noses in to things that are 100% not your business.

I so love this part of your post

@Enough4me no one on this thread is ignoring the guidance we are just being sensible about it.

and it is very sad about the 13 yo I wonder what the underlying illness was that killed them?