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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do you wear a face covering at the supermarket?

311 replies

FluffyKittensinabasket · 12/06/2020 21:52

I don’t normally but I have a coldsore so think I’ll wear one tomorrow, hopefully I won’t get any passive aggressive comments from other shoppers that have been reported here.

OP posts:
Hugglespuffed · 14/06/2020 08:29

What I don't understand is that I often see people wearing one then pulling it on and off inside the shop. All the touching of the face 😷 gross

vanillandhoney · 14/06/2020 08:34

The people who won’t ever wear one - do you know for sure if you have the antibodies already? Why not do something which avoids infecting other people in places like a supermarket etc?

I have no idea if I have the antibodies. I won't wear a mask because I have ASD and doing so means I have a panic attack. Just like I can't wear turtlenecks or have scarves wrapped around my neck in the winter months either.

If they become compulsory in shops I just won't go in shops. I've had all my shopping delivered since lockdown anyway.

Hugglespuffed · 14/06/2020 08:47

If they become compulsory then I will but until then, no. I lost faith in the government. Why encourage us to wear them now? Why not when the community transmission was MUCH higher?

Ginfordinner · 14/06/2020 08:48

The woman on the till yesterday was wearing a face mask. I suffer from some hearing loss, and hadn't realised until yesterday how much I rely on being able to see people's lips when talking. It didn't help that English was obviously not her first language.

She must have got frustrated at me asking her to repeat everything all the time.

namechangegarden · 14/06/2020 08:58

I don't, as I find them really uncomfortable.

Instead, I do the shopping once a week at 6.15am (our local superstore opens at 6am), which means there are very few other people around, so the risk is minimised that way.

Davincitoad · 14/06/2020 09:03

Yes. Got called a said knob by a random
Old man yestersay .

I apologise for not wanting to spread a disease I may not know i have....

Lordfrontpaw · 14/06/2020 09:06

I have found that some of the people who really ought to take extra precautions just don’t bother. Maybe it’s a gung-ho spirit or they think they are indistructable?

fia101 · 14/06/2020 09:25

I've been getting deliveries throughout lockdown.

Had to go into work for first time this week and stopped at supermarket on way.

Had gloves and mask on

I was literally the only one in the whole huge supermarket (including staff) wearing gloves and mask

took the mask off as felt like an idiot

OlafLovesAnna · 14/06/2020 09:32

We have to wear a face covering in any enclosed space or shop here in Portugal and I expect it will continue for a long while.

People seem to be using a variety of coverings, from surgical masks to running buffs pulled over their nose and mouth.

I don't love it and neither do the kids but it's the law so at least you don't get anyone huffing or making comments.

NoMoreFlowers · 14/06/2020 09:34

Yes

Catastrofuck · 14/06/2020 09:56

It’s horrible that people are being abused for wearing them. On this thread however the unpleasant comments are from those who wear them towards those who don’t. I hope it doesn’t become a virtue-signalling “I care more about other people than you” “you want other people to DIE if you don’t wear a mask” thing.

bengalcat · 14/06/2020 10:01

I wear a mask - changing every few hours as directed at work . I don’t wear one in public as I’m socially distanced and I drive to work . Obviously I will wear one on the tube /bus from tomorrow if I go on public transport .
I certainly have no issue with those in public who wear to the shops etc . At the end of the day I take the view they are free to do what they feel comfortable with and I will likewise do the same .

PhilCornwall1 · 14/06/2020 10:09

I have found that some of the people who really ought to take extra precautions just don’t bother. Maybe it’s a gung-ho spirit or they think they are indistructable?

For me it's none of those things, i just want as normal a life as possible and if that means not wearing a mask, I'm fine with that. As it is the government wanted me banged up at home for 3 months, that's no bloody life when you don't have a normal one to start with.

Any chance of some normality I'm taking it and for me that doesn't include smothering my face.

PurpleDaisies · 14/06/2020 10:11

Why not do something which avoids infecting other people in places like a supermarket etc?

Because if you can socially distance, you don’t need a mask to avoid infecting people. That’s why the official advice is as it is.

PhilCornwall1 · 14/06/2020 10:17

Because if you can socially distance, you don’t need a mask to avoid infecting people. That’s why the official advice is as it is.

Which Johnson is going to change anyway to get the pubs and restaurants open, so how much of it is complete bollocks anyway?

thistimeofyear · 14/06/2020 10:19

“The govt wanted me banged up for 3 months” what?! You were advised to for your own safety. Would you rather they said - we’re not going to advise anyone to be careful - crack on as normal and catch the virus?

pinktaxi · 14/06/2020 10:45

Yes. I've loads of cheap surgical masks, and no one bats an eyelid. I chuck them as i leave.

DameFanny · 14/06/2020 10:45

@Hugglespuffed

"If they become compulsory then I will but until then, no. I lost faith in the government. Why encourage us to wear them now? Why not when the community transmission was MUCH higher?"

Because back in March when thousands of lives could have been saved by now there weren't even enough masks for doctors and nurses, let alone Jo Public.

All of the mixed messages become clear when you realise that they've been driven by a failing government response that's happy to lie and gaslight in the hopes that you don't notice how bad they've been.

Back in March, they wanted lots of people to catch it for herd immunity. They were forced to change their position on that by public outcry at the number of deaths that would've meant, but by that point they hadn't been buying in needed PPE - and 10 years of underfunding had meant that the NHS didn't have any spare capacity - so they couldn't even protect NHS workers let alone tell the rest of us to put a mask in which would have led to even more scarcity of supplies.

The science clearly shows a small benefit to wearing a non medical mask. Even though the main benefit is reducing transmission if the wearer is an asymptomatic carrier, the mask themself will get less of a dose if coughed on by a carrier. You don't not wear an apron because it wouldn't be effective against 3 litres of oil, you wear one because it increases the chance of you not having to wash your jumper straight after making a cake.

thistimeofyear · 14/06/2020 11:04

If a mask protected you from ever catching the virus most people would wear one but because it doesn’t benefit them - a lot of people will give all sorts of excuses for not wearing one.

Catastrofuck · 14/06/2020 11:07

Actually thistimeofyear in the wider world (not MN where everyone is well-informed) most people do believe that the mask is about self protection, rather than protecting others

kb1992 · 14/06/2020 11:20

No I don't, but I don't judge anybody who does wear one to make themselves feel more protected.
Although I must say, if you do wear them, make sure you're using them properly otherwise it is completely pointless.

Once you have you mask on you shouldn't touch it again until you plan to take it off, it should then either be disposed of or put onto a bag and washed straight away. The amount of people I see constantly touching their masks, moving them to scratch their face, or pulling them down under their chin is just ridiculous. Everytime you touch that mask you are potentially contaminating it and spreading germs around. And the people to use the same mask repeatedly that is kept in their car. Everytime you go out wearing it, it is getting contaminated, then you're putting it in your car, leaving it open to germs again, then putting it back on next time you shop.

And people that wear gloves in shops, completely unnecessary. Unless you are going to change them everytime you touch something different they are pointless. Everytime you touch something with your gloves on, the gloves are getting contaminated, you are then touching your trolley, your shopping, yourself, your phone, your purse etc and just moving the germs around. You are better off just using hand sanitiser regularly as you are going round the shop.

SpiritEssence · 14/06/2020 11:23

Nope and I work in a supermarket to

Hugglespuffed · 14/06/2020 16:29

@DameFanny trust me, i don't trust tbe government either. But I don't think the argument on PPE is worth it because they still don't want us to use medical ones, they want us to use face coverings. If it would have worked that well then why not encourage us to wear face coverings back then? There is still a lack of PPE sadly. It is a shambles.

HeIenaDove · 14/06/2020 16:30

I care more about other people than you

Doesnt really fly when the Tories have kept being voted in for the past ten years.

The party which is all about the individual.

ACupOfTeaSolvesEverything · 14/06/2020 21:42

Yes I do and have had a few stares but only one man told me it was “a load of bollocks”