Face mask face off

[DonutDolittle]

In Tesco self checkout this morning: Woman shopping wearing mask, needs assistance with a voucher.

Assistant: I can't hear you, I'm a bit deaf, can you take off your the mask.

Woman shakes head and points to the notification on the screen whilst saying she needs help.

Assistant: Well I can't hear you and I don't know what the problem is. There is no one else. The mask thing is a little over the top.

Woman takes off mask: I work in A&E and last night dealt with a Covid positive patient. I'm protecting you, you idiot.

Woman storms out, leaving the shopping.

Assistant bursts into tears. Another person comes over. She's saying it's not fair she's not an idiot, she can't do her job like this, something about discrimination.

Manager comes over and tells her to go home and have a day off. Then all three walk off.

AIBU to think that through all of that someone should have really noticed my awkwardly flashing red light and given me some assistance..?! There I am stood like a fucking lemon waiting for someone to confirm that I have indeed bagged said item and they all just walk off. Fuckers. I'm half joking.

[NameChange84]

@BacklashStarts I was screamed and shouted at and accused of “EXTORTION” as a 19 year old trainee teacher.

I’d asked a Dad to provide a pair of 99p reindeer antlers for the reception class nativity . He said I was running a “money making scheme” and it was all a scam. He was angry that I already had a pair and wouldn’t “give” them to him. They were a spare pair in case a child’s pair went missing or got broken on the day of the performance. He then went around asking every single parent at pick up which one was the parent of the child that was “getting preferential treatment” and “favouritism” and inciting the other parents to turn against me. I wish I could say one of them told him to jog on and leave the teenager trying to put her first school play on with a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds alone but suddenly the soles of their shoes and the ceiling became VERY interesting .

Some people are just total pillocks without a soul.

[HunterAngel]

I was sympathetic with the assistant until the mask comment. As I’ve had a hearing impediment since birth I too am struggling with the masks, particularly the cloth ones. Twinned with the Perspex screens I do struggle to understand people. I have never asked someone to remove the mask but I have explained I’m hard of hearing and asked them to speak up.

However the customer shouldn’t have called the assistant an idiot. There’s no need for name calling. Also the assistant’s reaction may have been over the top but customers do tend to take out frustrations on the staff and this incident may have been the last straw.

[TheWernethWife]

Check out Cambridge Deaf Association - my friend contacted them and was given lots of information. They also have an app which turns speech into words.

He said it has helped him a lot whilst out shopping.