Masks - GET A GRIP.

[Changednamesorry]

Ok.

So. Lots of whinging about masks at the moment as BoJo finally hauls his arse into gear and says that you have to wear them in the shops and on public transport.

In Catalunya where I live masks are obligatory. Every time you are in public. Including in the street. Inside and out. The exceptions are

Medical conditions (you need a paper justifying this)
When playing sport
Children under the age of 6
If eating or drinking

If you don't comply - 100 euro fine. No arguments.

Most people here were already wearing masks anyway (because we saw the horror at the beginning of the pandemic here and we know what a real lockdown is like - not allowed out at all, children locked inside for nearly 3 months, etc)

People arent whining and complaining nor imagining how they can invent aome excuse to mean that the rules don't apply to them and the overwhelming majority of people are wearing them all the time.

Tourists not so much but they getting fined. Good.

So England. PLEASE. Stop with the selfishness. Literally dozens of countries have mandatory mask wearing and citizens comply because they care about each other and don't spend their time acting entitled and "I'm all right Jack"

There are articles in the European press about this. Literally "English people are selfish - is it any wonder they are so resistant to wear masks". It's embarrassing. As a nation, as a society, it's time to grow up and just put the mask on like everyone else.

English people. You aren't special. You are starting to look like the kid who gets thw whole class detention because they just keep on breaking the rules.

Wear the mask. Please. It's for the safety of everyone.

And if you ABSOLUTELY MUST come to Spain on holiday, even more so.

As I said on another thread; In a hospital setting the masks are worn then discarded with hands washed afterwards.

Regular joe public will be taking the same mask on and off during the day and storing it in a bag/pocket, won't be washing hands after touching the mask and potentially keeping the same mask in their car to take with them without it being washed between uses.

The whole situation just sounds really germ ridden. Not just for COVID either but all sorts of lovely viruses and bacteria's.

OP just stay in Spain and you’ll be fine, amiright?
I’m not English but think it’s ok to be confused by the super confusing advice this omnishambles of a government Regarding masks and everything else

I don’t think English are being unreasonable. It’s part of the culture to be a bit stubborn and question authority, but they always do the right thing and once decided will comply better than the more relaxed cultures that say yeah yeah ok but then don’t really follow through.

Too, its not like the US where people are rioting with their semi automatic rifles over Covid measures.

OP is completely right. The selfishness in this country is off the scale and everything has to be a drama. The government always too slow off the mark as well.

We're a national laughing stock. A complete joke we are.

Well said OP. I would be exempt. But if a relative can wear a mask for 12 hours on a frontline shift, day after day, I can manage one for 20 minutes in Tesco once a week. A favourite saying of my great aunt comes to mind: "put up and shut up". This collective patheticness is deeply worrying

Yep. Totally agree OP. Barring legitimate medical reasons, wear the mask or shop online. No-one enjoys wearing them but we just need to suck it up the way so many other countries seem to be able to do.

Couldn't agree with you more op. I have honestly never been so embarrassed to be English.

@CallmeAngelina

Just the English? What about the Welsh/Scots/N.Irish? And ALL English people? What about those of us who've followed all the rules set, plus some?

And no, I won't be coming to Spain, thanks all the same.

The Scots have been wearing masks in enclosed spaces since mid June. Do not lump us in with the recent change in England.

Apparently they didnt like masks in 1918 either during the Spanish Flu Outbreak

Mask-wearing was enforced during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, but many refused, citing the government mandates as threats to their civil liberties.
Men needed more convincing to wear masks than did women.
Men didn't practice proper personal hygiene and also thought wearing masks was too feminine, so public health officials set forth to rebrand personal hygiene as a display of red-blooded patriotism.
Men and boys were primarily depicted in public health advertisements and cartoons during the 1918 pandemic when the Spanish flu swept the nation

Who looked after the key worker children during your lockdown op?

It's just been said on the news that only 54 per cent of people are wearing masks.

Oh blah blah blah, yes England are sooooo awful and Spain is soooo wonderful. Shame Spain wants so wonderful with its care home residents eh? leaving them to die alone. But I guess we dont talk about that right?

Louise so it's been mandatory in Scotland since mid June? Wow you learn something new every day. Here I was thinking it was mandatory from last Friday. Silly me.

It was advised yes. But not mandatory. It begs the question. If everyone was wearing them, then why did the Scottish government make it mandatory?

Im scottish and we have been wearing then compulsory for almost a week now and its going well, im glad they made it compulsory. @Annabanana1234 in terms of gladly take the furlough money what do you expect people to do when they are unable to open businesses due to government lockdown where they work? Starve? Let their kids starve and lose their homes? I was on maternity pay when the lockdown was implemented and partner furloughed. Without that money thats exactly what would of happened. You are one of the 'furlough shamers' that martin lewis has spoke about. This is coming from a nurse whos fortunate to be back at work and not worry about the impact of another lockdown will have on finances.

I'd say that if you did a Venn diagram of anti-vaxxers, Brexit supporters, and mask snowflakes it would pretty much just be a circle.

Personally I won’t be wearing a mask but I’m happy for other people to if they wish.

YANBU OP. Not even a tiny bit. England and America are becoming entertainment for popcorn munchers worldwide, with the 'OhMaLawd!' levels of stupidity witnessed in interviews about masks. Masks are apparently an attack on our freedom / communist dictatorship / attack on our right to breathe through the lungs the good lord gave us! The same lungs people struggle to breathe through when dying of Covid presumably and indeed maybe for the rest of their lives after lung scarring.

OP, I couldn't agree more, I have never been so embarrassed and ashamed of England in all of my life.

@Ravenesque

I'd say that if you did a Venn diagram of anti-vaxxers, Brexit supporters, and mask snowflakes it would pretty much just be a circle.

...You think there are 17 million people in this country who don't believe vaccinations are good for public health.

Tuck yourself in, your agenda is showing.

@Ravenesque

Absolutely spot on!

I've literally not heard a single person moan about it

RedtreedsRedtrees
Personally I won’t be wearing a mask but I’m happy for other people to if they wish.

I'm sure you'll be happy because other people wearing a mask protects you.
Shame you can't return the courtesy to others by taking this simple step.

Europeans are better at following rules because their countries have a history of bowing to authority - elected or imposed. The English have a general mistrust of authority and a reluctance to blindly obey so these things take longer to be adopted.

I take some offense at your comment that “the English are selfish”. It’s very xenophobic. You have encountered a tiny minority of English people yet see fit to tar everyone with the same brush.

I really don't like wearing a mask, like many others I find it hugely uncomfortable. I also have impaired hearing so struggle a little when I don't have the option to lip read. However it is what it is and so I'll suck it up and get on with it. But do you know what I hate most about this whole pandemic/lockdown shitshow? That it has given so much oxygen to the smug and sanctimonious. They stride around social media in their judgy pants, loudly proclaiming they care/they have a rainbow in their window/they clap hardest/they save lives/they're doing lockdown soooooo much better than everyone else. They live to judge, their spiteful little noses pressed against the window as they scan the world looking for something to be offended by. If people need to whinge and vent about mask wearing being mandated then just let them. Let them have a good old moan and get it out of their system; as long as they stick one on their mush then who are they harming by venting?

Europeans are better at following rules because their countries have a history of bowing to authority

I think it's completely the opposite: because they are famously NOT following the rules willingly , the decision to impose heavy fines and increase police presence to do so was made very early on!

It was obvious they wouldn't follow any rules unless they were given absolutely no choice.

I am not sure the Brits are that great at following rules either, that's the problem.