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.

OP you are 100% right.

I live in Germany and the drama and fuss and theatre that England is making is embarrassing.

...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.

@mollokoy

Yeah, sorry about that, all of my agendas have a habit of hanging out and needing to be tucked in again. How very silly of me to think that there are 17 million people who are scared of vaccination.

Except of course, that's not what I think at all. Here's the correlation. Not all Brexiters are anti-vaxxers, not all Brexiters are scared of masks, but nearly all people who are up in arms about masks are Brexiters and many of them are also anti-vaxxers and so we get our circle. of x number of people.

My actual agenda was to be a bit sarcastic and make a joke, but I''ll tuck it in for you and try harder next time. Or not bother.

No one I know gives a shit about having to wear a mask- it's been mandated and that's that. It's hardly a big deal to the vast majority of people. A minor inconvenience for those not sold on the idea at worst.

I suppose that doesn't sell newspapers though. Much better for a tiny minority of people frothing about it to be considered representative of all us wicked selfish English folk 🙄

i agre embarrassing the threads ve read and on twitter #nomasks is trending calling it oppresive and like a muzzle ffs

first time out today i wore one majority of the time for a nail appt then round the shops was a bit weird at first but fine

think of the doctors and nurses who have to wear one all day and gegt on with it

“The rules are being changed to force everyone back to commuting and into the 'covid - secure' hmmworkplace as soon as possible because commercial property values are dropping like stones and sandwich shops are going under.“

“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. “

This. I won’t be wearing a mask. I won’t be patronising bars, restaurants, shops or anywhere else while I am required to.

Gnomeisland guess it’s my choice

Have only seen videos of people notably in American Costco’s having proper melt downs, toddler tantrums about being told to wear masks.

@QuestionMarkNow *beause the non wearers, moaning british the OP is referring to are not wearing masks WHERE SHE LIVES and this DESPITE the fact its complusory in Spain.

Surely if you want to go on hols soehwre, the least you can do is
1- to respect the law of the country where you live
2- have respect for the ;eath of the people there. British tourists have been known to start new cases in touristic areas. Because, very simply, our infections are tsill much higher than in Spain (or france, italy etc...). If someone is 'dangerous' (as in more likely to bring the virus) it's british people*

This. Exactly

And for those of you wringing your hands about how awful I am being about English people...
I am English. I've lived in Spain most of my adult life but I'm English. My family are all in England. 2 of my relatives are NHS workers who are exhausted as well.

So yes. Both the selfish English tourists refusing to follow the rules in Spain are putting us at risk here, and the non mask wearing in England is putting my relatives at risk there. So.... Possibly it is my business. As it is a society as a whole's business.

To the person who made the ludicrous comment that I was "laughing" at people dying.....along with the tasteless Fukushima reference the answer is that of course I'm not. The entitled behavior that seems to have become endemic in English society is what is a laughing stock. Covid-19 is a horror story, as was Fukushima.

And funnily enough, Japanese society is also more group minded than the UK and the wearing of masks to protect others has been common for a long time. And, unsurprisingly they too have dealt with this situation better than the UK.

We have relatives in Hamamatsu and there are 600 000 people living there. 0 cases.

Another island nation, another country which is economically strong..... Yet big difference in handling the Covid-19 situation both at a government and societal level.

I agree that there are some elements of English society that behave badly. Of course there are. Should everyone be respectful when visiting other countries? Of COURSE.
But I do take issue with the sweeping generalisations about "the English," in the same way that I would about any generalisations. How come the English are seen as fair game for criticism, but any similar observations about, say, the French, would be leapt upon?

@OrangeBlossomsinthesun yes quite. That is a concern for me too. The issue is that people come here on holiday on a plane, and refuse to follow the rules put in place to stop the spread here.

They will go home baxl to their "not really a lockdown" and possibly leave us back where we were in April, locked in our homes entirely.

And I didn't disagree with that measure and it worked well. What I disagree with is that weay have to (justifiably) do it again because of non compliance with masks by tourists coming from countries with a far higher infection rate.

I don't understand why anyone would go on their jollies abroad in a pandemic but I could accept it a little more if they followed the rules put in place to protect those of us who live here.

YANBU- couldn't agree more. I've got bigger things to worry about than suffering the discomfort of a mask for my 30 min weekly trip round a supermarket tbh. If people don't like it- shop online. If you can't shop online then mask up and get on with it. I have had 2 people I know whingeing about this today.

• I fully support people who are medically exempt from wearing a mask and hope they don't incur any undue harassment in public as a result of not wearing one though.

I am not defending the behaviour of any louts abroad. They are an embarrassment.

BUT how many had paid for a holiday that was not cancelled.

How many would have lost a lot of money if they didn't go?

How many had rules changed when they were there?

One of my reasons for not going was socially distancing and wearing mask.

But when didn't the Spanish government say no to British tourists? It was predictable that a small minority would behave in this way.

If I would be getting very annoyed. Not with the English people who are moaning about mask wearing (and it will be just a moan), but with the Spanish govt for putting you at risk in this way.

I am in Scotland. Went to Home Bargains this morning and about 95% of the public had masks on. Pleasantly surprised. Only about 50% of staff had them on, though. They don't have to wear them if they are behind perspex or stay 2m from others - which they weren't doing.

Umm, since when were you my parent?
Get a grip yourself bossyboots.

and we did have a lockdown here. It may have been as extreme or cruel as Spain, but we all had our lives change quite dramatically and its been no walk in the park here.

*not

@stickygotstuck

Thank you for your comment about my tone.

I really am pleading people to do tje right thing. I am baffled by the heel digging in. I really am.

Agree. I'm on two FB groups where people have moaned about it. Lots of people saying things like 'I feel anxious" "can't breathe" etc etc. Well I suffer from diagnosed panic disorder and have claustrophobia and I'm wearing mine. So fed up of people whinging. Grrr.

I think it’s fair to complain when this policy will significantly hinder recovery in the retail sector

It's driving me absolutely potty. I've had to wear full PPE for months now which has saved my life and all I hear is garbage about human rights, muzzles and personal freedom.
Get a bloody grip and stick a mask on. Come winter I don't want to be helping people to die again. I don't think I could stand it.

Iv heard so much moaning.....

The boards last night were alive with moaning

Completely agree OP. I'm the vast majority of cases it's just ridiculous and selfish.

@WantToLiveByTheSea

Isn't this moaning too?