To think unless you are actually medically exempt you can't get out of wearing a mask?

[Simsie]

People on social media are telling others to download a basic picture of text saying "I am exempt from wearing a mask" to present at supermarkets if they don't want to wear a mask.

Not medically exempt, no hidden disabilities, just for those don't want to wear one.

Surely that crap isn't going to work?

I really can't see the problem with wearing a mask. If you have legitimate reasons not to then fine but people who can should just do it.

I've never known such a pathetic, winging nation. Scotland just got on with it. I've just been to Tesco and obv wore a mask. Every single person in there had a mask on. I saw a young girl with her's down below her nose, that was all

Anybody would think we've been asked to do something massively unreasonable. Obv I would rather not wear one but it wasn't that bad. If we all use some bloody common sense for once we can hopefully get this virus under control a lot quicker

The sort of ppl refusing to wear a mask for no good reason are the ppl that park in disabled bays, jump red lights, chuck litter on the floor, let their dog crap on the pavement, the dregs of society

@MaudesMum

I think there's another sub-set of people - those who will wear a mask because it is now the law and they don't want to put shop staff in an awkward position, but actually think it's bollocks. Tomorrow one of the shops I'll be going to is a smallish butchers. They have screens between the staff and the customer area and are restricting entry to one person at a time (or a couple). When I go there in a mask tomorrow, who exactly am I benefiting by doing so??

I suppose if the studies are correct they've found the virus can be suspended in the air for up to three hours. So, everyone who's been in that shop without a mask has expelled droplets into the air that could stay there for three hours (unless there's good ventilation and airflow)

[quote ABingThing]@Simsie

It's not about people who can't, it's about people who won't.

Since nobody can tell the difference, that point is moot.

All this continued discussion does is frighten people who genuinely can't wear masks and prove why because (1) there's no mechanism to do so, (2) they shouldn't have to (3) their conditions are nobody else's fucking business. So many people in that position will continue to isolate when they shouldn't have to, potentially damaging their mental health. It's infuriating.

It's like this pandemic has rolled back the rights of people with disabilities by 30 years.[/quote]
All of this.

@LangClegsInSpace

I wouldn't go as far as to say it was "fucking repulsive"

No, Jaxhog's comment was fucking repulsive

Indeed, and I hope very much that OPs disagreement with us on this is because she doesn't understand the implications rather than because she agrees with them.

I just saw a young couple in Tesco's not wearing a mask. Makes my blood boil. If one of you is exempt then fine but you don't both need to go in!
How do you know they both had a reason why not ?you don't so calm the fuck down and concentrate your energy on something else .
Honestly what is wrong with people it's the same with lockdown started oh I saw Karen at number 10 go out 3 times .
Look just wear a mask yes some won't but just let the shop worry about that .
Just understand that some others can't wear one .
I've a dc teen who autistic who's exempt , it scares me to death that if I take him out I'm going to get arseholes like on here judging me ffs get a life I'm sick of it .

@islockdownoveryet

I just saw a young couple in Tesco's not wearing a mask. Makes my blood boil. If one of you is exempt then fine but you don't both need to go in! How do you know they both had a reason why not ?you don't so calm the fuck down and concentrate your energy on something else . Honestly what is wrong with people it's the same with lockdown started oh I saw Karen at number 10 go out 3 times . Look just wear a mask yes some won't but just let the shop worry about that . Just understand that some others can't wear one . I've a dc teen who autistic who's exempt , it scares me to death that if I take him out I'm going to get arseholes like on here judging me ffs get a life I'm sick of it .

Honestly what is wrong with people using the name Karen like this?

You don't want arseholes judging your son but here you are judging people called Karen. I won't be judging your son but I will be judging you.

@Queenfreak

I'm actually ok wearing a mask, so have no plans not to. However I am diagnosed Autistic, and I have plenty of friends who just cannot wear masks due to the sensory issues. Weve been told to wear the sunflower lanyard with the exemption card on it, and a copy of our NHS diagnosis.

If you feel more comfortable doing this then that's fine but there is no legal requirement to provide any evidence.

Those who have an age, health or disability reason to not wear a face covering should not be routinely asked to provide any written evidence of this. Written evidence includes exemption cards.

Take train fares. If there's an inspector on every day who checks their ticket, they'll buy one. If there ticket isn't checked for a while, they'll stop buying one.

Actually that's not true- I was working on a project once that looked at TfL fare evasion rates, and far and away the single biggest cause of fare evasion is broken ticket equipment- there are some of course who take their chances, but based on ridership numbers and ticket sales, the overwhelming majority (think 98%+) pay for a ticket. On those days that station gates are broken or not working, fare evasion doesn't significantly increase unless the machines themselves are broken (thus one of the reasons the fare evasion department has been shrinking steadily over time).

@Jaxhog

Exempt people will have a letter saying they're exempt. No letter, you have to wear a mask. I gather the police will be doing spot checks and on-the-spot fines.

My GP sent out a text saying they will not provide letters or certificates to those exempt from wearing a mask as just saying your exempt is enough.

On the governments websites regarding masks it’s say they may help stop the spread, not that they will help stop the spread. It also makes it clear on how to handle masks and most people won’t handle them properly causing more risk to themselves and others. It is important to social distance and wash hands. The emphasis is on the mask right now and I’ve noticed in stores less people socially distancing, so if you’re going to make points regarding masks and wearing them. Do make sure that you are all following the instructions on how to wear and handle them accordingly and make sure to wash your hands and keep distance.

Really these masks should have hazardous material disposal. Keeping them in pockets and handbags isn’t safe.

“ On the one hand it'll show up the selfish scumbags of society, but the victims of this are the medically exempt. 1) they're more exposed due to the sociopaths who won't wear a mask and 2) they get lumbered in with them if it's a hidden disability. If I couldn't wear a mask i'd be avoiding shops and transport for those reasons.”

It’s completely within your power to help avoid medically exempt people being “lumped in” with “selfish scumbags”. Just assume everyone you see who isn’t wearing a mask has a good reason. It will help you not to feel stressed, and you will be one less person thinking the worst of them. It is people who want to distinguish between the “can’ts” and the “won’ts” who are making things harder for those who struggle with face coverings, and you need to find a way to cope with seeing people not wearing them that doesn’t mean that people who can’t wear them feel shamed and shunned. Assume the best of people, and everything gets much easier for everyone.

@Iggii

I saw one person in a large supermarket this week (Scotland) not wearing a mask. Most people will conform.

Are people really that adamant in England not to wear masks that they have to go around flapping letters and texts? Most GPs won’t even give a letter

Are there really THAT many people exempt? Really? I’ve seen one person in a supermarket without one in the last 3 weeks. It seems so rare.

There are folk who are medically exempt from wearing a mask who will wear a mask.

No there aren't. If they can wear a mask they are not exempt.

Jaxhog’s comment was absolutely fucking vile. @islockdownoveryet I understand your fear. I’m just relieved that my autistic child is very obviously under 11. He’s worn his mask on public transport without too much fuss so far, but if he ever decides he can no longer tolerate it the last thing I’ll need is some self-righteous twat weighing in with their judgement.

My GP won't issue letters for exemption so it's going to be people being taken on trust. The TFL exemption is, you print off a piece of paper from their web site that says you're exempt, so no proof required anywhere

It makes absolutely no difference to you if they aren't wearing one because they can't or won't
It does on a numbers level - if only people who can't wear a mask, don't, then most people will be in a mask which will help to protect me. The numbers of non-wearing people would be small. The numbers of people who don't fancy wearing one, but are perfectly capable of doing so, could be much much larger.

I may have missed it but has there been a demand for children to carry their birth certificates when they are in shops? Exemption applies to children under 11 - some children look young for their age, some look older. Presumably those who favour a rigorous burden of proof being placed on those with medical exemption feel just as strongly about age exemption and would want to apply the same conditions. If not, I wonder why

It’s completely within your power to help avoid medically exempt people being “lumped in” with “selfish scumbags”. Just assume everyone you see who isn’t wearing a mask has a good reason.

I think that's perfectly fair now. The problem is less and less people as the weeks go by will wear masks because they won't be challenged and then with the sheep behaviour (which we saw when people started ignoring lockdown) more and more will follow, until there's less people wearing masks than wearing them.

A lot of people in this country need order and authority to comply with anything. And then there's the pervasive attitude in the country of 'well if they're getting away with it then why should I bother?'

If you want to achieve anything in this country then it's got to be policed.

I think the best solution is that everyone just stops being an arsehole.

If you can wear a mask then wear one.

If you see someone not wearing a mask then assume that they have an exemption and leave them alone.

@LangClegsInSpace post bears repeating

I think you can print of an exemption badge off the gov.uk website. You don't need a doctors note or anything. Lots of people will wear a mask and some won't for what ever reason. I'm not judging and no one else should. If a shop refuses entry to someone without a mask, again that's up to them. A shop can refuse entry to whoever they want. I really don't know understand why people are all up in arms over this. Wear a mask if you want to but leave people alone who aren't wearing masks. People are complex and nothing is black and white.

[quote BF888]@Jaxhog I don’t know where you’ve got that from. The police aren’t doing anything. It’s civil matter for a start and they can’t be issuing fines to people on the spot who say they’re exempt. Cressida Dick had more or less told the public to shame those who aren’t wearing them so eventually they do wear them. How are they to police it? I’ve spoken to my local station and they’ve said they won’t be policing it unless aggression breaks out and that will be handled accordingly. They explicitly told me they don’t want to make it worse for those who are exempt and they can’t treat everyone without a mask as if they’re making it up, as it becomes discrimination.[/quote]
It's really important that people realise this is not a civil matter, it's a criminal matter. This is not like a parking ticket, it's like a traffic offence.

@netflixismysidehustle Info from Transport For All says that 46 disabled people have recieved abuse for not wearing a mask. From mask wearers.

I’m more concerned about the number of the general public who will self appoint themselves as some sort of mask police.

A friend had an asthma attack today in the supermarket from having to wear a mask. They said the staff were fantastic helping them but afterwards when they were in the shop without the mask on they had somebody making unpleasant comments about them not having a mask on.

My own child is disabled and unable to wear a mask, to be honest I don’t have the energy to take them to a shop and risk the large likelihood of having comments made towards us.
So now that’s more life skill training out of the window for them.

I’m just so sick of these self appointed police.

Conversely, there are many extremely clinically vulnerable people instead having to isolate because not enough protective measures are being put in place as things start to re open.

If those clinically vulnerable people can't go out if others aren't wearing masks, then it makes no difference that those who are exempt continue to go without them. The problem for both groups is those who choose not to wear them without needing to and those in the general population who think they're somehow skilled enough to tell the difference.

I've had an email from my GP today stating that they will not be providing letters to those that are exempt.

It's easy to judge, I did when I went into a shop today and saw a woman not wearing a mask. I gave my head a wobble and realised she may have a genuine reason to not be wearing one. I can imagine it won't be pleasant for people who can't wear one to be told off constantly over the next few months.

#be kind people.