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?

*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.*
Oh go away and boil your head Karen ,I actually just used a random name .
Sorry cross out Karen I mean Susan but not to offend any Susan's.
And good judge me .

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.

This is totally not true. Many people with severe asthma are still wearing masks as that's what they want to do. The thing is you can't make people with asthma wear a mask if they psychologically can't wear one. My partner wears a mask and she has asthma bad enough to go to hospital. She does it because she wants to. As I said there is no black and white.

Transport for All....except for the millions of clinically vulnerable to coronavirus. Aka disabled people. Those genuinely unable to wear a mask are a tiny majority. Other countries, Trump and Bolsonaro supporters aside, manage to wear masks without all this whining. Why is England different?

Exactly @Mrsfrumble thank you , honestly I'm just bloody fuming with 1 or 2 comments on here and I never get annoyed with people on social media .
I think most people in real life are understanding.

The problem is down the line, as there's a psyche in this country of doing what you can get away with. If the 1 in 10 person not wearing a mask is never challenged or policed then it soon becomes 2 in 10 and then 3 in 10 and before you know it it's only the minority wearing one again. Lockdown went exactly the same way. Things need policing in this country, or rules fall by the wayside very fast.

I'm not sure this is true. I think most people are basically law-abiding whether they think they might get caught or not. The vast majority of people will wear a mask if they can see the value in it.

Lockdown went tits up after the Cummings shitfest and that was a problem of government messaging, not just because one person broke the rules.

There's also the issue that government flip flopping on the mask issue has inevitably undermined the message.

When did British people become so bloody feeble? Heard a man on a radio phone in today saying it was a monstrous hassle, or some such crap, and that (fully grown adult with no conditions) it “tickles”. He wouldn’t be blessing shops with his business. Harrumph, harrumph. Good. Less dicks like him in the shops, the better for the rest of us.

Oh FFS. There is a lady on our road who is in a wheelchair, both of her legs have been amputated, one from the knee, one higher. She is unable to use her right arm and her face is partially paralysed and her speech impaired after a series of strokes. She wears a bloody mask and manages to wave cheerfully to neighbours from her mobility vehicle.

Grown up people without breathing/mental health issues need to stop being so bloody bolshy, bleating about their “civil liberties” and try, for once, to think about protecting others less fortunate than they are. The very people who really need the rest of ya to out on a mask for half an hour because they can’t.

So sick of this pathetic “debate”

England is not different. It’s only just been made mandatory. People in other places are complaining about their own mandates. Just relax - people are allowed to talk about how uncomfortable they find face coverings etc. People complied with lockdown and they will comply with face covering mandates. Hopefully those who are concerned about others not wearing them will be able to control their impulses to confront them

Most people with asthma can wear masks according to the British Lung Foundation. They don't reduce oxygen supply. It's only a small minority of people with severe lung conditions who might find it hard to wear one.
www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/coronavirus/what-should-people-with-a-lung-condition-do-now/face-coverings

@Itsarattrap When did British people become so bloody feeble?

You’re right. During WW2 everyone, children, asthmatics, people with autism (they existed, even if the diagnosis didn’t) all wore gas masks during air raids and didn’t complain that they “tickled”.

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.

There are almost never inspectors at my local station. Almost everyone beeps in without having to be told. This is scrag-end SE London, not genteel nicetown. I assume those who don't beep in have a cardboard ticket. Probably some of them don't but that's none of my business because I'm not a ticket inspector.

SheepandCow

Most people with asthma can wear masks according to the British Lung Foundation. They don't reduce oxygen supply.....”

Our son, 17, has been asthmatic since birth, diagnosed at 14 months but I knew way before then. It’s well controlled now but his hay fever is horrendous, he’s been hospitalised with that rather than the asthma, entire body swelling and blisters on his irises. The masks have helped him with the hay fever beyond belief this year (HEPA filter).
Every asthmatic is different though, hundreds of thousands can’t wear masks, millions when you add other conditions, which is precisely why the rest of us should.

Personally I hate masks, but I wore one for a few minutes in a shop today. I was boiling hot, sweating, and really uncomfortable. I also suffer from claustrophobia. I just won't be visiting shops much now because of the masks, but I still won't be judging people not wearing one. It's horrible. Masks make communication hard and can put people at risk. I just hope that we will see the benefits of mask wearing before the winter when I think it may be more necessary.

I'm genuinely not getting why this is such a big deal? We've been doing it here for a few weeks now. Rules and exemptions are clear. Compliance is high.

Exactly, I don’t know why it’s such a big deal that some people are exempt

@annabel85

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.

Comments like this are a bit scary.

I don't think people are feeble I think it's when did people become small minded and ignorant .
It honestly doesn't occur to some people that there is a possibility that someone can't wear a mask .
Oh yes bravo to the man in a wheelchair with no arms and legs still wearing a mask . But just get this into your head 99% of people will wear a mask the small % won't so don't be a arsehole and assume anyone is feeble because you sound like a twat .

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.

This. I never thought I’d have a problem but masks are causing me to have panic attacks. I’m trying to overcome it but if I can’t I will have no choice but to not wear a mask.

This means I’ll have to severely limit where I go and what I do which, aside from the unexpected panic attacks which I don’t know how to cope with, is making me feel more lonely and isolated than ever. And the fear of being berated and judged makes that even worse.

It is all too easy to forget that mental health is as important as physical health.

It’s astonishing to me that the UK has determined so much exemption. In the place I live, everyone over 6 wears a mask. I’d you’re medically unable to do so, you’re not going to be safe, so lockdown continues for you - it’s for your own health.

I’ve a friend who is a receptionist at a GPs, and she said the surgery had so many calls last week from people asking if they could get a letter of exemption from wearing masks, that they’ve had to put a message on the answerphone telling patients that they will not be doing exemption letters for anyone. Why can’t people just wear the bloody masks and stop behaving like self entitled idiots?

I don't need a letter if you saw my son you'd have to be blind deaf and stupid to not see he's severely disabled.
And your friend shouldn't be a receptionist @Livelovebehappy if she hasn't got any empathy. Honestly let's all assume everyone is trying to not wear a mask for no reason . .

I actually feel in a bit of a pickle over this.

I hate being trapped or confined, it makes me panic and it's been easy to not put myself in this situation so I haven't needed any gp help etc.

Today I needed to go to Sainsbury's and wore a mask. I felt hot and panicked as soon as I stepped in.. then as I walked around the store (I use the self scanners) I was loosing focus and couldn't think straight. I stood in the corner of the supermarket, pulled the mask down and breathed to stop myself having a panic attack. I felt hot, light headed and couldn't focus.
I put the ask back on and headed to the checkout without getting all I needed.

I think I'm going to have to do online shopping for groceries and won't be going to any other shops for a while...

I'm embarrassed to be English @sergeilavrov The amount of moaning and whining about it. Like you say, as other countries know, the number of people genuinely unable to wear masks is very small.

@GrannyWeatherwaxesHatpin agree but it works both ways. The mental (and physical) health of the millions of clinically vulnerable people - matters too.

My local Sainsburys has several signs saying "Please wear a mask." A woman with her son wasn't. I judged. Selfish thoughtless person.

Yes. You are.