Reporting a shop and its customers...

[ripples101]

It is about Covid-19, so I was unsure whether to post here or on the Health/Coronavirus board. But I do want to know if I'm being unreasonable or not.

For the record, I live in Greater Manchester, which is now on local lockdown. This is especially relevant to this thread, especially so as the village I live in has been identified as the place/source which has caused a rise in Covid cases throughout the entire borough.

So today I was going to my local supermarket, walking through the village, and a new shop was having it's "grand opening". The shop itself is tiny - typical of a small village/town high street. Not a chain. Just an independent shop. Outside the shop were two tables with complimentary drinks and nibbles.

As i walked past, there were only a couple of people outside the shop, but I looked inside the shop and it was packed (for a shop of its size) - around 10-15 people inside. Not one person inside the shop was wearing a face mask.

On my way back from the supermarket (about 20 minutes later), outside the shop was now packed. Blocking the entire footpath, so I walked into the road to get past. Looked in the shop and it was also full of people. Not one person, outside or inside the shop were wearing face masks.

When I got home I decided to phone 101, to report this. That is my first AIBU. Was I unreasonable to do this?

The person I spoke to from 101 told me that the Police will do nothing. He said that I (me) should go to into the shop itself and confront the management and the shops customers. He said if I'm not happy with the response I get from the management and customers, I can then contact my local council to see if they will deal with it.

He did put me through to another Police officer, and they also confirmed that the Police wouldn't do anything, and that it was my responsibility to talk to the management/customers.

This is my second AIBU. AIBU to think this is unacceptable for the Police to ask me to do this - to confront the shop and its customers myself?

Like I said at the start of this post, this happened in a town that has been identified as being the source of a Covid spread throughout an entire borough, which is one of the causes that has resulted in Greater Manchester (and other areas in the North) now being on lockdown.

Just to show you how swamped the police can be, I reported a hit and run in May and the case still hasn’t been assigned to an officer yet.

@ripples101

Given some of the response to this thread, which I take on board (even if I don't agree), can those of you who don't agree at least understand why I felt concerned when the Police said to me that I should confront the shop owners and customers?

Because they have enough to do.

You shouldn't confront them yourself but calling the police is completely over the top. The haven't got the manpower to run around enforcing rules which many people, police included thing are arbitrary and unnecessary.

and YES you should have posted on the CV board. You would have had many more on there telling you you are a local hero for interfering.

YANBU OP.

If you were living in a different a European country the police would come out to investigate and possibly close the shop.

Unfortunately, Britain has a lot of selfish wankers who value individual freedoms over personal responsibility and that’s one of the many reasons why the U.K. has the highest combined Infection and death rate for Covid in Europe.

It’s dreadfully sad.

the police have got more important things to deal with.

I don't agree with the police that you should have confronted anyone because you never know how people will react.
I would ignore that advice and just go to your MP if you want to take it further.

JC the attitudes of some people on here just beggar belief. OP YANBU at all to report, to be angry and upset, at the situation itself and at the advice you were given. Also upset at the wider implications for society and individuals. The posters on here attacking you as a busybody are suffering from the same delusions of grandeur and invincibility as the stupid people in the shop, and are just as selfish and ridiculous.

We don't need to turn on each other at a time when so many are living with an unknown. I would no more report the kids from different households playing out today than I would my local shopkeeper for trying to make a living, unless there was a risk of serious harm

Would you report a rave in the woods populated by hundreds of irresponsible teens from different households? Why is the shop gathering any different? I go to work every day and am subject to ridiculous social distancing crap like not being able to share food and having to sit 2m apart from my colleagues while we dine, as well as wearing full masks, gowns, gloves etc whilst executing my tasks. All so that people can have a meet and greet at the local dog groomers in a locked down source of infection? Great. That seems really fair.

As for the comment of unless there was a risk of serious harm
Well there is a risk of serious harm, isn't there? How is your husband?

Great Manchester isn't on local lockdown? I think.?

So you tried to fuck up a brand new business, a small independent store that someone has grafted on during this shitshow of a horrendous time and all the obstacles it's brought with it. Tried to scupper someone from making a living.
Get a grip of yourself.

Social distancing in shops is a health and safety at work issue. The enforcing authority for H&S in shops is your Local Council, rather than HSE. You should report it to environmental health at the council.

[quote Notredamn ]So you tried to fuck up a brand new business, a small independent store that someone has grafted on during this shitshow of a horrendous time and all the obstacles it's brought with it. Tried to scupper someone from making a living.
Get a grip of yourself. [/quote]
Have you read the whole thread? The OP is talking about the very place which set off the spike which has resulted in Greater Manchester being subject to additional lockdown measures and a 'major incident ' has since been declared. Many, many more businesses will be forced to close if things continue as they are. Why, 2 days after these measures were introduced, do people think it's ok to crowd into a small shop?

He said that I (me) should go to into the shop itself and confront the management and the shops customers.

Yeah, right. So you should put yourself at risk to stop others from breaking the rules! What are the police for exactly?

So you tried to fuck up a brand new business, a small independent store that someone has grafted on during this shitshow of a horrendous time and all the obstacles it's brought with it. Tried to scupper someone from making a living.

And put a whole load more businesses out of business when they ALL have to close? Great.

Original poster you are right to be both concerned and alarmed by these people in obvious breach of local Covid rules.

However, it seems like the Police response indicates that this is trivial expected behaviour. I believe there is a fine line between civic duty and concern for potential added dangers for yourself and from increased community infection (and fatalities) with prolonged and possibly further Covid restrictions (which some will inevitably flout too). You come across as someone who is sensible and rightly want everyone to follow and stick to the bloody rules so that we can all survive and move on to the other side of this pandemic. This is the UK and in your case a “special Covid problem area” and hence you can see why this type of ignorance and uncooperative reckless and selfish behaviour (with potentially their own lives at risk) is one of the reasons why we have worst Covid outcomes than the world apart from a few more basket cases.

Just stay clear as at least you and others know the limits of Covid indifference stupidity. You don’t need to be the Covid Police as it seems both the Police and local authorities probably don’t care either. When nobody cares lives will be inevitably be more at risk and if not lives it will impact livelihoods. We all need to be strong and be vigorous in doing all we can for the short/medium term so that we eventually can have long term safe stability.

Jaxhog Do you not think the police are kinda busy already and don’t have the time or resources to go round shops?

@Ineedamuchbiggerhouse

JC the attitudes of some people on here just beggar belief. OP YANBU at all to report, to be angry and upset, at the situation itself and at the advice you were given. Also upset at the wider implications for society and individuals. The posters on here attacking you as a busybody are suffering from the same delusions of grandeur and invincibility as the stupid people in the shop, and are just as selfish and ridiculous.

We don't need to turn on each other at a time when so many are living with an unknown. I would no more report the kids from different households playing out today than I would my local shopkeeper for trying to make a living, unless there was a risk of serious harm

Would you report a rave in the woods populated by hundreds of irresponsible teens from different households? Why is the shop gathering any different? I go to work every day and am subject to ridiculous social distancing crap like not being able to share food and having to sit 2m apart from my colleagues while we dine, as well as wearing full masks, gowns, gloves etc whilst executing my tasks. All so that people can have a meet and greet at the local dog groomers in a locked down source of infection? Great. That seems really fair.

As for the comment of unless there was a risk of serious harm
Well there is a risk of serious harm, isn't there? How is your husband?

My husband is fully recovered thanks.

So because you have to socially distance while you 'dine' with your colleagues, you'd report after a cursory glance through a dog groomers window, of people not wearing masks?

Totally missed the point - my point is how the nation has turned on each other. Not about risk management or reporting. A rave in the woods is totally different from a local shop that has customers there. Dog groomers or otherwise.

I'm in an area in the north west subject to restrictions. The OP clearly stated in her post, that she was unsure of the restrictions in her area and what was mandatory in respect of face coverings.

I'm sceptical about the OP's account of the police response. Absolutely no way is it GMPs policy to advise complainants to confront a business that had 15 customers, according to the OP. You nor I know nor the OP know or understand how or why that came about. Social bubbles can and do look bigger and two households are allowed together in social bubbles. The restrictions are there for all to read.

Are you in the area that has had spikes of local infections? I'm in an area that has had very few yet we are scooped up in the enhanced restrictions.

There are over 4 million affected by the latest restrictions. Would I report a rave ? I'm unlikely to come across one, as I rarely go out.

I'm also highly sceptical that a dog grooming business, holds an opening, on a Sunday afternoon for a party with food and drinks in Greater Manchester. Dog groomers are excellent at infection control and were allowed to operate during the lockdown.

@Nicknacky

Jaxhog Do you not think the police are kinda busy already and don’t have the time or resources to go round shops?

Are you kidding? Covid is king on here. There's nothing else as important, we are all doomed and going to die!

Mumsnet is A strange place

Couple of months ago If you Dared to stick your head out your front gate you were a granny murderer .

Now op is a business ruining grass because she got pissed off with clearly a massive breach of social distancing guidelines , like they could just have worn masks and at least not took the piss on such a large scale

The police are probably too busy for this. I - a pedestrian - got hit by a car on a zebra crossing in May and the police haven’t had time to do anything about that either.

OP, leave other people alone. Do what you feel you have to do to keep safe but stay out of other people’s business. You have no idea who these ten people were, or what their medical situation might have been. Unlikely as it may seem but perhaps some were exempt from wearing masks, perhaps some were members of the same household. Don’t bother the police with these issues.

OP I don't think you are being unreasonable to report it or expecting the police to look into it. You are getting some really nasty responses on here though. This is the reason it is spreading so much, in my area PCSO are chatting to gatherings and if they think it warrants a fine getting officers involved.

The owner is really irresponsible, and should be fined heavily for not being 'covid secure'. Then people complain about 'local lockdowns' it's no surprise with the attitudes displayed here for example. I really feel for vulnerable individuals who should be able to go out with SD and the majority of people wearing masks (I'm not vulnerable) but what faces them is the opposite.

I would not confront people I did not know because they were socialising and not wearing masks. I would keep my head down and mind my own business. I hate snitches and tattletales,

If someone confronted me about something I was doing they would get the hard edge of my tongue. Like my busybody neighbour when she wanted to know why I had work people in to do an essential repair during the lockdown. It was actually the workmen who told her to mind her own effing business

YANBU OP......IMO

Are you in the area that has had spikes of local infections? I'm in an area that has had very few yet we are scooped up in the enhanced restrictions.
The OP and the business this post is about is in the village that has been traced back to being the source of the recent outbreak which led to the area bei subject to tighter restrictions.

For those saying not to tell tales and mind your own business - this is a life-threatening pandemic, and this is a business acting irresponsibly in the area subject to rules which say you can only meet socially indoors with members of your household. Now there are some big houses around there but I'd be very surprised if the business owner and all the guests were from the same household. And if they were customers visiting a shop then there were too many people in at one go.
I'm guessing those telling the OP to mind her own have been largely unaffected by Thursday night's announcement. Some people are facing further heartache as a result.

Blimey there are some goady posters on this thread!!

Sorry you are getting such a hard time OP.

For clarification as PP stated its not the HSE for shops... Its the local council... Ring env health dept. You should report this.

Its hardly minor bending of guidance... They aren't social distancing or wearing face coverings and are inside in an area where covid infections are dramatically rising.