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.

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

What absolute nonsense - the op has not stated what village he/she is in and it wasn’t any village that led to tighter restrictions in the NW. Jeez.

this is a life threatening pandemic

The responses on this thread are like reading the front pages of the Sun/DM.

@BakedCam

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

What absolute nonsense - the op has not stated what village he/she is in and it wasn’t any village that led to tighter restrictions in the NW. Jeez.

this is a life threatening pandemic

The responses on this thread are like reading the front pages of the Sun/DM.

Where the spike originated is well documented in the press. Those neighbouring places refer to themselves as 'villages'. Please don't accuse people of talking nonsense when they are stating fact.

'Life threatening pandemic' is also w fact, or are you saying all those deaths were just something made up by the tabloid press?

I couldn't agree more @RockingMyFiftiesNot!

@Nicknacky

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

Do people realise that not all police officers are constantly dealing with murderers and high risk Mispers? When you call, they assess the importance of the crime and decide wether to send a unit accordingly. Telling people that the police have 'better things to do' is no better than saying the same of doctors, which causes some people to ignore symptoms that are actually serious. MN Armchair doctors are bad enough without having to deal with MN Armchair Police. OP called, she got advice, they told her they can't help, no police time was wasted.

I live in the area - sorry to burst your bubble. The OP has embellished this story. Not one village that has spiked in the local area.

No - I don't think the deaths are made up. I know full well what this has cost in terms of lives.

Do you live in the area, Rocking?

@BakedCam

I live in the area - sorry to burst your bubble. The OP has embellished this story. Not one village that has spiked in the local area.

No - I don't think the deaths are made up. I know full well what this has cost in terms of lives.

Do you live in the area, Rocking?

Yes I do - clearly you know more than all the local press (reputable sources) that has carried the story. Maybe you'd like to contact them to set them straight?

I have not embellished anything

I’m getting a bit fed up with BakedCam, who is throwing out all kinds of unfounded criticisms, from embellishment to being sceptical there even was a shop that had its opening yesterday.

You can write to the local council "in confidence" but sometimes word gets out despite the so called anonymity. Business people often have mates on the council and can find out names and addresses if they want to. If its a small village remember you have to go on living there and village people can be very cliquy if you make enemies.

A few years ago I opposed a planning application by a local business person and persuaded local people in my area to do so as well. The application was refused and it had "consequences". Im convinced it was as the result of some corrupt council worker or councillor passing on information about who had objected.

Yes I do - clearly you know more than all the local press (reputable sources) that has carried the story. Maybe you'd like to contact them to set them straight?

Find a better argument as a starting point. The rising numbers of infections was not caused by one village in the NW. I suggest, as you're happy to suggest what I should do, that you revisit your reputable sources.

As for you, OP, file your complaint against GMP who you have said, informed you their policy was to advise complainants to confront a dog groomers full of unmasked people having food and drinks. While you're at it, I'd get on to HSE, environmental health at your local council.

It was believable until you said it was a dog groomers.

@BakedCam

Yes I do - clearly you know more than all the local press (reputable sources) that has carried the story. Maybe you'd like to contact them to set them straight?

Find a better argument as a starting point. The rising numbers of infections was not caused by one village in the NW. I suggest, as you're happy to suggest what I should do, that you revisit your reputable sources.

As for you, OP, file your complaint against GMP who you have said, informed you their policy was to advise complainants to confront a dog groomers full of unmasked people having food and drinks. While you're at it, I'd get on to HSE, environmental health at your local council.

It was believable until you said it was a dog groomers.

The articles I have read quoted the council leader talking about the village in question, but I'm done arguing with you. Must be hard having to accept that an affluent middle class area might have contributed to the situation we are now in.

@ripples101

I have not embellished anything

I’m getting a bit fed up with BakedCam, who is throwing out all kinds of unfounded criticisms, from embellishment to being sceptical there even was a shop that had its opening yesterday.

Yes I've noticed that. That's actually against the talk guidelines though, OP, so you can talk to MNHQ about it.

The articles I have read quoted the council leader talking about the village in question, but I'm done arguing with you. Must be hard having to accept that an affluent middle class area might have contributed to the situation we are now in

What's class got to do with it? My point is, that one village alone, did not cause enhanced restrictions across ten metropolitan boroughs, Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, Hyndburn and parts of West Yorkshire. There are clusters of transmissions in particular areas. Your local councillor will concentrate on his/her area, likewise, as will the others.

You have a great afternoon.

Extremely irresponsible of a police officer to tell you to confront a shop full of people. No wonder your area is having problems.

Ok BakedCam

You don’t believe me. Fine.

So don’t waste any more of your time contributing to a thread that is discussing something that you don’t believe happened.

You’ve made your point. Now please just leave this thread.

Perhaps BakedCam owns the dog groomers!

The village in question actually only had 8 confirmed cases last week. But that equates to a rate of 90 out of 100,000 so is classed as high.

@rosinavera

Perhaps BakedCam owns the dog groomers!

Yep. I raked it in. Then a person walked past, then back again, counted how many people were in my terraced shop, rang the police because I put the customers and my staff at risk. Oh and contributed to the pandemic.

Yep. That was me.

@ceeveebee

The village in question actually only had 8 confirmed cases last week. But that equates to a rate of 90 out of 100,000 so is classed as high.

Agree. Same close to where I live. Only had 1 confirmed case, then it went to 2. Hence why enhanced restrictions of which I agree with.

Hi all, just dropping by to say we're getting reports about this thread and have removed a couple of personal attacks (and some trollhunting).
Please do try to post within the Talk guidelines.
Peace and love,
MNHQ

I’m in GM too. Yanbu at all to be pissed off, I would be.
It is not however the police’s fault that they are are not sufficiently resourced to deal with it. I’m outraged that various guidance and laws come in that nobody seems to be able to enforce. Which means that those of us who behave suffer for longer while those that don’t just carry on regardless.

In your shoes I would not speak to the shop (more at fault than the customers I think) but try the council.

In Italy things are better now but for months they had police actually patrolling the streets giving out fines left right and centre. So although the rules were draconian people followed them. They are the only major European country without increasing rates right now.

Regardless of the masks i cant kmahibe there was much social distancing going on if it eas a small shop with 15 people inside.
So does the 1m plus rule not apply anymore?

I'm in the area, too, and probably, from your descriptions, not that far away and I'm with you, OP.

My immediate local area is being surprisingly compliant bar a few mask-over-mouth-but-not-nose types (with the exception of the local 'Spoons, which yesterday was heaving with people all over one another.)

The nearby 'big towns' and the local City on the other hand....

And I'll say it - there's a distinct shift already happening in these areas to passing the blame over to certain communities and cultures and promptly feeling very white-middle-class-probably-Brexit-voting-superior and so being smug and nasty about 'they're the cause' whilst ignoring the rules and the intention of the rules themselves.

There's also the issue of people choosing to do things just because they think they've found a loophole which they think means its okay. This is a perfect example of that. Why does a dog groomers need to have food and drink out, even on its opening day? A sensible business would have cancelled any plans like that, to remove the need for people to remove coverings, not encourage them to do so. Yes, open up - offer dog treats, samples, vouchers, offer cake or biscuits to take away - but WHY (when you aren't a food-selling business or even remotely related to one) would you choose this weekend to use that exemption, and so increase people's exposure to one another.

@ginnybag

I'm in the area, too, and probably, from your descriptions, not that far away and I'm with you, OP.

My immediate local area is being surprisingly compliant bar a few mask-over-mouth-but-not-nose types (with the exception of the local 'Spoons, which yesterday was heaving with people all over one another.)

The nearby 'big towns' and the local City on the other hand....

And I'll say it - there's a distinct shift already happening in these areas to passing the blame over to certain communities and cultures and promptly feeling very white-middle-class-probably-Brexit-voting-superior and so being smug and nasty about 'they're the cause' whilst ignoring the rules and the intention of the rules themselves.

There's also the issue of people choosing to do things just because they think they've found a loophole which they think means its okay. This is a perfect example of that. Why does a dog groomers need to have food and drink out, even on its opening day? A sensible business would have cancelled any plans like that, to remove the need for people to remove coverings, not encourage them to do so. Yes, open up - offer dog treats, samples, vouchers, offer cake or biscuits to take away - but WHY (when you aren't a food-selling business or even remotely related to one) would you choose this weekend to use that exemption, and so increase people's exposure to one another.

Exactly!

Police Officers do not answer 101 calls at GMP. ( Greater Manchester Police).

Call handlers answer, who are fully trained. They are NOT police officers. As their UNISON trade union reps will tell you.

I doubt very much that not just one, but two, 101 call handlers from GMP control room told the OP to go and "confront" a group of 30 people. Because that would be rather a stupid thing to do, and contrary to training.

Rather, they would tell an individual NOT to confront any group of people. Because confrontations tend to go very wrong, and people can get injured.

The phone calls are all recorded, and can be tracked by time and date of call (amongst other things).

What would be fully investigated, would be the OP's "confrontation" allegation.

GMP are short of officers. They don't answer phones on 101. Call handlers do that, who are skilled in their jobs.

@ginnybag

I'm in the area, too, and probably, from your descriptions, not that far away and I'm with you, OP.

My immediate local area is being surprisingly compliant bar a few mask-over-mouth-but-not-nose types (with the exception of the local 'Spoons, which yesterday was heaving with people all over one another.)

The nearby 'big towns' and the local City on the other hand....

And I'll say it - there's a distinct shift already happening in these areas to passing the blame over to certain communities and cultures and promptly feeling very white-middle-class-probably-Brexit-voting-superior and so being smug and nasty about 'they're the cause' whilst ignoring the rules and the intention of the rules themselves.

There's also the issue of people choosing to do things just because they think they've found a loophole which they think means its okay. This is a perfect example of that. Why does a dog groomers need to have food and drink out, even on its opening day? A sensible business would have cancelled any plans like that, to remove the need for people to remove coverings, not encourage them to do so. Yes, open up - offer dog treats, samples, vouchers, offer cake or biscuits to take away - but WHY (when you aren't a food-selling business or even remotely related to one) would you choose this weekend to use that exemption, and so increase people's exposure to one another.

Couldn't agree more.