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.

Flores

The first person I spoke to was a call handler. When I questioned what they said - to confront the shop owner/management myself, and if I’m not happy to then contact the council, they put me through to an officer. That officer also said that I should talk to the shop owner/management, and the council. Although he said the police wouldn’t deal with this, he did say that he would pass on the details to the superintendent who is the one who actually makes that decision. He was actually a really nice guy who understood why I wouldn’t be comfortable with confronting the shop owner and/or its customers.

ripples
Thanks for your reply, that's helpful.
I've got the impression on the thread that you were told to confront the entire shop?

So, the call handler suggested you to take it up with the management/ council? Not confront the 30 people?

And the police officer said it would be referred to the Superintendent?
But the police officer didn't tell you to confront 30 people?

That makes more sense.
Thanks for clarifying.

Bottom line is: too few officers.

And by the time you get to Superintendent level they are all playing office politics. It's crackers in most police areas at the moment and has been for a very long time.

Not much consolation if you are calling 101 or trying to cope with 101 calls.
(Glad you didn't get in a punch up with the dog groomers)

@ripples101

I dont get why everyone seems to be telling you they are skeptical, or implying that you are lying/embellishing, even when you've stated what you were told several times! This thread and the comments within it are odd, and it really seems people are trying to gaslight you. Deniers!

I would be fed up too, it is difficult having a reasoned discussion with the under 15's high school troll debate team.

YANU at all. The situation you described is very bad business practice, and far more than unhelpful in the circs.
I feel it's a matter of perspective and anyone who has had a loved one suffer physically because of the symptoms, had long term effects or the worst has happened, would have a very different attitude, even if they are also suffering in other ways because of lockdown and financial losses etc.

sorry sweeping statement there, not everyone but several posters.

Superintendent is now involved?

I'd be surprised if this got past a constable.

I feel it's a matter of perspective and anyone who has had a loved one suffer physically because of the symptoms, had long term effects or the worst has happened, would have a very different attitude, even if they are also suffering in other ways because of lockdown and financial losses etc

By that theory, anybody that is sceptical about this scenario, hasn't been affected by Covid-19?

Is it difficult being one-dimensional? Must be exhausting.

Thanks @Ineedamuchbiggerhouse

I don't know if the superintendent is involved. I'm only relaying what the officer I spoke to said to me (the superintendent is the one to make the decision whether the Police will attend or not).

I'd be surprised if it went any further than my phone call yesterday.

@BakedCam Look, I know you don't believe me. You've made that perfectly clear. But you're just goading now. Being intentionally antagonistic and there's no need for it. I just want you to now leave me and this thread alone.

Superintendent

I think they were on the wind up OP!

You said, OP, in your OP, that the police told you to speak to the manager and the customers?

Now they didn't. Do you accept that you've confused matters?

I'll leave the thread. Because it is misleading.

The police did tell me to speak to the shops owner(s) and customers.

So no, I don't accept that at all.

But thank you for now leaving.

Maybe so @Ohfredcomeon

*Superintendent is now involved?

I'd be surprised if this got past a constable.*

I think it got to a supervisor at most. No one was told to confront an angry mob. Talk to the manager or failing that, the Council. No one is told to confront 30 people.

That's the script.

To clarify, (as I was distracted.)
The script is to tell people to speak to manager, or the council, as no bobbies available.

Not to "confront." No one would ever be told to "confront". If someone was told to confront by a 101 call handler and subsequently injured, there would be compo lawyers everywhere.

@FloresTorres

To clarify, (as I was distracted.) The script is to tell people to speak to manager, or the council, as no bobbies available.

Not to "confront." No one would ever be told to "confront". If someone was told to confront by a 101 call handler and subsequently injured, there would be compo lawyers everywhere.

Exactly.

As per the OP's, initial post:
He said that I (me) should go to into the shop itself and confront the management and the shops customers

@FloresTorres

It wasn’t an angry mob. Not by any stretch.

Also I don’t think it was as many as 30 people. First time walking past the shop i would estimate (roughly) that it was 15 at most. On my way back, when I walked past the shop a second time, it did seem to more - there was a much larger group of people standing outside the shop for example.

The police did say to me to confront the shop owners and customers, and also to contact the council.

On the superintendent point, the officer said that he would take the details (shop name, address, also my name and address), but it is the superintendent who makes the decision whether to send police out or not. What he was probably meaning is that he himself couldn’t make that decision based simply on my phone call.

BakedCam (The poster that you quoted) is misconstruing what I’m saying. Which she has done throughout this thread, just to be goady I suspect.

@lifeafter50 - what an ignorant reply. We're never going to come out of this pandemic if everyone takes the same attitude as you. Ultimately because of the way the virus spreads it is everyone's business. Greater Manchester has new restrictions because of the spread in infections. If we let it run we'll be in lockdown again before we know it.

@BakedCam - actually there has been a lot of press about which 'village' has the spike in cases. You just need to read the press.

[quote luckylavender]@BakedCam - actually there has been a lot of press about which 'village' has the spike in cases. You just need to read the press. [/quote]
Amused that you think I don't. There's a few other villages too. There are other areas on enhanced restrictions. Not just GM.

The people could be the shopkeeper's family/staff having an opening celebration. Stop being such a snitch.

This thread has gone in a direction I didn’t expect.

It’s gone from me asking whether I was

1. Unreasonable to report a shop and it’s customers for not wearing face coverings inside (I did say face masks, but should have said face coverings (fair enough).

1. Unreasonable to think that the police were unreasonable in asking me to deal with the shop and it’s customers

To

Some posters creating their own narrative and insinuating that I have made the whole thing up.

Also to some posters putting words into my mouth and attempting to gaslight me.

I never once mentioned 30 people.

I never once said it was an angry mob

I never once even referred to them as a mob

I never once said that the superintendent was involved (I simply said that I was told a superintendent would be the person who could make the decision whether to send police out or not.

I have even been told that my “story” would be more believable if I hadn’t said it was a dog grooming shop.

And it’s even been said that a shop wouldn’t have an opening party on a Sunday.

And a lot of this has stemmed from one poster.

The bottom line is simple. I walked past a shop yesterday that was flaunting the current restrictions that have been put in place in the area where I live - those restrictions being announced two days prior.

In an area that the local news stated was where the current issues in covid cases started.

@redbushtea

In that case they would have nothing to worry about.

Op I thought you were right and then the police were wrong to ask you to ‘confront’.
This is a virus that’s killing people and we are at a tipping point of further lockdown. Why anyone would think you were a ‘snitch’ just defeats me. Explains why things are going tits up.

I was jumped on when I mentioned class (which I wouldn't normally but I think justify to make the point I wanted to make); another poster made the same point.
I've now just seen an article that explains it better than I could.
OP, you've had a rough ride on this thread. I am right behind you, and so are many others.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/coronavirus-outbreak-greater-manchester-warning-18709860.amp

@BakedCam - I'm aware of that thank you.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

Thank you. I really appreciate your posts on this thread :)