To ask the mask police to please PLEASE stop

[PennyDreadfuI]

Another mask thread but I'm not going to apologise because I'm absolutely at the end of my tether with this sort of thing.

I can't wear a mask because I have trigeminal neuralgia and I've lost count of the stares, comments and filthy looks I've had (and yes, I do wear a lanyard, even though I'm not keen on advertising the fact that I have a hidden health condition). I've heard of people not being allowed on buses, being challenged by staff to explain their reason for exemption and being told they can't enter shops despite being exempt (none of which is legal). I've been told I should wear a visor (I can't, and they're next to useless anyway - Scotland have just banned them unless they're worn with a mask), that I should just stay at home (I can't and neither do government guidelines suggest I should), that I shouldn't use buses (I don't drive and can't walk long distances or cycle because I have inflammatory arthritis) and that I'm selfish (I'm not - if I could wear a mask, I would).

I understand this is a contentious issue but please, can people just think for a minute before they judge or comment? Exemptions are there for a reason - those who are sticklers for The Rules should surely accept and respect this one, too. It's awful that people are too scared to go out for fear of what's essentially discrimination.

The pandemic is bad enough by itself - let's not lose our sense of empathy and humanity, too.

*excluded from the 1m situations

I should say

As is insisting that people have said that when they absolutely haven't. No amount of backtracking alters the fact that you wrote that people have said the vulnerable should just die, incidentally.

They have said it. They've also said that we were all (the extremely vulnerable) going to die within the next year anyway. The implication being our deaths don't matter. Just because you claim to have not seen such comments doesn't mean they didn't happen.

What are your views on the "vulnerable should stay at home" comments - you aren't mentioning them I notice. Do you think they aren't being said either? I notice you didn't criticise the post that I quoted. Is that view ok with you then? That if any of the extremely vulnerable are still alive (wtf???!!!) the onus is on us to put ourselves under house arrest - is that view acceptable to you then?

I must admit the "if there are still people alive" reads badly - er yes there are extremely vulnerable still alive I'm typing and not from behind the grave

The people I know who cannot wear masks are absolutely scrupulous about handwashing, sanitising, maintaining distance etc. They are also limiting their lives by not doing non-essential things, which I personally don’t think is required but they are conscious of being challenged by arseholes and also that they are perceived by other arseholes as not giving a shit about other people’s health, which is absolutely not the case. I see them as far less likely to be spreading any diseases than those who still aren’t washing hands after going to the loo but who wear a mask when mandated

@PennyDreadfuI

Are people who don't wear a mask standing two metres away from everyone?

I am, but I can't stop people wearing masks standing closer to me. Or sitting next to me on the bus (which is happening more and more now the local bus drivers are packing them in again). Or standing so close to me in a queue (as has just happened in Aldi) that I can feel their breath on my neck.

I can't be held responsible for others' choices.

How are you standing two metres away from the cashier at the supermarket? Are you only doing self serve?

What happens on buses? Are you in agreement with a pp that the vulnerable should have to keep getting off of the bus in order to accommodate you?

The government guidance lists all the exemptions for wearing a mask. It's quite a long list because there are many reasons why someone can not wear a mask or face covering.

Why on earth do people think they have the right to question anyone not wearing one. Awful attitude by anyone who thinks they have the right to interrogate someone on why they can't wear one.

And yes I can wear one and yes I do wear one.

People need to actually get a life. My friend was shouting in people in supermarkets during lockdown if they went down an aisle the wrong way.

"If you can't wear a mask because you are exempt why wouldn't you want a scheme whereby the won't people could be identified and dealt with leaving you to quietly get about your business?"

From what I have read people who are not able to wear masks are not against exemption letters or cards to show to someone official if asked, provided it was ensured that everyone who needed one could get one.
People are against the compulsory wearing of lanyards because ideas like that were left behind in the 1940s.

All the supermarkets I have been to have installed screens at checkouts

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras in answer to your question I think that those who are vulnerable should stay home if they want to and are able. If not, they shouldn't. Up to them. Same as for those who can't wear masks. Lots of people from both groups have said they're avoiding going out which is a shame. But others have said they can't stay in because they have work, family commitments, etc. Plenty of people have said that those who are exempt should stay home to protect the vulnerable but I don't take issue with it and I'm not offended by it. It's not possible to stay home indefinitely, with no work, possibly for years until there's a vaccine. It's not even worth commenting on.

I can't stand 2m away from the supermarket cashier (if I have to use a manned check out, I use self serve wherever possible). But I am at least a metre from them. As for buses, if vulnerable people wish to get off the bus because someone is not wearing a mask then they can. Or (far more sensibly) they can sit far away from those who aren't wearing masks. Both the vulnerable/maskless would do well to not get on crowded buses where you can't easily socially distance in the first place - I certainly don't.

In fact all the shops bar my local tiny haberdashery have installed screens

@DeepTreacle

All the supermarkets I have been to have installed screens at checkouts

I can only speak for mine because I haven't been into any others but the screen is only in front of the cashier and part way down the checkout. Customers stand at the end of the screen to grab their shopping and to pay. That distance is one arm length (whatever that is in feet or metres) because I checked today. That is nowhere near two metres between the customer and the cashier.

I do wonder why there are so many people who aren’t exempt that refuse to wear a mask. I know people who have refused to even try one on because they just won’t be ‘told’ what to do. 🙄 It’s like the rebels at school who argue against everything for the sake of it. I suppose there’s always a number of people who are just defiant. I’m sure they have issues of some kind though otherwise they’d just wear one.

The people I know who cannot wear masks are absolutely scrupulous about handwashing, sanitising, maintaining distance etc.

You should be doing that even when wearing a mask. A mask isn't going to save you.

[quote PennyDreadfuI]@Hearhoovesthinkzebras in answer to your question I think that those who are vulnerable should stay home if they want to and are able. If not, they shouldn't. Up to them. Same as for those who can't wear masks. Lots of people from both groups have said they're avoiding going out which is a shame. But others have said they can't stay in because they have work, family commitments, etc. Plenty of people have said that those who are exempt should stay home to protect the vulnerable but I don't take issue with it and I'm not offended by it. It's not possible to stay home indefinitely, with no work, possibly for years until there's a vaccine. It's not even worth commenting on.

I can't stand 2m away from the supermarket cashier (if I have to use a manned check out, I use self serve wherever possible). But I am at least a metre from them. As for buses, if vulnerable people wish to get off the bus because someone is not wearing a mask then they can. Or (far more sensibly) they can sit far away from those who aren't wearing masks. Both the vulnerable/maskless would do well to not get on crowded buses where you can't easily socially distance in the first place - I certainly don't.[/quote]
So you're not two metres away from the supermarket cashier. So they are at risk then aren't they? That's the fact of the matter isn't it? Masks are meant to mitigate that risk. So for everyone shouting at me to stay two metres away from people not wearing masks you admit that it's not possible for me to do that in my job because you aren't two metres away from the cashier. Can you not see why people in my position would be very worried about this risk? We have had months of government telling us how very vulnerable we are, that we've been identified as being at high risk of developing serious complications should we catch it but then have to face being potentially exposed to.it with no protection at all?

And good for you if you avoid getting on busy buses - some people have no choice if they have to travel at that time to get to work or medical appointments. Where's the understanding and accommodation for the extremely vulnerable people? You get a lanyard to identify you as being unable to wear a mask. What about a lanyard to identify us as extremely vulnerable? Perhaps it would encourage people to give us adequate social distancing?

What is it that you actually want?

MMN123 gave really good suggestions, which I will definitely be using.

In all honesty it is not the job of others to tell you how to deal with the won'ters. Its doing what you can to reach a level of anxiety that you can live with.

These forums are great for working out what that is. Maybe not always worded nicely, but still a bit of a reality check.

Right from the start I advised my vulnerable kids that in a pandemic situation, other people tend to pose a higher risk than the virus itself. Such as panic buying.

I get the feeling that you don't even know what you want.

So you're not two metres away from the supermarket cashier. So they are at risk then aren't they?

There's a perspex screen between us.

And if you think a lanyard would be good idea, make one - lots of people who are exempt have done just that.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Here you go

@PennyDreadfuI

So you're not two metres away from the supermarket cashier. So they are at risk then aren't they?

There's a perspex screen between us.

And if you think a lanyard would be good idea, make one - lots of people who are exempt have done just that.

No there isn't a perspex screen between you if you stand just at the end of the screen and pick up your shopping, hand the money over, reach for your receipt. That is one arms length from the cashier. Where do you stand to collect your shopping, or to.pay or collect your receipt?

As for making a lanyard - how? Did you make your sunflower lanyard? How do I make a one off lanyard that is recognisable as being a symbol of the extremely vulnerable? You didn't conceive, design and manufacture the sunflower lanyard did you?

[quote PennyDreadfuI]@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Here you go[/quote]
It needs to have extremely vulnerable on it, otherwise that looks like you're the social distancing monitor.

I get the feeling that you don't even know what you want.

I don't want people who aren't wearing masks to stand closer than 2 metres to me, to cough over me (twice yesterday, once today), to put money in their mouths and then hand it to me, I don't want to have to take my break at work in the car park (even in the rain) because people aren't wearing masks in the break room.

Also @Hearhoovesthinkzebras please don't make this entire thread about you as I've seen you do in the past. Posters have, on this thread and many others, tried to come up with suggestions for you but you rubbish every solution offered. Then you suggest that people have said those who are vulnerable should 'just die' which is untrue and deeply unpleasant.

We could make the people who can't wear masks wear an easily identified symbol so we all know they have an invisible medical condition. What about a big star or something?

@PennyDreadfuI

Also *@Hearhoovesthinkzebras* please don't make this entire thread about you as I've seen you do in the past. Posters have, on this thread and many others, tried to come up with suggestions for you but you rubbish every solution offered. Then you suggest that people have said those who are vulnerable should 'just die' which is untrue and deeply unpleasant.

I'm not making it about me. I'm asking for accommodation for the extremely vulnerable, in the same way people who can't wear masks are being accommodated.

And yes, it is very unpleasant that people seem to think that the extremely vulnerable are all about to die and so don't warrant any further consideration - but it's still been said on many threads.

And people haven't come up with suggestions other than wear contact lenses so that you can wear some kind of gas mask contraption, repeatedly change buses even if it adds hours to your journey or costs you ten times more fare "because that's what their colleague does", or repeatedly told me it's on me to stay two metres away from everyone even at work, which you've now admitted doesn't happen.

So, I'm open to sensible, practical suggestions - something to identify the extremely vulnerable, somewhere I can get fit tested n95 standard masks - they are practical suggestions that I would welcome.

I don't get why so many people feel they have the right to challenge people not wearing masks tbh. I wouldn't do it. I'd be worried about getting a mouthful or getting punched. And also, the fact that you may just be asking someone who is exempt, the reasons why are not anyone else's business. Having said that, those who can wear masks but don't are pretty selfish. I don't mind wearing one and helping protect those who can't wear one. But those who can wear one but don't, yet take the benefit of those wearing them are the absolute worst.