To think Social Distancing has created a new uncomfortable social problem?

[Jigsawpuzzles]

Let me explain, I work in healthcare. Today we took a rare treat trip to Legoland. Me and my two DC, I am a single parent. All was pretty good social distancing wise until one guy behind in queue (with wife and son) repeatedly kept moving along wIth us to be right behind us. To the point several times he hit me with his bag, zero sorry zero attempts to stay back.

Several announcement go in in the queues to remind people, after about 1/2 hour of this I asked really politely “if it’s ok would you mind keeping your distance a bit” he was literally arm to arm with me. His immediate response was “you could just move there..” indicating the 1m max space in front of us before the next group of people🙄. My response was well yes I could but that’s not the point as you will move forward again. His wife then intervened and tried to appease us by saying “ok that’s ok, are you a bit worried..” ever so patronising. As I then said personally as I work in healthcare maybe they would do best to not crowd me and be as worried themselves. The woman’s response was “my mother died of Covid so don’t say that”. A strange response as they clearly didn’t GAF about precautions.

As you can imagine what then happened was guy kept back but in an obviously pissed off arsey way. I felt like crap the rest of the queue (another joyful 45mins) and wished I hadn’t said anything. Also angry as I was just asking for basic manners! I imagine if I was with a man he wouldn’t of acted that way. WIBU? And does anyone else feel like this is going to always be an awkward social thing to enforce when people don’t like/aren’t in a position to have conflict?

Most people struggle to estimate 2m - they either underestimate it or in many cases overestimate it. I got huffed at in a queue by a paranoid lady the other day. The supermarket chap kindly intervened on my behalf - she hadn't noticed there were 2m stickers on the wall and my distancing was fine. She basically expected people to be about 3 or 4m away. In reality, 2m is a trolley at arms length with a small gap before the next person.

Like when a car drives up your bumper it's less stressful to let them go ahead. It is annoying but then you don't feel awkward for the rest of the queue and you can give yourself a brownie point for being the bigger person. It's not like they can complain. Probably not going to work if you are in a whole row of the twats though.

he was wrong

@scubadive

Completely agree and the ignorance on here from some posters is terrifying . Why go out if you want to social distance?? WTAF, this is the law.

Posters quoting their own science sh**.

There are so many stupid people in the U.k with such an ignorant attitude to Covid, there is no wonder why we have the highest death rate in the world.

Yes, ignorance is indeed dangerous.....which is why it's odd that your comment that "we have the highest death rate in the world" is completely wrong. Or 'ignorant'.

Theme Park was probably not the greatest decision if you are really concerned about SD.
Sorry but this ‘pandemic’ is a cause of many arguments and divisions. Would have been better possibly if the Government/NHS had treated people like adults from the start instead of trying the heavy handed ‘fear factor’ approach.

I think you were probably being a little bit precious about it..after all you were at a theme park where you know there will be lots of people and queues....

@starfro

Why go to a theme park if you're that paranoid? This was bound to happen in the queues for rides.

If someone has Covid (incredibly unlikely at the moment) then being 50cm from them vs 1 metre is going to make little difference if you're in a queue for 30mins. You're not suddenly magically safe at 1m.

Don't be so stupid. It's not 'bound to happen' if people stick to the guidelines. I have zero tolerance for people getting close to me. I know the rules, they know the rules. They will have it both barrels No apologies

This is exactly why I’m never going anywhere again - stupid other people - not worth the stress!

I'm a small, middle aged woman. I often feel invisible and am used to people leaning over me.

I often wonder what it must be like to be the height and sex of pp's 6ft 8 husband. Do people breeze past you then? Do they expect you to move out the way when they walk towards you?

I waited for a quiet point to look at some reduced bedding at the end of a supermarket aisle last week. I moved in after the previous browsers left.
As I was looking, a couple came right behind me, peering and reaching over.

I reminded them that it was best if we all kept our distance due to the virus.
But even in non pandemic times it's too much. Stop invading my space!

Yanbu I hate that at the best of times, before covid. Makes my skin crawl people in my personal space. I was in a bus queue once, moved from behind my son's pushchair to the side to talk to him and see if he was ok, a woman then moved along right next to the pushchair. I had to move it to stand behind again. People are odd. I can't face going anywhere in these times. Tried to get my husband to take us for a day out somewhere but he won't.

I totally accept your point about the theme parks, we had a holiday booked which we’ve cancelled and this is my only time off since feb/until Oct. So obviously the kids (6&7) want to do things and as they have been at school the whole time are used to going out and this was our only big day out, the rest being local family days that are very well SD and in bubbles. It’s hard to weigh up wanting the kids to have a nice break and make up for the holiday cancellation. I also probably naively checked the Legoland site and you would absolutely think it would be a problem and they had proper SD. Like I say the majority of queues were fine. Replying to a prev poster I wouldn’t recommend it as a day out no, Paultons park for younger and chessington for older are better IMO and won’t do again, it was a lovely day but just not one I will repeat :-)

One thing I like about social distancing is that it stops people standing over you when you pack/pay at a supermarket. Some still have a go- the cashier told the people behind me to get back though the other day which was great.

To the people saying about not being bothered after he moved, I should say it wasn’t a silent 45mins of SD. It was filled with passive aggressive comments no doubt heard by my DC. It’s hard to not feel awkward when your on your own too and obviously his response made me feel a bit

Why go to a theme park if you're that paranoid?
There is no reason to accuse the OP of being "paranoid" at all. She is just trying, quite rightly, to adhere to the Govt's social-distancing measures.

If someone has Covid (incredibly unlikely at the moment) then being 50cm from them vs 1 metre is going to make little difference if you're in a queue for 30mins. You're not suddenly magically safe at 1m.
Evidence shows that the virus is airborne and, even at 2m distance, you are not safe if someone with the virus is standing next to you for even 15 minutes. However, the Govt has to set a boundary somewhere.

OP, I know it must have been uncomfortable after you spoke up but I would suggest just trying to develop some assertiveness. You did the right thing and, if I have to ask someone to step back, I don't feel guilty. Sonetimes you have to fake confidence in these situations first in order to develop it in reality.

@QueenCT

I had this in the doctors, someone stood so close to me he was almost breathing down my neck. I asked him to move back and he gave me a lecture on how a healthy young woman like me shouldn't be scared of a virus I told him I was shielding and to give me some room and he didn't move Reception saw my face glare and told him to respect the markings on the floor

It takes a special sort of idiot to assume someone queuing in a doctor's surgery is healthy.

I don’t think it’s created a new social problem actually, I think it’s just highlighted that there are quite a lot of ignorant people out there who have no concept of personal space, and that if anything, social distancing has given us the ability to pull them up on it. Win win.

Maybe it would be a good idea to record a coughing fit on your phone for these situations, and then play it and pretend it's you coughing. Then you will definitely see whether or not they are worried about Covid 😇.

YANBU. I hated "space invaders" even before Covid and now it's even more important to respect each other's space.

YABU to queue for 45 minutes for a ride though... Hope it was good! That's why we never did theme parks on weekends/school holidays pre-DC. I remember a trip to Thorpe Park when we managed to go on three rides in total and there was an hour's wait for food. I'd hoped Covid/SD requirements had put a stop to profiteering overcrowding by theme park operaters that wreaks an expensive day out because you spend most of it queuing...

OP, you might be interested in this thread from a poster who was on a quiet beach when another family decided to pitch up right beside them. There's even a diagram

Reminds me of when you go to the cinema or on a bus, rows of empty seats, yet somebody decides to sit right by you.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4001522-AIBU-about-a-family-coming-and-sitting-right-next-to-us-on-a-beach?pg=2

I think you need to be more assertive. Stop it with the weak “if it’s ok... if you don’t mind...” nonsense.

“You’re standing too close. Please move back.”

Practise it in a mirror.

I always have hated the people that shuffle up into any space and breathe down your neck (at 5'2, sometimes literally). They make me claustrophobic. Queuing 2020 style is the one thing that's better. It doesn't take longer, just spreads people out more.

2m distancing is a bit more than the 1-1.5 in Europe and it seems to have allowed us greater freedoms without increasing the virus rate too much, and to be more effective than face coverings especially in open spaces with UV to degrade the virus and wind to disperse it.

Uurgh. Some people are so weird about queues... Bunching up in a queue makes it physically shorter, but it doesn't reduce the time spent in the queue at all!

Even in normal times it annoys me that some people don't realise that. Impatient twats breathing down your neck and huffing if you take too long to move forward with the queue.

Unfortunately lots of people don’t SD and respond negatively to requests to do so. Most places aren’t staffed to enforce SD and it’s unpleasant (at best) to ask other people to comply. So in taking decisions about visiting places like theme parks, beaches, shops, best assume that SD will be limited.

I would be so bored queing up for that long. I agree don't go out if it worries you. .
We tried the zoo but you couldn't really look at things because there's constantly someone else near then and by the time they move the animals have gone.

I get that these places won't survive if people don't go. But I do think they technically shouldn't be open.

There’s twats everywhere.
It’s like there was a memo sent out when stuff opened. When I’ve asked people (mostly men) to distance I’ve had teeth sucked at me, given up and down evil looks.

It makes it so stressful to go out.