Aggressive anti-maskers make it less fun to go out and do stuff so swathes of us are staying in more than we would

[ChavvySexPond]

All I seem to hear about these days is people who don't follow the masking and social distancing rules and how it makes going out so much more stressful and how people who would like to go out more are staying in more instead?

AIBU to think aggressive anti-maskers and anti-social distancing covid deniers make being out in the world even worse than it has to be in the time of Covid?

If you’re not wearing a mask then it’s you that is increasing the risk. So it’s more your responsibility to stay away.

It doesn't work that way. If you see me without a mask, you keep 2 metres away from me.

You and any other random aren't my responsibility, you're just not that important.

@ParlezVousWronglais

you are not permitted by law to challenge someone on why they aren’t wearing one.

I didn’t say I would. But I will tell you to stay 2m away if you come near me. And give you a very hard stare.

Now enjoy your Sunday.

Irrelevant to me, as I do wear one. And I stay 2m away from people, as I know they’re not a magic anti Covid bullet. Enjoy your Sunday too

And give you a very hard stare.

Throw in a MN head tilt as well to go with it.

Do you honestly think a hard stare is going to make any difference to someone.

All this division online is really pissing me off.

In real life however, I’ve seen most people wearing masks and most people continuing to social distance. Even teens have been compliant here.

We’ve had an influx of tourists who have all been really careful, respectful and lovely.

It’s literally just the keyboard warriors who are aggressive!

It’s literally just the keyboard warriors who are aggressive!

Sadly it really isn't just the keyboard warriors.

@PhilCornwall1

And give you a very hard stare.

Throw in a MN head tilt as well to go with it.

Do you honestly think a hard stare is going to make any difference to someone.

If someone is ‘aggressively’ not wearing a mask, I shouldn’t imagine they’d give a flying fuck about a ‘hard stare’.

IME there’s a significant minority on London public transport not wearing masks at all, or wearing them on their chins or just over their mouths. Say about 30%, all told. They’re also the ones not social distancing in terms of where they sit or stand. So it makes me worried about using public transport and I’m using the car much more or just staying home.

If someone is ‘aggressively’ not wearing a mask, I shouldn’t imagine they’d give a flying fuck about a ‘hard stare’.

I'm still trying to figure out how you don't wear something in an aggressive manner.

@Doccomplaint

How is it responsibility if I’m not wearing A mask, standing in the supermarket attending to my own shopping needs, and some mask wearer comes and gets inside my 2m?

It isn’t. I didn’t say that.

I’ll refresh your memory

If you’re not wearing a mask then it’s you that is increasing the risk. So it’s more your responsibility to stay away.

I don't mean Nd that much if people don't wear masks and assume they can't or they won't so no point thinking about it.

But I HATE when people get really close, mask or no mask. Bleurgh that was bad enough pre-covid, now it's doubly annoying.

Should say 'I don't mind that much'

because I feel that if the situation is such that they're needed and I don't need to be there, I may as well avoid it and be safe because I'm not at all convinced they offer much protection.

I can understand that but as we go on more evidence is emerging that they may be more useful than first thought.

www.europeanscientist.com/en/public-health/how-effective-are-face-masks-at-slowing-spread-of-coronavirus/

If we wear face coverings, stay at least 1m away (which is the current WHO recommended distance) and remember not to touch our faces then we probably can keep the risk quite low.

@ParlezVousWronglais

I didn’t say I was judging people (except one shouty man) or asking people why they’re not wearing one. But I will tell them to stay away.

In England and Scotland wearing a face covering is now the default position. It’s the law. If you can’t wear one then stay 2m away from anyone else.

Why do you need to tell them to stay away?

Does not wearing a mask mean that they WILL get closer than 2m? Or is that you judging again?

@ParlezVousWronglais

because I feel that if the situation is such that they're needed and I don't need to be there, I may as well avoid it and be safe because I'm not at all convinced they offer much protection.

I can understand that but as we go on more evidence is emerging that they may be more useful than first thought.

www.europeanscientist.com/en/public-health/how-effective-are-face-masks-at-slowing-spread-of-coronavirus/

If we wear face coverings, stay at least 1m away (which is the current WHO recommended distance) and remember not to touch our faces then we probably can keep the risk quite low.

And the Jenny Harries says this:

The evidence on face coverings 'is not very strong in either direction', England's deputy chief medical officer has said.

And the Jenny Harries says this:

And then, that should say.

To clarify, by aggressive anti-maskers I meant people who don't wear masks when they are supposed to and mock others who do. I've lost count of the number of people who have told be about such encounters. My kids have experienced it themselves.

But even if people haven't had an encounter, seeing them on the news might discourage people from going out? (And spending money)

Aggressive anti social distancers are similar. They refuse to do it and get arsey and aggressive if you ask them to step back and not dive under your actual arm to grab a loaf of bread. My friend said a man bodily moved her child by the shoulders in order to barge through to seize some margarine. "Close enough to smell his breath" she said.

Basically, people I know who don't want to pass Covid onto their parents or vulnerable friends, or anyone really, are doing less and less out in the community because aggressive anti-maskers and aggressive anti-social-distancers are making it stressful and less safe.

There's an indoor comedy event happening near me. Anti-maskers have posted on the Facebook event page saying they will not be wearing masks and now my friend group isn't going. Maybe the business don't mind the loss of 18 tickets, but maybe we're not the only group put off?

I haven’t encountered any of the behaviour you described Chavvy, and I go out a lot. Maybe area dependent.
So no, it doesn’t put me off.

I don't understand why the mass gathering in London was allowed.

Could it possibly be systemic racism? London has a very large BAME population, and we know they are at increased risk from coronavirus for a variety of reasons. The lack of action is strange. Why was nothing done to prevent a mass gathering (and presumably many arrived on public transport) of non mask wearing people who refused to socially distance?

Huh!? Judging by the photos on various new websites there were plenty of BAME people at the anti-mask protest. Also, have you suddenly forgotten about all the mass protests only a few months ago in support of BLM? You do know that a virus doesn't discriminate based on political opinion? [confused.] Any kind of mass protest is likely to cause more spread.

@Aragog

We were in London a month ago and there was an anti mask/5g conspiracy march. It was seagulls. Bit many of them really, especially considering the size of London, but they were aggressive and u pleasant to be around shouting in people faces as they went about their own lives.

Me, Dh and teen Dd were in the queue to go into the Disney store and one large man shoved his face right up to mine shouting that I should 'remove the muzzle' and that 'were the 99%, you don't need them.'

Actually I'm clinically vulnerable so technically not in that 99% and the only person not SDing from me and being in my space were him and his like, getting up close, shouting and thrusting paper at us.

There was a huge overlap of this group and the two groups we saw previously outside Parliament - one was about trump being great, the other was an anti- block lives matter one. Lots of angry, overweight white men shouting and swearing in both groups - very much your stereotype thug.

Yes, my sons had similar recently. "You're young and healthy! You don't need to wear a muzzle!"

My eldest son told her "It's not about me, it's about everyone" but my middle son gets quite upset by it. They had middle aged men in a van chanting "take it off" at them the other day too. That bothered them less than "the nice lady being so angry about it"

@TOFO1965

I walked into Waitrose just behind a woman who wore the mask to get past the dude on the door and then she promptly took it off. Defiant in her twattery.

I have heard of this too.

My boys say some kids at school do that and video it for social media.

Which I think is inane in teenagers. In adult....!

I think it's the other way around. I dont like seeing children wearing them though because the science says they arent likely to spread it and the children aren't actually following the rules because under the rules they don't have to wear them. It makes me think the parents are being hypervigilent and more likely to judge people not wearing them.

What aggravates me about the overzealous mask wearers is that they think they are doing a great thing but usually are either doing something unnecessary like shopping for fun in an enclosed space for things they don't need or eating out to help out but not appreciating that find them awful are actually avoiding stuff altogether and are therefore only really doing absolutely essential things and following social distancing so have less opportunity to spread in the first place.

My 7 and 5 year old wear a face mask.

But that’s because my 7 year old has asthma so we are trying to give her a bit of added protection

I hate wearing a mask so avoid all shops and places where I might have spent my money..i think a lot of people are the same. Those who are there are to do the bare minimum and that's it. It is not fun walking around shops with the stupid things covering half your face. It has been so misjudged. Return to offices is being hampered as people don't want to wear them in an office (who can blame them).

I'll do whatever I can to stop the spread of Covid, save lives, help this country, and get us back to some sort of normal quicker.

It's a constant source of amazement to me that there are so many people who seem to feel completely the opposite and are determined to be as difficult and unhelpful as possible.