Telling people off re Covid 2 meter rule

[Brokenchair1]

Really curious as to what others think about this as I am on the fence. The below scenario happened today but I have witnessed similar several times over since the pandemic began.

I was in a cafe, behind the person being served, tbf probably only 1.5 metres away from this person but obviously making a good attempt at distancing. Couple behind me was almost on top of me (and not wearing face mask properly). Person in front of me being served yells at person behind me that they are not two metres away from me and need to move back. Couple behind me call man in front of me a rude name and don't move. I then meekly say that they are in fact too close to me. Couple still don't move so in the end I sigh and move so that I am 2m from everyone. Couple behind me huff and say a few choice words and then leave the cafe.

While I feel that the person in front of me was correct in what he said, it also left a bit of a dampener on my coffee experience (just wanting a chilled hour to myself).

What do other people think? Should we police each other at the risk of causing heated discussion and bad feeling or ignore it/leave it to shop or cafe owners to deal with.

YABU - we should tell each other if we are getting too close/not wearing mask correctly
YANBU - leave it so as not to cause friction between customers

FWIW is someone felt I was too close to them and asked me to move I would apologise and take a step back.

I think that if someone is standing too close to you, making you feel uncomfortable, then you should ask them to step back a bit.
However, I don’t think you should police it on behalf of over people. Like in your example where the couple were standing far enough away from the person being served (with you in the middle), so he shouldn’t have said anything to them

Policing each other is a very slippery slope. What's next, banging on someone's door because you saw seven people inside?

It's not 2m distance anymore and there aren't many cafes where 2m distance between every customer would be possible. I think people who are that fussed about strict social distance observation should probably just avoid cafes.

The people behind you were unreasonable for not moving back but I wouldn't have reacted like the man in front of you did. Complete overreaction. Your response was far more reasonable.

I hate all this having to police each other and feeling anxious about both people getting too close to me or otherwise me inadvertently getting too close to someone else.

If someone is standard behind you in a queue and you’re both facing forward then they only need to be 1 meter away.

I’m with @TingTastic if someone is uncomfortably close to you then tell them.

Well it seems to have worked, they ended up moving more than 2m away by leaving.

The problem is that having ignorant people near you not following the rules all day is incredibly stressful, as these are exactly the kind of people more like to contract and spread the disease. I'm intensely comfortable for people to make these people feel uncomfortable for not showing any care or respect for those around them.

Why do you think he spoke up ‘on your behalf’, as such? We’re you uncomfortable and did he pick up on that? It would seem strange for him to do that, otherwise.

Man behind me in the airport immigration queue was totally oblivious and standing almost on my shoulder. I keep moving forward (observing 2 meters from lady ahead of me). He keep shuffling up. Eventually I said, "hey man will you just step back a bit? It's 2 meters see the markers on the floor". He grunted something unintelligible and STILL didn't move back.

Complete lack of staff presence. Bloody poor show all round ( except me and the other lady).

I’ve taken to caring a brolly with me and tucking it under my arm, when I’m in a queue. Mind you, I’m in NI so it’s usually raining here. It’s one of those domed plastic see through ones and I’ve also used it for added protection if the area I have to walk through is a little busy.

I have had this so many times in the supermarket! Staff at Tesco I have found especially neglectful of staying away. Iwas queuing to get in one day and was waiting for an elderly couple to get themselves sorted out in front of me. The supermarket woman on the door told me to hurry up so I explained that I was letting the couple sort themselves out and the woman behind me pushed past me and the elderly couple to go in. I was heavily pregnant at the time. I waited 1 seconds and we were the only 4 people in the queue; the elderly couple, me and the lady. Just WAIT and we can all look after each other together. It’s mad how often people have reached over me or stood next to me, it got worse when masks were introduced as they make people think they’re immune.

Sorry, 10 seconds not 1!

If someone gets too close, I’ll happily bark ‘move back’ to them.

There was a bloke queuing outside our local cafe waiting to go in who wasn’t wearing a mask and he kept staring at me in a mean kind of way. He was in his 60’s and looked grumpy, like he wanted to pick a fight with someone.

I did wonder if it was because I was wearing a mask outdoors?

So I glared right back at him and then my mask wearing 6ft DH turned up and the bloke turned and faced the other direction.

What a prick!

Currently in the queue at b&q and a young couple practically on top of me and not wearing masks - no wonder they have sky rocketing cases in their community

ivfbeenbusy I am surprised at that, at our local B&Q if you don't wear a mask then you don't get in. Obviously each branch has its own rules.

@newwnamme

It's not 2m distance anymore and there aren't many cafes where 2m distance between every customer would be possible. I think people who are that fussed about strict social distance observation should probably just avoid cafes.

It’s still supposed to be 2 m in Wales. That’s never changed here.

It doesn’t do any harm to politely ask people to step back a bit if they’re too close to you, but ime if they don’t respect the guidance in the first place the request often doesn’t go down very well.

@deliciouslyfemale not that I'm aware off. I'm really tall so defo don't look like a wallflower but maybe he felt he was being protective. He said to them that's it's because of people like them corona is spreading so could have been having a bad day too.

Personally I can't be arsed with confrontation and just try and give as much space as possible, head down, mask on and hold my breath if someone gets too close (stupid I know, probably doesn't make a jot of difference).

The man in the couple behind squeezed past me to go to the loo at one point when he could have gone another way so this could have irked the man infront. Also as stated above masks were slipping off face.

Tbf with figures rising I can see people who make the effort get annoyed with those who don't wear masks properly, stand on top off people and generally don't give a shit.

At the beginning of lockdown easing I was probably more vocal and did ask a few people to step back. I think I've got to the point where I just can't be bothered and people have to take their own responsibility.

Not fair on those of us who make the effort. To me that includes people who let kids roam around shops. I try and be quite strict with DD 7 although I appreciate it's harder with toddlers.

Sorry for the essay!

@TheWernethWife

ivfbeenbusy I am surprised at that, at our local B&Q if you don't wear a mask then you don't get in. Obviously each branch has its own rules.

They normally have someone on the door checking people but there was no one there today (I've been loads recently as pregnant and can't decide on paint colours for the nursery 🤣)

We are social amimals. This is unnatural.

@newwnamme

"It's not 2m distance anymore"

Yes it is, why do you think it isn't?

I ask people to step back and will get confrontational if they won't. I don't want some of the people that I know to lose their business, which they are on the brink off, if we tighten up further. Likewise I don't want jobs to go because we all need to end work at 10pm. One of my DD's has been on much reduced pay, because of reduced hours/delivery only options etc. She lives with me and can manage, some people can't.

I'm in Liverpool, we are on the watch list and I'm not surprised. Barely anyone complies with the guidance.

People are dying because we went into lick down and reduced medical appointments.

Hands, face, space is piss easy and it's selfish not to.

@Tootletum

We are social amimals. This is unnatural.

This.

@Tootletum

We are social amimals. This is unnatural.

I’m not sure what you mean. I consider myself a ‘social animal’, but I really hate people standing too close, even before Covid. Why the hell people need to creep behind you, when they could leave plenty of room, is beyond me.

I do wish people would stand back from me i queues even outside of Corona times!

Nothing social about having a strange bloke stood right up behind you.

I break into an impromptu version of Ludacris' delightful ballad Move, Bitch when they get too close. Generally does the job.

@ponoka7 because it isnt 2m and hasn't been for a while?

As is explained here on the government website, 2m would be great but is not financially viable for many businesses (I think this is what I also said in my post?) The recommendation is 1m+ with mitigations, which include things like screens, masks, hand sanitizer etc.

If you are concerned about your friends businesses etc as you state, perhaps you should avoid overzealous interpretations of the rules.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-guidance/review-of-two-metre-social-distancing-guidance