To have scolded teenagers for not wearing mask and coughing?

[Iggypoppie]

On the subway yesterday a group of young teenagers we sitting together opposite me. None with masks. One boy starts coughing and saying jokingly to other passengers "I've got covid".

I saw red and shouted at them saying it wasnt funny, they should be wearing masks and it was horrible how they were showing how they didn't give a shit about other people.

But now I feel bad! Maybe the teenagers were suffering these past few months and I shouldn't have acted like the covid police 😬

YANBU - I did the right thing giving them a piece of my mind
YABU - I should've ignored them they are only young

Good for you for standing up for this. I would have reacted in a similar way. There seems to be a lot of enablers about ready to make excuses for all kinds of inconsiderate and down right offensive behaviour. If my own teenagers were to behave in such a way I would hope someone would confront them too and give them a reality check.

You just made yourself look like a total dick. The real pandemic is of sanctimonious self-appointed Stasi and police.

@ILikeTrains

Good for you for standing up for this. I would have reacted in a similar way. There seems to be a lot of enablers about ready to make excuses for all kinds of inconsiderate and down right offensive behaviour. If my own teenagers were to behave in such a way I would hope someone would confront them too and give them a reality check.

Sure, you would have.

The OP was lucky they didn't assault her.

Stupid AF to shout at people who don't use a mask.

Good for you. I doubt they we’re exempt, if they were they’d be unlikely to be coughing then joking about it. If you’d shouting at them Judy for bit wearing masks that’d have been wrong, but calling out bad, disrespectful behaviour that’s designed to upset people is to be applauded

Yes Batshit I would have. I regularly have to deal with antisocial behaviour as part of my job and it frustrates me that people turn a blind eye to so many things or make excuses for crappy behaviour. You can judge when its safe to deal with a situation and obviously don't approach a situation that makes you feel unsafe. Hopefully those teenagers that Iggy confronted will think twice before behaving like dicks on a bus again.

@Mcarthurpark anyone over 11 has to wear a mask (england), scotland it is 5. The only people over these ages who are exempt from masks are people with medical or psychological exemptions (and many people in these categories can and do wear masks). Teenagers are NOT exempt without one of medical or psychological reasons.

Another Covid marshal in the making.

For those saying about under 18's being exempt- they aren't. In England and Wales, it's those aged under 11 years who are exempted by age from compulsory mask wearing. Scotland it's under 5 years of age and Northern Ireland, it's under 13 years.

* But teenagers are exempt. So I have been told. Only over 18s have to wear mask unless they exempt for medical reasons*

It's over 12 unless they've changed guidelines

My da is excempt from mask wearing.

If he did this I'd hope someone gave him a minimum of a flea in his ear.

His college gave a contract out at start of term about behaviour as usual and added in anyone caught doing this would be excluded.

Good. It's ridiculous behaviour. Unnecessary and designed to cause panic and upset.

You just made yourself look like a total dick. The real pandemic is of sanctimonious self-appointed Stasi and police.

Nope. The real pandemic is a novel coronavirus that's killing lots of people and has brought countries all over the world to a standstill.

It's not your business!!! They may have been exempt. They were being idiots clearly but still...I would have just smiled. Or moved.

my dh said to some teens the other week why arent yu wearing your masks-they were all hollding one-they said we dont want to so he just started coughing ott-i thought it was quite clever they all moved

@itsgettingweird

* But teenagers are exempt. So I have been told. Only over 18s have to wear mask unless they exempt for medical reasons*

It's over 12 unless they've changed guidelines

its under 11 actually

Would you react in the same way if you saw other illegal behavior on the train? If they were drinking alcohol or smoking would you have shouted at them or just ignored them? Or do you reserve your wannabe-police activities purely to COVID-related matters?

Telling them off is one thing. Shouting at them (unless the OP just said this for effect) is another

he actually sees it all the time they take their masks off thinking noone will say anything wear it ro9und their chin or just not bother

its selfish and rude but of cour ein our wonderful country youre not supposed to say a damn thing about it

Firstly, they are endangering others. Mask wearing, contrary to the MN trope, is not voluntary. ‘They might have been exempt’ is a pathetic excuse. If 1/10 are exempt (and the exempt are mainly older) then, even if the ‘group’ was only 3, it is a 1/1,000 chance that they are all exempt.

Another contradiction is this idea that teenagers are ‘only children’ and adults should not have the right to speak to them. If they are badly behaving children, an adult has every right to tell them to behave.

Coughing on people and claiming Corona is now a criminal offence. He (or she) is lucky not to have been arrested.

If they are in uniform, inform the school and they will probably be more than shouted at.

Corona is not a game that you can choose not to play.

So much anti social behaviour goes on because people daren't say something, we need more people to put the pressure on to make the world more pleasant for everyone - not just because of coronavirus! If they think they will be pulled up they are less likely to do it!

[quote ThatDamnScientist]@Mcarthurpark anyone over 11 has to wear a mask (england), scotland it is 5. The only people over these ages who are exempt from masks are people with medical or psychological exemptions (and many people in these categories can and do wear masks). Teenagers are NOT exempt without one of medical or psychological reasons.[/quote]
Ah I see! I assumed children meant under 18s when I was told children. Where I live we have lowest rates of covid in the UK yet none of the teenagers I see under about 17 seem to wear any!

I would have called them out too. I wouldn't have shouted though, seeing both good and bad teachers at school taught me that shouting just encourages teenagers.

One think that really irked me was the boy's complete lack of comic timing. Really, after 6 months of this shit, is anyone going to think it's amusing to cough and say you have covid. It was was also a crime against comedy.

And I say this as someone who has a soft spot for black humour.

I don't think shouting is effective but there is nothing that can justify coughing and joking about covid in public.

After reflection I've realised that I feel uncomfortable experiencing anger. However I also probably didn't shout more spoke tersely.

It was just to unfunny and galling however. Particularly on the subway with no ventilation whatsoever.