Shouted at for not wearing my mask outside 😔

[Dandylioness1]

I took my son for a walk at lunch time.
We drove to a nearby park that I haven’t been to many times before.

We were walking and the path became very Narrow.

A couple were walking towards me, it was impossible for us to pass with a 2m
distance it was more like 1m.

It was such a brief encounter and I’d passed other people on the same path with no concerns.

However the female in this couple put her hand out and told me to stop, she began to shout at me for not wearing my mask.

She told me I must not walk past her unless I have my mask on as I’m putting her at risk and I’m ignorant. ☹️

I did have my mask in my bag but I’ve never worn it outside before and especially if it’s just a brief passing, as this was.

The woman was so bloody rude to me I could feel myself getting upset.

I put my mask on and they walked past us.


The thing is they wouldn’t have been face to face with me and it was such a short time for them to pass me.

I honestly feel so upset about this and it’s the first time anyone has ever refused to walk past me outdoors because I don’t have a mask on.

Am I in the wrong?

[Dandylioness1]

@ZigZagIntoTheBlue

Shouting probably put more droplets in the air than if they'd just walked past you, some people are massively over reacting!

@ZigZagIntoTheBlue


Good job they had masks on 😉

[justanotherneighinparadise]

It’s the aggression that comes along with the demand that pisses me off. Why not ask nicely?

[MiniMum97]

[quote Dandylioness1]@MiniMum97

In terms of the rules and the safety of others you don't need to wear a mask outdoors but you should have waited before passing someone at less than two metres

I always do. I did today, which is why I felt like it was was bizarre that she held out her hand and told me to stop... I already had stopped.

I think their issue was they didn’t even want to pass me even though I was stood still, because I didn’t have a mask on.[/quote]
Oh I didn't realise. Well yes she was just being strange then. I thought you said you couldn't leave a 2m gap? Sorry I misunderstood.

Try not to worry though. People are very anxious at the moment and that's probably what you got the brunt of.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Massive overreaction on the lady's part. She is not going to contract the dreaded virus by merely walking past someone on a path.

[ChloeCrocodile]

You did nothing wrong OP. I don't even take my mask when I'm going for a walk. Though if I randomly had one handy I'd have put it on to avoid any further confrontation, so I don't think you did anything wrong in giving in either!

[Dandylioness1]

@justanotherneighinparadise

It’s the aggression that comes along with the demand that pisses me off. Why not ask nicely?

@justanotherneighinparadise

I totally agree. I don’t actually think being asked to put my mask on was the issue (although OTT by my standards)

It was her tone and telling me I’m ignorant. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Belledan1]

I had someone moan that I never had a mask on when i walked past the, near some lakes where i walk. I had headphones so i think they thought i had not heard but my music had stopped. The best thing was though it was a two lane path and her and her partner were walking side by side with a push chair and a toddler at the side and a dog other side and just suddenly stopped so no one could get past. I actually walked on to the grass verge to not exactly go near them but they still did not like it. They did have masks on and so did the child. I just said if they had moved over they would have given me room. They never answered and think were shocked i heard them moaning.

[userxx]

I'd have told her to fuck off. Cant be doing with the hysteria.

[Dandylioness1]

@MiniMum97

I thought you said you couldn't leave a 2m gap? Sorry I misunderstood

I did say that 🙂


You said that I should wait and let people pass if the distance is less than 2m,
Me saying “I always do” was in response to that.

[tttigress]

This whole Covid thing is getting out of hand.

People are make up more extreme rules for themselves.

[Belladonna12]

Narrow paths are stressful if you are extremely clinically vulnerable. I avoided them when I was in that group a couple of months ago. There's no point shouting at other people though. I would try not feel upset about it OP. You didn't do anything wrong.

[trappedsincesundaymorn]

She wasn’t right to shout at you, unless of course she had just lost a relative to COVID

Believe it or not, those of us who have lost a relative to covid, are still able to be decent human beings and not get aggressive with complete strangers, don't use that to excuse rude behaviour, it's insulting.

[Noddyandbiggerears]

Also while I agree that some people are nervous - those who are particularly so should probably avoid somewhere like a park with narrow paths.

[Chloemol]

She is over reacting, that said I would just have waited at a wider spot for them to pass

[GlowingOrb]

Why didn’t you just step off the path and let them pass distanced. Pretty much standard protocol these days.

[Steezy]

She's a fucking knob I'd tripped her up as I walked past. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Dandylioness1]

@GlowingOrb

Why didn’t you just step off the path and let them pass distanced. Pretty much standard protocol these days.

@GlowingOrb

If that was an option, then I would’ve done this!

It wasn’t. There wasn’t anywhere else to go.

[Eckhart]

There are millions of rude people. If you let them get to you like this you'll have a miserable life. Just try to let it go. She was 'That woman who shouted at you for no justifiable reason' , not 'That woman whose opinions you take on board as a reliable judgment of your character'

[DominaShantotto]

@tttigress

This whole Covid thing is getting out of hand.

People are make up more extreme rules for themselves.

We have an entire subforum that now appears to exist for this very purpose.

She was a knob - she was probably a knob pre-covid and this has just given her a "legitimised" outlet for knobness.

[Userzzz]

You’re not in the wrong, she’s a cunt.

[HazeyJaneII]

I got shouted at the other day in the supermarket, by a lady who wanted some chocolate, I was in from of her choosing some, and she just suddenly snapped - 'you have to move....2 metres!!' I was kind of alarmed, but just said, 'I'll move when I've found what I need'.
It does take you aback when people act irrationally, but I figured she was either really struggling with anxiety or she really really wanted her chocolate!

[BrightYellowDaffodil]

She was a tit and you weren't in the wrong. If she found it so stressful to be nearish to people, briefly, while outside, then she shouldn't be walking on narrow paths.

I had a similar thing in the summer, there was a narrow path and the people in front of me were refusing to walk up it because they didn't think the couple 100 yards ahead, who had practically climbed into a hedge to make space, had left a wide enough gap. I didn't have all fucking day to hover about so I just walked past them. For all I know they're still there.

[cologne4711]

OP she was the ignorant one.

There is NO requirement to wear a mask outside and there is virtually no risk of catching covid outside.

If people are that worried they need to go to very open spaces or out at 6am or 10pm.

I can understand why you were upset but you did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing. Please put it from your mind and have a nice rest of your day.

[MillieVanilla]

No she's on a par with that silly bat who threatened a car driver with the police for driving without a 2m distance
Honestly, don't upset yourself.

[SomewhereEast]

I remember taking the DC for our permitted dreary walk around our local streets during the first lockdown and some woman bellowing at us from her front doo that we were all meant to "stay at home" & shouldn't be out. I wasn't very polite . Seriously I think there's going to be some terrible MH issues to unpick after all this.