To think if you’re that paranoid about covid perhaps you should stay at home

[bagpuss90]

Apologies for yet another covid thread . Just for the record-I’m a trained nurse -I’ve also taught infection control . I’m very respectful of the two metre rule. I’ve stuck to the rules throughout. Yesterday I was out with my dog - there was a man and woman ahead of me . I wanted to overtake them as they were walking very slowly. They were not old people by the way. I walked well over two metres away from them to do this. Probably more like three metres. We were on a piece of open space .The woman began shouting at me about covid. Telling me there are rules. I pointed out I was nowhere near her. Her husband actually told her to calm down. I accept she may have underlying health issues. I also accept people are scared . But am I being unreasonable in thinking that you can’t go out and shout ( throwing lots of droplets out then anyway) at anyone remotely near you - you just can’t . If you really are that paranoid then perhaps stay at home. I’m sure I will get flamed here.

Cuts both ways - the yellers don’t know who they are yelling at do they? They could be shouting at someone else with anxiety or who is recently bereaved etc.

In lockdown 1 I was going for a perfectly legal walk with dd and her friend both 11 in my parents village when a mad old guy came out of his house ranting and raving and waving his stick “stay away it’s a pandemic” etc🙄. We were miles away from his house and certainly had no intention of getting nearer. Girls were quite scared.

Cuts both ways - the yellers don’t know who they are yelling at do they? They could be shouting at someone else with anxiety or who is recently bereaved etc

Totally agree!

My daughter was yelled at, called an idiot, told to stay back, that she was too close and that she’d be reported to the police for not wearing a mask when walking alone across an empty park a little while ago. The person who yelled at her was no where near her - metres and metres away

DD has horrific anxiety - just leaving the her room has been enough to cause a panic attack recently, can you imagine what it took her to be able to leave the house?

She’s having some CBT - her counsellor has been encouraging her to take small steps, to get out of the house and go for a walk, and then she’s subjected to that.

My daughter is also entitled to go for a walk 🙄

I think that if someone is in such state they can't control themselves, they shouldn't be in public where other people are.

Absolutely agree.

I had the same thing in a shop recently - there was a queue behind a woman who kept picking up different chickens and measuring them against eachother - we waited patiently until she moved along, the man in front of me got his then I went over to choose what chicken I needed. She then came back with her chicken hoping to swap it and said can you get away you're rushing me. I said pardon? And she said you're rushing me and I feel pressured - I said oh sorry I'm just grabbing this then going. She then lost the plot and starting shouting at me saying 2 metres 2 metres to which I just ignored her as I was on my way down another aisle. Another shopper said to me - dont worry you were 2 metres away and she obviously heard and started screaming you have no respect. I said if you are so paranoid about sharing an aisle with someone you should shop at night when it's quieter - the whole shop doesn't cater to you! After I walked away I did feel bad and thought she is obviously very anxious and had she been polite to me I would have apologised and given her the 3 metre space she wanted but she just got my back up. I also don't think she realised she was holding up at least 6 or 7 other people behind me. But I do regret biting back as I'm sure she is usually a calm and sensible person, anxiety can make you act in a way you wouldn't normally.

@lordalmighty

I had the same thing in a shop recently - there was a queue behind a woman who kept picking up different chickens and measuring them against eachother - we waited patiently until she moved along, the man in front of me got his then I went over to choose what chicken I needed. She then came back with her chicken hoping to swap it and said can you get away you're rushing me. I said pardon? And she said you're rushing me and I feel pressured - I said oh sorry I'm just grabbing this then going. She then lost the plot and starting shouting at me saying 2 metres 2 metres to which I just ignored her as I was on my way down another aisle. Another shopper said to me - dont worry you were 2 metres away and she obviously heard and started screaming you have no respect. I said if you are so paranoid about sharing an aisle with someone you should shop at night when it's quieter - the whole shop doesn't cater to you! After I walked away I did feel bad and thought she is obviously very anxious and had she been polite to me I would have apologised and given her the 3 metre space she wanted but she just got my back up. I also don't think she realised she was holding up at least 6 or 7 other people behind me. But I do regret biting back as I'm sure she is usually a calm and sensible person, anxiety can make you act in a way you wouldn't normally.

How does she square picking up and touching loads of food items others would go on to buy with following the rules.

Plus she’s lucky she got you others would have said a lot worse in response

I would assume mental health and think no more of it.

Yes she was wrong but presumably she was distressed.

What really did she take from you?

I would expect more understanding of this from someone claiming to be a nurse.

I agree with you. What annoys me is when people walk around you without leaving space. If you gave them lots of space I’m not sure what else can be done - you can’t go out and expect not to encounter anyone else on your walk! Presumably they could also have moved out of the way themselves.

I’m not paranoid about Covid but I am concerned. I am a bit anxious around people but usually keep a lid on it. I find a whole lot of people have no idea what 2m actually is

@MintyMabel, same here. I've been relatively chilled out about the whole thing until this more infectious strain appeared and the doom and gloom "overrun NHS" stories ramped up (and I don't even watch the news!). Plus much as I try and avoid them, the occasional story of someone young and healthy dying sneaks into my SM timelines. So I'm more worried now than I've been since it all started.

I also totally agree that it seems loads of people have no idea what 2m actually is (it's nearly 7 feet) and are easily as close as 1m when they pass. Every time someone gets a bit close I'm consciously having to think "it's low risk, it's fine" to stop myself getting annoyed, so I can see how it's affecting more concerned people.

@echt

Just why did you post this pointless item?

Here we go, the thread police is out.

I agree @bagpuss90 you gave them space and so she was unreasonable, she doesn't own the path and cannot go around shouting at people.... Imagine if everyone did that.

Yanbu.

I've received a death stare once, for going to pick a mother's car keys up for her when she dropped them. She had a baby in her arms, my mind went straight to thinking of helping her and not covid. She swung around so fast to stop me with her glare im surprised the baby stayed in her arms. I smiled and left her to it.

Mostly though I have the opposite problem, where I will be on one end of the path and people make a bee line towards me. The other day, on a 3m wide path. An elderly couple heading toward me so I went to the far right of the path as they were on my left. The closer we got, the closer to my end of the path they got. They might as well have given me a high five when they passed they were that close. That happens a lot more than the death stares. I'm quite pleased to be honest, it is refreshing to see no fear when everything I read suggests people are terrified.

Dd went for a walk yesterday in the late afternoon by herself, and returned home a bit upset as a couple had commented loudly as they passed, “Why do teenagers have to keep going out?” Some people are just so nasty.

I agree with the op of people are so paronoid about Covid they should not go out to the shops as there are plenty of volunteers who will shop for them . Their actions - shouting at others causes others upset, I have seen this myself.

Yes, I agree. I make sure I give people 2 metres space when I am out. I stopped walking by someone's driveway to let a couple walk past and they pretty much jumped into the road to avoid me and then told me that I needed to give people more space .

I wish more people understood just how wide 2meters is. It is more than the tallest person you know. Some people seem to think 2meters is 2 foot.

I wish more people could mange to walk on their own, without the need to be side by side by their partner for the couple of seconds it takes to pass.

I wish more people had a little more patience and didn't reach under or over me to get something of the supermarket shelf.

I wish some people learnt that the queue for the checkout does not more any faster if they stand so close to me that they can touch me.

I wish that everyone could remember that we all have a right to share the open spaces outside of our own homes - and that being considerate of everyone - whether they are happy to be right up next to someone, or nervous and need the 2m space - is more important than ever right now.

I can't believe that several posters have said that if you're frightened of covid, you shouldn't leave the house FOR A WALK.

My DM is terrified and I know she gets upset on walks that people are too close. My DF tells her not to make comments, so she is exactly the kind of person being described.

Her mental health is awful, for example she's scared of going for the vaccine as she thinks she'll catch it at the appointment. Should she really have stayed indoors for the past year? I expect she would have killed herself by now.

I had similar, lady walking her dog shouted at me for ‘blocking the path’ (I was waiting for school gate to open, mask on). I pointed out if she brought her dog to heel she’d have over 2m to pass me, without either of us stepping in the mud. But he was on a 2m lead so she wanted the whole path!

Some people are just ridiculous over covid fears. There are times when you cannot avoid getting within 2m of someone (train stations, bus stops, parks, narrow footpaths).

@freddiesmoustache

I can't believe that several posters have said that if you're frightened of covid, you shouldn't leave the house FOR A WALK.

My DM is terrified and I know she gets upset on walks that people are too close. My DF tells her not to make comments, so she is exactly the kind of person being described.

Her mental health is awful, for example she's scared of going for the vaccine as she thinks she'll catch it at the appointment. Should she really have stayed indoors for the past year? I expect she would have killed herself by now.

Yes, if you're frightened to the point that you behave like a cunt to other people, then you shouldn't go out.

Everyone's feeling anxious and on edge at the moment. Most people can behave politely.

@freddiesmoustache

I can't believe that several posters have said that if you're frightened of covid, you shouldn't leave the house FOR A WALK.

My DM is terrified and I know she gets upset on walks that people are too close. My DF tells her not to make comments, so she is exactly the kind of person being described.

Her mental health is awful, for example she's scared of going for the vaccine as she thinks she'll catch it at the appointment. Should she really have stayed indoors for the past year? I expect she would have killed herself by now.

My mum had to shield and was so scared she just walked around her garden, if you can’t go out without screaming at people who aren’t even near you then yes you should stay at home and get some telephone counselling or similar.

Just to clarify, my DM hasn't been screaming at anybody or addressed anybody directly for that matter. She has I understand made loud comments within earshot like "hands face space" when people have got too near. She walks with a stick so it's not easy for her to dart out of people's way.

I don't think, as a PP suggested, that somebody suffering from mental health issues (whether brought on ot worsened by covid) that cause them to act abrasively or irrationally makes them a "cunt". Would we call someone a cunt under any other circumstances because of mental health?

@freddiesmoustache

Just to clarify, my DM hasn't been screaming at anybody or addressed anybody directly for that matter. She has I understand made loud comments within earshot like "hands face space" when people have got too near. She walks with a stick so it's not easy for her to dart out of people's way.

I don't think, as a PP suggested, that somebody suffering from mental health issues (whether brought on ot worsened by covid) that cause them to act abrasively or irrationally makes them a "cunt". Would we call someone a cunt under any other circumstances because of mental health?

Yes. My ex partner was abusive and had a diagnosis of BPD. He was a cunt. If someone is sticking to muttering passive aggressive little phrases at people then that's not as bad as shouting at them of course. They'd likely get a similarly muttered "fuck off" from me though.

@freddiesmoustache

Just to clarify, my DM hasn't been screaming at anybody or addressed anybody directly for that matter. She has I understand made loud comments within earshot like "hands face space" when people have got too near. She walks with a stick so it's not easy for her to dart out of people's way.

I don't think, as a PP suggested, that somebody suffering from mental health issues (whether brought on ot worsened by covid) that cause them to act abrasively or irrationally makes them a "cunt". Would we call someone a cunt under any other circumstances because of mental health?

That's different then. Everyone is worried. The "stay away from people" was aimed at people who go around verbally abusing and attacking others due to their own issue. Which isn't ok.

No one should be or have to be tolerating abuse from strangers.