To think you should not demand more information if someone is exempt from mask wearing?

[youngandbroken]

I know the importance of wearing a mask, and genuinely try to wear one when I can however I have CPTSD and some days are far, far worse than others (I tend to avoid going out where possible on these days). Today is one of those days, I live in a tower block and just went to put the bins out - that's all and had a woman stop me getting back up to my flat and have a go at me for not wearing a mask. I'm not comfortable explaining that I have mental illnesses, let alone explaining what caused those. I apologised and said that I am exempt to which she said NO your not, there are elderly people in this flat block. I know this and will always stay as far away from everyone as possible, constant hand washing and sanitizing and again I will wear a mask whenever I can do that without having a major panic attack. I ended up explaining but that then caused another panic attack.
All I was trying to do was take the bins out, there wasn't anyone else in the hallway when I went in, the woman followed me - if she had been there already I would have waited. Am I wrong to think that you shouldn't ask people to explain why they are exempt? I know there are people who do take the mick but there are also many who are genuine.

YANBU. What a horrible thing to happen.

The sooner the masks and the self appointed mask police go the better

My DM lives in retirement flats, they are asked to wear masks in communal areas, so I assume that is the same for where OP lives.

This is why I hate the selfish cunts that can wear one but won't. It's not fair on people who can't as you get lumped in with the twatheads.

YANBU, she was- utterly unreasonable. I honestly think the worst thing about mask wearing is the self important twats who are already bullies and use this as weapon, often against vulnerable people who struggle to defend themselves at the best of times. They’re often the same people who demand that “healthy looking” people with blue badges in their cars explain to them why they’re allows to park in disabled bays. Seriously these cunts are everywhere.

Yanbu.

Not only because she absolutely has no right to demand to know but also I live in flats.

There's only 4 flats in my block but we've never even thought of wearing masks when walking through the communal area. It's out household.

We've kept our distance and have had the upstairs windows open even in winter (communal area ones) but I can't see how walking though a communal area is anymore risk than all breathing in that air as it travels under the doors etc.

@RoseRedRoseBlue

I’m with Temp. This whole thing has given nosy, patronising idiots licence to air their opinion on other people’s business. At Marks yesterday I had the misfortune of waking past some random woman berating anyone that didn’t use the store provided hand sanitizer on the way in. She had no way of knowing if people had already used their own, had skin issues or allergies or so forth. The more people ignored her, the louder she became.

Particularly ill informed given surface transmission appears to be very low risk!

None of her business. I would also be telling her to fuck off if it was me.

For crying out loud, people do not need to wear a mask to out the bins out!

You have to wear them in communal areas unless exempt.

@toocold54

For crying out loud, people do not need to wear a mask to out the bins out!

You have to wear them in communal areas unless exempt.

This is why I can’t wait for the whole mask to be over ffs putting the bins out requires a mask it’s bloody stupid and for those that saying otherwise need to to stop pulling people up over stupid rules. I get it if your around people but the off chance you may be around someone for literally a minute putting the bins out really thing that you may pass or catch Covid . Have a bit of common sense now it’s getting silly .

@toocold54

For crying out loud, people do not need to wear a mask to out the bins out!

You have to wear them in communal areas unless exempt.

Does it actually say this in the covid laws? I live in a small block of flats and don't wear a mask in the communal areas, apart from when I am arriving home from the supermarket. There are no signs up telling us to wear masks and we've had no communication from the management company telling us to wear masks. It's a private building, not a public building so I don't if the law can insist we wear masks in the communal areas? I very rarely see my neighbours when coming or going and when I have, none have told me to wear a mask.

I explain to them that I was raped as a child and that he held his hoodie over my face so I couldn't breathe because my crying was putting him off. So now I panic when things cover my face. People are generally mortified they asked and extremely apologetic and I then tell them I do not accept their apology and to fuck off and have a good hard think about themselves.

It was hard to speak it without breaking down at first but brutal honesty does seem to have an impact. Who the fuck do people think they are?

@toocold54 that point falls completely flat given that people can now sit in pubs, bars and restaurants without masks, all of which constitute communal areas.

Wear a badgelanyard or expect to get asked.

Do you wear a lanyard in your own home/garden/back yard? Flat-dwellers were negatively impacted hugely more than most house-dwellers during lockdown. Many of their blocks had been deliberately designed without gardens, because they had garden/park areas very near them as part of the whole scheme - and then they were simply banned from using them.

She sounds like the nasty kind of person who verbally abuses anybody using a blue badge parking spot who isn't over 70 and a wheelchair user and accuses them of being frauds.

If it bothers her so much, she should be the one keeping her distance and restricting when she can empty her own bins - not expecting others to do so.

YANBU. The only questioning allowed is when people wear sunflower lanyards to 'prove' they're mask exempt. The lanyards are to show hidden disabilities and are now being used by idiots who make disabled and mask exempt people look like phonies.

@toocold54

For crying out loud, people do not need to wear a mask to out the bins out!

You have to wear them in communal areas unless exempt.

Since when?

Never have me or my neighbours done this or has it ever occurred to us to.

Yanbu. Unfortunately, some people are lying about being exempt from wearing masks - there are lots of sunflower lanyards being worn nowadays. This means that genuinely exempt people like you are being aggressively approached in this way.

My son is autistic and can't wear a mask. People asking him about it makes the whole thing ten times worse. He tried wearing a badge or lanyard but that distresses him too.

People really need to mind their business now, it's just an excuse for people to be arses.

If someone gets that worked up about it they should isolate themselves and let the rest of us get on with it.

that point falls completely flat given that people can now sit in pubs, bars and restaurants without masks, all of which constitute communal areas.

That’s been like it the entire time though. You had to wear a mask to queue in a cafe but as soon as you sit down to eat you can take it off.
I guess it’s just minimising transmission as much as possible but some of the rules do seem silly.

The difference between communal flats and pubs is that if you go to a pub you know there’ll be lots of people not wearing masks so someone’s who’s shielding/vulnerable will avoid those places but obviously they can’t avoid being at home.
I know a few flats where people don’t wear masks and the landlord doesn’t enforce it but they’re only small buildings so no one checks or anything.

FWIW I am exempt and I choose to wear a mask anyway

If you can wear one, then you're not exempt. Some people will be exempt on some occasions and not on others, as many conditions fluctuate.

Poor form to judge others when you don't understand the rules yourself.

That's extremely unfair and actually indicative that you are guilty of exactly what you're accusing the quoted poster of.

The criterion for mask exemption is not that you will keel over and die if you have to wear a mask. People with very challenging medical conditions are sometimes given special dispensations/allowances to help them live life slightly more easily than they otherwise could.

Sadly, another aspect of living with their conditions is frequently that unthinking/ignorant/intolerant/abusive people will challenge them and be self-appointed psychic medical professionals. They are therefore left with the outrageous option of foregoing the accessibility allowances they're entitled to and suffering terribly from their condition or suffering abuse from the public. I really don't think anybody else has the right to tell them that they've made the wrong decision.

Some days I just get so fed up about this bloody virus when I hear of people not wanting the vaccine and not wearing a mask to ‘make a point’ I feel very angry.
People I see not helping the cause.
I would never say anything but I get very angry.
It’s not rational, but this year has been so horrifically shit and I’m desperate for us all to pull together and get out of it.
The amount of people who genuinely can’t wear a mask is very small. Wear a lanyard and then I’ll know.
Like I said, I know I’m not being rational I know I’m in the wrong. But that’s the honest answer.
I’m just so desperate, tired, sad and bloody fed up.

@toocold54 i am pretty convinced that at this point in the game, very few people are catching Covid as as result of putting the bins out without a mask. I can’t wait for this ridiculousness to stop. Quite frankly, after what we have heard about Hancock and co this week, I am surprised that anyone is listening to the Government at all.

I think the handling of the pandemic has been dreadful, if we had locked down the country and borders effectively we would to be living freely mask free in general - other than perhaps public transport.

I think this situation is difficult - of course the exemptions on mask wearing are valid. The problem is that there are too many people who don't fit the criteria which then gets other annoyed which I understand.

She was a loon op. I really don't think you have to wear it in communal parts of your own home! I didn't when I helped my brother move out of his flat a few weeks ago. Not do I when I visit my friend in her flat. No signs at any premises.

I do think masks should go now. They're not being enforced and it makes the law abiding resentful. I wen to a shopping centre yesterday where you have to wear them inside. Amazing how many large groups of young men there are where they all have a hidden disability .

Anne we have had large groups of young men with hidden disabilities I've joked aren't that hidden since the start - I mean - they must have some sort of eye sight issue or learning difficulty not to be able to follow the giant arrows or work out why they are walking against a tide of people

i am pretty convinced that at this point in the game, very few people are catching Covid as as result of putting the bins out without a mask.

Yes I agree but obviously if the landlord wants his tenants to follow the rules then they need to do so unless exempt.