This pandemic has made people so rude!

[Geneva1994]

First time since the start of the pandemic I have forgotten a mask anywhere, as I always have 1 in my car, bag or pocket. Today I went to b&q for opening so the shop was empty, realised I didn’t have a mask in my car as I thought so I poked my head round the door and apologised to the lady but asked if they had a disposable mask I could have (or pay for!) as id stupidly forgot mine, only to get an earful and be told I’m the reason covid is still spreading she then started slagging me off to a colleague as I walked off and I heard her say “surprised she didn’t try and say she is exempt”.

AIBU to think some people are going crazy? How are they going to cope when restrictions are completely lifted

Here's the Scottish guidance on exemption. No requirement to be seriously ill. It also depends for many people on where you are, what you are doing and for how long. Nipping in to a crowded shop for a couple of minutes might be tolerable for mask wearing, whilst wearing one for several hours might be unbearable.

exempt.scot/face-covering-exemptions/

@TO12T39FRQ

How are people even forgetting masks at this stage....a year in

Change handbag, don't take your coat, forget it's still in the wash.....

I have them in pretty much every coat and bag but I bought a new handbag last week and as the weather has changed I'm wearing different coats etc, so I do have to keep checking. It would be easy enough to pop out without one (I do keep some in the car though).

PaperbackRider has it spot on from where I'm at.

You wouldn't be asking the staff to lend you money though, would you? IF you forget your mask, go home and get one, like your wallet. Don't walk into to other peoples workplaces without one and get narky when they arent' too happy with you.

I was answering the question that was just about how people could even forget a mask. I used purse as an example of an essential thing for shopping that people also forget sometimes.

@PaperbackRider

But presumably the OP wasn’t giving the “no mask or exempt story” since she was asking if they had any masks she could buy. So she wasn’t trying to get away with not wearing one, she was trying to wear one

She was coming in to their workplace without a mask, and that's what matters to them.

The same way people occasionally forget their wallets I imagine. I’ve worked in shops and it wasn’t massively uncommon for people to realise at the till that they’ve left their purse/wallet in the car or at home etc and have to come back

You wouldn't be asking the staff to lend you money though, would you? IF you forget your mask, go home and get one, like your wallet. Don't walk into to other peoples workplaces without one and get narky when they arent' too happy with you.

She didn't walk In though did she? She said she stood at the doors. Also a lot of places have masks at the doors so she was asking if they did the same. I assume if they said no she wouldn't of gone in and would of gone home got a mask or gone back another day.

She was coming in to their workplace without a mask, and that's what matters to them.

OP may not be exempt, but some people are. And if someone is legally allowed to not be wearing a mask, they shouldn’t have to have snarky comments directed at them from anyone, staff or other customers. The comment of “surprised she didn’t try and say she’s exempt” shows that kind of reception a genuinely exempt person might expect in that shop.
You may or may not agree with the legal exemption but it is there, so people who are exempt shouldn’t have to feel like they have to avoid shops because of horrible comments.

@Wanttocry

She was coming in to their workplace without a mask, and that's what matters to them.

OP may not be exempt, but some people are. And if someone is legally allowed to not be wearing a mask, they shouldn’t have to have snarky comments directed at them from anyone, staff or other customers. The comment of “surprised she didn’t try and say she’s exempt” shows that kind of reception a genuinely exempt person might expect in that shop.
You may or may not agree with the legal exemption but it is there, so people who are exempt shouldn’t have to feel like they have to avoid shops because of horrible comments.

And people working in shops shouldn't have to be put at risk by all the people claiming to be exempt when they aren't, and all the ones who "forget" them, and all the ones that wear them under their noses, or around their chins, or anywhere else. But they do. And they are only human and have their limits. Everyone loses here, but for OP it was 5 mins of one day, and for them its all day every day for the last year and a half, so OP really needs to get over herself.

You wouldn't be asking the staff to lend you money though, would you? IF you forget your mask, go home and get one, like your wallet. Don't walk into to other peoples workplaces without one and get narky when they arent' too happy with you.

Last year I locked myself out of my house with no keys, shoes or phone.

I walked barefoot to the local Spar and asked them to call a taxi for me, which they did happily.

I'd put this in the same sort of bracket, OP made a daft mistake and asked staff to help her sort it.... instead they were rude and slagged her off, which is terrible service.

Not a nice response, but after all the lies people have told or claimed, perhaps those are the people you should be complaining to. No-one had 'exemptions' or forgot when I was in Germany in September.

I'd put this in the same sort of bracket, OP made a daft mistake and asked staff to help her sort it.... instead they were rude and slagged her off, which is terrible service

It's not the same bracket, you example would be a rare enough event, OP's is something they will have to put up with multiple times a day. You can't go into the shop without a mask, so you can't go into buy one if you don't have a mask.

You all need to try and see the perspective of the shop workers. From their POV its OP and everyone else like her who are the rude ones.

My point is, I didn’t forget my mask on purpose and if they didn’t have masks for customers, I would simply of had to go home and get mine but as it’s a 25 minute drive each way, I thought I’d ask first... I’m not sure that’s unreasonable.

I also didn’t claim I was exempt, I admitted I stupidly forgot my mask

I understand retail workers are frustrated, but I have also worked the whole way through the pandemic (childcare) and have been stressed at times myself, but there’s no way I would speak to someone like that over a mistake. I honestly couldn’t imagine acting like such a witch but each to their own

Lesson learnt : DONT FORGOT MASK

No-one had 'exemptions' or forgot when I was in Germany in September.

What? You know that no one in all of Germany did this while you were there?! There are idiots in this country for sure, but there are also such people all over the world without a doubt.

And people working in shops shouldn't have to be put at risk by all the people claiming to be exempt when they aren't, and all the ones who "forget" them, and all the ones that wear them under their noses, or around their chins, or anywhere else

My point stands, how are they going to cope once masks aren’t mandatory?

My point stands, how are they going to cope once masks aren’t mandatory? smile

At the point that they are not mandatory the idea is that it would be safe enough without masks. Right now it isn't, so your whataboutery is pointless.
Just wear your damn mask, and if you forget, don't whine about other people being rude to you. Like I said, its a 5 min issue for you, for them its constant. Have some thought for someone other than yourself.

Not a nice response, but after all the lies people have told or claimed, perhaps those are the people you should be complaining to

Surely they appreciate peoples honestly then when they admit they simply forgot their mask? Rather than lying to say they are exempt like the member of staff suggested. You honestly can’t win.

This exact thing happened to me at Tesco yesterday and the staff were completely polite and nice about it and gave me a mask to wear, so clearly it’s possible to still be polite, even if you’ve been “on the frontline” for the past year. Half the time the staff in there don’t wear the masks themselves, and I can’t say I blame them, it must be hellish wearing one all day.

I have looked on websites just now re: exemption it is very woolly. Who decides, your gp? yourself?

@justasking111

I have looked on websites just now re: exemption it is very woolly. Who decides, your gp? yourself?

It’s just the individual, GPs do not have time to be signing notes and checking exemptions so there is no way of checking any exemptions really. It’s not a good system, but I don’t really see an alternative without overwhelming GPs who do not have the time.

Why do people keep saying this? You're not exempt if you can wear one, so if you choose to wear one, you are not exempt

i have looked on websites just now re: exemption it is very woolly. Who decides, your gp? yourself?

Well my GP told me I would be exempt from wearing one for a couple of health reasons, but I wear one the majority of the time but do struggle at times so take it down when no ones around. I don’t play on the fact I’m ‘exempt’ and always make an effort to wear but one if it gets too much, I don’t feel guilty pulling it down for a breather.

Bonkers!

@GreenMeeple

Thats horrible. I had the same thing happen a few months ago (forgot my mask going to the B&Q) but the guy at the entrance had a stack of masks packs (packs of 5) so I could use one and pay for the pack at the till.

You would think this is a great way to make some extra money, selling disposable masks to people that forget.

Yeah you think they'd be selling you one

I've forgotten a mask once too - at Waitrose. I mentioned to security guard (in the car park), he had a colleague bring a pack over for me to buy ...

Given that B&Q etc do sell masks, I don't see why they could not have done the same.

@Thefaceofboe

Why do people keep saying this? You're not exempt if you can wear one, so if you choose to wear one, you are not exempt

i have looked on websites just now re: exemption it is very woolly. Who decides, your gp? yourself?

Well my GP told me I would be exempt from wearing one for a couple of health reasons, but I wear one the majority of the time but do struggle at times so take it down when no ones around. I don’t play on the fact I’m ‘exempt’ and always make an effort to wear but one if it gets too much, I don’t feel guilty pulling it down for a breather.

I am like you with asthma really struggle sometimes, I tend to shoot around the store and out as quickly as possible with my mask on. I am the one in the car park gasping like a fish out of water. I had an MRI recently was masked up from the front door. Lay on the machine tray the nurse said you will get instructions to breathe in, breathe out, then breathe in and hold. I was so panicked she said to take the mask off to do this. Thank god.

@Thefaceofboe my go also told me I am exempt but to try to wear one as much as I can

My go= my gp, lovely woman