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

What? You know that no one in all of Germany did this while you were there?!

M3h. I'm in Germany and I haven't seen anyone, where masks are mandatory, without one. I have asked and asked because I see so many people here saying they're exempt - but no. People where I am are sucking up the mask-wearing, for the good of the community. Wheelchair users, visible disabilities etc etc. All in masks

I think huge amounts of the general public have been utter wankers to a lot of retail workers over the pandemic, so it's no wonder they're fed up. Give her the benefit of the doubt, you don't know what kinds of crap she's had to put up with.

@PaperbackRider kinda feels like you're taking every frustration you've felt over the pandemic and are letting it all out on OPs thread.

okay she forget her mask but she tried to rectify it and thought she was doing the right thing. some people wouldnt of cared and would of sauntered in anyway.

noone is denying some have had it much rougher than others but it doesnt make this ladies response to OP simply asking if they sold any masks (how on earth do you purchase them otherwise btw not everyone has access to online shopping) any less rude.

@CharlotteRose90

People are dicks currently. I’m exempt but I’ve worn a mask the entire time as I got fed up of the looks and comments I got. Although now with this extra variant even when we don’t need to wear them I’ll be wearing one in the supermarket or similar to protect myself

You really would think that after a year of wearing these bloody things people would have got their heads around that fact that if you can wear a mask - whatever your medical condition - you are not exempt.

Also agree with @StatisticallyChallenged that there are people (me included) who can manage a mask for a 20 minute trek round the supermarket. For hours at a stretch though that would be impossible.

@category12

I think huge amounts of the general public have been utter wankers to a lot of retail workers over the pandemic, so it's no wonder they're fed up. Give her the benefit of the doubt, you don't know what kinds of crap she's had to put up with.

That is no excuse to be rude to a customer who was polite and apologetic.

That really was unnecessary of her she didn't really have to cause such a scene, however she probably has to deal with "mask issues" every day and you caught her in a bad mood ! It's happened to me once or twice and the shops I asked were more than helpful,. I think people are fed up and tense on edge.

It’s pretty clear masks do very little. The only effective measure is vaccination. She was extremely rude - totally uncalled for. You should complain and then forget it. You didn’t intentionally do anything wrong. It was just one of those things.

People are afraid, and when they’re afraid they can be rude. I’ve been very short with a few people who have stood too close or removed masks right next to me.

I think anti maskers are complete knobs but you HAVE to put in a complaint about that woman. You asked if they had masks and she calls you names and slags you off to a colleague? I don't give a rats ass if she has an issue with non-mask wearers, she needs to wind her neck in. You weren't even an anti masker!

I'm exempt. I wear the exemption card with the sunflower lanyard. Maybe I'm lucky but nobody has ever made any comment or even batted an eyelid at my exemption. I have had both vaccinations and test twice weekly. I went out for lunch yesterday and saw at least one other customer and a member of staff behind the bar wearing the lanyards. I have to go out to work anyway but I won't impose a ban on myself and stop shopping or socialising in the unlikely event someone will comment on me being exempt. Can't believe that people are saying they haven't been out in 6 months.

It’s been a year not difficult to have multiple masks in coats, bags the car etc.

My sympathy is with people who have to work in shops where the public “just pop their head round the corner” without masks. This has been going on long enough that you should have a bloody mask with you. If you don’t, don’t go into the shop.

I’m one of those retail people and would never think to act like that towards a customer or potential one who is asking for one so they can enter our store or another store for that matter. I also don’t question the ones who don’t have one on either because I don’t know if they are exempt and not going to embarrass someone or myself over it. We sell face masks right by our counter and have disposable ones in a drawer behind us because we understand that sometimes people forget them or maybe even dropped or lost one on their route.

OP asked if they had any, she didn’t just try to shop without it. The worker could have said.. “Yes we do, let me get you one” or “I’m sorry, we don’t have any disposable ones but we do sell them. I’ll go grab some for you so you can choose if you’d like..”. The worker’s reaction was highly unprofessional and uncalled for talking about the customer afterwards. Doesn’t matter how bad her day was and I really hate when people use that as an excuse for poor behaviour.

That says more about her (and how they train their staff) than you. Twice I've forgotten my mask in the local supermarket and the woman on the door says: 'There's always one!' with a big grin and hands me a box of masks to take one.

Other times I've improvised with a scarf or pulling my jumper over my mouth and no one has said anything.

And whining about them "being rude" when you're the one who isn;t wearing a mask!

OP was trying to find out if they had a mask. Loads of shops I’ve been in in the past year have had a box by the door, either for free or to purchase. I don’t think shoppers are entitled to them but I’ve seen enough shops have them that if you did forget it would be worth asking. Poking your head in and just asking shouldn’t be seen as some awful behaviour.

The lady in the shop should not have been rude to you but she's probably sick to the back teeth of having to 'police' the general public's behaviour.
I used to work in retail and in the early days of CV I had one customer approach me (he stood about a foot away) and told me how he was doing a last minute shop as he had to go to hospital the next day for a test because he had all the symptoms 🙄
I spent half of my time asking people to put on masks, asking them to keep their distance from other customers etc.
I even had one customer take a fiver out of her mouth and try to pay me with it.
So maybe the lady in the shop had had enough and you caught her at a bad moment.

@GeorgeandHarold66 fair question. I’m exempt due to a lung condition and I can’t breathe with one on but I hate the useless visors so I choose to wear a mask. Been told off countless times from my consultant so I only wear a mask shopping the rest of the time I don’t.

@RaspberryCoulis I am exempt thanks but I chose to wear a mask when food shopping. The sunflower lanyard I have is more trouble then it’s worth . Only in supermarkets do I wear one no where Else

It's rude but I think lots of people don't behave like this. My parents are absent minded and have told me a few stories of going in shops without masks and haven't had anyone shout at them.

It’s been a year not difficult to have multiple masks in coats, bags the car etc

I’ve think I’ve done pretty well considering this is the first time I’ve forgotten one no it’s not difficult but these things happen

@PaperbackRider

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.

Sure, that gets annoying but as a retail worker you do need to realise that not everyone is like that. Many people work in retail and can still listen and respect even after a bad day - I know I managed it and I've worked in some typically "tough" areas in terms of how you get treated by public (healthcare, travel). It's not the next persons fault that you were just shouted at, and most people are reasonable. OP asked a question and the staff member should have listened and just responded with the fact?

While I do agree that sometimes retail workers have a tough time, some much less so than others. I noticed it was often the same few colleagues getting the aggro - were they really just unlucky or is it their own attitude working people up? Customer service is a skill.

People are exempt and have worn masks. A lady had taken her grandchild to her swimming lesson and was suffering with the heat on poolside she said she was abit breathless and may need to pull it down as she had copd, that accompanied with the warm air she was suffering I told her to take the mask completely off as her breathing was a priority.

Don’t forget stores are under pressure from head office, who in turn have pressure from government, to remain covid safe

And that’s distancing measures, mask wearing and not allowing too many people in the store.

There have been people out there enjoying this pandemic and taking /posting pictures on social media in order to shame people.....that kind of thing will get a store in trouble. Covid audits are a thing.

Essential retail only stayed in operation if stores could uphol those rules, I imagine retail colleagues are having this drummed into them daily still. We do t want shops closing again do we

@Sirius99

You try working in retail over the last 18 months, the public have been rude, nasty, angry, uncooperative, many a time the young Saturday girls have gone home crying due to the rudeness of customers, I would imagine they’ve had enough, how many times do you think they’ve heard the no mask or exempt story,

But OP wasn't being rude, and they had masks to give. So your whole spiel doesn't apply to this situation or excuse rude behaviour

The following places make mask wearing in public compulsory, no exemptions. Compare their cases and deaths to ours.

South Korea - Population 51 million - Total cases - 140,799 - deaths 1,963
Vietnam - Population 98 million - Total cases 7,572 - deaths 47
Thailand - Population 69 million - Total cases 162,022 - deaths 1,069

UK (wear a mask if you feel like it) Population 68 million - Total cases 4,487,339 - deaths 127,782.

@TO12T39FRQ

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

Well I forget shopping bags all the time, how long has that been needed. I've been known to leave my phone at home and even my wallet. People forget. Nice to know someone out there is so perfect. Shops by us have been lovely, they hand out a blue disposable if you forget I've only forgotten twice all year. No judgement heard .