To be fed up of the "I'm a key worker" line now

[Chishelled]

Fair play, I do understand that not every key worker is pulling this out at opportunity and that not all key workers are acting like entitled selfish twits, plus the fact DP and I (although only on day two) are both NHS - him as a doctor and me within mental health.

Our entire local facebook page is full of "I am a key worker, I need to get petrol, people are being so selfish" BUT why do key workers expect to be prioritised for petrol now, particularly when many of the ones posting work in our local hospital which is a 20 minute walk away??

It's just all adding to the scare mongering and hype by trotting out the "I'm a key worker, I need petrol priority...[it's going to run out again], plus plenty of people are having to commute back to work due to the end of furlough and the fact that offices are well and truly reopen - are their jobs seen as lesser?

I propose on the spot fines for anyone who uses the phrase "I am a key worker" to get preferential treatment from this point forwards [unless of course we go back into Lockdown again]

Don’t tell me we will be over run with TikToks of apparently super busy NHS workers dancing about wards to choreographed dances again .

It entirely depends on people’s definition of key worker.

People who work in hospitals, for emergency services or in care settings are key workers

People who work in the corner shop are not

A lot of people were classed as key workers during the first lockdown and they think they still are. If you worked in a shop during the peaks of the virus and essentially put yourself in harms way so people could get food then yes you were. Right now? Not so much. You’re needed, but you’re not a key worker.

@Scottsy100

I was over it a year ago 🙄 it’s becoming like an X Factor why they deserve to win story

The extended version

I am a key worker, and I agree to some extent, but some of us travel not just to work, but all day to get to clients, some of mine are 10 miles apart, and I carry equipment. My service would be stuffed. I still wouldn't be demanding priority however - it's not my personality.

Its funny how everyone else is a panic buying idiot....except themselves when they queue up. The restrictions in the supermarket back in lockdown meant I had to go twice a week to get my family meals

Unfortunately easily abused by key workers on leave, working from home and on fake off sick.
There are loads of good key workers out there but a lot of deceitful ones too.

This was from a local Spotted today

Anyone know where I can get a Pirate memory game for kids party.
Will travel but not too far.
Will pay but not too much.
I'm a Key Worker.

I passed a hilux type van on the way home on the motorway tonight plastered with “key worker, keeping the power on” I’m not sure what they expected me to do with that information.

The irony is tanker drivers not being able to get to work because they can't fill up.

But the army is on standby, so that's alright.

@Myfilterisbroken

Were does the line come with key workers? For example the guy who served my boiler, is he a key worker, gas emergencies? Is someone who works at tesco a key worker? Etc Also, as the op mentioned, you could be a keyworker but be able to walk to and from work.

Yes, exactly this. Who decides what the term means?

You are utterly clueless if you cannot see that the NHS is on its knees!

Ah more emotive language, 'on its knees ' 'broken' ect

Of the 1.5 million how many do you think worked with covid patients.

@MumMidwifeMe

These threads are so damaging. Most people who are "key workers" don't tout that line for any preferential treatment. I don't know what you hope to achieve from all this NHS bashing but if it's to make more people want to leave the profession, trust me, it's working!

@Zilla1to say the hospitals are empty is a complete falsehood. To say we don't deserve a pay rise!!! Come and do a day in my job & tell me we earn enough to do what we do, particularly in the current climate!

The NHS is broken. We are broken. My colleagues and I are at the end of our tethers.

So considering this is Mumsnet and I'm assuming a lot of you are Mums, perhaps think about the Midwives who cared for you and your baby's, the nurses who did their immunisations or perhaps looked after them in SCBU, the GP's who did your 6 week checks. All of which was FREE!

Stop creating this divisive culture with your hate fuelled diatribe! And OP if you work for the NHS you should be ashamed of starting this thread!

Disgraceful!

My treatment had never been free it's been paid for through my taxes.

Who finds the NHS, if it isn't the tax payer?

Yes, exactly this. Who decides what the term means?

Well that's it exactly everyone's job is essential in some way.

Over here the expression is “essential worker”, which I find all the more annoying. As if anyone else is just an oxygen-stealer and has no business being here. My response is that my job is just as essential. Not just to me and my household but to the rest of the country also. If we all stopped working they’d soon notice the loss of tax revenue. I wonder how quickly we would be deemed “essential” then?

@BritWifeInUSA

Over here the expression is “essential worker”, which I find all the more annoying. As if anyone else is just an oxygen-stealer and has no business being here. My response is that my job is just as essential. Not just to me and my household but to the rest of the country also. If we all stopped working they’d soon notice the loss of tax revenue. I wonder how quickly we would be deemed “essential” then?

According to a previous poster who works for the NHS it’s all FREE and she used capitals too. So the NHS doesn’t need revenue from other jobs not as worthy as theirs . As it’s all FREE.

You really wouldn’t think this if you were calling an ambulance for your family and there wasn’t one or attended A&E in an emergency and couldn’t be seen or you have kids and the local school closes as teachers can’t get to school.

I used to work in the community administering IV feeds to patients who are unable to eat. At present my ex colleague's are no more able to get fuel than anyone else. We covered rural areas and easily do a tank of fuel a day. We dont visit, patients have to be hospitalised. Or we reduce visits so they are connected for 24/7, impacting on their quality of life.

All those saying that nurses and key workers can just get the bus need to give their little bubble a wobble.

I’m more concerned that a NHS worker believes that the NHS is FREE.
The NHS not FREE to those of us who pay tax on our earnings.

A tank of fuel a week, not a day, now that would be excessive!!

I absolutely agree (YANBU) - I loathe the use of the term 'key-worker' especially as it's mostly used by people who most certainly aren't in essential jobs just to try and get some sort of advantage over the rest of us or to garner some.sort of celebrity status. I know someone who decided they were a key-worker in the finance sector (part time book keeper) during the lockdowns purely to send their children to school (full time) to avoid home schooling. It's an awful term and much-abused too.

I don't really know what the status of petrol / diesel is where I live as I've not needed to go and fill up yet, but I will need to get to chemotherapy later in the week and I only have a quarter of a tank left (this is the point I would normally fill up) and 4 more school runs to do this week. Of course I'm sure all the 'key-workers' would think I have lower priority than them for fuel 🙄

@RockyReef

I absolutely agree (YANBU) - I loathe the use of the term 'key-worker' especially as it's mostly used by people who most certainly aren't in essential jobs just to try and get some sort of advantage over the rest of us or to garner some.sort of celebrity status. I know someone who decided they were a key-worker in the finance sector (part time book keeper) during the lockdowns purely to send their children to school (full time) to avoid home schooling. It's an awful term and much-abused too.

I don't really know what the status of petrol / diesel is where I live as I've not needed to go and fill up yet, but I will need to get to chemotherapy later in the week and I only have a quarter of a tank left (this is the point I would normally fill up) and 4 more school runs to do this week. Of course I'm sure all the 'key-workers' would think I have lower priority than them for fuel 🙄

But you haven't, I hope you get fuel!

You really wouldn’t think this if you were calling an ambulance for your family and there wasn’t one or attended A&E in an emergency

You wouldn't think that if power went off and NHS couldn't do Their job or food workers couldnt get there and the shelf in supermarket were bare so you couldn't eat.

With all due respect to all, I'm not sure what the legal limit is for fuel in Jerry cans, but why have people not considered having an emergency reserves for preparation for this type of situations ?

Indeed and I think during the pandemic workers concerned with energy, food supply etc etc were classed rightly as key workers.

It riled me during the first lockdown because social care workers, working directly with COVID were turned away from shops as "not key workers", but my SIL, NHS admin role, working from home, was considered a key worker. SIL is lovely, brilliant at her job etc. but we all felt so bloody devalued and then all we really got offered was a shit 'CARE' badge you had to pay for and were out of stock. We didnt even have proper PPE at this stage.

Anyway. Most people need fuel for one reason or another and to them it will be the most important reason in the world. Its quite sad that an apparent after effect of the pandemic/Brexit/Tory government is the prevalent willingness of people to tear others to shreds/not care about others.

Priorities should obviously be essential infrastructure workers. I do not believe in this case all NHS staff should be at the front of the queue-not should social care workers who remain on site (travelling home care/dom care/district nurses should though).

Of course this would.only matter if there was a fuel shortage. If people could just behave normally, this wouldnt even be a thing now.