Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

405 replies

Chishelled · 28/09/2021 08:13

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]

OP posts:
MissyB1 · 28/09/2021 11:27

[quote Chishelled]@VEGAS2016 are all your hospital support staff, admin, managers, domestics, deliveries, lab staff, physios, phlebotomists, CEO, directors, etc all working shift patterns then?

I doubt it...[/quote]
You seriously don’t think support services in hospitals work outside “normal” hours??? Have you ever actually worked in a hospital?? Yes I know what you claim to do in your OP…..

News flash! domestic staff, catering, porters, maintenance staff, security, and yes even managers, all work unsociable hours / shifts.

Weird that you think they are all at home picking their noses every evening and weekend. Do you think the fairies go in and do their jobs for them?

vera99 · 28/09/2021 11:28

Where is Boris ?

ANP2020 · 28/09/2021 11:29

YABU - the district nurses who deliver care in patients homes?
How do the patients get their medications? The palliative patients who need their syringe drivers replenishing or call out as they’re in pain but no staff can get to them to give them a stat dose of medication. The patient whose on the floor but no one can get to them to help them up? The patient who is bed bound and relies on carers four times a day to feed them, change them, bathe them?
The patients who rely on their pharmacy delivering their medications - not everyone has family! The list is endless, I’m sure with both of your professions your aware more care is delivered in the community than the hospitals now as the government drivers have been pushing for sometime. These people need the petrol to do their jobs or people may become critically ill or unable to care for themselves.

SailYourShips · 28/09/2021 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Original poster
Chishelled · 28/09/2021 11:35

@vera99 Trying to get fuel in Westminster.

OP posts:
CoffeeRunner · 28/09/2021 11:36

@SailYourShips

I sincerely hope GPs won't make a vanishingly rare appearance by sticking their brass necks out and asking to be considered a key worker.

That said, I'll be surprised if they don't take time out from watching Bargain Hunt and making the odd very reluctant call to demanding fuel for their key role.

Which GPs are working from home? None round here are or have been at any point during the pandemic.
Original poster
Chishelled · 28/09/2021 11:36

@MissyB1 Read the entire train of comments on that - and you will see that I was saying most don't. which is absolutely correct - there are skeleton staff in hospitals overnight, it is a very different situation to what you see in the day.

OP posts:
gogohm · 28/09/2021 11:37

Well I'm annoyed that people locally were campaigning for petrol to be rationed to only nhs - some of us do have to go to work and were classified as keyworkers throughout the pandemic so why should I not get petrol??? Actually I have plenty and my towns garages have been refilled now so a non issue but this nhs are more important than others is very annoying

SailYourShips · 28/09/2021 11:41

@Chishelled

That's great but round these parts, if you manage to get into the surgery at all, it's to see a nurse!

I think most people are pissed off with the fact they can't see a GP but if yours are bucking the national trend, then that's great and it would be good to see them giving their lazy colleagues a collective kick up their entitled rectums.

3scape · 28/09/2021 11:41

My husband's job keeps public transport going and he was listed as a key/ essential worker during lockdowns. People are using it because it's just shorthand. Saying I need my vehicle to get to work and my job means you other lot will then be able to carry on with yours takes longer than the handy soundbitey key worker phrase. Of course people will use it. His job title isn't clear to just anyone what it means, so he could either say I'm a X which means I do blah blah blah or he could use key worker. Not that he does, because nowhere is prioritising fuel for anyone other than lorries only.

SailYourShips · 28/09/2021 11:41

Sorry, not @Chishelled. I meant @CoffeeRunner

user1497207191 · 28/09/2021 11:42

@SailYourShips

I sincerely hope GPs won't make a vanishingly rare appearance by sticking their brass necks out and asking to be considered a key worker.

That said, I'll be surprised if they don't take time out from watching Bargain Hunt and making the odd very reluctant call to demanding fuel for their key role.

The deputy chair of the BMA was doing his usual political posturing this morning complaining about staff not being able to get to patients and patients not being able to get taxis for hospital appointments.

Funny thing is less than a mile from his GP surgery where he was being filmed is a garage with both types of fuel and no queues, and it's had fuel for the last few days too, with minimal queueing.

Perhaps if he'd actually get out more (i.e. to actually see patients), he'd have noticed a petrol station on his doorstep. If any of his staff actually claimed they couldn't get fuel to get to work/patients, they're either lying or didn't try very hard!

SailYourShips · 28/09/2021 11:43

What about people who run burger vans and ice cream vans. Those vans are their livelihood.

Dentistlakes · 28/09/2021 11:43

If key workers were designated certain petrol stations, then of course certain roles would have e to be prioritised, but at least it would reduce the numbers a bit. Also, you would hope people would be sensible and say ok, technically I am a key worker but I can use other transport (or I’m close enough to walk), so I’ll reduce the pressure on my colleagues and choose not to fill up?

user1497207191 · 28/09/2021 11:44

@ANP2020

YABU - the district nurses who deliver care in patients homes? How do the patients get their medications? The palliative patients who need their syringe drivers replenishing or call out as they’re in pain but no staff can get to them to give them a stat dose of medication. The patient whose on the floor but no one can get to them to help them up? The patient who is bed bound and relies on carers four times a day to feed them, change them, bathe them? The patients who rely on their pharmacy delivering their medications - not everyone has family! The list is endless, I’m sure with both of your professions your aware more care is delivered in the community than the hospitals now as the government drivers have been pushing for sometime. These people need the petrol to do their jobs or people may become critically ill or unable to care for themselves.
Our neighbour is a part time pharmacy delivery driver. He's had no trouble using his work's delivery van to take his garden rubbish to the tip and take his children to/from school over the past few days.
user1497207191 · 28/09/2021 11:46

@Dentistlakes

If key workers were designated certain petrol stations, then of course certain roles would have e to be prioritised, but at least it would reduce the numbers a bit. Also, you would hope people would be sensible and say ok, technically I am a key worker but I can use other transport (or I’m close enough to walk), so I’ll reduce the pressure on my colleagues and choose not to fill up?
In reality, sadly, people will use their "key worker" status to go along with friends/neighbours/family to the petrol station and flash their badge whilst they fill up their car. Just like what happened with NHS priority for supermarkets. People in all walks of life take the piss and take advantage.
starfish4 · 28/09/2021 11:50

I don't think I'm more entitled to fuel that anyone else, but I was considered a keyworker on two counts last year. If I (and a reasonable number of my colleagues can't get to work though) it'll have an impact on lots of others.

I don't want to use up the petrol I've got driving from station to station, so am sitting tight here and hope the situation eases by the weekend when I really will need petrol.

vera99 · 28/09/2021 11:50

Maybe one way to end this is to have a £35 minimum spend so that folk topping up just in case would be cut out of the queues?

DevonianBelles · 28/09/2021 11:52

There are many people who are key workers, but the public doesn't know about them, unless they consult the government's list.

One of my family is a key worker as they are a chemist working in pharma, manufacturing medicines.

This is listed on the website of key workers - scientists working in manufacturing.

Youdoyoutoday · 28/09/2021 11:53

The phrase has certainly been over used. When a woman pushed in front of an old, frail looking man in the queue at Aldi waving her NHS badge about I rolled my eyes, she could have let him go first but she didn't seem to agree with me when I told her that.

Also when my friend waved her badge at the ice cream van man to get a discount on ice cream, I was a bit Hmm

DevonianBelles · 28/09/2021 11:58

The whole idea of being able to show ID as a key worker is farcical anyway.

No one working at a garage wants to check ID before allowing a car in.

ID can be faked. There are so many 'key workers' that it would be impossible to check/ verify every badge or bit of paper.

The whole issue has been stoked by the media and panic buying.

Bunnyfuller · 28/09/2021 11:58

I am a key worker. And I’m key working from home, because I can. I think everyone and their dog call themselves key workers now, so it’s become a bit meaningless!

EmKayEm · 28/09/2021 12:06

It is ridiculous.

I was/am classed as a key worker.

I work in the food logistics industry.

In lockdowns I had a letter on my phone, that the police took perfectly well, giving me reason to be out and about at any time.

I basically write spreadsheets and build databases. And pretty much WFH until June this year.

I am NOT a key worker...

TarpaulinEyes · 28/09/2021 12:08

Apart from all the NHS key workers needing to get to work don't forget that if they use the bus or train to get to work those workers also need fuel to get to their workplace. Postal deliveries will also stop if your postman can't get to work. Not everyone has the option of a bicycle or Shank's Pony

Feedingthebirds1 · 28/09/2021 12:18

@Chishelled

All we've had is grief since March 2020

Really? Did you miss the very public out pouring of thanks for all the key workers that happened, did you miss all the donations / freebies, discounts, tickets to events, priority areas to watch events?

But seb342 says that s/he works in retail. The vast, vast majority of all those things you mention were for NHS staff. Other key workers not nearly so much. But the retail workers took a lot of flack from some members of the public for all sorts of reasons. There were threads on MN giving examples of all the abuse they took, but nobody gave them tickets to events.