AIBU to think Covid has brought out the worst in a lot of people?!

[carriebradshawwithlessshoes]

Pre Covid we lived a fairly mundane line with very few/ no spats with anyone (certainly not with strangers.)

This morning in our (very quiet) local store I bumped into someone I hadn’t seen for ages. We stood to one side for a brief word (wearing masks.) Suddenly was descended upon by an incensed with purple rage staff member shouting at us NOT to talk in the store and to leave if we wanted to speak and stand in the street.

On walking in the middle of nowhere with my 2 young kids (out in the countryside) and an elderly relative got shouted at by some random middle aged couple ‘did we not understand fucking Covid rules??’ Because as we smiled and stepped back to let them pass over a bridge (how rude of us) we obviously did not stand back quite far enough?

On walking round a corner on a pinch point with my little boy with SEN a young woman coming the other way dramatically jumped into the road away from us so that she was not passing us on the pavement and shouted ‘well thank you very much!! ‘

On going for a walk having to listen to an older couple behind me saying loudly why were all these families out, why couldn’t they stay at home with their bloody kids who had probably got Covid from school etc etc.

Is the world going mad?? I’ve never had a cross word with anyone pretty much then all this!!

Anyone else??!

What's wrong with having a chat in a shop? I think that's a really strange thing to be annoyed about!

I'm not sure this is all due to Covid. I find people become rude and aggressive when the weather is bad and the days are shorter. I used to work in retail and generally found customers increasingly rude in the lead up to Christmas.

Or I could be wrong, and it could be caused by Covid!

Just remember that there are so many lovely people out there too - sometimes it's hard not to notice the nice ones because rude people always stand out.

My DH and his family can be like you op.
The world doesn't revolve around you so many of the rest of us find you blocking aisles and generally being heedless in our shared space irritating at the best of times. Now isn't the best of times.

Judging by the number of people on this thread who see nothing wrong whatsoever in people talking in a shop being shouted at for it, YANBU at all.

“But I want to get to the chocolate eclairs and people stand in front of the shelf!” So say ‘excuse me’ like the rest of us normal people, then

I mean, if you’re meeting multiple people who are irritated by you not giving them enough space then maybe you’re not giving people enough space?

It does sound like you are the common factor to be honest.

what is the relevance of your DS having SEN?

YANBU OP. Last year I noticed people huffing and puffing if you don’t leap into the road when passing on a pavement and an elderly couple had a go at my only slightly less elderly mum in a shop for brushing them as she dared try and pass. I’m just going to comment back if anyone starts that up again.

I think, sadly, having to hunker at home to protect the family has made a lot of people very selfish (or maybe just nudged them to be a little bit more so!). I’ve certainly noticed it when out and about and certainly more arseholes on the roads and in car parks. Came back to my car the other day to find someone parked straddling the line of my space mm from my back passenger door (where the baby seat gives them a helpful clue that I might need a bit of space)

Suddenly was descended upon by an incensed with purple rage staff

I don't believe you.

The Tories are doing fine though! Here's what we know so far about party club:

• Nov 13: Carrie hosts a flat party
• Nov 27: PM attends leaving do and drinking session
• Dec 10: Gavin Williamson hosts DFE party
• Dec 18: Downing Street bash
• Date Unclear: Xmas quiz

All while the U.K. was under lockdown

I think they're taking a serious hit. Maybe survivable but this won't be free.

I work with an anti variety. All day every single say I have to listen to moaning and conspiracy stories. It's definitely affecting people

The conspiracy stuff depresses me.

Antivaxxer

@supermoonrising

The Tories are doing fine though! Here's what we know so far about party club:

• Nov 13: Carrie hosts a flat party
• Nov 27: PM attends leaving do and drinking session
• Dec 10: Gavin Williamson hosts DFE party
• Dec 18: Downing Street bash
• Date Unclear: Xmas quiz

All while the U.K. was under lockdown

Are you replying to this post? Really not seeing any correlation unless you are just in for your agenda.

Yanbu. I was recently shouted at for walking past someone on the pavement. She was walking the opposite way on the side next to someone’s garden, I was walking on the side near the road. Pavement was a good 4m wide. I moved as close as I could to the road to give her space and she yelled at me ‘YOU NEED TO GIVE PEOPLE MORE SPACE!’ Short of pushing my pram into the road I couldn’t have given her more space.

I find I have less tolerance for idiots now.

A few weeks ago a woman got on the train, chose to sit directly behind me, wasn't wearing a mask and was coughing her guts up. Whereas once I would have just put up with it, this time I moved and sat in one of the other many available seats. I don't give a fuck what she thought of me.

I was in the gym the other day and a man decided to lift in a place that meant he was breathing in my face. Again, I moved to another spot.

I was in the queue in Greggs and a boy came up behind me and completely invaded my space. I stepped forward and so did he. He wasn't taking a hint so I told him to take a step back.

I'm sick of walking past people who decide to cough as soon as they're close to you.

I would roll my eyes at two people yapping in a shop and getting in the way.

There are lot of people out there right now who simply don't have the sense to make room for others, or who have their brood running around others in circles and getting far too close for comfort.

I've had enough of it.

I agree, people are showing themselves to be arseholes more, lockdown probably meant that they lost their filter. That does not meant that everyone is an arsehole, or indeed even the majority, I think that the arseholes have just become a louder, more visible and more obnoxious.

I do also think there are a lot of people who are irrationally terrified of Covid. There was a YouGov survey last month where 28% of people said that they though we should never come out of the first lockdown. They thought we should have been locked down from March 2020 to present, with no relaxation of the rules. When people are scared, especially when their fear is so irrational, that irrationality bleeds into their other behaviours, as well as the fear making them act as arseholes towards other people.

The ones I've found to be worse are the anti vaxxers, they do not listen to the other side of the coin and are convinced they are the only ones in the right.
It's just more divide and rule.

I'm sick of walking past people who decide to cough as soon as they're close to you

I'm pretty sure they don't wait deliberately! I have a chronic cough and while I obviously try to avoid coughing near people it's not always possible.

Interesting mix of responses!!! I can definitely relate to a lot of them.

Ultimately whether I’m right or wrong, whether I should be talking in a shop or not or diving into roads or not to avoid people, there’s no need to be rude or aggressive. Maybe I’ve just been lucky not to have experienced this before (which I honestly haven’t.)

The responses about how some people have changed for the better are nice to read too.

There are lot of people out there right now who simply don't have the sense to make room for others

I've always found that there are people who won't respect others personal space, and covid has just meant those types stand out even more.

One of my pet peeves is people who insist on walking right behind you, as close as they can get. I walk slower than most because I'm disabled, so always try to move out of the way for them to pass, but they'll continue to follow me breathing down my neck. Covid meant I got a bit of a break from it, but I've noticed it happening more and more again.

Do some Mumsnetters use completely imaginary different supermarkets to everyone else?

Where are all these staff who actually shout at people?

Suddenly was descended upon by an incensed with purple rage staff member shouting at us NOT to talk in the store and to leave if we wanted to speak and stand in the street.

And now incensed with purple rage.

Have you started early on the Christmas cheese and wine?

I've always found that there are people who won't respect others personal space, and covid has just meant those types stand out even more.
That partially comes from different people having different definitions of "personal space", there can also be a cultural component to that, as well as environmental.

April - summer 2020 was insane. People of a particular demographic would tut and eye roll at Dd and I for the crime of walking down our local high street.

One old nutter when I was on a country walk with 3 11 year olds ran out of his house waving his walking stick shouting “stay away there’s a pandemic” 🙄. We were miles away from his flipping house and certainly no plans to go anywhere near that fruit loop.