If you don’t want to observe two minute silence- don’t be out

[Mokel]

Every Remembrance Sunday and Nov 11th, when I worked at retail, we did a tannoy announcement with 5 min, 2 min before to inform customers that the store will be observing the 2 min silence. Then another to start it.

Every time there were customers who kept talking. Plus one time a woman in her 50s shouted “why can’t anyone serve me some fucking fags?” Everyone just looked at her. Some had the courage to say how disrespectful she was once the silence ended.

If you are unable or refuse to observe the silence at 11am today or tomorrow, please don’t be in a public place.

Responding to someone saying they shouldn't be in a public place if they don't want to observe it. If they don't want to be in a public place for 2 minutes, it usually means they can't go to work that day at all! Thought it was pretty obvious point really!

It's two minutes! You can stay quiet for two minutes without taking part. Carry on walking, ahopping, whatever and it's clear you're not taking part, it's simply politeness not to make a noise so other people can have two minutes silence.

Well, no. The reason the suggestion is unworkable is because someone who is so much of a twat that they can't possibly refrain from making noise during a two minutes' silence is obviously not going to put themselves out in other ways, for example, staying at home.

Even if you don't care about or agree with the two minutes' silence, it's really not that hard to just keep your mouth shut for two minutes while other people are observing it.

She's explaining why staying at home if you want to observe(or staying out of public places if you don't want to observe) would mean that all those working in a public facing role would need to stay home for a day, that they can't just magically return home for two minutes.

But if you "keep your mouth shut" you're taking part in it! Because that's what it is.

True, they are free to make these choices, they can choose not to participate but to actively screech for blessed fags is disrespectful. We're lucky to have the freedom to make choices.

To my original point, if people are that concerned about their two minutes silence then they’re best not to be in a public place at that specific time.

If it was for the world wars only, I’d had no issue with taking part. It’s not, so I have a major issue.

You don't have to stand there thinking about war heroes if that's not your thing.

Literally all that is being asked of you is not to disturb other people who are observing it.

Everyone stays silent on a daily basis for more than two minutes at a time. There's generally no reason why you specifically need to make noise between 11:00 and 11:02 am on Remembrance Day.

How much of a twat would you have to be to start mouthing off at a shop assistant who won't serve you until 11:02, or making a loud phone call right at that moment when you can see other people around you are standing in silence?

No you aren't. Put your headphones on and listen to some music if you want to demonstrate that you're not taking part without actively disrespecting people who are taking part.

Whatever else you're doing, if you're silent while doing it you're observing the silence. That's what you're requiring people to do.

Too many people with the attitude of "Nah, mate. Not my problem. It's my right to not fight/defend etc

Many of those would be the ones on this thread demanding that other people bow to their will. Shop workers who want to observe can step back for the two minutes. No need for dramatic flourish.

I agree with your post, it's very well-written too.

The shop workers can only "step back" if the customers let them and don't make a fuss about wanting to be served "NOW" and not willing to wait 2 minutes.

So you would make noise during a two minute silence just to demonstrate to others how you feel about it?

I would if I was standing next to you.

It's called a "silence" but it's a lot more than that. It's about stopping what you're doing and thinking about the futility of war. lives lost or whatever. The stopping what you're doing is as important as the silence. If you're carrying on with what you're doing, you're not taking part in it, and no-one would suspect you of taking part in it. But by deliberately talking near those who are obviously taking part (because they're standing still with eyes lowered and not doing anything) you are distracting them from their thoughts, which is actively denying them their right to observe. Surely for two minutes a year you can suffer the minor detriment of being quiet for the sake of something which is so important to so many people.

If you were standing next to me in the street, all you would know about me is that I was not talking during the two minutes' silence, so I guess we have to assume you would try to spoil it for anyone wanting to observe it who has the misfortune to be standing next to you at the time.

Ridiculous behaviour.

You do realise that some people have to be in a public place because they are working? They have the right to observe the silence and not be harassed by arseholes who think they are so important they have to be served during those 2 minutes.

If you really don't want your two minutes' silence disturbed - stay home!

If you don't want your two minutes' silence disturbed - stay home!

As @PinkSparklyPussyCat said "You do realise that some people have to be in a public place because they are working? They have the right to observe the silence and not be harassed by arseholes who think they are so important they have to be served during those 2 minutes."

We've covered that. What about workers who actually have to be there because it's part of their working day? They have the right to a measly 2 minutes of peace and silence and not be disturbed by self obsessed arrogant dickheads who can't wait 2 minutes for their fags!

I appreciate you may be pissed off at the suggestion that you should stay at home if you don't want to observe, and I would agree with you about that. But to be out and about, actively disrupting it rather than quietly going on with your own business is just ignorant. There's no need for anyone to stay at home if people could just be polite about it.

No one is saying staff shouldn't be free to observe the silence, nor that they should be interrupted while doing so.

But quietly continuing to browse, scrolling on phone etc are all fine, they don't get in anyone else's way. Suggesting that people who do so should have to stay home is not very tolerant. OP still hasn't clarified what she means by unable.

If you're not working and the silence is important to you, then I don't think you'd be in the supermarket at that time. So it's safe to assume that the customers are the ones who aren't overly concerned either way.

The post I was replying to wasn’t referring to anyone working. It mentioned to carry on walking, shopping etc.

I personally wouldn’t think I’m so important I need to be served during those 2 minutes, but the reasons I don’t observe the silence are.

Luckily for me, I’ve lived in the same area all my life and I’ve never walked in to a shop where the silence has stopped people serving.

This year my wee boy was playing football with an 11am kick off, there was no silence. There are local services but not a lot of silences etc outside of the specific services.

Oh my. We've leapt onto the 'workers have to work!' now. Yes they do. What happened in my local supermarket was that the observing workers stepped two feet away from checkout and all was well. There had been a message over the tannoy about the 2 minute silence.

The mystical 'fag woman' wouldn't have been at checkout anyway, she would have been at the kiosk because that's where the fags are. Any screeching/disruption and security who are close by, would have removed her.

I don't believe for a second that this happened. The fag woman was a useful prop drawn on to elicit righteous indignation and stomping. Objective achieved I think?

Nobody should be focusing on what other people are doing. If they are quietly going about their business then it's absolutely none of yours. Don't get in their way and all will be well.