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.

That is a very good point

Yes I find this too.

Why do people keep bleating on about "celebrating war". If that's what you think it is you have seriously missed the point.

You've said what I was trying to say, just much better.

Whilst I agree it’s disrespectful for people to talk etc during the two minute silence that’s being observed I do not think people shouldn’t be able to go out.
I didn’t even think about it occurring till I read this post.
Louds of people won’t be aware so
YABVU

( many people also don’t agree with war )

So it's okay for mass murder or genocide of helpless individuals then as long as nobody goes to war?

This ^^ !!!

Thank you.

I grew up in the military, my dad was away as much as he was home. When he was in the Falklands, he lost his personal kit when one of the ships went down. Seeing the padre arrive on our street and knock on the door opposite, hearing the scream as my friends mum was given the news that her husband wasn't coming home, is not something I have ever forgotten. That could have been us.

Thank you to everyone who uses the two minute silence to reflect, it's for moments like the above- and there are many many moments like this throughout those who have,are and will serve in our forces. For me it's a tiny way of saying thank you for my freedom to choose to all those who step up and are prepared to make the final sacrifice.

Everyone coming together in the moment warms my heart. Thank you to those who aren't dicks.

I think a tanoy announcement is a good idea.

I think they should stop shoppers entering too.

I have accidentally made noise because I didn’t realise the time and I went in to the shop and asked the staff where something was.

I do think that if the silence means so much to you, then you should go shopping at a different time or sit in your car or something.
Not everyone is going to do it and some people with kids or SN may not be able to help it.

If someone making noise is going to upset you, then make sure you’re in an area where you know you won’t be disturbed.

No, it’s entirely voluntary. A shop is within its right to pause service if it wants and a customer is entitled to speak if they want.
If I’m out and my 1 or 3 year old need me to speak to them then I will.

Well said

Yes, it’s what they’re willing to do and what that’s in service of that’s the issue.

I do think about my family members who lived through the war and what it must have been like, including my grandmother, whose first husband was killed during it.
My son, a teenager, will be working today at a place where they will observe the silence. We haven't discussed it, but I doubt he will be thinking much other than waiting for the silence to be over, as he didn't know any of these family members.

( many people also don’t agree with war )

I don’t agree with war, I do think remembrance is important precisely because I don’t agree with war. Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it.

Well exactly, people complaining about an infringement on their right to decide to observe it or not, while attempting to push other people who are observing it into interacting/serving them.
Bit hypocritical.

Pausing and reflecting is good for
our well-being. And positive acts together as a community are helpful in these divisive times.

I use the silence to reflect more broadly on the people who have sacrificed their lives or their health for the benefit of their communities. To think about how amazing humans can be, and at the same time think about how we curtail the madness of armed conflict.

People should be free to go about their day, but it isn’t fair or kind to disrupt that moment for others. Waiting for a minute or so before being served is basic decency towards others.

This is such an ignorant post.

so i realised you were meant to be silent but didn’t realise you was meant to stand still as well, i was in sainsbury’s one year when the announcement came on and i genuinely didn’t know you was meant to stand still as well and the announcement didn’t mention it, so i continued to walk along silently and realised everyone around me was standing still the looks they gave me was horrific, i genuinely hadn’t realised so i had to keep walking whilst being given looks as if i was evil, till i got round a corner then i stood still but i’ve avoided shops ever since then on the day.

This. I also hate the way Remembrance Day and wearing poppies ( or not) has become hijacked by certain groups of people. I can pay my respects without making a big show of it.

I don't think OP was referring to involuntary noises. To me, it is certainly disrespectful to deliberately break a silence that has been considered sacred for well over a hundred years. Staying at home if they can't be silent is a bit extreme, though. But neither should anyone go out of their way to break the solemnity of the occasion.
Two minutes of respectful consideration of others feelings isn't too much to ask for.

I don’t observe the silence at home, if I’m out then I won’t do anything to disturb those observing it. For our family it’s complicated and painful and doesn’t belong to us anymore.

The whole Remembrance Sunday thing as someone up thread said, has become performative. It’s not truly inclusive as we still don’t honour lots of people who gave their all just the ones who “fit” the right criteria. Gradually we tack on the (often non-white) extra ones as pressure grows or someone realises we ought to recognise a contribution we had hitherto downplayed or ignored.

People who don’t observe the silence might not be aware it’s happening, I’m not great at keeping track of dates especially those I’m not interested in and it hadn’t occurred to me until I saw this post that today is the Sunday nearest the 11th and that there would be silences anywhere, I won’t be out at 11 today but if I had been and hadn’t read this post being expected to be silent or stop what I was doing would have taken me by surprise and if I was in a shop I certainly wouldn’t have expected that normal service would stop or that I’d have to wait until 11:02 to be served, to be honest that just seems performative.

If people working or out and about shopping want to observe and remember those who’ve fallen wouldn’t they be better to take a couple of minutes of the day when at home to sit in quiet contemplation (even if at a different time) rather than expect to do it whilst out and about; I’d question how deeply anybody is able to remember and contemplate on the atrocities of war and those who have fallen in 2 minutes and surely after truly reflecting most people wouldn’t be ready to go back to shopping/ serving after 2 minutes? I would think therefore that anybody who is going to the shops at 11:00 and standing silent for 2 minutes isn’t truly reflecting and is just doing it to virtue signal and engage in public performance and that they don’t actually give a shit about the fallen any more than the person who goes about their shopping without any pause and without standing silent at that time.

If you want to observe the silence and remember the dead you either stay at home or go to a service, you don’t go to Aldi to do it!

The shopper was rude.

I don't observe the 2 minutes, neither today nor tomorrow. I carry on with what I am doing but I am respectful to those who do and won't disturb them.

So, I will go out, will shop, will carry on working on Monday and I I won't wear a poppy.. But I won't talk to people, I don't demand a service.

Respect my wish to not observe while I respect you observing it.

I remember when and how I prefer to do, not because society demands it from me.

A couple of years ago someone told ds off for making noises. He tried to tell her about Tourette’s but she wasn’t listening. He managed to call her a sanctimonious old biddy but it upset him and worried him; so op in the politest possible way fuck off.

Sure you can ask - I donate to the poppy appeal (even when not buying a poppy) and have also donated to various charities which help veterans over the years. I also do my best to share awareness of events which provide support, such Vereran's Breakfasts.