Just got shouted at in a coffee shop for coughing in public 🥴

[wildgreyocean]

I know I’m not being unreasonable here but I just need some reassurance! I was in a coffee shop after popping to the shops and got a tickle in my throat. I’ve had a cold all week but nothing too severe. I coughed and next thing I know an old man is shouting at me that I’m being selfish and should be self isolating at home, and “don’t I know the NHS is on its knees?!”

AIBU to think this is a total overreaction to a cough?!

I bet you will have a headache to accompany the drip soon, from all the head banging against the wall.
Some people just wont listen.

@SugarandSpiceandAllThingsNaice colds and symptoms can sometimes last couple weeks a cough even longer , do you think people should stay home the whole time, perhaps 3/4 times a year. i have a cold now, been couple days . i don’t feel at all unwell just a bit blocked nose at moment, no temp, no nothing really and I went to park walk the dog. granted today i avoided shops but I do have to go tomorrow as got orders that will be sent back, im hoping less symptoms tomorrow, but if not I do have to nip in to collect themw. i don’t even own a mask now ,

That's a privilege most people don't have.

Fine if you’re going to deny you were ever sick, may as well go back and edit your OP and other posts where you clearly state that you’d had a cold for a week and the post nasal drip and coughing in the cafe were the lingering symptoms of that cold.

This wasn’t post nasal drip outside of being ill even though you have that when you are also well.

If she’s had a cough as a result of post nasal drip for getting on for a year, then it’s not going to be contagious.

Funny thing is, with MN logic, the instant anyone talks about keeping their child off school or (heaven forbid) an adult having a day off for a cold, it's all 'oh, it's just a cold, nobody should be off with a cold, blah-de-blah'. Go to a coffee shop and suddenly you shouldn't be out in public.

In OP’s case she didn’t need to sit in a cafe sipping coffee and spreading cold germs. The privilege and entitlement is all on her side for assuming she was perfectly justified to not even attempt to limit even a tiny her exposure to other members of the public by getting her coffee in a take away cup.

I have had a cold. I am not denying that, nor have I ever denied it. What I AM denying is you saying that because I have post nasal drip, I am unwell. I literally have it year round.

Irony being I posted a thread about this under a different username and got told I should be going into work and I was ridiculous to even contemplate deviating from my normal routine because I am not unwell. I cannot win!

Add it to having a cold for a week, and yes every cough is going to be full of virus laden airborne droplets.

If your cold has cleared up then I don't really understand the relevance of you even mentioning it in the first place, especially if you're adamant that your post nasal drip is due to surgery.

I said you were unwell when you were in the cafe, when this incident happened.

I don’t care about any other time because that’s outside the question you asked.

You don’t suddenly go from being unwell to being well. Coughing once doesn’t mean you’re unwell.

You are very defensive standing for your rights to cough after flu like symptoms- but the issue here is you have responsibility too. Someone a stranger you might come into contact with or they might come into contact with your germs, that simple flu to you might be deadly to them or their loved ones. It’s socially responsible if you are ill to avoid areas where there are lots of people, and simple precautions you can take like ordering your coffee to go etc. you may have ‘rights’ but with them come responsibility.

No, not stay home the whole time but to only go out when needed and when you do, to minimise your exposure to others.

My friend, my best friend died from Covid at a time when people were saying Covid isn’t harmful anymore. She had no underlying health concerns, and caught it from a complete stranger at some point.

There is no law that states this.

Also in the current flu season the strain can be really severe. Again it might not impact you as severely but others it could.

so what? We are talking about social responsibilities.
Most of these expected behaviours are not in law.

I’m not haranguing 🤣🤣
I disagree with her
We can disagree….it doesn’t make it haranguing

I disagree that she should be out without a mask if she’s likely to be contagious and the fact her family didn’t catch it off her does not in fact mean she’s not contagious ( her first comments several times when asked about being contagious)

I definitely disagree with her nhs employer allowing her into work last week whilst she has a respiratory illnesses ( yes that’s a cold) without a mask!!!!!

The man shouldn’t have shouted. I agree
but
I doubt he was unhinged. I would say he’s fed up with people spreading germs !

Since everyone’s imagining how horrid this ‘unhinged’ guy is
lets imagine
his wife and entire family died from flu after catching it off some idiot that had a cold and coughed whilst working for the nhs last week.

Think we’d all be fed up if that was the case.

Ok

There are no NHS guidelines that state this. No senior member of government has stated this.

I hate it when people cough in public. But I wouldn’t yell at someone.

Why would they make me wear a mask? It’s 2025. As much as you want it to, the hysteria of 2020 is not coming back.

Indeed it’s a fairly inconsistent testimony which is not standing up under cross examination!

’Fess up OP you’re happily spreading germs everywhere and don’t give a shit.

If you maintain that you are being falsely accused, will you agree that it’s wrong for contagious people to inflict their illnesses on others for trivial reasons such as wanting a hot chocolate?