Just had a big argument in public with people I don't know about the 2 meter rule!

[naughtycat]

I went for a walk this evening. I live very centrally in a fairly large city. Went into a shop, bought cigarettes (essential) and also bought a pack for a homeless man sitting outside the shop. We ended up having a chat. I sat 2-3 meters away from him on the pavement.

Some people, who lookalike little high, came out of the shop. They all went up to homeless man, and one of them leant right down in to his face to say something to him.

Omg!! I was very concerned for him! So I said (maybe shouted) 2 meters!!! The guy looked over at me and told me to shut up! I said no, you need to stand back to 2 fucking meters! his friends told me to keep my hair on!

Anyway, they went away. The homeless man said thanks, because it keeps happening to him. Just because he's homeless people think they can come up right to his face. Also a passer by, maintaining 2 meters, said he totally agreed with me, but I should be careful and look after myself . (the people who were high did look a bit threatening!).

Anyway as a result, I've made friends with the passer by. He's got a shop round the corner from my flat (Currently closes) and I've agreed to pop in and say hello when the sanctions are lifted. And I'm also going to drop off some hot cottage pie for the homeless man tomorrow.

These people thought I was completely nutts for shouting '2 meters!' Really?! Was I?!

Why do you even need to post this? Why do you care if you were unreasonable? Is it just to start yet another fucking bunfight?

Supersim....I think they were probably also homeless too...and with substance abuse issues. My city has one of the biggest population of homeless people in the UK....and also the biggest incidence drug addiction in the UK. Although it's a massively prosperous southern city. I do feel sorry for people....the gap between the rich and poor is massive here. From chatting to homeless man, I don't think he had a substance use issue...but the people approaching him did. That's why I say they have bigger problems than Coronavirus. But I think they are assuming that he has same issues as them, so it's okay to do what they did. But he hasn't. And I was worried about him. There is no chance they would have approached me in the way they approached him

Rosiemadras! No sitting on the pavement chatting wouldn't get you any attention in my city! Lol! I'm going to give away where I live in a minute....but this place is full of arty, left wing, non conformist, liberals! City on the pavement talking to a homeless person = definitely not attention seeking here😂

sitting not city!!

Ginger....

It's probably because I'm lonely and I have nobody to talk to.

I don't want a bun fight 😳

For those smug gits disapproving of the purchase of cigarettes: you do know what happens when an habitual smoker suddenly stops, don't you.? They cough and cough and cough, and then cough some more. Which quite possibly makes that person more vulnerable rather than less, in the short term, and certainly would be alarming for those around them. And are you prepared to bet smug, sorry, 'right thinking', passers by wouldn't victimise (ie beat up) a homeless person coughing?

Had the OP bought this bloke a sandwich, I bet you wouldn't be bleating "but you might have infe-e-e-e-cted him".

.

@gingersausage
Don’t you have any other hobbies?
Or could you read a book?
Your unnecessary bitchiness drips through so many different threads.
I hope you find what you are looking for.
🙂

Just as much risk of passing on the virus on a packet of sandwiches as a packet of fags to be honest.

All very odd tbh. You initiated a social interaction with someone outside of your household and then started shouting at others when they got too close? Despite getting close enough yourself to hand over items that you could have contaminated?

@theThreeofWeevils anyone smoking should give up. It’s not worse to give up. Don’t be ridiculous

@naughtycat, you sound like me! I get red mist at times and have no fear of people so will shout if I see things that rile me, for instance people smacking their dogs (that was a recent one and the guy was really rough, but as long as he was telling me to f-off he was leaving the dog alone). However, I would say please don’t be like me, especially at the moment when people are under additional stress as you don’t know what they might do to you. Hospitals are busy so they won’t be able to sort you out as quickly if you get a kicking.

Secretly though - good on ya!

When I went into the shop he begged. I didn't have cash and told him that. I asked him if I could buy him something to eat (using my card). He said no I'm really okay for that and showed me his empty sandwich packets. So thinking on my feet, I said 'how about some cigarettes?!'. He said 'oh yes please!' Looking delighted.so I bought him some fags!!!

Innittogether, yeah I think it is just a built in part of our personality. You don't happen to be an INFJ do you?!!

OP, you were kind and thoughtful to the homeless man, while remaining a safe distance. The others were thoughtless, but if they were high then that probably made them reckless. You could not have predicted that those other people would appear and create a problem, it wasn't your fault. I hope it doesn't put you off being kind in future, the world needs all the kind people it can get.

He would have got cigarettes anyway!! And tomorrow I'm bringing him hot cottage pie! And we have agreed already how we will do this without any social contact at all! And yes, he could possibly catch the virus from my hands bringing him the food, and I may catch the virus during my 10 minute walk to him. We will not interact or see each other. What's the problem? That's different from homeless drug users (no disrespect) getting in his face! And no whoever upthread said it....I'm not trying to be a hero. No one will know apart from Mumsnet 😂.

I said to someone the other day "Could you please give me 2m?" and it turned into a shouting match. I was trying to be polite, but it's never really polite to tell a stranger in the street what to do is it so I should have predicted it would go all wrong. I'm now reduced to walking in the middle of the road.

MK by any chance?!

Regardless of where you live, a woman sitting on the pavement screams homeless and possibly a target.

I agree with what you said though, well done. I bet you made that guy's day too!

@naughtycat, no, I’m an extrovert apparently, even though I love my own company (thankfully an asset at the moment)

@Gwenhwyfar, that made me 😂

Nope not MK.... bigger city and more south west 😁

I get you gwen . Similar scene here.

And you potentially made a friend. 😊

Is it Brighton per chance?! I think you did a kind deed!

So, the homeless haven't all been housed in hotels then, or has he slipped the net?
This is awful, he shouldn't even be on the street, they were all supposed to be housed.

You are so in Bristol naughtycat