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?!

[starrysimon]

Nothing against them in general but cyclists seem to think this doesn’t apply to them either. Come across some very rude ones on my local walks and almost been hit quite a few times. 2 almost crashed into me head on at full speed down an incline as they were too busy talking to each other. The footpath was at least 6m wide and I was walking to the very side of it. They still came within touching distance of me. I’m very obviously heavily pregnant too and they still didn’t slow their speed.

The same walk I went down the canal and was on yet another really wide footpath. Cyclist didn’t use his bell, or didn’t have one. Expected me to have eyes in the back of my head and I almost slipped into the canal getting out of his way. Yet another one within touching distance. No thank you just incredibly entitled. He could also clearly see I’m pregnant. I’m rhesus negative so would require emergency hospital treatment if my bump suffered trauma and don’t need to be wasting resources right now! Fantasised about pushing him in for the rest of my walk, seemed to help

I’ve walked these routes for years and cyclists have always been polite. Seems the virus has brought out the arseholes!

[Danceswithwarthogs]

I think covid is showing up a lot of selfishness in human nature, struggling with the concept of “don’t be a risk to others by your behaviour, you could be carrying it” but being far more switched on to the risk to themselves. Having a superior sense that their bike ride is more important that that person’s walk, that their right to a toilet roll mountain is more important than leaving one packet for someone else etc.

We’re all a bit guilty of this at times but it’s so important to try to think of the needs of others. I think the OP did this, she can’t fix his nicotine addiction or homelessness, but she did a kind thing which made him feel better and treated him with friendship and respect, she shouted at the other people because she obviously cares about him not getting ill. In terms of handling cigarette packets... how do you think they get onto the shelf in the first place? Presumably the op has clean hands and didn’t cough all over it.

I believe sometimes we are put in a certain place for a reason, no one knows what’s going on in this man’s life and whether a kind encounter like this made all the difference to him that day. Being kind to others is good for our own MH too.

[YouJustDoYou]

I think it’s a bit rich to berate them for getting too close when you’ve just handed an item over that could well be carrying the virus. Glass houses springs to mind

This. Op sounds like they're about 17. What a ridiculous thread.

[TabbyMumz]

"Some of you actually believe that ALL homeless people have been given hotel accommodation for the duration of the crisis??! "
That's correct. I also know for a fact that all the homeless people in my county have been offered accommodation, and many refuse it...before Covid 19 came to light.

[TabbyMumz]

Many of them shouldn't be given the name "homeless", because they officially arent.

[Aridane]

I think the OP is unwell

[Casino218]

This virus is transferred on surfaces. You've been shouting at someone else for putting him at risk and you've done it yourself.

I don't know why people can't grasp the basics of bloody infection risk after we have been bombarded with news reports about CV for 2 months now!

[sazza76]

Mumsnet really makes me sad sometimes. Naughtycat has poor mental health, is isolated on her own which must be horrible and comes online to chat about a situation that happened thus having some human interaction. What happens, some people are so unkind, even if you don’t think parts of what happened were right there are ways of saying things that aren’t nasty. You have no idea how your unkindness might impact on someone, quick to pull people apart for their behaviour its ironic they can’t do the same with their own.

[Danceswithwarthogs]

Well said Sazza

[TabbyMumz]

I think on an open forum, there is every chance a lot of the posters are unwell mentally, including those that might appear to be being nasty.