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Original poster

If masks are made mandatory in England, will this put you off high street shopping?

445 replies

IHTC · 13/07/2020 14:04

Y/N

OP posts:
Thepalebluedot · 14/07/2020 07:53

@FourTeaFallOut

Are people who are offended by the disparity between schools and shops teachers or people who are deeply against masks?

Because I have absolute sympathy for the former.

Absolutely!
SockQueen · 14/07/2020 07:59

Makes no difference to me whatsoever. I've been wearing one for 13 hours a day while at work in hospital and already use one (home made) in supermarkets so I'll just carry on. Never imagined that masks would cause this much hysteria.

Everydayisalearningday · 14/07/2020 08:00

Sorry the thread is too long but I’m sure I echo most people in that I get that masks are useful in some circumstances and I’m happy to use them I have on buses/metro and if I have to then obvs I’ll wear one at the supermarket but I don’t like wearing them so I’ll go back to the early days of pandemic when I shopped as infrequently as possible

But to me browsing around the shops is a fun recreation activity so no I’ll no longer be high st shopping unless I really have to

I think my biggest problem though is how this muddles with my logic ie if spending a millisecond passing someone a metre away on a aisle is so bad then surely absolutely nothing in hospitality should be open and they should be compulsory all day everyday in schools?

uselessdiyer · 14/07/2020 08:02

Yes it will put me off absolutely. They are incredibly uncomfortable and they give me the creeps. Reminds me of something out the handmaids tail or similar. I just won't go anywhere I'm required to wear one.

crossstitchingnana · 14/07/2020 08:02

N. I don't want to go shopping anyway.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 14/07/2020 08:02

Will those working in shops have to wear them
now? Just went to Starbucks and they have screens everywhere, no cash etc but the staff don’t wear masks

cherryblossomgin · 14/07/2020 08:03

No. I live in Scotland and they are now mandatory. I am starting to get out alot more and will be trying to support the high street. I bought some pretty fabric masks so enjoy wearing them. Its like an accessory. But I have been working in a mask since April and have gotten used to it.

cassgate · 14/07/2020 08:07

Everyday. I agree. I work in a school and currently work in a bubble of 15 with no mask. I went to a restaurant on Saturday(it was packed), was really nice to do something normal. Again, no mask. Come September I will be working in a bubble of 30 Kids, no mask, my kids will hopefully be back at school, that’s 2x year group bubbles of 240, no mask, yet I can’t go in next, M&S for a browse without a mask. I just won’t bother going out and making those impulse purchases.

Poetryinaction · 14/07/2020 08:08

Yes. I am claustrophobic.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 14/07/2020 08:08

I just won't go anywhere I'm required to wear one

How will you manage medical appointments?

(Genuine question - they've been the norm or absolutely required in nigh on all settings throughout the pandemic (and they hand them out at A&E now supplies OK))

Evelefteden · 14/07/2020 08:11

Yes. I had a discussion with my friends about it last night and now going to use open farmers markets ect..

What I don’t like is that now complete strangers are going to be treating you with suspicion or even reporting complete strangers if you don’t have a mask on even though you may have exemption from wearing one.

cathyandclare · 14/07/2020 08:12

Mask wearing doesn't bother me at all- but then I've worked in healthcare and you just get used to them.

Emeeno1 · 14/07/2020 08:13

It's not so much the mask wearing per se but the judgement of others. Reading through this thread there is, once again, a tone of judgement (also rampant throughout lockdown) from people who want to criticize others who hold a different opinion.

LovingLen · 14/07/2020 08:13

It's not just the masks though with shops its the whole experience that has gone. People will still get essential things if they have to, its the leisure side of shopping that has gone.

Drivingdownthe101 · 14/07/2020 08:15

@UnmentionedElephantDildo

I just won't go anywhere I'm required to wear one

How will you manage medical appointments?

(Genuine question - they've been the norm or absolutely required in nigh on all settings throughout the pandemic (and they hand them out at A&E now supplies OK))

I have a genuine medical exemption. Even with this I won’t go to shops or on public transport due to the people who feel they’re entitled to ‘challenge’ people for not wearing one (this has already happened, by someone who took his mask off to yell at me Hmm). If I need to go to a medical appointment (unlikely as my GP isn’t seeing anyone and minimal referrals are being done, and for anything non urgent I’ll just manage at home) I’ll use that medical exemption.
Figmentofmyimagination · 14/07/2020 08:16

It’s amazing what you can do online now though eg I used to buy all my shower gel at our local body shop, so during the lockdown I searched the internet for a discount code and found one for 15% off body shop and then bought about 10 shower gels at once from the body shop’s online store to qualify for free postage and packing. I now have enough for months. Why would I ever go to their high street shop again?

Mrskeats · 14/07/2020 08:18

No I would feel safer.

TheGreatWave · 14/07/2020 08:19

I won't be going to the shops in any hurry.

Figmentofmyimagination · 14/07/2020 08:21

You can almost hear the debate around the cabinet table at no.10. This time I think they’ve definitely got the balance wrong. Masks should not be compulsory in shops in the uk if we want to continue to have any shops, apart from large supermarkets.

verybritishproblems · 14/07/2020 08:21

It's not just the masks though with shops its the whole experience that has gone. People will still get essential things if they have to, its the leisure side of shopping that has gone.*

Yep. I’ve realised I bought a lot of non essentials when I browsed around. Not good for me but good for the economy. If people just buy the essentials as they can’t browse it will effect the economy.

PilatesPeach · 14/07/2020 08:23

Just as an aside, I am getting fed up with masks & gloves just being disgarded on pavements, in parks, on roads, in my front garden - I can see more of this happening - not saying I disagree with masks in shops but there are so many now all over the place.

BakedBlossoms · 14/07/2020 08:26

You can still browse.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 14/07/2020 08:26

How will you manage medical appointments? medical appointments and using public transport aren’t optional imo so I will wear one, but optional activities that require a mask I will pass on

BrowncoatWaffles · 14/07/2020 08:27

Yes - because I wear glasses and have yet to find a mask that doesn't steam them up if I wear them for more than a few minutes. If I wear the mask and not the glasses I won't be able to see anything.

So online shopping only for me for now. But I'm not sure that's a bad thing - and I totally support the introduction of mandatory masks.

LovingLen · 14/07/2020 08:28

@Figmentofmyimagination

It’s amazing what you can do online now though eg I used to buy all my shower gel at our local body shop, so during the lockdown I searched the internet for a discount code and found one for 15% off body shop and then bought about 10 shower gels at once from the body shop’s online store to qualify for free postage and packing. I now have enough for months. Why would I ever go to their high street shop again?
Yes, I tend to buy bulk online for all this sort of stuff as it is often cheaper and also use hotukdeals a lot for offers.