To think the government should enforce mask wearing by directing shops not to allow people in without them?

[MyNameIsNotMummy]

I’m not talking about the very few people with genuine ‘exemptions’ . I’m talking whole families and couples who can’t all have medical/psychological issues so can’t wear them.

Several times over the last few weeks, I’ve seen young couples (only younger people funnily enough) and family groups not wearing masks in my local supermarket and town shops.

I asked my supermarket why they are letting them in and they said they can’t enforce it.

Why should I and the majority of people go through the discomfort of having to put one on when ignorant twats like that just decide they’re not going to. We’re protecting them but they don’t give a shit about protecting us?

I think we should all start heckling them to get out and get a mask on like I’ve seen happen in the US.

AIBU in that they deserve to be shamed into wearing a mask if they government aren’t going to be stricter about it?

We all want to get back to normal. It’s imbeciles like this who are going to prolong it for the rest of us.

FFS OP, our local Asda had to hire proper bouncers in March to stop people panic buying all of the toilet roll and tins of beans. Could you imagine what would happen if they tried to enforce mask wearing?! Thank God we are in Wales!

At the end of the day, shops want customers in to spend money. Managers probably don't care one bit whether or not their customers wear masks as long as they are through the door and spending.

Family groups of grandparents, parents and preteen/teenage DC. Couples in their 20/30’s with toddlers (obviously I’m aware under 11’s are exempt).

Quite a few couples where one is wearing a mask but the other isnt. If one of a couple can’t wear a mask, then bloody well let your partner shop on their own ffs!

Same premise for public transport definitely.

Oh and of course that's before you get to the secondary effects of people who genuinely can't wear masks not going out, or getting abused for doing so.

Anybody bored of this subject, feel free not to click on a thread in which the subject title clearly states what it’s about .

Where are all these people not wearing a mask?

I haven't seen any.

Honestly, knee jerk reaction is the same as yours. But YABU for several reasons

Shop staff are not paid enough to have to confront people constantly
People who have genuine exemptions shouldn’t have to explain themselves every time they go anywhere. Their reason may be personal and traumatic and they should’ve have to disclose that in public.
As there’s no official exemption card or anything, anyone can lie and claim they’re exempt anyway

I’m in Essex unfortunately. Perhaps that’s why!

@MyNameIsNotMummy

So why is anybody bothering to wear a mask at all then?

I don’t understand how this can’t be enforced by using the Armed Forces if shop staff are at that much risk?

The whole country has been forced to a standstill for months, the economy has tanked, children haven’t been to school for almost 6 months, people have lost jobs. Surely trying to contain this virus is important enough to strictly enforce mask wearing which has been proven to prevent the spread?

Yes that's the spirit. Put a few burly blocks with a gun outside Tesco, that'll learn them. The other burly ones can go rounding up those standing a bit too close down the pub.

Now I just need to think of a suitable punishment. Shooting obviously is way over the top, a fine doesn't seem shameful enough, so stocks. Yes stocks seem a suitable punishment, every afternoon in the market Square, line 'em up and get throwing those rotten tomatoes.

@Chootchoot

YAWN

No one forced you to open the thread.

As I have already said I’m not talking about people with exemptions. Although a genuine one would be extremely rare! I’m talking about groups and couples who I very much doubt ALL have exemptions.

I’ve see people on their own without masks, fair enough, they may be one of the rare cases but even so if you have someone else to shop for you, stay out of shops and let them shop for you to protect others.

Anybody bored of this subject, feel free not to click on a thread in which the subject title clearly states what it’s about

But what's the point? Do you really think it's worth having the same argument over and over again? It's hardly a fresh perspective on a massively overdone topic.

I think the impact this virus has had on the country as a whole definitely warrants strict adherence and enforcement of something proven to contain it TheGreatWave.

If one of a couple can’t wear a mask, then bloody well let your partner shop on their own ffs!

One of the exemptions is that if you rely on lip-reading to be able to communicate, the person with you doesn't have to wear a mask. Are you planning to have all the lip-readers stay home?

Yes they should be allowed to refuse to let people in, but need some support such as police or armed forces from time to time.

As I have already said I’m not talking about people with exemptions.

But that's part of the point, the cost of enforcing it, causes harm to those people, the harm is almost certainly larger than the risk of a few people not wearing a mask.

I’m talking about groups and couples who I very much doubt ALL have exemptions.

Maybe they met at an exemption support group...

Bloody hell this situation has brought out the worst in people. Deploying the army to busybody if people are exempt from masks or not?! So someone has to whisper to some armed (most likely) man that they’ve been sexually assaulted and wearing a mask is traumatic? Or a parent has to explain that their kid has sensory issues or autism?

And no, shop workers get quite enough hassle on a normal day without throwing in approaching random people and enquiring why they aren’t masked.

If you’re bothered order online.

Perhaps Boris and the clowns don't actually consider masks to be that important - they just think that people think they're important, so they brought in the rule to appear to be doing something: it was easy, cheap, headline-grabbing thing to do, and it got the public frothing nicely, and keeps them divided: these many threads are proof of that. Performance politics - one of Saint Boris's excellent qualities. The fact that they chose not to spend a lot of money on an expensive and comprehensive system says a lot about how much the government really values masks as a health benefit. It suits them to let the public fight about it, and not to get involved too much themselves.

Other countries respect their government and the law - unfortunately a lot of British people don't.
Maybe there's a good reason for this. Respect has to be earned.

Rare to be exempt? Do you know how prevalent asthma, anxiety, ptsd to name a few all are?! I hate this comply or socially due culture.

@hamstersarse

Where are all these people not wearing a mask?

I haven't seen any.

Seriously?

Here, suburbs of large city, about a third of adults don't wear them at all, so we have to assume that the rate of breathing difficulties, sensory issues, PTSD etc is fairly prevalent in these parts.

Then you have the people who are wearing chin hammocks or beard snoods, leaving around a third of people wearing anything like a properly fitting face covering.

Genuine exemptions are so extremely rare though, the vast majority are selfish people who don’t want to put the effort into getting used to wearing them, and due to that those of us who are wearing them will have to wear them for a much longer period of time.

It’s very sad to hear all the shop employees telling of abuse they receive from customers regularly. Really, some people should be ashamed of themselves

wanderings so there’s no proven benefit of wearing masks to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses then? So all the scientists are wrong then?

My local shop consists of an elderly man and his wife and on the weekends, their young grandkids.

The shop is broken into at least once a month.
His grandchildren have witnessed verbally abusive customers which have then turned to physical and thrown things over the counter.
The granddaughter is 6 and was threatened with rape by one customer.
The elderly male owner was stabbed three times for trying to stop a man stealing a £4 pack of nappies.
His wife is racially abused almost daily.
They have had death threats.
Their car has been egged and graffitied.
Their shop has been graffitied and set fire to.
They will not have a cash machine anymore because of the amount of times they are broken into for it.
Their stock is sometimes taken as its being unloaded into the shop for the delivery van.

Not every shop is in a good neighbourhood with decent customers, and the ability to afford security guards at the door.