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.

@SeasideMaiden we’ve had members of staff verbally abused and actually complained about because they are a little hard of hearing and struggle sometimes with not being able lipread or hear clearly when someone is speaking through a mask.

We see a lot of idiots every year, but Covid seems to have brought out a special class of arseholes tbh.

My sons exempt and I'm just abit fat so get hot but obviously wear one. We have gone through those blue ones, the N95 ones (I think that's what they are called) and now on fabric type ones. Fabric ones are soooo much easier to breath and we don't get as hot. My sons still been wearing one if he has to come out there was no discussion about it.

@MyNameIsNotMummy, Places like China with all of their pollution obviously don't have that many asthma sufferers like we do .
I will wear them because I bought a pack of about 8 million, but I re wear them if I forget to take out a fresh one because they are just decoration at this point. I don't want to be a dick about it but they are about protecting others and why the fuck should I be crawling on my belly over broken glass for strangers who couldn't give a shiny shite about me? And to those pp who never witness people not wearing them, must be living in utopia or with their heads up their arses, tbh. Around where I live there are entire friendship groups of about 6, that don't wear them - let's be real, they are not all exempt - please.

I learned over time that you cannot control what other people do, you can only control your reaction to it...
If you are wearing your mask, you are protected and protecting others. That's all you can do.

Genuine exemptions are so extremely rare though

How on earth so you know that?
There are 101 things which would make wearing a mask dangerous or traumatic for someone. Nobody has the right to demand people explain themselves to anyone.

@amusedtodeath1

Sorry to double post, but forgot to say, I agree with PP who said exemption cards should be available via health services/GP on request.

There are lanyards people can use if they chose to. But from many posts on here that's not good enough for many people. Do you seriously think GPS have time to.write out exemption letters for all the patients they Have? The government stayed quite clearly.

1. There will be no official letters from NHS practitioners.
2. So not confront people not wearing masks.

Many supermarkets have this included in thier tannoy announcements to respect that some people cannot wear a mask and to be sympathetic and tolerant. Why do randoms think they can dictate the opposite of what these companies have decided is fine by them?

Not much empathy nor tolerance on MN these days it seems.

@MyNameIsNotMummy
I haven't rtft yet but yes whole family's can be exempt.
Both my ds and I are due to ASD and other issues, both of us my dsc are also exempt for the same reason. You do realise that certain conditions run in family's?

I'm so confused about how this is being applied across the U.K. We are on holiday in Wales and before arriving I read that rules around masks etc were being strictly enforced here. On our first afternoon here we went to a large Tesco and virtually no-one amongst customers or staff was wearing a mask of any description. I actually felt quite self conscious as it seemed as if people were staring at us for wearing one. I know the specific area we are staying in hasn't recorded a single case in about a month but I thought as tourism picks up they would be very strict about this kind of thing. Coming from an area of London where people cannot board a bus without a mask, never mind go into a supermarket, I'm finding this all a bit odd!

You want people to protect you by wearing a mask, to stop you catching anything.

Yes @Teal99.

That is how masks work.

Other people protect you and you protect other people.

The end result is that covid-19 is suppressed.

This why the WHO wants people to wear masks to protect their neighbours, families, co-workers, and communities.

I am not sure why some people have a problem with that.

To the person who said that people are ‘busy bodies’ about masks and it is ‘ridiculous’ - you are so fucking delusional. What is ridiculous is that grown fucking people can’t abide by rules that are in place to SAVE LIVES. The stupidity of many, many people in this country is what is ridiculous. You should be ashamed of yourself. Disgusting mindset.

THIS ^^

Well said @Generalblah

*And what happens if you heckle and you’ve got it wrong? You want to create a bullying culture where anyone with an unseen disability is criticised and heckled by the general population. Great idea!
*
This. I don't wear a mask because having something over my mouth and nose takes me back to when I was being raped and the guy covered my mouth so I wouldn't scream. These flashbacks cause severe distress and panic attacked and sure, they make not actually 'literally' kill me, but when I feel like that I damn well wish I was dead.

I'm not a twat, I'm not out non-essential shopping. I'm driving everywhere rather than using public transport (but this gets me criticised and yelled at by eco-warriors, you can't win ). But I need to go to the supermarket and corner shop for food and small top ups. I can't get a delivery slot because I'm not eligible for a priority one and getting another one is like gold dust. I have to shop or I'll starve.

But sure OP. Heckle me for not wearing a mask. Make me feel more ashamed of what happened to me.

God the pro-mask brigade are so quick to call others selfish for not wearing a mask but can't take one minute to empathise with why someone with no obvious symptoms can't wear one. Hypocrites.

It's not just wearing/having a mask - its having on so that it covers your mouth and nose.
I had a day out by train yesterday - the number of people with masks dangling round their f*ing necks was beyond belief.

@Starbuggy

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 agree with all of this.

If you have asthma it's easy just to say "I'm exempt, I have asthma". Its a common illness. But, would you be believed? Would you be asked to prove you have asthma?
That would put off a lot of genuine asthma sufferers for a start, not wanting to be questioned.

And what if you dont have asthma? What if you have a mental health condition which has stigma attached to it (let's face it, mental health discrimination is rife) Or a serious medical condition or disability. Or PTSD due to abuse or rape. Why should you have to divulge that highly personal information to an Asda employee just to be allowed to buy groceries? It is not reasonable to expect people to be quizzed and even just the suggestion that you might be questioned is distressing to many with genuine conditions

@MyNameIsNotMummy

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.

"So extremely rare".

5.4 million people have asthma (asthma UK)
1.5 million people have a learning disability (NHS)
700,000 people have an autism spectrum condition (national autism society)
Around 10% of people suffer from PTSD, GAD, OCD or Panic disorder (MIND)

of course some people may fit into more than one category, or may be able to wear a mask despite their condition, but this is hardly "extremely rare" and I havent even included people with other lung conditions, those who rely on lip reading or who have a physical disability.

@MyNameIsNotMummy

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

So am I (though not 'unfortunately'). 99.9% of people of people are wearing masks in shops here. Your earlier suggestion of bringing in the armed forces to enforce mask wearing is one of the stupidest things I've ever read on here.

Actually, if you look at research, masks work both ways. WHO / UK public health authorities tend to emphasise the "protecting others" angle not to encourage a false sense of security. However, the underlying data shows that masks also protect the wearer.

I live in London. I wear a mask in shops and in public transport. The overwhelming majority of people around me wears masks. Yes, there are exceptions but in the grand scheme of things isolated cases of non compliance here and there will not have significant impact on transmission rates. Most people are rational and comply with rules that make sense.

@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.

Who the fuck do you think you are to “shame” anyone?

What an appalling person you are.

I take it those who are personally attacking me are mask refusers who are selfish and pig ignorant enough to put others at risk, and prolong the agony for everyone, because they don’t want to make the effort or endure the discomfort (that we all feel) of wearing one.

Ho hum.

@MyNameIsNotMummy

I take it those who are personally attacking me are mask refusers who are selfish and pig ignorant enough to put others at risk, and prolong the agony for everyone, because they don’t want to make the effort or endure the discomfort (that we all feel) of wearing one.

Ho hum.

LOLZ

No, not a mask refuser. But also not a cunt who thinks shaming people is OK.

If you think masks are so great were you shaming people who weren’t wearing them when the virus was actually rife, and you were more likely to get it off someone, masked or not, than now? Do you think it’s OK to shame someone for spreading an illness that they almost certainly don’t have, and therefore can’t spread?

selfish and pig ignorant enough to put others at risk

This is not why we are wearing masks. Masks are being worn to get the fearful ones out and spending money.

No I am not a mask refuser, but I think you are completely wrong in your suggestion that the public should be challenging people without masks.

@Midsommar

I'm on a train at the moment and a big group of teenagers has just got off - not one of them was wearing a mask. Also two teenage lads have just got on, also not wearing masks. I don't understand why these cocky teenagers think they are exempt? Really pisses me off tbh. (I know the OP was regarding shops but same principal on trains)

As a parent of a potential cocky teen, could you help me with an issue please?

My ds will be walking to school so no mask needed. Sometimes he goes to the shop for me, and whether it's a quick trip or 15 minutes, he has to wear a mask as per the guidelines. From September he will be inside and a mask isn't needed.

I am stumped as to what to tell him other than because the government said so.

Yea but mum, if I was in Sainsburys and didn't have one on, you could get a fine. Surely you should also be getting fined if I didn't wear one in school.

It's my own fault I know, I encouraged thinking.

@Heatherjayne1972

My 18 year old works in a shop Sometimes she’s in charge of the door I’ve told her to ignore the idiots who won’t wear a mask - no way does she get paid enough to put up with hassle from such people - and why should she. She’s employed to serve she is not a pseudo policewoman

How do you know those not wearing masks are idiots? They may have legit medical exemptions

And @MyNameIsNotMummy yes honestly it is possible for a whole family to be exempt from mask wearing. A lot of health conditions after all are hereditary.

The people in pairs, how do you know they aren't hearing impaired for example?

I see nearly everyone wearing a mask in all honesty. You can’t win not so long ago people were up in arms because they were asked why they didn’t have a mask on. Since it’s all new I think you need to give it time OP.

I agree it’s not supermarkets responsibility at this stage.