People wearing the sunflower lanyard without masks

[Nosebogey]

Just wondering how you are finding it?

I haven’t been to any shops (bar once) since the mask rule came in. We are exempt but didn’t have the lanyards the time we went in. Everyone else in masks, a bit of staring but not much else. Since then though someone else exempt posted on the local faceache that she’d been approached by a man who removed his mask, coughed in her face, told her he had covid and that he hoped she died from it from not wearing her mask. It’s made me a bit nervous to try again because lots of people commented on her post blaming her for that situation . And someone else I know who lives in another area was shouted at in a supermarket by another customer for not having a mask on to the point where she had to leave the shop.

Have you found people to be quite understanding or have you had shitty/scary comments too?

[Sleepyblueocean]

"But as others have said this virus is everybody's business, and given that masks protect others of course people are going to be wary of people who aren't wearing them."

Does that include young children and babies?

[HeresMe]

But as others have said this virus is everybody's business, and given that masks protect others of course people are going to be wary of people who aren't wearing them.

Don't project your fears deal with them most people haven't got it covid.

It's interesting you are calling your friend a conspiracy theorist when you believe that a virus that isn't that widespread will get you because one person isn't wearing a mask.

[PickAChew]

I'll ask my boys to try harder to wear a mask when they can tolerate a different style of shoes to the ones they've been wearing exclusively, for many years, when they can tolerate shorts in hot weather, when my youngest can tolerate a weather appropriate coat if it's pissing down with rain or below zero....

[pinkbalconyrailing]

in germany you need to have a dr certificate to be exempt from wearing a masks.
shops can receive hefty fines if they allow people in not wearing masks.
maybe the nhs needs to get something similar going to weed out cheeky fuckers.

[Moondust001]

Some people here need to get a grip. Even if someone breathed in your direction, the chances of them being sufficient viral load to contract the virus, which in the majority of cases is mild or even asymptomatic, is vanishingly low! I'm not opposed to wearing masks, before anyone starts screaming that, but a few people not wearing masks does not pose an ever present and huge danger to public health!

The hysteria being generated by the misinformed and idiots is far more dangerous than a few people not wearing masks, whether they have the right to an exemption or not. Our society is turning into a bunch of self selected vigilantes ago think they own the rules. That is far scarier than the virus in my book.

[SengaStrawberry]

@Moondust001

Some people here need to get a grip. Even if someone breathed in your direction, the chances of them being sufficient viral load to contract the virus, which in the majority of cases is mild or even asymptomatic, is vanishingly low! I'm not opposed to wearing masks, before anyone starts screaming that, but a few people not wearing masks does not pose an ever present and huge danger to public health!

The hysteria being generated by the misinformed and idiots is far more dangerous than a few people not wearing masks, whether they have the right to an exemption or not. Our society is turning into a bunch of self selected vigilantes ago think they own the rules. That is far scarier than the virus in my book.

Totally agree.

[pinkbalconyrailing]

the problem is not the few who genuinely can't wear a mask but the many who don't want to

[TippledPink]

@Moondust001 Totally agree. This is getting so out of hand. Just mind your own business and get on with what you are doing- I would rather not call out someone who could wear a mask than humiliate someone who really can't.

The risk is so low anyway. In my area there has been one report of someone with Covid in the past week. Just one!

[TheSockMonster]

I was in Sainsbury’s this afternoon and they had customer announcements reminding shoppers that some people had hidden disabilities that may make them unable to wear a mask or observe social distancing guidelines. Hopefully more shops will do the same.

[Nomore79]

People are just using this mask exemption as another reason to turn on each other and try and appear superior.
Mask wearing, as did lockdown, relies largely on people's cooperation. Obviously some people are exempt because of their disabilities, and shouldn't need to explain that in any detail, but unfortunately that leaves the whole thing wide open to being abused by those who don't need to be exempt, with a smug "I don't need to prove it" attached.
That in turn leads to others disbelief and then challenging anyone without one because there's no way to ensure that the people not wearing one are honestly exempt and not just knob heads. So the truly exempt pay for that.
I'm not sure how you'd go about sorting it out though - some people will be medically exempt with a diagnosis etc, others will be just as affected but as we've never faced this before and had to wear masks, they may be coping with their illness or condition without medical intervention that they would be exempt for, but on paper are not.
I think we need to either make them voluntary and scrap the whole thing, making it plain that wearing one helps slow transmission rates etc, or have a standardised way of exempting people that draws less speculation and interference from others.
I can't see either happening though.

[Boudicabooandbulldogs]

I do not understand the seeming enjoyment some people get from trying to enforce something onto another person.
There are reasons people are exempt. I have had 2 patients speak to me over the past few days. One had breast cancer and had a very traumatic icu recovery and now has ptsd which means she cannot wear a mask. Another was abused as a child and cannot wear a mask. Both these people look healthy and well. They have been shouted at and are now contemplating not going anywhere where masks need to be worn. Basically they will now be staying in. Another patient with throat cancer has been shouted at but he was confrontational back and is now going out more often.
My son has autism and cannot wear a mask, my niece is deaf she cannot.
There are so many reasons why, please let’s not judge others we don’t know their circumstances and unless they are in your space encroaching on the 2m they are highly unlikely to infect you even if they have got CV.

[dairyfairies]

I think only people who use the sunflower lanyard will know what it means which means it is just a green/yellow lanyard to pretty much everyone.

I see very few people not wearing a mask and just assume they have a good reason not to.

DD has complex needs and cannot wear a mask and we don't use the lanyard. Most people don't know what it means anyways and I don't think I should have to 'mark' her as having a disability. So far we had only evil look but nothing else.

[Moondust001]

@pinkbalconyrailing

the problem is not the few who genuinely can't wear a mask but the many who don't want to

Really? How many is that? Exactly? Hidden disabilities are far more widespread than anyone recognises, and there are plenty of people whose doctors etc., don't even know. Did people here not read the thread only yesterday about people who had been raped? My best friend is one of those - stranger raped over 30 years ago, and nobody who knows her as a strong, professional, senior manager, would every know that she still doesn't sleep most nights, and the slightest hint can create a panic attack. I know about it. Her ex husband knows - the rape killed their marriage. Her current husband knows. That's it. The doctor doesn't know, nobody else knows. Why does she have through it again to get one of these exemptions? And what right do you or anyone else have to question it?

It isn't up to anyone else to decide who is genuine, and age or what they look like isn't any indicator. If people are uncomfortable, stay away and mind your own business. But it isn't your right to judge. Or enforce. Although, of course, for most, they wouldn't do anything anyway. Plenty of keyboard warriors, and more than a few who I suspect have written the rules slightly differently when it suits them to.

[Fletchings]

in germany you need to have a dr certificate to be exempt from wearing a masks.
shops can receive hefty fines if they allow people in not wearing masks.
maybe the nhs needs to get something similar going to weed out cheeky fuckers.

you cannot even get a GP appointment for fairly important stuff. Issuing certs would be such a waste of resources and it wouldn't stop the challenges by rude individuals either.

[Sennetti]

@pinkbalconyrailing

in germany you need to have a dr certificate to be exempt from wearing a masks.
shops can receive hefty fines if they allow people in not wearing masks.
maybe the nhs needs to get something similar going to weed out cheeky fuckers.

who would police that? shop staff aren't hired to do that's who would?

[HeresMe]

I do not understand the seeming enjoyment some people get from trying to enforce something onto another person.

How long have you been here there seems to a fetish about it.

Some people are enjoying the situation too much.

[tankflybos]

"I think only people who use the sunflower lanyard will know what it means which means it is just a green/yellow lanyard to pretty much everyone."

Indeed. I've noticed these over the past couple of weeks for the first time. I thought they were Morrison's staff

[Nosebogey]

@Nomore79

People are just using this mask exemption as another reason to turn on each other and try and appear superior.
Mask wearing, as did lockdown, relies largely on people's cooperation. Obviously some people are exempt because of their disabilities, and shouldn't need to explain that in any detail, but unfortunately that leaves the whole thing wide open to being abused by those who don't need to be exempt, with a smug "I don't need to prove it" attached.
That in turn leads to others disbelief and then challenging anyone without one because there's no way to ensure that the people not wearing one are honestly exempt and not just knob heads. So the truly exempt pay for that.
I'm not sure how you'd go about sorting it out though - some people will be medically exempt with a diagnosis etc, others will be just as affected but as we've never faced this before and had to wear masks, they may be coping with their illness or condition without medical intervention that they would be exempt for, but on paper are not.
I think we need to either make them voluntary and scrap the whole thing, making it plain that wearing one helps slow transmission rates etc, or have a standardised way of exempting people that draws less speculation and interference from others.
I can't see either happening though.

Or the even easier option, is people try to think more kindly and rather than being on a mission to challenge everyone without a mask in an attempt to catch out the “knob heads” who aren’t actually exempt, they could redirect that energy onto controlling their own confrontational behaviour, learn about hidden disabilities, and crack on with their own lives.

Let’s be honest here, if someone confronts a person who is not wearing a mask just because they don’t want to wear it, what will confronting them do? Nothing! They won’t suddenly wear a mask or change their behaviour. All it does is give the confrontational person a bit of pleasure about getting to tell someone off or a bit of pleasure getting to moan when the person they confront gets aggressive about it.

If they confront someone who is exempt from wearing a mask, it won’t magically make them able to wear one. All it does is make the person without the mask feel like shit, possibly further damage their health, and create even more accessibility problems for that person. All for the sake of that confrontational person getting a bit of pleasure about getting to tell someone off.

Either way though, no more masks are being worn than before the confrontations. It’s all about that confrontational person getting their little bit of pleasure and drama about at the expense of other people.

[Nomore79]

@Nosebogey

I totally agree that the simplest solution is for people to just not do it. But it's the least likely thing to happen imo.
We saw it through lockdown about people being out more than once and all the 'should I report' everywhere, the pictures shaming people on Facebook etc.
There's a real culture emerged through this of some people trying to make others look like shit to make themselves look or feel better. It's always been there but it's more apparent than ever now.
Is it just human nature or something as a society we've cultivated?

[Nosebogey]

@Nomore79

There's a real culture emerged through this of some people trying to make others look like shit to make themselves look or feel better.

Definitely. And I wish we could like posts on here because your reply has really got me thinking! I’m trying to think of another time where people are so quick to tell tales on others or try and make them feel shitty. The closest I can think of is when people were supposed to report neighbours etc in Germany way back when but that seems maybe too extreme of a comparision?

[InsaneInTheViralMembrane]

@tankflybos

"I think only people who use the sunflower lanyard will know what it means which means it is just a green/yellow lanyard to pretty much everyone."

Indeed. I've noticed these over the past couple of weeks for the first time. I thought they were Morrison's staff

That’s properly made me chuckle! 😂

[InDeoEstMeaFiducia]

There's a real culture emerged through this of some people trying to make others look like shit to make themselves look or feel better.

Absolutely this!

[GennyCrabby]

Anyone can buy those. We need a better system, GP-issued cards

Agreed.

The government managed to send us all a letter, make tv advertisements telling us to wash our hands and send letters to not everybody who needed one people who needed to shield. Of course it's possible.

[Sleepyblueocean]

"Anyone can buy those. We need a better system, GP-issued cards"

How much spare time do you think GPs have?