“Would you like to provide details for track trace?” ‘No thanks” “Fair enough”.

[Redolent]

Witnessed this yesterday evening. The restaurant had a sheet for track and trace with only four names on there, and the place was bustling. What’s the point of a system that’s pretty much getting ignored in a lot of hospitality venues?

Our local deli had a sign in the corner with an email address to send your details to. All outdoor seating though.

we've eaten in loads of places this summer and been asked for details only once.

It's not mandatory. The government are telling us to get back to normal. People don't want to give out their details without knowing who can access them.

I wouldn't refuse to give my details, but I can understand why people don't want to. The pubs in my local town aren't even asking anymore.

Some places automatically have your details for track and trace when you book online. Maybe the rest of the people had done that. I hope!

We were sitting outdoors so weren’t asked to provide details (I assumed that’s why, maybe it’s an omission). The couple who refused the request were very elderly - the man went off on a brief tirade about unwanted phone calls. I don’t see the point in criticising ‘selfish young people’ tbh when all ages are doing what they want.

Have only been out twice, but both times we only needed to give details for one person in the group (because presumably they could then give details to track and trace people). The first time, the person booking gave their details when they made the booking, nobody else needed to. The second time, there was a QR code for one of us to zap, and if it didn’t work then you wrote your details in a book instead. The others in the group were told they didn’t need to.

So “4 names in a book” is not the same as “4 people giving contact details”

I do actually understand people's concerns about handing out phone numbers and names that are just left on bits of paper around the restaurant. The fact you could see how many names were on there, without even having filled out your details, would be enough to illicit slight concern from me.

You only have to look at the number of times tweets about delivery drivers/ medical professionals/ almost any other professionals who have texted women for dates based on information they provided for the service, to understand how this kind of thing can go wrong.

@ClaudiaWankleman

I do actually understand people's concerns about handing out phone numbers and names that are just left on bits of paper around the restaurant. The fact you could see how many names were on there, without even having filled out your details, would be enough to illicit slight concern from me.

You only have to look at the number of times tweets about delivery drivers/ medical professionals/ almost any other professionals who have texted women for dates based on information they provided for the service, to understand how this kind of thing can go wrong.

This is a fair point.

Just give a false name and/or number of you are afraid of being pestered for a date a/didn't you mean that in high school?

Dsis works in a pub, said a guy was laughing the other night saying he had given a false name and address.

I was absolutely flamed on here for suggesting that people might leave genuine details but I can think of lots of reasons why they might not. I don't think it's ever been clear how or when these details will be used.

The MN demographic doesn't seem to understand it but so many people will lose wages if they are forced to isolate. I'm not surprised they don't want to risk it "just" because they've been in the same pub.

I don't think it's been communicated well that no whole pub will be asked to isolate, in fact I still don't know how they work out who to contact.

The only places I've been to that take details properly are those where the table is booked online, but even then, it wouldn't be hard to give false details if you wanted to.

Usually it's just a form left on a table, which must go against every aspect of data protection legislation. Didn't the test and trace system itself have issues over data protection initially too?

So concerns around data, the impact around the effect this has on people's lives and how the process is run, I'm amazed they've been able to contact as many as they have.

I havent been asked for any details from any place I've walked into.
I dont see the point if noone is doing it. Not that I mind giving my details but when I'm not asked nothing j can do.

Might not leave genuine details...doh

@FinnyStory

I was absolutely flamed on here for suggesting that people might leave genuine details but I can think of lots of reasons why they might not. I don't think it's ever been clear how or when these details will be used.

The MN demographic doesn't seem to understand it but so many people will lose wages if they are forced to isolate. I'm not surprised they don't want to risk it "just" because they've been in the same pub.

I don't think it's been communicated well that no whole pub will be asked to isolate, in fact I still don't know how they work out who to contact.

The only places I've been to that take details properly are those where the table is booked online, but even then, it wouldn't be hard to give false details if you wanted to.

Usually it's just a form left on a table, which must go against every aspect of data protection legislation. Didn't the test and trace system itself have issues over data protection initially too?

So concerns around data, the impact around the effect this has on people's lives and how the process is run, I'm amazed they've been able to contact as many as they have.

I’ve definitely seen at least two instances where all pubgoers (during a certain date / time period) have been asked to self-isolate. Eg:

www.itv.com/news/meridian/2020-07-24/pub-goers-in-crawley-asked-to-self-isolate-for-14-days-after-coronavirus-outbreak

news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-urgent-appeal-for-pub-customers-to-isolate-after-covid-19-outbreak-linked-to-barbecue-12045763

But I completely get that being able to do so is a luxury. In fact, it may even go beyond that as people stop going for tests when they have mild symptoms, due to fear of the consequences. You test positive -> cases in your area go up -> your area is now placed under more restrictions aka ‘punished’ -> you’ll be asked to provide details of others who might be unable to isolate, etc.

I give out a fake number

@Redolent There were a few pubs and working mens clubs here in the North East that have asked the same.

This is 1 of 4 I believe:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-53794351

I was flamed on here for suggesting I might want to avoid track and trace / pubs etc, at all! (as I should have been avoiding the virus not tracing apparently)

i think MN is a different world sometimes.

FIL said he left a different number. He was sitting outside anyway, but still.

Oops 1 of 4 in 1 area/town*

I will only go where things are taken seriously and there are precautions. I just wouldn’t eat there

We very much wanted to go to a fabulous Italian we have been to before. It’s much like an Italian wedding. No menu, lists of courses BUT you shared tables and very crowded. Not something you want to do now. So I rang but I just could not get out of them what precautions they were taking for the virus do we didn’t go.

@Redolent

Witnessed this yesterday evening. The restaurant had a sheet for track and trace with only four names on there, and the place was bustling. What’s the point of a system that’s pretty much getting ignored in a lot of hospitality venues?

We've given £200m in.contracts to failing companies, the whole system is just funnelling money to private companies.

It feels like it was never intended to actually work.

When it doesn't work, the government and their voters will blame the public, while Serco etc. count the cash. Trebles all round!

Maybe it was to show us all they were taking it seriously. It only picks up some anyway due to so many not even having symptoms so would be limited anyway

I won't leave my number. Not been refused service anywhere yet, but otherwise I would leave a fake number.

DH is a data protection lawyer and has major issues with this. And I just don't see how anyone can expect me to stay at home, missing work, because some random person has told some other random person that I was within two meters of them for 15 mins etc.

I mean, if I am that close to someone, the chances are they are someone close to me and I'd know if they got covid. And then I would isolate.

Similar with quarantining people from countries when we have high rates in some areas here.

Think that is maybe to show stuff being 'done' as well as increasing spending in the UK to help the economy...

Most people dont answer calls from numbers they dont know anyway.

I’ve had many different experiences of this. One pub I went in was outdoors tables only, but unless you texted your details to them (so they had the correct phone number for you), they would not serve you, even though I was sat in a field and did not even go inside.

Another, there was a notice up asking you to scan a QR code, but no one at the cafe actaully mentioned it so I suspect many people didn’t bother. Another one actively said that because I was sat outside, I didn’t need to give track and trace details. Seems like there were different interpretations.