Anyone else just worn down by illogic?

[CountessFrog]

Examples of completely illogical ‘roolz’ everywhere - they give me ‘rule fatigue.’ I may even have reached ‘Peak Roolz.’

For example. On holiday last week I entered a shop that apparently had a one way system. It was a small shop, and because everyone was directed left on arrival, they had crowded into a narrow area in the left, thus ensuring no social distancing.

I didn’t know about the one way system, so I noticed the crowd on the left and headed to the right of the shop to browse and stay away from people. The shop assistant shouted that I wasn’t following the one way system And I needed to join the crowd in the left (I left after that).

Second example. In same small seaside town, We were there for two weeks. On our last night we went to a chippy on the seafront that we’d used three times already. They only accepted cards. They made you queue outside, allowing one customer in at a time. Fair enough.

However On this occasion they were now ‘cash only.’ I had no cash, so I asked to place my order and go to the cash point or find DH who I knew to have cash.

They refused this. When I returned with the cash, the shop was empty so I went in. But silly me, I was still breaking ‘the roolz’ Because they had another (less obvious rule) that you couldn’t go in if they were busy doing something. So she was busy battering fish, and this meant I wasn’t allowed in. Because any fule know that’s a dangerous situation.

Ice cream shop where you had to wait outside and stand behind a line when they let you in. Couldn’t see the ice cream flavours from behind the line. Was allowed to ‘step forward two paces.’ Second time I visited, whole family in the shop, primary aged children literally licking the glass counter. No objections raised

I’m totally over the roolz. Anyone else?

Was sitting in a cafe. Woman at (socially distanced) table next to me with her DH. On the phone, telling someone about how there wasn't a mask to be seen. In the cafe. Where we were all sitting down. She also wasn't wearing one.

I did feel like leaning over and asking whether for the mask police we need to leave our masks in clear sight so everyone knows that when we stand up we'll be putting them back on?!

She also said she hadn't seen masks in town at all. Which is weird. Because 10 minutes before I'd been thinking to myself how everyone was being really good about masks in our local shopping centre.

I'm on a roll now...

A number of small local stores have implemented one way systems. Fine. Except.... they haven't accounted for how people EXIT. So you have to stand in the queue then there's a bottleneck and everyone has to literally brush past each other to get out of the store. There are at least two like this near me. It's just mind boggling.

Shopping has become a stressful nightmare because of these nonsense roolz. Mask yes. Clean hands frequently yes. Social distancing where possible yes. The rest just seem Jobsworth Middle Management twaddle.

I'm so, so done with it - it's like small man syndrome has taken over.

We live in an area with a LOT of independent coffee chain/cafe type places. They seem to have lost sight of the fact they do actually need people's money to stay afloat, and shouting at people, rolling their eyes and sarcastically asking if you've heard of the 'global pandemic that's going on' is NOT the way to get me to give you my hard earned cash.

It's petty but I'll be staying loyal to the ones who asked me nicely to wait outside, not the ones who tutted at me like I was dirt on their shoe.

Absolutely, our local recycling centre only allows cars in with one person in them. If you arrive and there are more people in the car or even a pet, you have to 'dump' the other person and pet at the entrance and they congregate together. How is this safer than them just staying in the car with the windows closed? And what harm can a dog do?

‘So many. Just these two for now.
Why can I huff and puff in my gym but not sing in my choir?’

To be fair, there have been lots of outbreaks associated with singing (choirs and churches) but afaik none with gyms though nobody quite understands why.
There might be a reason to do with the activity or it might totally be the difference in demographic but for now I think it’s fair enough.

the reason for letting a couple in together is because providing they are part of the same 'bubble' and stay together they count as one person - at least that is how it was explained to me when I questioned it

Home section in garden centre. Signs asking you not to touch anything unless you are buying it. Prices stickers on the bottom of items

Our local pool has re-opened (yay!)

You have to book a session, use an allocated cubicle etc (sensible)

The pool is divided into three (fast, medium and slow) and you have to swim a clockwise circuit, with the centre strip in each lane being reserved for overtaking (no problem)

One day last week there were only two of us in one lane, so we agreed to just go up and down rather than do the 'circuits'. She swims faster than me, so doing this would prevent her having to overtake and so improve social distancing (once the session starts no-one else can get in, so we knew there were only the two of us for the duration). We got told off and made to swim circuits - the pool attendant agreed our way was safer / better, but we had to follow the roolz ...

The national trust appear to have abolished benches. Really inclusive for those with limited mobility.

Because this pesky virus can obviously be absorbed through the skin of your arse despite wearing clothes and underwear.

Of course this only applies to some seats. Seats in gardens/parks are unsafe unless they are cemented into a path. The seats at some of their cafes are so dangerous they require hazard tape to stop you getting too close, but wooden picnic benches are ok.

The national trust also love an illogical one way system. One that makes you walk twice as far, increases numbers in a limited space and means you can't access areas you want to go to and can only go to the loo/cafe at a specific point in your route.

It certainly feels like there are rules in place just for the sake of it and I do think some places and people are actively enjoying dictating to others because it makes them feel superior.

The worst I've seen so far was at our local chemist. They are only allowing 2 people in at a time which is fair enough but when I went to pick up a prescription last week there was a lady with twins a few places in front of me, and they initially refused to let her in because that would mean there were 3 people in the chemist. It's like common sense has disappeared completely.

I cannot see the logic in pulling your mask down to your chin when you enter a train carriage.

it's like small man syndrome has taken over

People living through WW11 said this; it drove everyone crazy. It pops up a lot if you read the social history of the period. It's probably something that happens every time there's a huge, long-running crisis.

Me too! Why can some shops open their changing rooms but others can't? People take clothes home to try on, potentially coming into contact with more people in their household and many more touch points e.g. in their car, before returning them. Also people will be wearing a mask in the shop and not at home! Surely there's much more chance of contamination that way? Or are the shops hoping that customers can't be bothered to return things do they sell more?!

I get why the shops are exhausting. They are not built for social distancing and those are just ordinary people doing their best to make it work. Last week you were selling shoes and now you've designing a one way system.

A lot of examples do make sense though if you think them though. For example I bet there are insurance and/or health and safety rules about leaving customers alone with food/hot fryers etc.

As for the coffee vs photocopying one is essential so must be done anyway and one isn't so can be avoided.

I've seen 100s of example like that.:

People actually said "how come workers for the national grid can go to work, but a carpet salesman can't." a lot of people thought it was an illogical rule because they couldn't see why electricians would be less likely to catch it, but that wasn't it at all. They had to be in work regardless of risk but carpet can wait.

"if mask wearing is supposed to be effective to any degree then why do we need a one way system" because it's NOT very effective. It shaves off a few percent of the risk.

So you wear a mask AND you wash your hands AND you social distance AND any other precaution you can fit in.

It may seem pointless to stay on squares and lines in an empty shop, but when driving you do the same. You're not allowed to drive on the pavement/wrong lane just because there's no one about.

A few times now, rather than being able to exit by the nearest front door of the pub or restaurant, which has noone near it, I've had to follow the one way system which means I have to walk through 3 further rooms inches away from diners.

Also had to give all my details, including house number and postcode, to use a toilet.

Yes, the rules drive me mad. The real problem is that some people will just think bollocks to them and ignore even the sensible ones and so increase virus transmission whilst the people who do tend to stick to rules and are trying to do the right thing will think sod this I shall just avoid all the hassle and the economy will suffer.

"The national trust also love an illogical one way system."
Absolutely, yes. They have a one way system around a park but the entrance to the enclosed garden takes you back where you've already been, so you are walking the same distance twice. And the toilet is back near where you started, but you cant get to it unless you walk through the enclosed garden.

The point somebody made about businesses losing trade eventually is true.

Regarding my example in my OP about the seaside chippy. We have been going to that town for 27 years and we’ve always used that chippy. We will continue to visit probably for the rest of our lives but I will never use that chippy again 🤷🏻‍♀️

The very fact that you still have to book to go to national trust properties on line, when hardly anyone is going is ridiculous. In many nt properties you can walk for miles before you see anyone, even pre lockdown. Plus many of their elderly customers are disadvantaged as they arent used to on line booking.

Another seaside town council one. Two beaches, two toilet blocks. One toilet block has 4 cubicles but two are sealed off because of Covid.

Despite the fact they have floor to ceiling walls.

The other toilet has seven cubicles which are all open, with panels separating the cubicles.

Same town council, same town. Council signs in each explaining the roolz

Our chippy has thankfully stopped the rule where you place your order and wait outside while they come out and place your food on a table that you have to stand back from whilst they do so.

Why can I sit in a cafe without a mask and walk to the loo through the cafe but to sit in my daughters wedding ceremony I have to wear a mask
Why can I not wear a a mask at school (TA) but I have to wear one in the supermarket ?

The toilet thing can be completely nuts. Every other cubicle taped off despite floor to ceiling walls between them, but the only place to queue is squashed into the lobby. Or half the basins taped off so everyone stands there waiting for people to wash their hands, which puts pressure on to wash quickly. Cafes that don't have their toilets open because it's obviously much more hygienic to have people pee in the bushes.

And the cleaning. There are a lot of pathogens out there that are as dangerous as Covid, or more so. Why weren't places being cleaned sufficiently to get rid of them before Covid came along?

And what's the point of wiping down the seats of the chairs where everyone has cloth between them and the surface, but ignoring the underside where everyone puts their hands to put the chair up to the table?

People making up their own rules. In my local town there are various places where the path or pavement narrows. Most people walk briskly through, turning their heads away, aware that it's very unlikely they'll catch anything in 1-2 seconds in the open air. But the occasional person insists on standing at one end until everyone has come through the other way, which can be many people, blocking the path to prevent overtakers and slow down on-comers and causing a whole cluster of people to gather as there isn't anyway to wait spread out.

I went to a pub where the guy at the door was policing who went in. I asked to go to the toilet and he barked at me that there was a queue and I must wait. When his back was turned I nipped in and not only was there no queue, there was no one else there at all.

A cafe wanted us all to write our contact details with the same pen, but the ground was such that the tables were far more than 2 metres apart, on a windy hill top, so no point in contacting anyone if another customer succumbed.

Lots of takeaways have all sorts of arrows and markings and screen and roolz and a 4 litre milk carton on the side that we all pick up and pour from.