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Original poster

Compliancy with face mask wearing in shops

81 replies

NotExactlyMrsCurrentAffairs · 26/08/2020 19:50

Where I live (semi rural, small town, low covid rates) people are very compliant. I rarely see anyone without a mask shopping, the odd one or two in the whole time they've been made mandatory.

Today I went to visit my parents, they live in Birmingham, close to Sandwell and Smethwick, high rates of covid in these areas. After my visit I popped to their local supermarket en route home and noticed lots of customers, around 20-25% not wearing face masks and thought it's no wonder there are high rates with compliancy so low.

OP posts:
Laaalaaaa · 26/08/2020 19:52

Rates were a lot higher long before masks were implemented. Who made you mask police? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Rosehip345 · 26/08/2020 19:54

I agree, also rural, high compliancy. Seems the busier it is the more people I see not wearing them

Original poster
NotExactlyMrsCurrentAffairs · 26/08/2020 19:55

No one made me mask police
It's the first time I've been into a shop outside of my hometown. I was just surprised at the amount of people not wearing one compared to where I live

OP posts:
Willbob · 26/08/2020 19:56

I went to the Trafford centre last night. It was busy, the majority of people weren't wearing masks.

lljkk · 26/08/2020 20:04

You would need to spend at least 100 hours in diverse shops in each area counting wearers/not wearers in a systematic way to know if it was a fluke what you experienced today or something truly different. Realistically you need 2 people doing the counting at same times on same days of week in same brand shops to be sure. Then you need to adjust by age, sex, ethnicity, % persons with disability in each area. Ideally you'd interview both some wearers and some not-wearers to check that there wasn't just something fluky about the people you observed.

catsarecute · 26/08/2020 20:06

Lots of people not wearing them here (city) :-(

Apolloanddaphne · 26/08/2020 20:09

I live in a small semi-rural town too and compliance rates are very high for face mask wearing. I would say 99% of people are wearing them in shops etc. We have very low infection rates here.

EggysMom · 26/08/2020 20:12

I've been discussing this with colleagues who live more rurally than me (suburbs of big city). They are seeing 95% compliance; it's now a good day if I see 50% compliance here. It's no wonder our rates are rising again, the complacency is endemic.

millymae · 26/08/2020 20:23

I’ve been on several buses over the last couple of days and each time I’ve seen people take their masks off as soon as they’ve sat down. Similarly in the city centre today there were loads of people not wearing masks and although each of the big shops had staff standing by the door asking people to put a mask on and use sanitiser I saw more than a few wandering round who had taken them off once they were inside.
I wear my mask all the time but I’ll admit to not always using the sanitiser.especially when I know that I’ve not touched anything since the last time I used it. Today I saw someone squirt it on their hands when they entered the store and wipe it off with one of the dresses hanging on the rails.
I know you shouldn’t generalise or judge a book by its cover but most of the non mask wearers I saw today were either younger than me or looked as though they’d give a mouthful or worse if anyone said anything to the.

QueenBlueberries · 26/08/2020 20:27

Went to Yorkshire for short break and most people were wearing face masks, no fuss, no trouble, people were queuing outside shops patiently as well. And they looked happy and normal, it was nice to see.

I'm back in London and it's touch and go with face masks, and people still complaining or not respecting social distancing in queues.

cologne4711 · 26/08/2020 21:34

I wear a mask but I don't use sanitiser unless it's a condition of entry. But where I live most people wear masks and infection rates are low.

Don't know about queues because I time my visits for when it's quiet and don't have to queue to get into shops.

tornadoalley · 26/08/2020 21:40

most people wear them here, just a few in a large tesco not wearing masks. staff mostly wearing them

MadameBlobby · 26/08/2020 21:42

Glasgow here - very high compliance.

I could honestly count on the fingers of two hands the people I have seen without one in the almost 2 months they’ve been mandatory in shops here.

GazingAndGrazing · 26/08/2020 21:44

I don’t wear a face covering due to exceptional circumstances. I’m very much in the minority and I’m glad no one questions it.

If everyone bar a handful were covering how am I risking anyone else? I’m in my own bubble WFH etc

Mum2jenny · 26/08/2020 21:48

Was up north last week and many people were not wearing masks in a supermarket. But it is not up to us to police. They may have been exempt.
Personally I don’t care, as I work in a more challenging environment.

hastingsmua1 · 26/08/2020 21:52

Welcome to Birmingham 🤷🏼‍♀️

To be fair I think it’s probably more of an issue in those specific areas of Birmingham you visited, as mask compliance is very high in other areas. I’m sure those areas are where COVID has spiked as well

onlyreadingneverposting8 · 26/08/2020 21:54

I've noticed that the number of people wearing masks in going down each time where I am. Particularly amongst younger men (under 30). I've noticed this particularly when I pop to the garage round lunchtime - more and more workmen seem not to bother putting a mask on to pop in to buy their coffee or lunch.

Mum2jenny · 26/08/2020 21:57

And I’ve noticed many ppl wear masks incorrectly in that their nose is not covered. And it really pisses me off, and I do tend to tell them. Have had some very offensive responses though.

tinytemper66 · 26/08/2020 21:57

I was in London for 2 visits in the last 3 weeks and mask compliance was about 99% when inwas in shops and kn the tube. It isn't compulsory in Wales (it is on public transport) so I noticed the difference.

loulouljh · 26/08/2020 22:08

South of England. The numbers of people wearing them decreasing..about 50% earlier in petrol station. I have no issue with that at all.

Whynotdance · 26/08/2020 22:13

I live in London. A lot of teenagers wear them around their necks on transport. Went into Waitrose yesterday, not a single member of staff wearing a mask. Ditto Co-op.

Gingerfish91 · 26/08/2020 22:48

Hardly any cases in my area. I’ve nit been out to shops much as I can’t stand the masks but when I did go last week loads were not wearing Them. I’ve got no issue with it. I took mine off half way round.

squeekums · 26/08/2020 23:04

@Mum2jenny

And I’ve noticed many ppl wear masks incorrectly in that their nose is not covered. And it really pisses me off, and I do tend to tell them. Have had some very offensive responses though.
What did you expect when you go around policing people when you have no authority too
RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 26/08/2020 23:10

Just about everyone wearing a mask here, i live in a smallish village close to a few small towns and although I’m not out constantly I haven’t seen many people NOT wearing them

I did see a couple (Man and woman) wearing mask exempt lanyards, I’d not seen those before

Treesofwood · 26/08/2020 23:11

I think masks are particularly effective when a family wears them into a restaurant, takes them off, folds them up in a nice neat pile on the table. Then finishes up, puts them back on, pushes chairs in and off they go. Really would be better not to have worn them at all.