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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:
yawnsvillex · 27/08/2020 16:37

@Derbygerbil not when it involves the economy

loobyloo2020 · 27/08/2020 16:47

I'm in Glasgow and in my experience it depends on where you go. If you go to a busy retail park pretty much everyone is wearing them but when I go to the local shop or the co-op I'd say at least half of people aren't bothering.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 16:56

@yawnsvillex

Yes they have. The Government backtracked on opening allowing beauty treatment and bowling alleys to open a few weeks back, much to these businesses’ dismay... only to allow them to open again a few weeks later.

I know some hate masks (I’m not a massive fan) and are convinced the Government will relent, but there’s no evidence of this at the moment, especially with recent news on schools.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 16:59

The shop staff aren't really wearing them either.

This doesn’t help. I was in Waitrose the other day. Shoppers all had masks but assistants in the aisles didn’t. It was cool and air conditioned so wouldn’t have been too much or a hardship for them to wear masks, but their lack of masks does undermine the whole enterprise, and made me irrationally annoyed!

PennyDreadfuI · 27/08/2020 17:38

@Iverunoutofnames

I posted this yesterday, but I went into a Morrison’s in a rough part of town and less than half the people were wearing them. I imagine as time goes on then fewer and fewer people will bother. Just as no one is bothering with social distancing anymore.
The classism and judgement in your comment is staggering.
PennyDreadfuI · 27/08/2020 17:40

Shop staff aren't required to wear face coverings.

Millions of people are exempt from wearing them at all.

Was the UK always such a sneery, judgemental place or has Covid made it so? Either way, it's depressing.

hastingsmua1 · 27/08/2020 18:34

@Derbygerbil

The shop staff aren't really wearing them either.

This doesn’t help. I was in Waitrose the other day. Shoppers all had masks but assistants in the aisles didn’t. It was cool and air conditioned so wouldn’t have been too much or a hardship for them to wear masks, but their lack of masks does undermine the whole enterprise, and made me irrationally annoyed!

Irrational is correct. Shop staff have a specific exemption from wearing masks.
Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 19:04

@hastingsmua1

Irrational is correct. Shop staff have a specific exemption from wearing masks

Arguably their exemption is irrational when they are just as close to me than the average shopper.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 19:11

@PennyDreadfuI

It seems to be a fact that mask wearing is less prevalent in more deprived areas. It’s fanciful to think that the 80% who aren’t wearing masks are exempt. It doesn’t mean they are “bad” or “dirty” but it’s interesting to wonder why this is the case and why mask wearing is almost universal in many less deprived areas.

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 19:20

@Mum2jenny Wed 26-Aug-20 21:57:46
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.

Good - You are breaking the rules which specifically say you should not challenge people

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 19:22

@Whynotdance Wed 26-Aug-20 22:13:06
Went into Waitrose yesterday, not a single member of staff wearing a mask. Ditto Co-op.

The rules specifically say that staff do not have to wear them. Some shops have a different policy but the rules say not compulsory

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 19:29

@knittingaddict Thu 27-Aug-20 12:34:39
It's not completely unreasonable to think that people who won't wear masks out of choice probably break other rules intended to subdue the spread of CV.*

Yes it is. Social distancing did what it was supposed to do. All the 'evidence' that masks work is based on proper masks used properly. There is naff all evidence that 'face coverings' make any difference. Infection rate is so low the chances of coming into contact with someone whilst shopping is negligible so a reduction of 30% of nothing is still nothing.

PennyDreadfuI · 27/08/2020 19:40

[quote Derbygerbil]@PennyDreadfuI

It seems to be a fact that mask wearing is less prevalent in more deprived areas. It’s fanciful to think that the 80% who aren’t wearing masks are exempt. It doesn’t mean they are “bad” or “dirty” but it’s interesting to wonder why this is the case and why mask wearing is almost universal in many less deprived areas.[/quote]
I live in a deprived area. Mask wearing is pretty much universal here.

If there is any correlation between lack of masks and poorer areas, it could be because those who live in such areas often have poorer health than those in more affluent ones. The sort of health issues which may prevent mask wearing, perhaps.

And no, it's not fanciful to suggest that any percentage of those without masks are exempt. Even if not all are, very many will be, and you're judging them all alike.

Those who are exempt have been on the receiving end of dirty looks, abuse and threats - please don't fan those flames.

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 19:44

[quote Derbygerbil]@hastingsmua1

Irrational is correct. Shop staff have a specific exemption from wearing masks

Arguably their exemption is irrational when they are just as close to me than the average shopper.[/quote]
Ahhh! I see it's not that you want people to follow the rules

It's that you think people should follow your made up rules

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 19:48

@PennyDreadfuI

Totally agree

and those in the poorer areas are less able to afford to buy a never ending supply of masks AND are maybe less likely to spend so much time on social media so they don't even know (lucky them) that there are extra rules that they should be following made up by the users of forums, facebook and twitter.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 19:49

Ahhh! I see it's not that you want people to follow the rules. It's that you think people should follow your made up rules

It’s more that I think the rules should be consistent.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 19:52

And no, it's not fanciful to suggest that any percentage of those without masks are exempt. Even if not all are, very many will be, and you're judging them all alike.

If a significant number and proportion of people im a store aren’t wearing masks, it’s ridiculous to believe that they are all exempt. Of course I recognise that some people are exempt, but it stretches credibility beyond breaking point to believe this is a super-majority of people.

Derbygerbil · 27/08/2020 19:55

...and those in the poorer areas are less able to afford to buy a never ending supply of masks

People can wear a reusable mask... In the same way they wear reusable pants! It’s not that they can’t afford to, it’s that they choose not to. I’m not saying they are bad people, and I understand why they don’t, but there’s no need to sugar coat it with bollocks excuses.

RealityExistsInTheHumanMind · 27/08/2020 20:08

@Derbygerbil

...and those in the poorer areas are less able to afford to buy a never ending supply of masks

People can wear a reusable mask... In the same way they wear reusable pants! It’s not that they can’t afford to, it’s that they choose not to. I’m not saying they are bad people, and I understand why they don’t, but there’s no need to sugar coat it with bollocks excuses.

Even those have to be bought and washed regularly wish doesn't come free.

Bollocks excuses so speaks the voice of privilege.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 27/08/2020 20:40

My son is actually exempt from wearing a mask. He says he’d rather wear one because he feels safer!

My neighbour has COPD and is exempt but she wears one in shops - just shops quickly....

Burnthurst187 · 27/08/2020 20:49

The more affluent an area, the more people comply. That's what I'm seeing and have been since day one

A better class of person obviously lives in an affluent area, better job, better education, decent members of society

If you go to a town or city you'll see high numbers of offenders. They've given up on life and won't be told what to do, they don't care about others, never have, never will

Iverunoutofnames · 27/08/2020 20:55

@PennyDreadfuI if you knew what town I lived in you couldn’t accuse me of classism. And it is rough, my grandad lives there, I wouldn’t let him go out alone during the day there.

PennyDreadfuI · 27/08/2020 20:59

@Burnthurst187

The more affluent an area, the more people comply. That's what I'm seeing and have been since day one

A better class of person obviously lives in an affluent area, better job, better education, decent members of society

If you go to a town or city you'll see high numbers of offenders. They've given up on life and won't be told what to do, they don't care about others, never have, never will

So if you see someone without a mask, you immediately assume that they've 'given up on life', are uneducated and have a shit job? That they don't care about others and are not 'decent members of society'? Unlike a better class of person, which is illustrated by their ability to wear a face covering?

Or, y'know, they may have a hidden disability/health condition/PTSD which means they can't wear a mask.

You're judging people who are quite possibly disabled to be uneducated selfish louts. I would suggest that if wish to know what an uncaring, ill-educated, self-centred person looks like, you try looking a little closer to home.

HeIenaDove · 27/08/2020 21:09

The classism and judgement in your comment is staggering

Totally agree. And IF that IS the case could it be something to do with the fact that they are fucking pissed off at suddenly being told how we are all in this together, especially as this rhetoric is only used when it comes to face masks. But the rest of the time they are given messages that they are somehow "other" when it comes to things like benefit sanctions and the gig economy and poor housing. Its hardly surprising IF people from poorer areas arent complying. Maybe they dont like the goalpost moving over face masks when people couldnt give a shit about them the rest of the time or when it comes to other issues. So maybe not really surprising if they arent swallowing the "all in this together" bullshit.

HeIenaDove · 27/08/2020 21:11

People like @Burnthurst187 arent bothered about poorer people catching Covid...........they are only bothered about them spreading it

I suspect this was the real reason the Job Centres were closed.