Let's all blame the young, only...

[Firef1y72]

...from my experience today I think there is another group that are seriously not adhering to SD, etc.

Before I go any further, I went to my local town for only the second time since early March. I had to use the bus as I don't have a car. I am also exempt from wearing a mask, I wear it for as long as possible, before it becomes unbearable and I start stimming and then go in to meltdown. Just knowing I can take it off if I really need to is a great help, so I always tell the bus driver/person on the door that I am exempt but will wear it for as long as possible.

So my day :
Get on bus, mask on, find my socially distanced seat (all clearly marked, those you can use and those you can't). Coping fairly well, with minimal stimming. Older (70+) couple get on, one sits right next to me. Yes they were wearing their masks but both were less than a metre from me. Obviously I now feel I can't remove my mask, so stimming escalates. And then there are the comments about my handflapping. Luckily only had couple more stops and got off before meltdown started.

Next Primark. A different couple, looked older than me and I'm just shy of 50. No masks, that's fine, I know how hard it is when you can't wear it. But no social distancing either. I can't go down an escalator so used the lift. Said couple followed me in to the lift which is clearly marked 2 people only and then stood right next to me instead of the once more clearly marked positions. Somehow managed to be right behind same couple in the queue for tills, again no social distancing, no notice taken of floor markers. Close enough to the people in front of them that their breath could probably have been felt.

Finally got my shopping done. Waiting at the bus stop, sat on the bench. Older (I'm guessing around 65-70) lady decides to sit right next to me, I mean there were 4 seats, but she didn't even leave a gap. So of course I got up. Another group of ladies with their bus passes stood in a huddle. (Ironically the only "younger" person, was desperately trying to keep her distance, despite them not making it easy.

By this point my stress levels were through the roof, i was already scratching at my arm. No way could I cope with the mask, so told the driver as I got on that I exempt which he was fine about, didn't even ask why. As I walked past a couple of older people to find a seat I heard the dreaded "who does she think she is not wearing a mask". Fine they're scared but, their disposable masks had been re-used to the point that they had been turned inside out and were falling to bits. Pretty sure that my not wearing a mask was more hygenic.

And these incidents don't include all the older people wearing their masks with their nose sticking out.

So yeah, let's all blame the younger generation for the spread.

You poor thing. Sounds like a bloody nightmare. FWIW I am always impressed that young people bother at all considering how the older generation has ignored their needs at the ballot box for ages.

I think your policy of talking to the bus driver is great. Ignore everyone else.

I think the blame game at this point is as much use a ferret doing your taxes.

Ultimately, it's the government that is to blame. They needed to be swift, decisive and clear.. instead they were slow, confusing and as clear as a half a ton of nutty slack.

@MrsTerryPratchett
Thanks. Unfortunately, my autism means that ignoring the comments is almost impossible. luckily I live in a village on the outskirts of a very tiny town and near enough everyone knows me. So I don't get the comments here, they know I try and that's good enough. Won't be going back in to the big town for a very long time.

If this disease has taught us anything it's that people need a lot more education about less visible differences.

Well, surely the NHS know they ages of the people who have tested positive? I don't think that they're guessing.
But that sounds like a stressful experience for you.

@Polkasquare AFAIK the figures do show that it's highest among those in their 20s transmitting in private homes. I wonder if that means that while groups of friends are passing it between themselves, they are also largely observing social distancing in public places?

Why does a particular demographic have to be “to blame”?

It’s a pandemic of a contagious disease. We locked down and then lifted a number of restrictions at the same time as hugely increasing the amount of testing. People, on the whole, have been following confusing, conflicting, ever-changing government guidance to the best of their abilities. I don’t see how it’s helpful to turn it into a young vs. old competition.

That sounds very stressful OP. Please don’t let the comments about not wearing a mask get to you. You are doing amazing for even trying and hopefully the people who comment negatively will be in the minority.

I’ve had similar experience with people of certain ages not social distancing. I’m not saying the young are all perfect but I think you’ll find people in every age group being lax. I’ve got little choice at the moment but go into shops with my 10 month old son. He is in his pram and I’m facing him to me, despite him preferring to be facing out. I’ve had a couple of older ladies come up and start trying to interact with him, peering in and asking me his age etc. While this is a lovely thought, doing this at the moment is crazy. Particularly when they are standing less than 2m from him. I wear a mask but he can’t and while I know the risk to him being seriously ill is small it doesn’t change the reason behind social distancing. I’m finding that stressful so I can only imagine for you.

I live in a town of mostly old people so it makes sense that when I see people not bothering with 2m/rules, that they tend to be oldies. Tells me nothing about anything, though.

They've just released the figures in different age groups.
Biggest rise is in 20-29yr olds

I live in an area with a high number of older people and a lot of them do seem to have forgotten about social distancing! I often end up shuffling about trying to keep my distance as they seem to insist on being as close as possible and ignoring the signs and floor markers, etc.

On the other hand, some of my neighbours in their early 20's also seem to think that everything is back to normal and quite often have large groups of friends over with no social distancing happening at all.

So I wouldn't say it's any one group in particular that has caused infection rates to rise!

You are not wrong. I sympathise with this so much We were also harassed when we were with a nonverbal Autistic who removed a mask, it's so horrible right now.

It may be the younger generation getting/spreading the virus but tbh it doesn’t surprise me. In my own experience (generalising here!) over 60s own their own home, often larger than they now need as kids moved out, have gardens, play golf, have a solid pension and generally are not as hugely affected by lockdown/covid. They also have far more intrinsic motivation to follow the rules as they are more likely to become very ill or die.

Young people either live at home or generally in small flats (usually rented), house shares or with friends. This makes staying in at home much more unpleasant (limited space, often no garden etc) and inherently higher risk as young people are more likely to be in work in people facing roles. Coupled with the gloomy future due to covid and Brexit (which the vast majority voted against and are very unhappy about) they are taking the opportunities available to socialise with friends even if perhaps they are breaking them rules’. For the most part the vast majority stringently followed the rules during proper lockdown to protect the older generation and everyone in general but eventually given the risk to them is very very low this is going to wear thin.

Precious generations have taken for granted being able to socialise, career opportunities, housing, free higher education. Young people pay a premium now for all of these things in an increasingly competitive and difficult world. If I was 18 I dare say I would be pushing the boundaries of what I could do to get some joy out of life at the moment.

This pisses me off so much. Young people have protected the oldies until now, then were told to go out and spend money and now its their fault!? Fuck off!
First you screw up the housing market for us, then you vote for this baffoon and brexit! Our patience is wearing thin! And rightly so.

Well my 2 dds are 20 and 23, I make them wear masks. Not that they go out much, they stay in or go for a walk. They both know to stay 2m apart if they meet friends, in the open.

The evidence speaks for itself the highest number of new cases are amongst young adults. You can’t take individual cases to suit your opinion.

@Burpeesshmurpees

It makes me so angry that youngsters are being blamed for the rise in cases. Yes younger people go out more, like they always have, like the older people who are complaining probably did when they themselves were that age. They also stayed home often stuck in with their parents without doing all the normal stuff that young people do, for months on end with no particular benefit to themselves. Now when the government has been trying to encourage people back out spending money and they are doing just that - and helping out the economy at the same time - they are getting blamed for spreading the virus! Young people have been absolutely screwed with the withdrawal of their education, the stopping of all their social activities, their jobs lost - many more young people work in hospitality - all to protect the very people who are now complaining about them. And yes in my personal experience, I have seen just as many older people who aren't following social distancing guidelines as I have younger. Plus it's a lot easier for retired people for example to stay at home and avoid mixing with other people than it is for those that have to go out to work. Sorry rant over!

I couldnt disagree with you more. Particularly your final paragraph.

My mum is 85 - fit , active, full social life. Since March that has stopped totally. She sees her close family, socially distanced, to sort out IT & house matters. Perhaps once a week.

It has been 6 months of what is close to house arrest. She has complied. Why should her life have to stop, whilst the young people (perhaps late teenage to older) you seem to be claiming have had such a hard time, have been socialising for months. You sound like someone who seems to be unable to understand that the older generation have fulfilled lives. What about their mental health? Clearly financially they are the generation who have contributed the most over the longest period.

Next, you'll be stopping the over 50's. No thank you. I have a life and will live it.

Have you tried the clear visors instead of a face mask? X

@Burpeesshmurpees you dont seem able to understand that that young people's (eg

Yes positive tests have risen, and it has been shown to be amongst younger people, but hospital admissions have not risen at the same rate.
We were told back in March that the restrictions put in place were to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed, not in order to stop anyone catching it at all, just not too many at once so that hospitals could cope, so what has changed?

The numbers are up because everywhere is now open and most people are out and about. I hate this blame game thing