Those who can’t wear masks

[Duvetdweller]

This is an absolutely genuine scenario and I’d love to get some advice on how to handle it. My dd works in a very busy takeaway. The owners have put screens up and a one way system, 2 in the shop at a time. If someone comes in without wearing a mask they offer one for free or ask to see a card if they say they are exempt. This is because if they don’t ask to see a card, mask wearing customers kick off about it. The owner has had a lengthy complaint sent in about my dd asking a customer to wear a mask and the customer saying they had an exemption card but didn’t show it because how dare she ask?
The owners have told dd not to worry about but she is 16 and genuinely doesn’t know what she has done wrong. Neither do I, can anyone help?

Masks help to stop spread. They are not a magic talisman.

I agree @Skinnytailedsquirrel

I find it incredible to think that someone would be unable to wear a mask for the few minutes they are going in to a shop.

The people that say "I'm exempt" in these situations are selfish arseholes.

Selfish arseholes - BINGO!

Thank you @rizzo23

@Duvetdweller

I agree *@Skinnytailedsquirrel*

OK

My teen dd works in a cafe and she's told to remind the customer about wearing a mask and it they claim exemption then to accept that and not say any more. I think that's the best that employees can do really.

"I find it incredible to think that someone would be unable to wear a mask for the few minutes they are going in to a shop."

Ds wouldn't last a few seconds.

This is definitely a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation for your DD. Equally she would have received complaints if she didn’t challenge customers not wearing a mask from mask wearers. I’m sure her employers were supportive of her, she followed their policy. Hope she wasn’t too upset.

Can't reconcile 3 builders in shop (?deli) not wearing masks but only 2 people allowed in at once and yet a customer kicks off about no masks.

Er, story falling apart much?

She's just doing her job as asked by her employer.

Isn't they a form you can print off saying you're exempt/stating why your not wearing a mask - my colleague bad to print off and fill in a form. Also, if someone has bought a lanyard, then they know bthey won't be asked/challenged in the first place.

My SIL works in a takeaway and they have to ask for masks.

'feel sorry for them as there are so many people clearly taking the piss not wearing masks and claiming exemption.'

Yes and why on earth can't people be asked to show some kind of exemption card? Yes anyone can print them off but I would suggest those that have a genuine reason, those who have extreme psychological distress won't mind going to the bother of making sure they carry a card. Those who take the piss and shrug 'I'm exempt' probably won't be so careful.

We have blue badges for parking, there is absolutely nothing insulting or disablist about being asked for some kind of proof.

There's no universal card, you can print things though. I would suggest to the owner that unmasked customers wait outside

"We have blue badges for parking, there is absolutely nothing insulting or disablist about being asked for some kind of proof."

Except that blue badges are a legal requirement to park in certain places and they are officially issued. They are for the benefit of those using them and are only checkable by those with the authority to check.
They are not pieces of paper that anyone can print off. People are not expected to walk round with them hanging around their neck. They are not designed to appease randoms who think they have the power to decide who goes where.

@moochingtothepub "I would suggest to the owner that unmasked customers wait outside"

Good idea. Sign outside shop. I bet 99.9% of people that couldn't wear a mask for 2 minutes would suddenly be able to.

"I bet 99.9% of people that couldn't wear a mask for 2 minutes would suddenly be able to."

Not much experience of severe disability I see then. Or you can't do maths.

'They are not pieces of paper that anyone can print off. People are not expected to walk round with them hanging around their neck'

True, blue badges aren't the same, however the point I was making is it is not insulting or discriminatory to provide some kind of evidence when requiring concessions.

Those who think they have a genuine reason will probably go to the trouble of printing off some kind of exemption thing.

So many could declare themselves exempt if they wished - myself included due to health issues.(Which fortunately are not serious enough for an early vaccine.) Personally if I find wearing a mask a little uncomfortable then I really won't cope with a ventilator.
I insist everyone coming into my place of work wears a mask, if they are exempt then I offer for the alternative of we all stay outdoors. Every single time they fetch a mask from the car. To be honest now visors have been so readily available for so long as an alternative, there really isn't an excuse.

The government have been clear that a visor isn’t an alternative. The only thing it prevents is droplets getting into the wearers eyes.

@Skinnytailedsquirrel

I find it incredible to think that someone would be unable to wear a mask for the few minutes they are going in to a shop.

The people that say "I'm exempt" in these situations are selfish arseholes.

You clearly weren't in the pharmacy with me when I didn't last long enough to pick up my son's inhalers. That was with a visor, having given up on single layer fabric coverings after several incidents when I didn't make it down the first aisle of the supermarket.

It's no fun trying to exist hoping that I don't encounter a gobshite willing to express such intolerant and unimaginative views to my bare face. Would you tell someone that you don't believe that they can't walk a mile? Would you tell someone that you don't believe that they can't hear?

Just because you can't see it unless I've been triggered in front of you, it doesn't mean it's not real. It's best to just believe people. I've done far more than enough trying than is reasonable. I am not the selfish arsehole. Fortunately the law is reasonable on this matter.

I don't think ds requires an official piece of paper to show that he is profoundly disabled.

@Skinnytailedsquirrel

I find it incredible to think that someone would be unable to wear a mask for the few minutes they are going in to a shop.

The people that say "I'm exempt" in these situations are selfish arseholes.

I find a lot of things that the NT world enjoys incredible (hugging outside close family, going to loud, crowded places, looking people in the eye, indulging in small talk, not saying exactly what they mean), but I accept that they do these things, or at least did before covid. So perhaps you could accept that as an autistic person who spends most of their time battling the sensory overload, I cant wear a mask for even a few minutes. Just dealing with the normal stimuli is hard enough without the added, actually painful, feeling of the mask on my face

It's no fun trying to exist hoping that I don't encounter a gobshite willing to express such intolerant and unimaginative views to my bare face. Would you tell someone that you don't believe that they can't walk a mile? Would you tell someone that you don't believe that they can't hear?

Just because you can't see it unless I've been triggered in front of you, it doesn't mean it's not real. It's best to just believe people. I've done far more than enough trying than is reasonable. I am not the selfish arsehole. Fortunately the law is reasonable on this matter.

Shame about some of the self-appointed mask police. Of course there are people who take the piss but we can't know who is genuine and who is not. I'd rather 10 piss takers get away with it than one genuine person was distressed about being confronted