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Covid

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Most pointless covid restrictions you’ve seen by an organisation or workplace?

252 replies

Lucidas · 03/06/2021 07:55

Cordoning off every other toilet and sink in an attempt to enforce social distancing...meaning people are clustered tightly in a queue, chatting for longer

OP posts:
babyguffingtonstrikesagain · 06/06/2021 09:08

No masks all day in school, then I have to put one on to go and stand on the playground at home time. No parents come within 5m of me 🤷🏻‍♀️

pastabest · 06/06/2021 09:32

The work kitchen and 'breakout' areas are adjoined and open plan.

They have closed off all the breakout areas, literally put crime scene type tape across them meaning the area available to wait in while the one allowed person in the kitchen makes a brew/gets their lunch out of the fridge is now tiny.

Out of 200 there is only about 6 people in the office from various teams (people who haven't been able to work from home). We have all been allocated desks at random by someone from HQ elsewhere in the country which a) aren't our usual desks b) aren't in the area of the office usually used by our teams. E.g A man on a different team has been allocated my desk and I have been allocated the desk next to the one he usually uses at the opposite side of the office.

Between the 6 of us we have come to an understanding that we will all just use our original desks.

HQ have removed nearly all of the office chairs leaving about 1 in 4, meaning that any occasional visitors to the office are having to share chairs rather than just being able to use their own chair from pre pandemic.

There is a one way system round the office. As above the 6 of us have come to an understanding that as there are only six of us, doing a massive counter clockwise loop to go to the toilet a few steps away clockwise is pointless.

The large open top dustbin bin that you could just lob stuff into has been replaced with a pedal bin that often has a stuck lid requiring you to now touch it.

Occasionally someone from HQ comes in and yells at us for not following the rules. Despite there only being six of us in an office designed for 200 and managing to safely social distance from each other without following a one way system or pointlessly moving our belongings from one desk to another.

Every single one of us has had 2 vaccines.

XenoBitch · 06/06/2021 12:32

My local community workshop... if you want to pop in and collect something from your member's box, you have to book a 2 hour slot in the zone it is based in. If you want to go to a cupboard to retrieve something, you need to book a 2 slot there too.
Pointless Covid theatre, especially seeing the place was never deep cleaned or anything when it reopened. It is vile.

110APiccadilly · 06/06/2021 12:49

I enjoyed the sticker on the door of the loo telling us only one person should be in the room at a time. It's a single cubicle, so I should hope so!

PolkadotsAndMoonbeams · 06/06/2021 13:34

We had a one way systems that meant that after using the only ladies loo on that floor, you were directed outside and around the building to go back in through the front door. Ok in summer, less good in the pouring rain in November unless you put your coat on first...

We're also no longer allowed to have lab coats on pegs. Early on, we'd all brought in plastic bags, so they were still on the pegs, but in a bag and not touching. That wasn't allowed. They're now in trays next to each other which they don't fit in, so end up touching more than they did before! And everybody pinches your pens from the pockets.

JustABloodyMinute · 06/06/2021 18:43

Seats in (outdoor) train station blocked off, yet on the train it's a free for all.

HarebrightCedarmoon · 06/06/2021 20:03

McDonalds still being open for takeaways only when in most other places you can eat in.

Cancelling the veggie options and milkshake in lockdown.

Pret having no veggie breakfast options.

Fitting rooms still being closed in clothes shops.

musicalfrog · 06/06/2021 20:20

The kids not being able to get changed into and out of their pe kits in school. Why can't they??

I'm doing a lot more washing as a result of this rule, and remembering to send them in their kits on the right days is yet another mental load.

Wellbythebloodyhell · 06/06/2021 20:44

Burger King not selling a regular hamburger in the drive thru through lockdown

Timeturnerplease · 06/06/2021 21:53

I recently popped to a different Post Office than the one in our village. Was very amused to be sternly told that I must wait outside as it was only safe for one customer to enter at a time. Staff behind glass screens, customers wearing masks, doors and windows open etc.

Post Office floor space similar to - if not larger than - the windowless classroom in which I cram 30 children + heavily pregnant and unvaccinated me for hours every day. No masks allowed as is primary.

Bargebill19 · 07/06/2021 06:16

Large warehouse. Day staff have mandatory temperature checks every morning. Night staff don’t.

StealthPolarBear · 07/06/2021 06:36

@musicalfrog

The kids not being able to get changed into and out of their pe kits in school. Why can't they??

I'm doing a lot more washing as a result of this rule, and remembering to send them in their kits on the right days is yet another mental load.

I agree it's a strange rule (maybe changing rooms are tiny) but I disagree with comments about washing and mental load, it's helped me no end. No need to pack pe bags, and they only wear one set of clothes per day so less washing!
Oysterbabe · 07/06/2021 07:14

I'm at a holiday park at the moment and there's loads.
The changing rooms and toilets at the swimming pools are closed so everyone shows up in their swimwear and huddles together in front of the lockers taking off shoes and sorting out children. In the pool it's as busy and packed as precovid times. Then after everyone traipses off to the nearest open toilets to change. How is this somehow better than letting us use the cubicles in the changing room?

The bar and restaurant is open from 12. People come and go as they please. For some reason in the evening only they take the temperature of people going in 🤷‍♀️

FrangipaniBlue · 07/06/2021 07:58

My work have banned us from using the dishwasher, we have to wash and dry all cups/cutlery etc and put it away.

Nobody is going to fill a sink with hot soapy water for one cup, and don't get me started on everyone using the same manky sponge and towel....

On what planet running a cup under luke warm water gets rid of more germs than a hot dishwasher I have no idea.

musicalfrog · 07/06/2021 08:08

I agree it's a strange rule (maybe changing rooms are tiny) but I disagree with comments about washing and mental load, it's helped me no end. No need to pack pe bags, and they only wear one set of clothes per day so less washing!

@StealthPolarBear

They get changed in their classrooms, and their PE bags would stay in school for the duration of the half term. Also meant the little ones could keep a change of clothes in school in case they got mucky in winter. So poor DC once had to sit in wet trousers all afternoon having fallen over at lunch time. Sad I know all schools work differently but this one I can't get my head around.

Also not having reading books over the weekend so they can quarantine them between children. It's pretty clear now that covid doesn't transmit via touching objects.

40somethingJBJ · 07/06/2021 08:09

My big bugbear has been the amount of shops that have cordoned off the disabled parking bay for queuing. Wickes being one of them. I’ve never seen a queue outside there yet, but apparently it’s too risky for me to park in a blue badge space, so instead I have to hobble slowly across the car park. Oh and they can help me carry stuff to my car, but can’t place it in the open boot. Instead, I have to get less than 2m away from them to take it out of their hands. Can’t quite understand that one at all!

40somethingJBJ · 07/06/2021 08:11

Oh yes, and domino’s not doing a half and half pizza. Why???

LockedFarAway · 07/06/2021 10:15

@musicalfrog

The kids not being able to get changed into and out of their pe kits in school. Why can't they??

I'm doing a lot more washing as a result of this rule, and remembering to send them in their kits on the right days is yet another mental load.

This actually reduced my washing!

On a school day, if it's PE, you have both uniform and PE kit to wash when they get home.

Covid brought me this silver lining that they go to school wearing PE kit or the PE day, so no 'normal' school uniform to have to wash as well that day. Yay!

LockedFarAway · 07/06/2021 10:17

My life train station has the 20 minute waiting area cordoned off. Why?! Why even in the first place, but even more now!

Lockdownbear · 07/06/2021 10:24

The school in a bid to stop all parents congregating at the same gate, have said A-G at one gate, F-M at another and N-Z at the last gate. And theyve closed the bus gate that many parents did kiss and run at so no hanging around.

This in turn means some people are walking past one gate to get to another. Kids who get dropped at the bus gate are now having to walk to the other gates.

workingmummyof2soontobe3 · 08/06/2021 09:52

I have a newborn baby and keep being told I can’t take my pram into restaurants/cafes. It’s really grating on me. Also public toilets being closed at shopping places, this was a nightmare for me when I was heavily pregnant

Lockdownbear · 08/06/2021 11:36

Public toilets being closed is verging on discrimination, many people, women in particular struggle without access to toilets.

Muchmorethan · 08/06/2021 17:40

Toby Carvery...

Pre covid - walk up to counter. Chef puts meat on plate. Serve myself veg, gravy etc. Walk back to table.

Post covid - walk up to counter. Chef 1 puts meat on plate. Chef 2 puts veg on plate. Waitress who is exempt from wearing a mask carries my plate to the table with me following.

So pre covid one person touched my plate. Post covid 3 people are touching my plate.

On questioning this, it is a way to get round then no self service rules

ICanSmellSummerComing · 08/06/2021 19:11

Shuttering off sinks, causing people to have to pack into small public loos whilst waiting for the sink to be free breathing in aerosols in loos.

Forcing another queue whilst waiting to enter a six person only gift shop, large and airy and the queuing place small and crowded.

TruelyStruttingHotpants · 08/06/2021 19:32

Government ban on visitors to care homes. Which was fair enough. However local care home went on community Facebook site and posted this:

Due to the new government ban family and friend visiting our residents they are getting lonely. So we are asking if people want to volunteer to come and sit with some of the residents to keep them company.

Apparently the reason for the visiting ban was lost on the care home management Shock

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