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Original poster

If you’re this worried about catching the virus you should stay at home

128 replies

TheRebelle · 09/06/2021 20:43

Today I was in a lovely National Trust property with my 4 year old, masked up and lathered in hand sanitiser, walking around chatting we went through to the next room where, unknown to us, a couple were standing behind the door and the man put his hand out toward us and barked Stop! Two meters! And then turned his back to us. Now I had no intention of going any closer to him anyway but was it really necessary to shout at us, he could’ve at least said would you mind keeping the two meter distance from us please? Or some such, it really upset me.

OP posts:
tootyfruitypickle · 10/06/2021 06:33

Try being out with a teenager! We always keep our distance, and we were crossing roads to avoid people at the height, but not now. Have also had occasions of people virtually hurdling over walls despite us walking single file on opposite side of the pavement. Our days of walking in the road are over now though.

I think it depends where you are though and how fearful that community is and that makes it very sad to me.

Where I live in the countryside is fine, but we went to a tourist location on holiday last week and it was very different . One elderly lady looked terrified when she saw dd. I wouldn't go on holiday in the UK again fir a year or two for that reason .

PracticingPerson · 10/06/2021 06:37

Maybe people who are surprised and upset by occasional randomers being a bit arsey should 'stay the fuck at home'? The man wasn't in the right but really have you never met a grouchy rude person before?

This would not upset me enough to start a thread hours later. There are lots of grouchy people out there, for all sorts of reasons.

tootyfruitypickle · 10/06/2021 06:41

My DM is not vaccinated for health reasons. She is elderly and weak and would not do well with covid, but she would never ever behave like this. She manages her own behaviour not that of others. I think that's the point of the OP. It's not an ageist or bitchy thread but just sharing experiences as personally I find these difficult. It's not negating how shit the last year has been for older people or those shielding. I constantly think about how I act and keep others safe when out .

littlepeas · 10/06/2021 06:42

I saw a man wafting some women off the pavement with a greetings card so that he could pass. He got the pavement of course. I was driving past, but did briefly consider pulling over and telling him how ridiculous he was.

Emphasising that I have never actually done this - I find I get the urge to have a huge coughing fit next to people like this.

Original poster
TheRebelle · 10/06/2021 06:48

I get he was obviously very worried about catching the virus but if you’re so anxious about it that you can’t be within 2 meters of someone for the time it takes to say “please” then walking around a small National Trust property with only one way out probably isn’t the right activity for you.

For those saying I shouldn’t be bothered by it or that I’m being bitchy I don’t know where you live but I’m not used to being shouted at in public by strange men and it shocked me, as I’m sure it would most people, I think if you’re going to walk around shouting at women and small children then you should accept that people are going to bitch about you!

OP posts:
alloalloallo · 10/06/2021 06:50

I got hollered at to keep back as I walked into the co-op yesterday morning

A man was standing just inside, to one side of the doorway chatting to someone behind the till.

I told him that a) I couldn’t actually see him until I was in the shop so maybe he should move further inside and b) I wasn’t going to stand around outside waiting for him to finish his chat

I’ve had enough of this behaviour now.

The countless times my mask exempt teen DD has been subjected to abuse for not wearing a mask (she wears a mask exempt lanyard and another lanyard explaining her disability).

PracticingPerson · 10/06/2021 06:53

@TheRebelle this can't be the first time you learnt some people are rude? You sound very easily upsettable. He was wrong but it was such a small incident. He didn't use any aggressive language, he didn't swear.

Maybe try to move on. He is either a) genuinely worried b) got MH issue c) an arse.

If a or b, the response would be pity, if c the response would be Hmm

TheClaws · 10/06/2021 07:03

I assume he wasn't just singling out women and small children for his yelling treatment, as you imply Rebelle?

WokeFest · 10/06/2021 07:05

When someone shouts at you or acts like a dick, please be the last one they do this to, by ripping them a new one in public, so they think twice about ever doing it again.

BluePheasant · 10/06/2021 07:05

I'd put put money on it men aren't experiencing this kind of behaviour anyway near as frequently as women. It's just becoming another form of misogyny. The whole retoric that people are still terrified is bullshit. People who are genuinely still very anxious about covid generally respond by checking their own behaviour, going shopping at quiet times etc, not shouting at random members of the public.

Arrowheart · 10/06/2021 07:07

@Ostara212

That guy needs to stay the fuck at home and I'd have told him so.
Agree
Iminaglasscaseofemotion · 10/06/2021 07:07

I think some people have just gone a bit power mad with it. Gives them a good excuse to e angry at people.

Original poster
TheRebelle · 10/06/2021 07:10

@PracticingPerson tbh I think this is the first time a complete stranger has ever shouted at me in public, it was quite aggressive and completely different to someone being a bit rude.

OP posts:
Arrowheart · 10/06/2021 07:11

@RedcurrantPuff

The one thing I’ll miss about masks is being able to mouth obscenities at these people
Yes! Masks are brilliant for that. Not much else but for that they work.
Roselilly36 · 10/06/2021 07:27

I agree with you OP, the fear is just terrible with some surrounding COVID, all fuelled IMHO by the media.

GlencoraP · 10/06/2021 07:32

I was hissed at by someone in Waitrose, there was stacks of space between us . At least three meters plus a display of strawberries Hmm Again it was an older man and I’m not young.

There was a survey recently to see if people knew how far 2m was . Replies ranged from 2feet to the equivalent of about 4m. For people over 65 many think in feet and inches and actually have very little idea how far 2m is.

Wherediditgo · 10/06/2021 07:36

He sounds like a twat.

GlencoraP · 10/06/2021 07:39

Also there seems to be an epidemic in our small town ( large affluent retired population) of holding your hand up like a traffic policeman to stop people coming nearer. It’s quite intimidating.

FakeColinCaterpillar · 10/06/2021 07:46

I’ve had an older man shout at me because I passed him briefly outside at night without a mask on.
DH is ECV he hardly left the house for a year. Now he’s double vaccinated he’s going out and has to accept that people can’t always stay 2 metres away. If he’s not happy then he moves away.

Although I did nearly scream at a woman in lidl who would not get away from me in the queue. I had to put the trolley between us in the end.

nether · 10/06/2021 07:47

@GlencoraP

Also there seems to be an epidemic in our small town ( large affluent retired population) of holding your hand up like a traffic policeman to stop people coming nearer. It’s quite intimidating.
The solution would be to keep further away.

Which do you object to - the idea of really keeping away, or being told off because you're not doing it?

but if you’re so anxious about it that you can’t be within 2 meters of someone for the time it takes to say “please” then walking around a small National Trust property with only one way out probably isn’t the right activity for you

This is cruel and unfair. People shouid be able to go to places and expect proper social distancing. If it were the case that you could legally exclude people on the basis of their physical health, so that others can breach SD regulations that are required for entrance with no come back, I think that would be an unfortunate precedent for disability rights. And it's a shocking indictment of how society views the most vulnerable.

Cruel, btw, because the most vulnerable have the most limited lives already. And it seems there are people who want to take even more away.

PracticingPerson · 10/06/2021 08:01

[quote TheRebelle]@PracticingPerson tbh I think this is the first time a complete stranger has ever shouted at me in public, it was quite aggressive and completely different to someone being a bit rude.[/quote]
But he didn't shout something rude is my point. Have you really, really never seen someone shout 'fuck off' to a stranger?

I am not saying it is right, he was in the wrong, but I would not be upset about this at all. I would assume he had some kind of problem and forget all about it.

I think it'd be easier on you if you could just put it aside.

TopTabby · 10/06/2021 08:09

I agree he was probably a grumpy git before Covid & worse now. My neighbour is very similar, like we've all got Covid & are determined to give it to them!!
The fact he'll most likely be double vaccinated too, what an old busybody.

Original poster
TheRebelle · 10/06/2021 08:19

@nether I agree with you that people should be able to go places and expect social distancing, however you also have to accept that there will be the odd time someone comes within 2m of you for various perfectly valid reasons. In this case he was out of my view, I had no idea he was there, if he hadn’t shouted at me I would’ve seen him and walked back until he moved on, I had no intention of breathing down his neck. If he panicked and shouted all he had to do was follow it up with a “sorry”.

OP posts:
PawsQueen · 10/06/2021 08:20

I did ask someone to move back the other day but in my defence I had nowhere to go, and she was so close she had already knocked my handbag (on my shoulder) and was breathing down my neck. We were outside but I'm CEV with no idea if the vaccine will work for me
She told me covid was over and didn't move Confused

PracticingPerson · 10/06/2021 08:42

This thread is very Princess and the pea.

Yes he was wrong.
Yes he was grumpy/rude.
Yes he should, in an ideal world, have said sorry.

Seriously though, how upset are you, really, by this incident? On a scale of 1-10, this is a 2 at most.