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Original poster

People really have had enough haven’t they?

324 replies

DontWantTheRivalry · 11/01/2022 10:13

I was in my local newsagent this morning and it was me, two women behind the counter and 7 other shoppers.

5 of us were quite huddled together whilst waiting to pay, so we were very close to the staff members behind the till too, and the other two people were still shopping.

Of the ten of us in the shop, which is quite a small newsagents I was the only one wearing a mask and nobody was even bothered that nobody else was. I mean, the shop assistants aren’t going to make an issue of it seeing as they don’t wear masks either.

I felt like such an idiot as I stood there wearing one.

I’m not threatened by Covid, I would love for things to go back to being mask-free, I only wear one because guidance says to rather than because I want to, but I was just so surprised that nobody else was wearing one too.

I felt so uncomfortable wearing one and I think if my hands weren’t full of food and things I probably would have taken mine off because I just felt silly.

It really has made me think that people have just had enough haven’t they?

OP posts:
Crowdfundingforcake · 11/01/2022 11:41

Where are you op? Pretty much full mask compliance here.

itwasntaparty · 11/01/2022 11:41

I am so over the whole thing. I do wear a mask, I don't want to be responsible for infecting anyone else but it really needs to stop.

Now (England, not sure about Scotland / Wales) you now can't get a PCR with a positive LF you just have to isolate. Who is going to carry on testing if they need to go to work to get paid. Surely it's just to drop the numbers?

Yackety · 11/01/2022 11:43

Where I am (North London) it’s rare to see someone without a mask. I’m still complying and will continue to do so.

That said, I’m not at all worried about catching covid and as soon as masks are no longer required I will bin mine with a happy heart.

VikingOnTheFridge · 11/01/2022 11:44

Yes, there is lots of pandemic and restriction fatigue now, though not evenly distributed in the population. Some people will come across much more of it than others.

The constant revelations of more rule breaking from Downing Street contribute to this too. Obviously parties and masks aren't the same thing, but they're both restrictions and I do think the reality that our leaders set rules for us that they didn't bother with has an impact across the board. Not just in terms of anger and defiance, though obviously that's there, but also trust. There are people who did trust our government to set rules needed to best keep us safe, and who stuck to rules on that basis. Once they see that these leaders evidently didn't believe what they were saying, the trust goes and so therefore does the basis for the compliance.

LadyCleathStuart · 11/01/2022 11:45

@IndigoC

The virus doesn’t care if you’ve “had enough”.
This getting trotted out is so annoying. "The virus" - i.e Covid, doesn't have independent thought and doesn't therefore make decisions on how we live our lives so whether it cares if we have had enough means fuck all actually doesn't it.

Lots of types of virus can kill you, they 'don't care' either.

piney07 · 11/01/2022 11:45

@TheKeatingFive that’s a great approach actually

Starlightstarbright1 · 11/01/2022 11:46

I wear a mask at work. Lots if contact with general public. Some are positive. I haven't had a cough, cold, or bug in a very long time....

I am quite irritated people coming close to me no mask.with jo consideration for what i want.

The majority here are still wearing masks i must add.

x2boys · 11/01/2022 11:46

[quote Whatayear81]@x2boys

How come you chose not to wear a mask?[/quote]
It was months ago ,before the current restrictions,im just pointing out if I had worn a mask maybe I wouldn't have caught a virus ,I don't think it's a bad thing ,others won't agree and lots of people have never worn a mask anyway .

nevergoesaway · 11/01/2022 11:46

@doublemonkey

I think most people have had covid now or direct experience with someone in the household having it. Even though they've all been jabbed.

The vast majority of those experiences have been mild colds. People are realising there is a disconnect between what they've been told, and actual reality.

It's hard to keep believing the lies after that.

Can I ask which lies you mean?
TheKeatingFive · 11/01/2022 11:47

The virus doesn’t care if you’ve “had enough”.

Well of course the virus doesn't care, it isn't sentient.

But people ceasing to care does impact government strategies for dealing with it.

It seems that we are shifting away from trying to control spread and towards trying to prevent serious disease, which seems sensible given how challenging the former had become and the strides we've made in the latter.

Whatayear81 · 11/01/2022 11:49

@IndigoC

The virus doesn’t care if you’ve “had enough”.
Always makes me smile when i see posters presenting covid as some kind of being with thoughts and feelings
DynamiteFilledRadish · 11/01/2022 11:49

@IndigoC

The virus doesn’t care if you’ve “had enough”.
Really? Does it not. I don't know how to deal with this information. I thought "the virus" did care. Sad
Saucery · 11/01/2022 11:53

I started wearing one in shops in March 20. I’m immune to the opinion of anyone who doesn’t want to wear one/can’t wear one. Literally could not give a fuck. I’ll stop when rates go down enough.
I do a supermarket shop early in a morning (always have, can’t abide crowded supermarkets) and the majority of people there are wearing them. Many of them are elderly, so if nothing else, me wearing one helps them feel safer, which I’m happy to do.
The only ones who don’t wear them tend to be workmen popping in for their lunches. I suppose they feel invincible or something? Don’t care, as long as I can distance from them.

Deadringer · 11/01/2022 11:54

In Ireland it's rare to see anyone without a mask. I am pretty sure most people are sick of it here too, but are still following the rules.

Disneyblueeyes · 11/01/2022 11:56

Short answer - yes.

Thing is, this whole 'protecting yourself and others' thing starts getting tedious when you have children in your class of 32 coming into school when both parents have covid.
It's everywhere. What's the point anymore?

MarshaBradyo · 11/01/2022 11:58

I think it depends on the area

SE London and still quite high

I’m looking forward to plan b ending though

changingstages · 11/01/2022 12:00

mask wearing still pretty high here (east of England region). It did drop significantly pre-Omicron but it went right back up and has stayed there, for which I'm grateful.

DynamiteFilledRadish · 11/01/2022 12:01

This getting trotted out is so annoying. "The virus" - i.e Covid, doesn't have independent thought and doesn't therefore make decisions on how we live our lives so whether it cares if we have had enough means fuck all actually doesn't it

Very reminiscent of the people who pop on to say "Well, tell that to such and such". Alright, give me their number and I will Confused

Reminds me of those kids at school. You'd be sat talking with a mate and say oh i'm off out for tea with my nan this weekend. Some attention seeker would gasp in horror and say "oh my GOD my nan is DEAD how dare you even say that". Get a grip.

ItchySnoof · 11/01/2022 12:04

I don't blame anyone anymore. I have been very much "Wear a bloody mask and keep your distance" since this whole thing started.

Thankfully, the Tories have royally fucked it given they apparently just carried on doing whatever the hell they liked over strict lockdown.

So fuck it. I have gone this week from being "Follow the rules, get vaccinated and this shall pass" to we just need to live with it. IF you aren't vaccinated then that's your own problem. NHS is fucked either way whether the unvaccinated end up in ITU or not.

Onegingerhead · 11/01/2022 12:05

I wear FFP3 mask in shops. Not because I m scared of Covid or any other reasons, but simply because I have access to get them free and they are supposed to be better/protecting the wearer.
Recently contracted one stinky cold, it was sooo much worse then delta that I had in August. Horrible, still coughing two weeks on.
Unless properly fitted masks are useless whatever people say.

WouldIBeATwat · 11/01/2022 12:08

@Onegingerhead

I wear FFP3 mask in shops. Not because I m scared of Covid or any other reasons, but simply because I have access to get them free and they are supposed to be better/protecting the wearer. Recently contracted one stinky cold, it was sooo much worse then delta that I had in August. Horrible, still coughing two weeks on. Unless properly fitted masks are useless whatever people say.
The mask protects other people from you, not you from them.
zafferana · 11/01/2022 12:08

I've noticed a lot of people ditching masks again recently. When the new mask mandate came in back in early Dec most people were masked again, but lately it's about half and half. I was in Sainsbury's yesterday and while I often don't really look at my fellow shoppers, at one point I looked around to see how many were wearing masks and I was amazed at how few it was. TBH, I only wear one because I don't want to be shouted at. They're of minimal efficacy, at best, so I wouldn't bother otherwise.

Grantanow · 11/01/2022 12:09

Omicron may be mild but if the numbers rise the NHS will struggle. It's simply a matter of percentages. If the NHS struggles it won't be able to cope with non-covid problems. As it is I think it will take several years to clear the backlog of operations and treatments, several years of pain and misery for a lot of people, given the acute shortage of doctors, nurses and other professionals. Boris's rightwing backbenchers are gung ho for business as usual: they are quite willing to sacrifice others while they can afford private treatment. It's not over yet despite what they say.

ShinyHappyPoster · 11/01/2022 12:10

In RL I don't see this tbh. People here are wearing masks. They wouldn't allow that many people in one small shop and people are considerate of the staff so wouldn't be crowding near them because staff might feel they can't complain.
Since Omicrom everyone in our circle has become much more cautious because it's so infectious and because so many people we know have caught it despite being vaccinated and already having had Delta. '
So, actually, I'm seeing the opposite of what you saw in your shop visit. I'm seeing people going back to outside visiting, wearing maks and social distancing. And if they have to see people then they're doing lfts before they see them.

VikingOnTheFridge · 11/01/2022 12:10

Well of course the virus doesn't care, it isn't sentient.

But people ceasing to care does impact government strategies for dealing with it.

Yes, and this should really be obvious, regardless of one's views on the desirability of the situation. One of the reasons we aren't seeing any more restrictions in the UK is because at least a chunk of the public demonstrably will not have it. That's inevitably going to be relevant to the ongoing pandemic management process. It couldn't not be.