Refusing services to unvaccinated. What are your thoughts?

[TheChip]

I'm just curious to hear of people's thoughts on this.
I have currently been refused a service due to being unvaccinated, in the UK. Its not a service that would require close proximity like a hairdresser, but in the same space for a period of time.

My thoughts on it are while I understand and respect people's choices and comfort levels, I do find it hard to grasp when the virus is both passed between those vaccinated or unvaccinated. Even if you throw in the comments about how vaccination reduces transmission, it is still transmissible.

I would have been more than willing to LFT before every contact, and wear a mask. But this wasn't an option. Which I guess is the part I find most difficult to understand. That they would be comfortable and willing to be around those vaccinated, possibly even without testing. Which I'd expect testing to be expected for both vaccinated and unvaccinated for someone who is clearly so uncomfortable.

So yeah, what are your thoughts

@xenobitch

If I were an especially cautious driving instructor I would be asking for ltf and vaccine. As ltf's are not 100% either. Also other cautious customers might be glad of this policy.

Op is not aware of their circumstances perhaps they are vulnerable, anxious or have vulnerable family. They shouldn't forced to take unvaccinated customers just as people shouldn't be forced to have vaccine.

@CorrBlimeyGG

Like I said, I could have LFT before each lesson but that wasn't an option or even a requirement. So that means, it's quite possible that vaccinated people are more of a risk than I would have been.

This is really skewed thinking. If this is the kind of 'logic' that made you decide not to have the vaccine, I expect your reasoning to be heavily flawed.

How is it skewed? If both vaccinated and unvaccinated can transmit this virus, but no tests are required. Then the instructor is still at risk of catching it, even if her customers are strictly only vaccinated.

Where as if tests were required before each lesson, then it would lower the risks of transmission. Unless, of course the virus wasn't showing up on the test yet.

Reason being the vaccinated could have been more a risk than me is that since I'm.unvaccinated, if she allowed me to test but didn't require testing from those who had been vaccinated.

Clever.

The fewer people we have driving around with limited decision-making capability and minimal regard for other people the better.

I would have been looking for a new driving instructor no matter if I had been vaccinated or not. That’s a very intrusive question about your personal medical information.

@goeasyonmee

Clever.

The fewer people we have driving around with limited decision-making capability and minimal regard for other people the better.

😂

Your choice not to be vaccinated, there choice not to teach you to drive. Respect of peoples choice works two ways .

@Qwertykeys

Your choice not to be vaccinated, there choice not to teach you to drive. Respect of peoples choice works two ways .

I do respect their choice

@GemGEmGemster There are far more important criteria on which I would base my friendships and relationships than whether someone is vaccinated. I honestly can't stand attitudes like yours. They're naive, baseless and in my opinion dangerous. There will be things in your life important to you, where you are afforded the freedom of choice and I can bet my hat that whatever those are, if they were taken away, you might feel differently. There are a multitude of reasons people make their decisions. What an awful load of clones we would be without our differing opinions and choices.

The thing is, OP, you're convinced that their reasoning is illogical and doesn't make sense. However, to most people, your decision not to get vaccinated is illogical and doesn't make sense. There is no accounting for the choices people make!

@goeasyonmee

Clever.

The fewer people we have driving around with limited decision-making capability and minimal regard for other people the better.

Yes, because someone's vaccine status is an indication of whether or not they would be a good driver.

As for reasons why one is unvaccinated, that really shouldn't be relevant. They either have an issue with unvaccinated or they don't. I dont think a medical exemption should really matter. Especially if it is a case of not wanting the disruption caused by the isolation period of an unvaccinated person.

It doesn't matter what you think. The law says medical exemption matters. Some people can't be vaccinated due to medical reasons. If they were refused a service based on not being vaccinated when they can't be vaccinated for medical reasons they could well have a case for discrimination. The same way pregnancy related time off is different from other time off - the reason matters for discrimination purposes.

Has anyone ever got a medical exemption though, people speak of them but I have never heard of anyone having one, it just seems to be tough luck if you can't have the vax for medical reasons.

@TheChip

Its a driving instructor. Thankfully not one from a large company, but it was at the finalisation stages before she asked me my vaccination status. So it is worrying me that others are going to be the same. I am on waiting lists and reluctant to ask incase I highlight an issue that wouldn't otherwise be an issue.

A lot of driving instructors are self employed. They will have already experienced a lot of disruption to business at present ( lessons cancelled due to illness/isolation etc) and will be desperately trying to avoid as much contact as possible with Covid in order to maintain their earnings . They won't just be thinking of how they themselves feel but also how other clients feel. If you are vaccinated, you are more likely to avoid infection, or have a milder illness that produces less virus. This reduces chance of infection for both the instructor and other clients who will be sitting with the instructor while he might have Covid and be asymptomatic. If the instructor has been in close contact with someone with Covid he may find that other clients are not happy about being in close contact with him for a few days. All the above will reduce the instructor's income. I think it is ok for them to set boundaries in order to protect their business income.

@XenoBitch exactly. Driving requires you to make sensible decisions and consider the safety of others.

[quote goeasyonmee]@XenoBitch exactly. Driving requires you to make sensible decisions and consider the safety of others. [/quote]
My dad is triple vaccinated and he only considers the safety of himself. I, as an unvaccinated person am far more cautious than he is. He refused to test when he clearly had symptoms because "what difference would it make anyway? It's not going to make me feel any better" As he was planning on heading out the door to go shopping

@TheChip yeah I guess it's not a catch-all solution but at least it's something.

Just like you have a choice to not to get vaccinated, others have choice to refuse service, I think.

I just personally don't understand that stance.

Back atcha OP!

Brave yourself OP

Because I reckon your income is going o take a nose dive

Presumably the driving instructor has to pay insurance, and may be obligated to follow guidelines set by the insurance company?

@AllyBama

I live in Western Australia and from the 31st of this month, the unvaccinated are going to come under the strictest restrictions in the world that I’m aware of. And I say this as a triple vaxxed ICU nurse, and even I went ‘oh wow’.

They won’t be able to visit any hospitals or aged care facilities, any drinking or dining at any hospitality venue (so from a posh restaurant right down to McDonald’s but they can get takeaway), no amusement parks or the zoo, no theatres or movie cinemas, no music festivals, no gyms, no indoor play centers (ie: soft play), the casino, bottle shops (the off license - you can’t buy alcohol in supermarkets here), no nightclubs or live music venues. For real. It’s all a bit surreal.

That’s quite a list. Are there restrictions on certain jobs as well, like healthcare?

I'd image self employed people to be significantly more concerned about coming into contact with Covid. Self isolation means no income for them.

It's good business sense to reduce your chance of getting it.

Driving instructor not U to have that policy. Unvaccinated clients mean higher risks for instructor and other clients’ of transmission, also that unvaccinated client would be required to isolate and cancel lessons.

@Underhisi

"The question is how can we know if OP is being discriminated against?"

There has to be a breach of the equality act 2010. This isn't one.

There might be if, for example, someone is not vaccinated for a medical reason that amounts to a disability. Or if certain groups are less likely to be vaccinated (for example, people of a particular race) there could be indirect discrimination.

Maybe they just don’t want to spend time with anti-vaxxers?

I know a couple who own businesses and I will not use their businesses on principle.

Medical exemption different kettle of fish.