From the random box of covid restrictions we now get....

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Facemasks in shops.

I mean really, what is the point now? If they were useful then the time when they were useful was months ago.

Surely the chance of catching covid in a shop is minute, the chance of then being ill is more minute and the chance of dying is vastly remote.

It just feels like it another thing to say just to keep control? I have no problem doing things that make sense and protect others, but really? Public transport where you may be in the vicinity of someone for longer seems fair enough but shops doesn't make sense.

IME so far, having a mask dangling from your neck without even being worn seems to give people carte blanche to stand less than a foot away from others.

It's random because apparently there was no point wearing them at the beginning and middle of a pandemic but now they are vital but the social distance hasn't changed, a fair proportion of folk were doing what the duck they wanted anyway and in my area, there have been 5 cases (probably in a care setting) since the end of May from a population of 95000.

I'm really not fussed about going into other shops, I go to a massive supermarket at a quiet time where there are very few customers or staff around. I self scan. A mask in that situation is completely unnecessary. Was in on Monday and no staff were wearing masks, I was in small local supermarket last night for bread and milk and no staff were wearing masks either. I've now got an online order booked for tomorrow. I don't think I'll be bothering to go in to a shop again.

Well there you go, problem solved.

I’m not going to go to the shops now. I have to wear a face mask on the bus and it’s unbearable.

@fivebrokentests

Well there you go, problem solved.

Yep, so it is

It doesn't solve the shop owners' problems.

Amazon will do well out of it. 🤦‍♀️

Well it is for you. You've decided how you're going to avoid it and folk who don't mind can just get on with it.

It is what it is. Recent evidence suggests it's effective and that's why we're doing it. We are not the only country in the world where this is the case.

Don't like it, don't do it. Simple.

Funnily enough, i don't live in a bubble and I care both about how it affects others (read the thread?) and also the economy and also the slippery slope of doing stuff just because Nicola says so. There is also the risk that they they like having these restrictions, and just decide to keep them using any excuse they want. If you are fine with all that then good for you.

Some people don't have access to on-line shopping either.

Again your bitterness against NIcola Sturgeon shines through. Many other counties have mask wearing as mandatory. She hasn't just pulled it out of nowhere as you suggest. There is increasing evidence that it slows the spread.

How does wearing masks affect the economy?

Yes they are unpleasant but so is full lockdown.

Slippery slope of doing stuff just because Nicola says so

😂😂😂 hilarious

Again your bitterness against NIcola Sturgeon shines through.

And so what? Your love and deference to her shines through. Who exactly are you anyway?

How does wearing masks affect the economy?

Again, have you read the thread? Many people don't want to/can't wear them and don't want to share their medical details so will simply not shop. Less money going into local businesses and people continuing to shop on-line with Amazon etc. It's not rocket science.

People will not shop? Okay then. If people want or need stuff they'll shop. Very simple.

Don't love her or defer to her. Just don't think she's doing anything particularly differently to the vast majority of other countries and cannot understand why a certain element, as usual, are moaning about it as if it's some Nicola Sturgeon power grab.

Who am I? What an utterly bizarre question. I am a random MN user exactly the same as you! Who would I be?

If people need something they’ll just order it from Amazon.
A lot of people, when they go shopping, treat themselves to a coffee and cake and maybe a magazine. All the incidental spending that the high street needs.

Who am I? What an utterly bizarre question. I am a random MN user exactly the same as you! Who would I be?

I dunno, your username is not familiar yet you pop up out of nowhere telling me that I always post negatively about Nicola - just wondered if you had changed name or were stalking me or what?

It's all about control, the SNP have a long history of trying to effect control, not just in the current circumstances and I guess some of us don't want to sleepwalk into 1984. NS is a product of Salmond's training. She is intelligent, articulate and a consummate politician. I just don't like what she stands for or how she goes about it. I'm allowed to have a view, I'm allowed to air that view and some people agree with me, some don't, they are equally allowed to do so.

Face masks are not mandatory in England and they are in Scotland and Wales I believe. Maybe we'll find in a few weeks no discernible difference in terms of infection control between the approaches and they can be scrapped.

In the meantime I'm sure there are enough sensible folk willing to wear masks to keep things going as best they can in the circumstances.

Where I am the shops are mobbed with mask wearers who clearly have no issue. If others want to stay in to make a point then do that 🤷🏾‍♀️

@KaronAVyrus

If people need something they’ll just order it from Amazon. A lot of people, when they go shopping, treat themselves to a coffee and cake and maybe a magazine. All the incidental spending that the high street needs.

Plus parking revenue, public transport, fuel.

And the element of not particularly needing something but buying it just because you've seen it and fancy having it. I don't tend to browse and buy extra when I shop on-line, I just get what I need.

I'd be more supportive if they were to say that the social distance measures can be vastly reduced in small shops if everyone wears a mask so that more customers could get in at a time rather than having 2 folk in and a queue outside. Or that supermarkets could increase the numbers of shoppers in at a time.

Just been to the dentist (yippie!!!).
It was like entering an ebola infested area overrun by zombies...
Anyway, out of the experience I got a free mask. Now I own 2 which have been gifted to me. They will do for the next few weeks/months I suppose.
The dental care sutuation is appealing. They cannot use drills, which means if you are in pain

1. it is a from tooth, so you are sent to the hospital
2. it is a back tooth, in which case it can be taken out. Drills will be allowed in phase n, with a random number as big as you like. The dentist was quite pissed off and did wonder whether we are just wasting time if a vaccine is not forthcoming. This is a clear case where the cure is worst the disease.

Re: masks, the fact that they have been introduced like that leads me to believe that they are here to stay (and until a few days ago on the government website they still said there was no evidence masks were needed, and I am talking about phas 0, 1 and 2. I have not checked of late). Next winter with the flu, on come the masks again.
Zimmer frames become the norm in shoe shops.
Rotten teeth become again the norm.
This is not a scene out of a dystopian novel...

I'd be more supportive if they were to say that the social distance measures can be vastly reduced in small shops if everyone wears a mask so that more customers could get in at a time rather than having 2 folk in and a queue outside.

This makes no sense. Do you ever read any of the science surrounding the spread of coronavirus? You're basically okay then with some rules/ control as long as the Scottish government didn't come up with it.

I've name changed. Not a stalker. You do stand out to me though because you are so articulate and you write so well but the things that you say are often so deliberately thrawn / misleading. Like the title of this thread for example. I do feel you're one of these people who, and I saw this on twitter and take no credit, would call out for jobby suppers to be served free to school children if Nicola sturgeon encouraged us not to eat shite.

I personally find that very frustrating and cannot help but respond/ get irked. That's my fault. You're right though. We're all entitled to our own opinion.

So are the UK government insisting on masks on public transport also doing it to control people?

I do get that it uncomfortable and unpleasant. I'm lucky in that I don't have a condition that makes it more difficult for me, and I've kind of got used to it now (been wearing a mask to the supermarket for quite a while now). Re people finding clothes shops stressful - I went into one for the first time earlier this week and I really didn't like it, too crowded and too many people, but I also got panicked in my first supermarket trip and I'm ok with them now, so maybe worth trying again if you need/want to go?

Other cultures that have mask-wearing as standard may have ideas on how to address some of the problems?

I've ordered my bird food on Amazon today so I don't have to go to the local shop.

@WaxOnFeckOff it will be one of the two people who made me change my own username. Goady cybernats who can't see anything other than their own POV.

Anyway can I ask you what the online grocery shopping experience was like? Was it really hard to get a slot? I am thinking of doing this now, I'm just a bit worried about slot availability and getting lots of stupid substitutions. I'm tempted to maybe do meat shopping at the farmers markets instead and get the toiletries etc via amazon or something.

I can't see the facemasks rule lasting long. My friend who works at Asda says abuse of their staff has been unbelievable, and the staff themselves are really uncomfortable behind both a mask and visor. I also think a lot of shops (especially smaller ones) will lose a lot of customers who just wont bother coming. I expect a face mask U Turn in a month or so. At least I hope so. This could be another thing that loses nippy some votes.

If people need something they’ll just order it from Amazon.
A lot of people, when they go shopping, treat themselves to a coffee and cake and maybe a magazine. All the incidental spending that the high street needs.

This. We have a lot of disposable income. It's my birthday in a few weeks, I get £500 from my inlaws plus cash from a few other relatives. Plus I can buy whatever I want from dh and the kids. Normally I'd go shopping, this year the thought makes me feel sick with panic. Dh is angry because of the effect it's having on me so wants to order everything online which is adding to my distress about the whole situation. We have lots of little local shops that I'd rather support.

We're off to Blair Drummond on Sunday. The kids have £50 each from my mum to buy toys with (apparently we don't have enough already). I'm stressed about that even though dh can easily take them into the shop but it's making me feel worthless again.

Someone posted a link on another mask thread basically saying trauma wasnt a good enough excuse and that without any medical supervision you should just desensitise yourself. Funny isn't it, when I was doing desensitisation stuff as part of therapy, it was with a psychologist in tow and extra appointments with the psychiatrist. Now apparently it's fine to attempt it with zero help whilst looking after young children and yet we're the selfish ones.

@OOAOML,
It is not the masks per se, but the fact that the rule makes no sense (and it has been pointed out plenty of times on this thread) and until yesterday we were fine without masks.
At the local baker I saw a guy with his masks... Over his chin.