Shopping & Face Masks

[AVB]

Went to see new pup today and on way back popped into Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. The vast majority of shoppers were wearing face masks although surprisingly quite a few shop workers weren’t as apparently they don’t have to! 
 

Of the shoppers who I observed not wearing masks the majority were BAME.  
 

personally I found it a faff and talking was difficult. 

[Mice!]

I've been out tonight,  I gave blood this evening and everyone was wearing masks, made perfect sense,  for the nhs staff and people giving blood, you can't distance so wear a mask.

Then I went to Aldi, again everyone was wearing a mask, some staff weren't at the tills? But they had them.

But the pubs I drove past looked busy, no real social distance being kept, no masks.

If they had said in April and May wear masks then I could understand it but now??

How many people will be out drinking then mingling in work on Monday. 

[Bumble]

I did the big shop in Lidl earlier, and every single person in there was wearing a mask (including me, in my rather nice one from Fortis). It was quite refreshing to see that nobody was being an eejit with it. 

[vmaxphil]

Personally I think the horse has well and truly bolted on that idea, people should have been using them in April/may the reason the government didn't was there wouldn't have been enough to go round for the health service, I think the idea is that the shops can allow more people in to help boost sales and the economy while being safe 

[Old Boggy]

Shopping in Aldi yesterday I noticed that everyone was wearing a mask except a young couple who definitely had no apparent health issues and obviously thought that they were above the law. Being a founder member of the Grumpy Old Men's Club, I just couldn't resist voicing my opinion to them, which obviously was totally ignored. This was pretty brave of me as the guy could have made mincemeat of me and I was secretly hoping that he would retaliate, cause a scene and so draw attention to himself.

I was sincerely wishing that the couple would be refused to be served, but wasn't around at the tills at that time. Apparently it is not the shop assistant's job to uphold the law or even comment, but the police have to be involved.

OB

 

[Cranfield]

It does seem to be a strange timetable of restrictions, like others I would have thought the stringent measures would come at the beginning, like lockdown.
Now compulsory masks in shops and strong conjecture that vinyl gloves worn in public will be next, all seems a bit back to front.

After so many weeks we should be taking the gloves off and the masks next, not putting them on.
I am not being too critical, as it is a learning curve, but it does seem odd, which is why I think some people are flouting the rules.

I would add that I saw high levels of compliance in shops.

[AVB]

28 minutes ago, Old Boggy said:

Shopping in Aldi yesterday I noticed that everyone was wearing a mask except a young couple who definitely had no apparent health issues and obviously thought that they were above the law. Being a founder member of the Grumpy Old Men's Club, I just couldn't resist voicing my opinion to them, which obviously was totally ignored. This was pretty brave of me as the guy could have made mincemeat of me and I was secretly hoping that he would retaliate, cause a scene and so draw attention to himself.

I was sincerely wishing that the couple would be refused to be served, but wasn't around at the tills at that time. Apparently it is not the shop assistant's job to uphold the law or even comment, but the police have to be involved.

OB

 

They possibly did t have any health issues but how do you know? My wife finds the masks really aggravates her asthma.  

[Scully]

A manager at the restaurant my OH works at had to leave the restaurant last night to get a bottle of wine they had run out of and donned his mask prior to entering the off license. 
When he asked the lady if they stocked it she apologised and said he would have to remove his mask as she was quite deaf and lip read! He did, but when a young lad entered the shop without one, she immediately asked him to put one on! 😀

[dodgy dave]

women are like that

[Guest]

I called into Leisureways yesterday, I had a mask but had forgotten to put it on. Bloke behind the counter told me I should be wearing one, he didn't kick off about it though. Wouldn't have minded but it seemed a bit silly. I was the only customer and there were 3 members of staff, none of whom were wearing masks.

Called into Lidl afterwards and everyone, including me, and all the staff, was wearing a mask.

I have to say I don't envy the NHS staff who have had to wear them all day long. I only had mine on for 15 minutes and it was very irritating.

Edited July 25, 2020 by Mr_Nobody

[Scully]

11 minutes ago, dodgy dave said:

women are like that

😀

Edited July 25, 2020 by Scully

[Scully]

7 minutes ago, Mr_Nobody said:

 

I have to say I don't envy the NHS staff who have had to wear them all day long. I only had mine on for 15 minutes and it was very irritating.

This. I wear dust masks quite regularly and have various versions, including one with a respirator, so it’s not alien to me, but they are a bind and get hot after a few hours. 
What really puzzles me about the whole mask thing is the attitudes of certain people who wear them.

I watched a game of football on the tv the other week, and the team were wearing them as they got off the team bus, but during the game they’re all spitting like crazy, then rolling around in the grass and handling a ball which has been rolling around in it. TheN they’re all having a hug, but walking off it’s all back to touching elbows again! It’s hilarious! 
Im assuming in the present climate anyone spitting in the street would be frowned upon, but no ones rolling around in it. 
Is it me? 😀

[Dougy]

We have to wear them at work, and bump caps, and safety glasses and ear protection. Most of it all day, when i leave work i still think i am wearing most of it, if you are requested to wear them for the safety of yourself and others i dont understand why so many have issues with it. But then i suppose its those sort of people who do have issues. 

[Mice!]

4 hours ago, vmaxphil said:

Personally I think the horse has well and truly bolted on that idea, people should have been using them in April/may the reason the government didn't was there wouldn't have been enough to go round for the health service, I think the idea is that the shops can allow more people in to help boost sales and the economy while being safe 

Getting more people in the shops would make sense,  otherwise it all seems months too late to me.

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Mice! said:

Getting more people in the shops would make sense,  otherwise it all seems months too late to me.

 

I've said the same thing myself. I suspect the reason it wasn't pushed upon us earlier was for fear that the NHS would run short of masks. With (hopefully) the worst of it out of the way we can hopefully prevent a serious second wave and encourage people to go out and about a bit more.

[wascal]

6 hours ago, AVB said:

They possibly did t have any health issues but how do you know? My wife finds the masks really aggravates her asthma.  

+1

I hadnt used my asthma  spray for months but have used it twice today in shops.

When doing dusty work I use a twin canister mask with no problems, but I'm not standing in the chip shop queue looking like Darth Vader

[amateur]

56 minutes ago, wascal said:

+1

I hadnt used my asthma  spray for months but have used it twice today in shops.

When doing dusty work I use a twin canister mask with no problems, but I'm not standing in the chip shop queue looking like Darth Vader

They might push you to the head of the queue if you did! 😁

[Scully]

6 hours ago, wascal said:

+1

I hadnt used my asthma  spray for months but have used it twice today in shops.

When doing dusty work I use a twin canister mask with no problems, but I'm not standing in the chip shop queue looking like Darth Vader

You aren’t obliged to wear them if you have a medical condition such as asthma. 

[ClemFandango]

21 hours ago, Old Boggy said:

Shopping in Aldi yesterday I noticed that everyone was wearing a mask except a young couple who definitely had no apparent health issues and obviously thought that they were above the law. Being a founder member of the Grumpy Old Men's Club, I just couldn't resist voicing my opinion to them, which obviously was totally ignored. This was pretty brave of me as the guy could have made mincemeat of me and I was secretly hoping that he would retaliate, cause a scene and so draw attention to himself.

I was sincerely wishing that the couple would be refused to be served, but wasn't around at the tills at that time. Apparently it is not the shop assistant's job to uphold the law or even comment, but the police have to be involved.

OB

 

Well done you busy body. 

I have asthma. No outward signs. I'm in my late thirties, 6'2" 15 stone, generally fit as I climb trees, drag deer etc for a living.  But I can assure you, in hot weather wearing a mask can be enough to trigger an attack. It has happened before when wood working. 

I went into a garage on the A11 to buy fuel yesterday and couldn't wear a mask, it was hot and sticky and my chest was constricted. There was a queue of cars waiting so I didn't want to hold any body up. I had a mask in my pocket but chose not to wear it. I hadn't even got in the door and a woman shouted at me from across the forecourt. I ignored her and entered and a guy in his fifties decided to have a pop. I told him I have asthma and I just want to pay for my fuel and leave. He actually responded with "Don't be such a poof." 

Luckily a member of staff intervened and brought me to the front of the queue, gave him a right ticking off in the process. 

After that I had to park up and have my inhaler and calm down could very easily have resulted in an attack and an ambulance being called. 

But hey. As long as you feel important I'm sure putting someone through that is worth it eh? 

[Old Boggy]

16 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Well done you busy body. 

I have asthma. No outward signs. I'm in my late thirties, 6'2" 15 stone, generally fit as I climb trees, drag deer etc for a living.  But I can assure you, in hot weather wearing a mask can be enough to trigger an attack. It has happened before when wood working. 

I went into a garage on the A11 to buy fuel yesterday and couldn't wear a mask, it was hot and sticky and my chest was constricted. There was a queue of cars waiting so I didn't want to hold any body up. I had a mask in my pocket but chose not to wear it. I hadn't even got in the door and a woman shouted at me from across the forecourt. I ignored her and entered and a guy in his fifties decided to have a pop. I told him I have asthma and I just want to pay for my fuel and leave. He actually responded with "Don't be such a poof." 

Luckily a member of staff intervened and brought me to the front of the queue, gave him a right ticking off in the process. 

After that I had to park up and have my inhaler and calm down could very easily have resulted in an attack and an ambulance being called. 

But hey. As long as you feel important I'm sure putting someone through that is worth it eh? 

Point well and truly taken.

I will in future desist in forming an opinion on someone's health, but in my defence on this occasion, the couple were well known in the area, known to be perfectly healthy (something I omitted in my post) and also known to be persistent flouters of most laws going and general trouble makers with several convictions for burglary, car theft and latterly drug offences. Perhaps this knowledge clouded my judgement and actions.

However, I take your point, sympathise greatly with your condition and apologise if my post appeared to indicate an intrusive nature on my behalf, but given all the known circumstances, I believe that others would have reacted similarly.

OB

[WalkedUp]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/disabled-woman-abused-stranger-train-18660291.amp

As I have said it on here before, you never can know some stranger’s circumstances. I wear a mask as I’m fit as a fiddle. 

[The Heron]

I took the dog out for a walk last night going past the pubs lots of people in but observing no social distancing whatsoever walking past two restaurants and no one in usually packed at that time of the night. 

[Diver One]

I went in the local village chippy for a fishcake barm on Friday ( proper one 2 scallops and a piece of fish in't middle )

chippy is tiny and they only allow one person in at a time and there is a screen the full length of the counter. Go in, order, pay, stand outside and they shout you when ready. Asked about wearing my mask. He said 50% wore them, 50% didn't . Of the ones that  wore them he reckoned at least 75% had them on wrong.   But he said that 100% were buying from him

[ClemFandango]

1 hour ago, Old Boggy said:

Point well and truly taken.

I will in future desist in forming an opinion on someone's health, but in my defence on this occasion, the couple were well known in the area, known to be perfectly healthy (something I omitted in my post) and also known to be persistent flouters of most laws going and general trouble makers with several convictions for burglary, car theft and latterly drug offences. Perhaps this knowledge clouded my judgement and actions.

However, I take your point, sympathise greatly with your condition and apologise if my post appeared to indicate an intrusive nature on my behalf, but given all the known circumstances, I believe that others would have reacted similarly.

OB

Fair enough. 

I have used my mask the other couple of times I have been in shops, and will continue to where I can. It's a build up of issues that stopped me wearing it the other day. 

If the couple were known to you and genuinely deliberately flouting the mask rule then that's understandable. I just jumped to the conclusion that you were one of the self appointed corona police. Apologies. I suppose there is an irony there. 

There is also an irony that wearing a mask may be prohibited by having a respiratory condition but, in wearing a mask you protect other people from corona, who may have a respiratory condition and therefore be at increased risk. 

[Old Boggy]

3 minutes ago, ClemFandango said:

Fair enough. 

I have used my mask the other couple of times I have been in shops, and will continue to where I can. It's a build up of issues that stopped me wearing it the other day. 

If the couple were known to you and genuinely deliberately flouting the mask rule then that's understandable. I just jumped to the conclusion that you were one of the self appointed corona police. Apologies. I suppose there is an irony there. 

There is also an irony that wearing a mask may be prohibited by having a respiratory condition but, in wearing a mask you protect other people from corona, who may have a respiratory condition and therefore be at increased risk. 

You have my utmost sympathy with your condition. I am pretty healthy and find wearing a mask quite restrictive, but do so all the same, so in your case it must be pretty uncomfortable.

I learnt my lesson a few years ago, not to judge on first impressions. I was outside an Asda store when a young lad, baseball cap on back to front raced into a disabled spot with almost a handbrake turn and screeched to a halt. Continuing to watch, I saw the lad get out only to be surprised that he had two false legs ! He was probably either a young war veteran or possibly the recipient of a very bad accident. Just goes to show. All is not what it seems. 

I learnt then not to judge upon first impressions and I always try to give people the benefit of any doubt.

OB