And about time, too!

In the small town where I live, nearly everyone has a mask on in shops. In our local butcher’s the other day, (only 2 in at a time), the chap in front of me wasn’t wearing a mask. The assistant chatted to him, so I assumed he was a regular.

After he left, I said to her “ Is there a reason why he wasn’t wearing a mask?”

She looked really surprised, and said “ Oh, I didn’t notice he wasn’t!” which I’m sure was true.

I didn’t say anything to him because for all I knew, he was one of the exempt ones, and also probably because if I’m honest, I didn’t want to make a fuss.

Coward.

Sarnia - short of having armed police enforcing the rules, there will always be those who consider they are above the law and rules are for other people. There have been enough examples of this since the first lockdown period, especially over the Christmas period!! The spread of the virus is not the fault of one person, not even Boris.

Witzend

Well, bus drivers around here won’t let anyone on without a mask (or an official lanyard) so I don’t see why the same couldn’t apply to shops.
A big burly bouncer-type at the door would help, though I dare say they don’t all have one of those to spare.

Theres no such thing as an official lanyard though. There are things anyone can print off from the internet.....

Grannytwoshoes why have you singled out smokers??
I am a smoker, I wear a mask when I'm expected to. I'm not really shopping (I'm lucky enough to get deliveries) but I have a Dr's appointment today and I will be wearing a mask when I'm outside.

My sister lives in Spain. As soon as they leave their house they have to wear a mask. There are no exemptions in Spain, you don't get to wear a lanyard or say you have xyz which means you can't wear a mask. You either wear one or you stay at home.

They are strict on the fines too. Any one flouting the rules it is an instant 60 euro fine.

My sister can't believe the amount of non mask wearing that goes on here

I'd not be allowing any exceptions, you wear a mask or you don't come in. If someone's health issues are such that they can't wear a mask for the duration of a shop, then they're far too vulnerable to be out and about in a pandemic, especially now we have this new more easily transmitted variant.

I have reconciled myself to the fact that our country is far too slow and slack to implement anything sensible. According to Boris, he isn't keen on a curfew because it isn't British!!!???

In some countries it is mandatory to wear a mask when out of your own home. DD's commune handed out medical quality masks to all households, they could not use the excuse that they did not have one.

I franchise in one off the large supermarket chains in South east and the manager will stand and talk to his staff whilst he’s wearing a mask and his staff are not. I’ve reported it to HO.We have a security guy on the door but he’s been instructed not to confront people who are not wearing one. My local Asda has a lady on there door handing out masks to people attempting to walk in without one, this seems to be working.

One of the reasons that masks were not made Mandatory from the start of Lockdown One, was that there weren't actually enough of them around for EVERYBODY to have them - it took quite a few weeks for them to become readily accessible.

By that time, the 'Print-at home Exemption Certificates' had become so common place, that everybody and his dog's uncle had got them .................... whether, or not, they had a genuine need.

Once those two precedents had been set, it was nigh-on impossible to go back on them.

Makes my blood boil!

Quite right! It should be If you don’t have mask you don’t go in...those desperate for their packet of fags will soon get used to putting on masks!

I’m sure most people can wear a mask for about 10 minutes. My chiropodist treated a young man who said he couldn’t wear one - she asked him to give it a try, kept chatting to him during his treatment, and he was able to wear his mask for 30 minutes. He was delighted, and thanked her profusely for putting his mind at rest.

Decades ago, laws were passed making it an offence to drop litter in the street. That wasn't strictly enforced either, so the streets have got worse and worse. When reminded that they should be taking their rubbish home, instead of letting it fall at their feet, people have been known to say. "I pay my rates. Someone is employed to pick that up."

Presumabnly those who won't wear a mask in a crowded place assume that someone else will suffer, not them, so they don't need to take any precautions.

Tesco are a joke now as far as Covid is concerned! During the first lockdown they "policed" the wiping of trolley handles and gelling of hands before customers were allowed in the store; not now.........no one gets challenged for not wearing a mask or gelling hands.

Don't forget though, that a bus driver was killed when he was trying to enforce mask wearing on his bus. It is not up to shop staff to enforce anything, that is a job for the police.

I complained to an M&S floor manager last week because a girl in her 20's was not wearing a mask. She said they were not allowed to approach anybody about wearing masks but she said I could!
I did not really fancy doing that because some people can become violent.
Where I live, some of the small shops have a notice outside- no mask, no custom. Very fair.

I just checked and in Italy masks are compulsory anywhere outside your home and in the usual closed spaces like shops for all except children under 6 plus people with conditions that prevent them from wearing one. Maybe if we did that it would stop some people wandering around town !

I see just as many women with masks under their nose, inc. one on the bus the other day, wearing it on her chin, and jabbering away 19 to the dozen to whoever she was with.

I dare say I’ve said this before, but for the first time ever, I did say something as I was getting off - ‘It’s no use wearing a mask unless it covers your nose!’

‘Oh, I know, but I can’t - it steams up my glasses.’

What the answer is to people like that, I don’t know - maybe a hefty fine would sort their ideas out, but I can’t see that happening here.

I do think it depends on the area it’s very rare to see anyone not wearing a mask in shops in my area I have seen a bus driver tell a chap to put his mask on which he immediately did I haven’t seen any one on the buses without but I do think this lanyard thing is a bit of a red herring I think many are unnecessary and I think that was a big mistake and yes I think people should be challenged at the door and not allowed in that was one of many big mistakes the government made
The charity shop I was in was told don’t challenge anyone encourage them to wear a mask but if they don’t there’s nothing you can do !!!

The supermarkets have made huge profits during Covid it's not unreasonable for them to employ security guards - along the lines that clubs and bars are required to (in normal times).

As far as I understand things, a shop or any business can deny entry to anyone as long as it's not discriminatory on ground of sex, race, disability, etc. Someone who is genuinely exempt would have the exempt lanyard.

I've been on the Tube a few times recently and most passengers are compliant but the one thing that so bugs me are those few who have it under the chin, almost always men. If they were exempt they wouldn't have one, so they have just used to get through the barriers and onto the platform. The presence of Transport Police wouldn't go amiss - needless to say they are nowhere to be seen.

I dare say one reason they are so lax about enforcement here, is that unlike in so many countries, including within Europe, the majority (NB I do say a majority) of people aren’t wary of the police. They’re not afraid of a minor infringement resulting in a duffing-up - or worse.

For many years a dd worked for a major charity abroad, always with a very multi-national selection of colleagues. She once told me how a conversation got on to police in general, and she said how when she was a child, if she got lost or was worried or frightened, etc., and she saw a police officer, to go to them at once.
Without exception, everyone else from the multi-national (inc. European) crew said that was the last thing they’d ever do, their police were all dodgy bastards! (I’m sure that’s a gross exaggeration, but that was the general sentiment.)

According to my cousin who lives in Spain, during the first lockdown you weren't allowed into any shop if you weren't wearing a mask. No exemptions. I can't imagine that Spain doesn't have people with any of the conditions that allow exemption in the UK

I think we're far too lily-livered here.

Here, in south Cornwall, the bus drivers won't let you on without a mask or lanyard. Otherwise most people are wearing masks, except the tourists, of which there are still quite a few around, maybe they're second home owners. They stand out by a mile! And our Covid numbers are increasing. I do hope more stringent measures are brought in.

Selfish people will always do what they want I've seen many as soon as they enter the shop slip the mask down. Surely if you can't wear a mask you should wear a shield. If you dont wear either then you shouldn't be out.

I think we have all seen those who enter supermarkets without masks, without using the hand sanitiser and in groups of 3 or 4 (despite notices and announcements asking people to shop alone where possible).

In my local Sainsburys they have an assistant sitting at a table just inside the door but no effort is made to ask people to put on masks or to remind them to use the hand sanitiser. I don't blame the assistant (it's usually a young girl) but why don't they use the "security" guards who stand around inside?