Are some people just daft?

In my opinion you should always be early for any appointment. Its just plain rude to be late, especially routinely late as so many people are. You should allow for possible traffic delays etc. To be late says your time is more valuable than those you are meeting with. I'd rather be an hour early than a minute late. Well brought up I guess!!!

I think some people are so self-centred and impatient that they expect others to pick the phone up within two rings, or to open the door within a nanosecond of them knocking - as if the world revolves around them just because they want something. I used to work with someone like this, it must be awful to be so strung up like that.

Well, I don’t know what I will do if I have to queue even for a few minutes as I with my arthritis, I find standing still very painful. I will need to park close to the door using my blue badge and will take along my folding stool to sit on in case there is a queue.

As I’m not in the first categories to get the vaccine, I’m hoping that most people going at the same time as me will be fit and not in need of assistance as I am!

No, I wasn't directing my comment at anyone in particular. Just an observation that intolerance seems to have increased exponentially since the start of all this, and that, combined with the willingness of many to 'turn people in' leaves a very nasty taste in my mouth.

Doodledog

I have noticed that since the first lockdown there has been a very unpleasant trend for people to call others stupid if the do things differently from them. There is even a tabloid vocabulary for it - ‘Covidiots’ and the like.

I suppose it’s a reaction to fear and a need for people to tell themselves that what they are doing is ‘right’ - to do that, others must be ‘wrong’.

I really hope that things go back to normal when all this is over.

Not sure if this was aimed in my direction, but if it is, can I just point out that my remarks were about those people who have been carrying on life as though nothing has changed, thereby endangering themselves and the rest of the population.

My appointment was at 11am, a fifteen minute drive away, so I allowed 30 minutes in case of traffic or parking problems. There were none, so I waited in the car. There was a short queue, so I joined it at 10.55 and reached the entrance at 11am. The inside queue was controlled, I was checked in at the door, asked about allergies etc at another desk and received my vaccine at 11.07, sat down until 11.23 then checked out. All very smooth and efficient.

I have noticed that since the first lockdown there has been a very unpleasant trend for people to call others stupid if the do things differently from them. There is even a tabloid vocabulary for it - ‘Covidiots’ and the like.

I suppose it’s a reaction to fear and a need for people to tell themselves that what they are doing is ‘right’ - to do that, others must be ‘wrong’.

I really hope that things go back to normal when all this is over.

A friend of ours reckons that, going on various activities reportedly carrying on (regardless) across the country during lockdown, a good 40% of the population is simply stupid.

Looks like he could have a point.

I'm going off at a bit of a tangent here but DD's MiL in Scotland is due her first jab tomorrow. She's not sure whether she'll get there as a) she says she can't remember what time her appointment is and b) she's currently at her daughter's house in Glasgow, having broken the rules about not going out of your local authority area. DD is ready to strangle her!

I went for mine this morning and it was very well organised. We arrived half an hour early as we had to go some distance and there were no hold ups so I sat in the car for 25 minutes then went in. One of the staff who took my details said I could have gone straight in when I arrived because they had been rather quiet first thing. Is that because people hadn't bothered to keep their appointments?

midgey it took about 30 minutes in all here, with thorough checks, having the vaccine and then having to sit and wait for 15 minutes afterwards.

Craftycat, there are so many stupid people about - I'm constantly amazed by it. Really, they should be turned away if they're hours late.

When a major Centre for vaccination opened at The Centre for Life in Newcastle, long queues were reported in freezing conditions. It was tactfully explained that some had turned up 90 minutes before their appointments!
Going back 40 years, I can remember my Granddad waiting outside the Post Office for it to be open to collect his pension, in case they ran out of money!! Is it an age thing?

I wonder if some of the people going to the front of the queue had been there earlier and thought they would come back when there was less of a queue! However I think they should have gone to the back of the queue( if/when they came back) and not tried to queue jump! Certainly there is no excuse for being rude to the organisers!

I used to organise outings for the over 60s (that’s me now?)

If the departure/meet-up was at, say, 2pm I would ask people to arrive at 1.50.

Some would be there by 1pm, waiting outside to be first. Some would arrive between 1.50 and 2pm. Some would roll up by 2.15pm. Some wouldn’t turn up at all.

Sometimes it was for something with a timed entry and each group of four would have been given a specific time to arrive. The early’s got there and expected to go in earlier than their time. The lates expected the on-times to give way and let them in because they were ahead of them on paper.

There was only about twenty of them at any one time. You have no idea how often the most well planned event fell into chaos!

How do you know that they people who went to the front of the queue said that they had a morning slot?

Maybe they were on time for their appointment, and didn't want to be made late by standing in a queue that may have been made up of latecomers?

I m beginning to think I come from a very civilised area as everyone I ve spoken to had a very simple time turned up on time five minute wait, jabbed sat down for 15 minutes or not depending on with vaccine you have and them go I haven’t heard one story of a queue or jumpers or long waits
I went for mine at my surgery walked in on the dot of my appointment waited five minutes for them to vaccinate the previous person had my jab and left, was home within ten minutes

Had mine done a few weeks back at the local hospital. Was given a time, told to get there 5 mins early, lined up under tarpaulin in a fast moving queue. Filled in same form I’d completed online while waiting. Quick check of ID and paperwork by admin, chat with a doctor to ensure I knew about jab and to check medical history/allergies,off to the nurse for the jab and then into the outside portacabin to wait 15 mins. All very slick and professional. No queue jumping, everyone very jovial and happy to be there. Brilliantly done. Loads of cleaning between patients so it felt very safe.

Husband went for his yesterday at local GPS. Queue outside of about 50 people but so fast moving. 9 doctors giving jabs, no wait of 15 mins after and he was done within 20 minutes. Again very controlled and organised.

Well done NHS ?

Too right Maddyone. The worst for me are those with the "It doesn't apply to me" attitude and the total ignorance of "It doesn't exist".

OH went for his on Friday. Appointment was for 15.35 at the vaccination hub. Was told to arrive 5 minutes prior to his time slot and wait in the car to be called. Was called at 15.37 and was vaccinated, given his vaccination details and back home by 16.15.

Self centred people don’t think about anyone else. It would be a good idea if the message being sent to people included a WARNING. Be aware if you are not on time you will not get a vaccination.

It sounds like poor organisation to have elderly people waiting in a queue in the cold for an hour. Everyone here, including us, who has been called for a vaccination has been straight in, job done, fifteen minute wait and then out. A rolling tide of efficiency. As for those who turn up very late and expect to jump the queue, no patience with them!

Our experience mirrors Luckygirl’s. If you are driving any distance it can be hard to arrive to the minute so being told to wait in the car until your appointment time is sensible. I really don’t understand why people can’t follow simple instructions.

Can’t wait for mine as I’m currently having to isolate due to an out break at the nursery where I work. I’m 61 and hopefully not too far away it will make me more confident about returning to work.

Count yourselves lucky to have the vaccination. My husband has received a letter telling him to go for his. All the centres are out of vaccine and no idea when they will receive further supplies. Good old EU bureaucracy.

A bit of bad organisation there. Where I went we were told to remain in our cars until 5 minutes before our appointment, then go in. WE were processed and then put in a big waiting room with just a few chairs, properly spaced. Then called in to have jab.

No queueing in the cold for us!