if your voting on Thursday PLEASE take your own pens/pencils

I will take one .....but it s ridiculous you hold the door handles when you go in a shop which thousands touch you touch the bell to stop the bus which hundreds will press, if you use money, you pick up a packet of cereal that the lady before you picked up and decided they didn’t want
When you enter the polling station you will open the door you may even touch the desk you rest your paper on and whatever you do don’t have a wee while you’re out

If you are nervous about touching things wear gloves otherwise just get on with it and wash your hands when you get home

Quite agree,*BB*. It is ridiculous! Jobsworths and bean counters come to mind!

I agree totally OTT

With most people vaccinated and the incidence of COVID down to very low levels, 2,144 cases, country wide yesterday, and anyway the disease is distributed through breathing in the virus, not touching it, this is plain ridiculous.

Hear hear- if you were so paranoid you could have had a postal vote and disinfected the paper!

It is a simple attempt to prevent the spread of infection; why sneer?

Thank you eazybee for your moral support,
prevention is always better than a cure.

It may be a bit OTT but I’l take my own pen. The problems within our town council leave me wary of using pencil !

But are you avoiding touching everything still ? It makes no sense

I voted earlier, the normal small pencils tied to a length of string were in the booth.

grandMattie

Quite agree,*BB*. It is ridiculous! Jobsworths and bean counters come to mind!

There’s no need to sneer at people who are spending today running the elections and following guidance from the centre. What do you even mean about being a jobsworth or a bean counter? FFS. This type of attitude just makes me bloody mad.

Choices, choices. Make your own.

Gingster

Choices, choices. Make your own.

???????

Do what you like. Just keep your fingers away from your mouth until after you’ve washed them.

My grandchildren hold pencils, ( and goodness knows what else!), all day at school. I hold their hands at pick up time. I won't be worrying about the possibility of a dirty pencil in a polling booth.

Lucca

But are you avoiding touching everything still ? It makes no sense

Quoting myself to add..... I may think it’s mad but if it’s a government guideline then the people running the polls have to follow.

This made me laugh today from the Telegraph.

eazybee

It is a simple attempt to prevent the spread of infection; why sneer?

Covid is not spread by contaminated surfaces; it isn't caught by touch. It is caught by breathing in airborne particles breathed out by infected people which can linger in unventilated spaces for a long time.

So don't forget your masks, folks and make sure they snugly cover you mouth and nose...

I see in USA many people wear two masks. I read somewhere how much more % the risk was lessoned and it was quite high.

OTT at this stage in my opinion, and I’m guilty of many OTT stuff suffering from OCD. You can sanitise your hands as soon as you are done.

BlueSky

OTT at this stage in my opinion, and I’m guilty of many OTT stuff suffering from OCD. You can sanitise your hands as soon as you are done.

I agree with you and your first post - you didn’t criticise or sneer at the people having to implement the decision did you?

Sorry muddled you up with the other Blue ?

ginny

It may be a bit OTT but I’l take my own pen. The problems within our town council leave me wary of using pencil !

If the virus is spread by breath can’t people spread it if they cough into their own hand? Hand washing has become the norm but presumably there are still some who think it doesn’t apply to them. There are still COVID conspiracy theorists who refuse to wear masks.

Just been to the polling station. Took our own pencils. There were stumpy looking things that looked like black felt tips but you had to leave them behind to be sanitised!

Fortunately the weather was fine and the doors all open, as there was a queue of a dozen or more people enjoying the sunshine and a chat.