Shops & other venues that still insist on masks.

[VauxhallandI]

Instead of ranting and raving on social media, maybe in cases like this the better course or action would be a polite message to the business to point out that they still have an old notice showing on their website?

They are ignored unfortunately.

 

[greyman42]

My wife's driving instructor still insists on her wearing one. Drives (sorry) me mad, seeing her putting one on each week.

She should just tell him it is no mask or i will take my custom elsewhere.

 

[102 fan]

A nice chap, and one of several newsagents I visit, depending on my movements, to pick-up the daily paper.

There’s a Morrisons and Tesco Express around the corner for those who don’t want to do the mask thing.

And that's exactly what people will do. Do these small shopkeepers not realise that hindering potential customers when there's the likes of Morrisons and Tescos only too keen to poach customers is just economic suicide?

 

[Class 33]

I know this strictly isn't on topic, as it's about buses rather than shops. But thought I would mention here that here in Bristol there are still some buses with automated PA announcements going off about we MUST wear a face mask and some seats taken out of use to aid social distancing!!! Even MONTHS now after these restrictions/laws ended!!! These are on the M1 Metrobuses. The first announcement says "You must wear a face covering for the entire duration of your journey. Some seats have been taken out of use to aid social distancing.". And there is also one that I heard just now that says "It is a legal requirement for you to wear a face covering for your entire journey. This must cover your nose and mouth. Failure to wear a face covering and you risk a £200 fine."!!!!!!! For crying out loud, why has this bus operator(Bristol Community Transport) not removed these offending out of date unjustified PA announcements about bloody face coverings and social distancing???!! Face covering laws were scrapped(again) 3 and a half months ago now, and social distancing was scrapped almost 10 months ago(in fact on BUSES social distancing was actually scrapped in May 2021 before the government officially scrapped it on 19th July!!!)!!! It's bad enough shops, trains or whatever put out PA announcements such as "Thank you for wearing a face covering, if you can. Out of courtesy to others.", but it's another matter when they put out PA announcements saying it is a legal requirement to wear face coverings and that failure to do so and we risk a £200 fine!!! Absolutely ridiculous and sheer laziness of businesses like these not removing these stupid PA announcements!

I feel very strongly about things like this. It effected my mental health all those months when mandatory face masks laws and social distancing restrictions were in force. But those restrictions are gone now. It still effects my mood and mental health when I hear any PA announcements about face coverings/masks and social distancing. All this nonsense must be stopped.

I am going to complain to Bristol Community Transport about this, asking that these PA announcements are swiftly removed from their Metrobuses as a matter urgency. And ask them if they can not do this, then just how can they justify keeping those PA announcements on their buses.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I know this strictly isn't on topic, as it's about buses rather than shops. But thought I would mention here that here in Bristol there are still some buses with automated PA announcements going off about we MUST wear a face mask and some seats taken out of use to aid social distancing!!! Even MONTHS now after these restrictions/laws ended!!! These are on the M1 Metrobuses. The first announcement says "You must wear a face covering for the entire duration of your journey. Some seats have been taken out of use to aid social distancing.". And there is also one that I heard just now that says "It is a legal requirement for you to wear a face covering for your entire journey. This must cover your nose and mouth. Failure to wear a face covering and you risk a £200 fine."!!!!!!! For crying out loud, why has this bus operator(Bristol Community Transport) not removed these offending out of date unjustified PA announcements about bloody face coverings and social distancing???!! Face covering laws were scrapped(again) 3 and a half months ago now, and social distancing was scrapped almost 10 months ago(in fact on BUSES social distancing was actually scrapped in May 2021 before the government officially scrapped it on 19th July!!!)!!! It's bad enough shops, trains or whatever put out PA announcements such as "Thank you for wearing a face covering, if you can. Out of courtesy to others.", but it's another matter when they put out PA announcements saying it is a legal requirement to wear face coverings and that failure to do so and we risk a £200 fine!!! Absolutely ridiculous and sheer laziness of businesses like these not removing these stupid PA announcements!

I feel very strongly about things like this. It effected my mental health all those months when mandatory face masks laws and social distancing restrictions were in force. But those restrictions are gone now. It still effects my mood and mental health when I hear any PA announcements about face coverings/masks and social distancing. All this nonsense must be stopped.

I am going to complain to Bristol Community Transport about this, asking that these PA announcements are swiftly removed from their Metrobuses as a matter urgency. And ask them if they can not do this, then just how can they justify keeping those PA announcements on their buses.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. It’s not fair on the workers either as it is them that will get the brunt of the abuse.

TfL in London hide behind their frontline staff whilst preaching like gods. I want to tell the drivers as I pass them to sort it out but it’s not their fault.

These people are fantasists that love power, they should be hounded out.

 

[island]

It does not bother me if businesses choose to make silly requirements around mask wearing; I am perfectly content to take my money elsewhere.

 

[gabrielhj07]

It does not bother me if businesses choose to make silly requirements around mask wearing; I am perfectly content to take my money elsewhere.

No need to even go that far.

99/100 places won't even notice, and the one that does won't enforce it.

 

[Scotrail12]

Not a shop but a rail company…

Guess which one.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Not a shop but a rail company…

Guess which one.

LNER?

In any case it's a request, rather than an insistence. Much easier to ignore

 

[Bertone]

Traveling on Tfl Watford Euston Overground service yesterday (first time for many, many months), there are still on-train PA announcements recommending use of masks.
Interestingly, probably about 10% passengers in my lightly loaded coach were adhering.

 

[bramling]

Traveling on Tfl Watford Euston Overground service yesterday (first time for many, many months), there are still on-train PA announcements recommending use of masks.
Interestingly, probably about 10% passengers in my lightly loaded coach were adhering.

This is about on a par with London Underground now. I still don't get why quite a few drivers continue to wear them in their cabs though, I suppose in some cases it may be to avoid dust. It was never a requirement for drivers alone in cabs to wear a mask, not even recommended I don't think.

 

[VauxhallandI]

Traveling on Tfl Watford Euston Overground service yesterday (first time for many, many months), there are still on-train PA announcements recommending use of masks.
Interestingly, probably about 10% passengers in my lightly loaded coach were adhering.

Yep and when I complain they quote a bent YouGov questionnaire from two years ago. They have failed to answer how one can be exempt from something that doesn't exits despite me asking four times.

 

[Class 33]

Not a shop but a rail company…

Guess which one.

Godknows how much longer LNER will still be peddling that nonsense! This "Wear a face covering as a courtesy to others" request really just doesn't cut it anymore, and it's about time operators like LNER, GWR, and TfL accept this and move on from this and scrap this ridiculous out of date messaging. What is the point of them telling us to wear a face covering as a courtesy to others, when the situation is now that the vast majority(easily at least 90% of passengers I reacon) are happy and confident enough to not wear face coverings anymore AND happy and confident that the vast majority of other passengers are not wearing them too??!! Can these managers/directors in these such companies not notice this??!!

After emailing GWR to complain about their ridiculous "Thank you for wearing a face covering, if you can. As a courtesy to others." PA announcements on their trains, and receiving a very dissatisfactory reply back, I've emailed their CEO Mark Hopwood this week. If/when I receive a reply back, I'll post it on here for anyone who is interested. But chances are it won't be a very satisfactory reply again and will probably still be defending their continuing use of these ridiculous face covering PA announcements!

 

[yorkie]

I see it as a courtesy to others for people not to be masked. The only exceptions where I'd see it as not discourteous to be masked on a train is if I see someone wear an FFP2/3 I assume they are immunocompromised or if someone was wearing a veil or similar for religious reasons I would of course respect that.

But I think someone going round wearing a cloth or surgical mask, balaclava, snood or anything else on a train is not in any way being respectful of others and I'd see it as quite the opposite in fact. I would of course accept it is their right to do so, but it's hardly a form of respect for others and is ludicrous for anyone to suggest that is.

The people who come up with such nonsense are disrespectful people in my opinion.

 

[nedchester]

I see it as a courtesy to others for people not to be masked. The only exceptions where I'd see it as not discourteous to be masked on a train is if I see someone wear an FFP2/3 I assume they are immunocompromised or if someone was wearing a veil or similar for religious reasons I would of course respect that.

But I think someone going round wearing a cloth or surgical mask, balaclava, snood or anything else on a train is not in any way being respectful of others and I'd see it as quite the opposite in fact. I would of course accept it is their right to do so, but it's hardly a form of respect for others and is ludicrous for anyone to suggest that is.

The people who come up with such nonsense are disrespectful people in my opinion.

I am one who doesn't wear masks (haven't done since July 2021) but I do find your obsession with others who wish to wear them rather disturbing.

I think many still wear them as they have become fearful after the messaging of the past two years, in fact it could be people's mental health has been adversely affected due to the fear. Therefore, they wish to continue to wear one not through 'disrespect' but through fear.

You're view that people are being disrespectful shows, in my opinion, an equal fear or disrespect and I would say that perhaps your mental health has also been affected and your reaction to others wearing masks is perhaps a little over the top.

If others wish to wear face coverings (for whatever reason) then let them do so. It is neither your business or mine that they wish to do so; if you feel it does then it could be that you has a problem. In time the use of face coverings will reduce.

 

[102 fan]

Godknows how much longer LNER will still be peddling that nonsense! This "Wear a face covering as a courtesy to others" request really just doesn't cut it anymore, and it's about time operators like LNER, GWR, and TfL accept this and move on from this and scrap this ridiculous out of date messaging. What is the point of them telling us to wear a face covering as a courtesy to others, when the situation is now that the vast majority(easily at least 90% of passengers I reacon) are happy and confident enough to not wear face coverings anymore AND happy and confident that the vast majority of other passengers are not wearing them too??!! Can these managers/directors in these such companies not notice this??!!

After emailing GWR to complain about their ridiculous "Thank you for wearing a face covering, if you can. As a courtesy to others." PA announcements on their trains, and receiving a very dissatisfactory reply back, I've emailed their CEO Mark Hopwood this week. If/when I receive a reply back, I'll post it on here for anyone who is interested. But chances are it won't be a very satisfactory reply again and will probably still be defending their continuing use of these ridiculous face covering PA announcements!

The managers making the decisions obviously aren't travelling on the trains!

 

[greyman42]

Likewise, and none of the receptionist, dentist or dental nurse were wearing one (except during the actual dental work, of course, as would always have been the case)

I visited my dentist (private) today and was asked by the receptionist if i was OK to wear a mask. I said no. The receptionist politely said "that's fine, no problem" and no more was said. The staff and nurses were wearing them.

 

[GC class B1]

I am one who doesn't wear masks (haven't done since July 2021) but I do find your obsession with others who wish to wear them rather disturbing.

I think many still wear them as they have become fearful after the messaging of the past two years, in fact it could be people's mental health has been adversely affected due to the fear. Therefore, they wish to continue to wear one not through 'disrespect' but through fear.

You're view that people are being disrespectful shows, in my opinion, an equal fear or disrespect and I would say that perhaps your mental health has also been affected and your reaction to others wearing masks is perhaps a little over the top.

If others wish to wear face coverings (for whatever reason) then let them do so. It is neither your business or mine that they wish to do so; if you feel it does then it could be that you has a problem. In time the use of face coverings will reduce.

I think I have a problem as my mental health must have suffered because I find people wearing black face coverings disturbing. Not only does it remind me that things have not returned to normal, that people have been misled by the government and so called experts into mistakenly believing that surgical masks reduce the spread of viruses, and most importantly that nothing has been done by anyone in a position to correct this misinformation, but for me there are more concerning adverse effects of this unnatural and unnecessary situation. People wearing face coverings, especially black ones give me the impression of something sinister happening and as I can’t see their faces I can’t tell whether they are smiling or threatening. I liken this to something similar to a dislike of clowns. I also think there is a risk that mask wearing will never completely disappear.

 

[nedchester]

I think I have a problem as my mental health must have suffered because I find people wearing black face coverings disturbing. Not only does it remind me that things have not returned to normal, that people have been misled by the government and so called experts into mistakenly believing that surgical masks reduce the spread of viruses, and most importantly that nothing has been done by anyone in a position to correct this misinformation, but for me there are more concerning adverse effects of this unnatural and unnecessary situation. People wearing face coverings, especially black ones give me the impression of something sinister happening and as I can’t see their faces I can’t tell whether they are smiling or threatening. I liken this to something similar to a dislike of clowns. I also think there is a risk that mask wearing will never completely disappear.

So you effectively have a phobia which I agree is a mental health condition. But those that continue to wear face covering may also have a similar irrational fear.

We have a dilemma which both sides potentially have irrational fears; how do you square that circle?

My view is tolerance one side should not force the other and gradually the situation should ease rather than one side trying to impose its will on the other.

 

[MikeWM]

We have a dilemma which both sides potentially have irrational fears; how do you square that circle?

My view is tolerance one side should not force the other and gradually the situation should ease rather than one side trying to impose its will on the other.

Well, yes, but from officialdom the message is only one-way - the repeated message that wearing a mask is 'respectful' or 'considerate' of others. It is entirely one-sided. But clearly there are some people - myself included - who don't think it is remotely 'considerate' when someone else is wearing a mask; personally I'd much prefer that they weren't. Our opinions are not considered by this one-sided propaganda.

If there was no messaging still being repeatedly pushed out from LNER, GWR, TfL etc. about it being 'respectful' or 'considerate' to others to continue to wear a mask, the issue wouldn't arise. As it is there is still considerable 'nudging' going on.

 

[GC class B1]

Well, yes, but from officialdom the message is only one-way - the repeated message that wearing a mask is 'respectful' or 'considerate' of others. It is entirely one-sided. But clearly there are some people - myself included - who don't think it is remotely 'considerate' when someone else is wearing a mask; personally I'd much prefer that they weren't. Our opinions are not considered by this one-sided propaganda.

If there was no messaging still being repeatedly pushed out from LNER, GWR, TfL etc. about it being 'respectful' or 'considerate' to others to continue to wear a mask, the issue wouldn't arise. As it is there is still considerable 'nudging' going on.

Yes I agree entirely about the one sided messaging. In addition to being disturbing I find mask wearing is also disrespectful as I can’t see peoples faces and it makes communication more difficult. Human communication is based on expression and body langauge as well as spoken words. I know that when people wear unnecessary face coverings they believe there is a real threat to themselves that they have to protect themselves from even though the face coverings are ineffective. This also makes me sad as these people are missing out on normal life and they should be helped to return to normal.

 

[cygnus44]

Visited local hospital yesterday for tests, did not ware one and was not challenged at any time despite all the stupid notices everywhere

 

[Freightmaster]

I think I have a problem as my mental health must have suffered because I find people wearing black face coverings disturbing...
...People wearing face coverings, especially black ones give me the impression of something sinister happening and as I can’t see their faces I can’t tell whether they are smiling or threatening.

Like this??

(image shows people wearing Guy Fawkes masks in the film 'V for Vendetta')

 

[GC class B1]

Like this??

(image shows people wearing Guy Fawkes masks in the film 'V for Vendetta')

Spot on!!!

 

[Tracked]

Godknows how much longer LNER will still be peddling that nonsense! This "Wear a face covering as a courtesy to others" request really just doesn't cut it anymore, and it's about time operators like LNER, GWR, and TfL accept this and move on from this and scrap this ridiculous out of date messaging.

Was waiting for someone at Doncaster on Wednesday evening and saw they'd got a new poster up, wording to the effect of "it doesn't matter whether you wear one or not", but the automated displays and other poster still had the old message (and not the Arrivals screen, irritatingly the two touch screens in the concourse were both not working properly either, couldn't get arrivals info up on them).

Incidentally, Northern's performance poster for late 2019 is still up

 

[daniep01]

I think I have a problem as my mental health must have suffered because I find people wearing black face coverings disturbing. Not only does it remind me that things have not returned to normal, that people have been misled by the government and so called experts into mistakenly believing that surgical masks reduce the spread of viruses, and most importantly that nothing has been done by anyone in a position to correct this misinformation, but for me there are more concerning adverse effects of this unnatural and unnecessary situation. People wearing face coverings, especially black ones give me the impression of something sinister happening and as I can’t see their faces I can’t tell whether they are smiling or threatening. I liken this to something similar to a dislike of clowns. I also think there is a risk that mask wearing will never completely disappear.

I also have a phobia of face coverings which is still affecting my ability to go outside or be in places where I might encounter people wearing them. I agree there is a lot of irrational fear on both sides of this problem and the current messaging is not helpful to anyone.

 

[gabrielhj07]

Was waiting for someone at Doncaster on Wednesday evening and saw they'd got a new poster up, wording to the effect of "it doesn't matter whether you wear one or not"

I had a similar experienece on LNWR back in January. I forget where the conductors swapped over, but for the last part of the journey, into Crewe, he was reluctant to enforce it at all. Words to the effect of "Unfortunatly you still have to wear a face covering, so just make sure you've got it on in the busy parts of the station." Conversely, the conductor from London was rather more keen on them.

 

[davews]

On the Twyford to Shiplake train yesterday I was given a GWR opinion questionnaire to fill in. Among the questions was one on how you rated the social distancing and PPE conformity. I attached a little slip of paper giving my views, pointing out that since the regulations have gone those questions should not have been in the questionnaire. And how pleased I was that neither the guard checking tickets or the lady handing out the forms had masks on. The journey was also marred by an announcement by the in carriage system saying we should wear a mask if possible, but nobody at all was...

For a journey which lasted the whole of seven minutes it all seemed a bit pointless anyway.

 

[Phil56]

She should just tell him it is no mask or i will take my custom elsewhere.

Quite a shortage of driving instructors at the moment so that would be shooting herself in the foot.

Visited local hospital yesterday for tests, did not ware one and was not challenged at any time despite all the stupid notices everywhere

Hospitals are the one place where I think masks and SD should be retained. It's where there are vulnerable people, most of whom have no choice but to be there.

 

[MikeWM]

Currently on a c2c train which is (still!) playing their tedious extended 'you must wear a face covering' message *after every station*. (I haven't seen a single person on the train that actually is, however).

I don't think it at all unreasonable to suggest they really could have got around to getting this message removed by now. Deeply unprofessional, if nothing else.