Why Bother With A Mask

[retrocop]

Today I had to visit my local hospital to collect some Gastrografin in advance of a procedure to be undertaken on Friday 13th. My wife dropped me off at the main entrance as I walked through with my smiley mask affixed. There was a large woman sitting at a small table with a tray of masks on it. She looked like she was a poppy seller. I used the hand cleanser on the wall of reception and carried on walking to the CTC suite. A voice boomed at me,'come back here and take a mask' I walked back and asked if she was talking to me.'Put this mask on and wear it in the hospital'. She then proffered it to me on the end of a pair of wooden tongs like I was a walking Covid Germ.I was sorely tempted to tell her to shove her inferior paper tissue mask where the sun don't shine.
I asked her what was wrong with my mask and she replied,'Nothing but we need to stop covid so you must wear this mask' I then asked her if I would get another mask on Friday or do I keep the one she had just given me as a souvenir. She said,' keep it if you like'.
If the NHS let some job's worth hand out inferior masks to visitors to the hospital and demand I replace my medical grade re-useable mask then why the hell do I bother wearing my mask in other public venues if it isn't deemed suitable. Obviously why no apparent improvement over the last 20 or so years no matter how much wasted money is thrown at it. No quibble if they have the Gestapo insisting a mask is worn but to hand out inferior ones to visitors who already comply by wearing their own seems stupid..

[Mamyalynne]

Does your Hospital have a feedback system?

If so I'd use it.

[Barsel]

Sometimes people are given a job to do, but they don't really understand what it entails. I know that the mask I wear is a good one and far superior to the paper masks, so I would have refused to wear the one she offered.

[agchristie]

Brave man - Friday 13th!

Sounds like your mask was just too smiley for the officious one! ;-)

[retrocop]

That's wot I wos thinking ag. A right bumptious old cow.
Yes Mamyalynne I believe they have ,'How did we do?' forms in most departments. I will get one on Friday if I am allowed pass Frau Flick with my own mask on.

[tomus42]

There are idiots doing lots of jobs. Work around them. Take the mask and when you get around the corner put your own one back on.

[agchristie]

Surely she wont last long keeping up that masquerade ho ho!

[retrocop]

I could do that on Friday. Although I would never dream of doing it myself it would serve her right if some ignoramus took her mask and placed their used soiled mask in her hand with a cheery ,'Ta love '.

[retrocop]

ag
If I complained to the Trust about her officious manner they would probably draw a veil over it.

[agchristie]

Good luck with the next trip.All funds raised on Friday to go to 'Retro in Need' ;-)

[agchristie]

Yep,all to no aveil ;-)

[webbo3]

I n my hospital we hand out masks everyday to patients that don't have them and give them a squirt of alcohol gel.

[eleanor2]

You should ‘bother’ .. to report her. I haven’t heard of anyone being challenged wearing their own mask. In her position she isn’t doing the hospital any favours.

[waterboatman]

Some people are exempt from wearing one at all.

[bobbinwales]

Her attitude was all wrong and it needs reporting, tho its undastandable it there wanting to be sure all masks a clean not allready infected masks. Am sure yours was fine but some off the ones a seen shoppers at are place wearing look as if the've been using the same one for weeks so there worse than useless

[mallyh]

mr mally wore a mask when going for his eye ops and both times was asked to wear one they supplied .the nurse was very nice but said as they didn't know if patients wore clean masks would he wear the hospital ones .

[retrocop]

I recall at trhe start of covid how difficult it was to get PPE and the NHS was crying out for it and us plebs were told not to bother too much with it as the NHS had to have priority. That seemed fair enough at the time as some of us realised that we would be depriving front line staff of protection.
My masks are clean and washed after use.I suppose it was the way I was spoken to by some jumped up ,butch ex WRAC type jobsworth do-gooder. My wife and I do our bit and comply with covid rules even though we do not necessarily agree with some. I wear the mask to avoid confrontation as much as anything and if I get the same on Friday she might get back what she gives out. I would imagine they don't have these sentinels posted at many other points of access into St Helier's Hospital so will try that route perhaps.
It annoys me how the attitude to masks change depending on availability of PPE at the time. Why bother? We were told plebs don't need it when there was a dearth and now the NHS stock pile of paper tat is now taking up room in the sluices we have to wear theirs only.

[Peter Pedant]

oh god Retro just do as you are told

if a spotty protester did that to you you know outside the american embassy 1967
you wouldnt have said - youre nicked mate and now I am going to put in these bracelets which will chafe a bit yeah OK

[Peter Pedant]

o god we are back to
masks dont work and we have known this for fifty years ( me actually) and
wear a mask and follow the rules ( er other people )

this is a like a Brexit thread (day after day and never different)

[Peter Pedant]

even the craziest masker admits they wear out in 30 m
so she had a point

[woofgang]

retro I guess the answer is that they don't know who has used their mask for a month without washing, who has let the dog play with it and so on. Easier to just get people to wear one that they know is new and clean....and yes I know they don't do much good if any......