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..

[ToraToraTora]

" A voice boomed at me,'come back here and take a mask' " - yep it's been party time for the jobsworths who love bossing us around this is nirvana for them.

[Sqad]

I agree with PP......just get on with it.
Take the mask and accept the fat cow is just doing her job.

[New Judge]

//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//

//…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.//

Both the above illustrate precisely why the wearing of masks by untrained, undisciplined people should be discouraged, not mandated. The total time spent by people in a hospital is miniscule compared to the time they spend elsewhere. The Jobsworth’s actions may do the job in the hospital (though if she continues like that she may find one or two of them shoved where the sun doesn’t shine) but that’s not where people predominantly spend their time.

//…but we need to stop covid//

If only it was that simple.

[New Judge]

//Take the mask and accept the fat cow is just doing her job.//

But she isn't though is she, Sqad? She's being rude and abrasive towards people who are paying her wages. Those people are attending a hospital (not the best experience at any time) and there's simply no need for her behaviour. It's come to a pretty sorry interlude when people accept behaviour like that as "just doing her job" but as Tora says, the current situation is manna from heaven for jobsworth's who would probably otherwise be unemployable.

[bobbinwales]

Altho the fact that the amount of time they spend in hospital is minuscule compared to time spent outside is off course not relavant as the hospital is concerned for its patients and staff and needs to make thing's as safe as possible while there there even if its only for an hour. A think it definately right to give out new masks to everyone (and ask them to dispose of them securely in a proper bin afterward's) but it needs to be done proply and politely not like this woman did. (Am not sure why you felt you after mention she was a big woman tho retrocop?)

[eleanor2]

As retro has already said, more about the attitude of the woman. But in all my appointments to hospital, I've never been asked to swap my mask for one of theirs. I would think masks are there to be given out to the ones who 'forget' to take one, or couldn't be bothered the first place.

[bobbinwales]

She might of been a volunteer and the masks might not of been donated and not paid for by NHS, so the only issue here is her attitude and lack of peopel skill's . There should of been a sign up saying you'll after wear the masks they give you

[New Judge]

Well if she is a volunteer her manager needs to get to grips with her attitude pronto and perhaps find her something to do where she won't annoy people.

The reason I mentioned the comparative amounts of time spent in the hospital and elsewhere was to illustrate the pointlessness of going through such a rigmarole at the hospital whilst it is perfectly acceptable to wear poor quality or dirty face coverings for much longer elsewhere where people spend far more of their time.

[bobbinwales]

Not really judge- it just show's the hospitals right to give new masks and peopel need to be educated that they after change masks hourly or more places should hand out clean masks -but politely

[Sunk]

Masks are of different qualities and effectiveness. The hospital wanted you to wear one which they approve of, and is new and reliable.
On your return, they will hand you another new one even if you are wearing the one they just gave you.
They are not fashion police or jobsworths, they just want to prevent the spread.

[237SJ]

Some of these jobsworths (most of them seem to be women for some reason) who have no idea at all how to speak to people are going to be absolutely gutted when the pandemic is over and they have nobody to boss around.

[rowanwitch]

The 30 minute rules is related to bacterial penetration of larger droplet spread. At double later face covering will stop that, that is why it is what is asked if us. Btw I am making Christmas ones at the, three layer washable ones but I'd still humour the woman at the hospital, as has been said almost certainly a volunteer.

[rowanwitch]

Not larger droplet....

[anneasquith]

No need to call this lady * a fat cow *. She was doing her job. Everyone gets a fresh mask.

[jno]

as Rowan says, highly unlikely to be a "jobsworth" as she's highly unlikely to have a job there that's worth anything to her. I have no idea why the fact that she's a "large" woman is relevant except that it gives male ABers the opportunity to call her a fat cow.

Their house, their rules. If you don't like them, stay home.

[Vagus]

She did two things wrong.
She was confrontational by the sound of it which immediately puts people’s backs up. And she should have smiled and explained very politely the hospital policy on mask wearing.

[Apc2604]

You never know what villain lurks behind those smiley face masks!;o)

[eleanor2]

In one Vagus.

[Sqad]

ann

/////No need to call this lady * a fat cow *. ////
I agree,a poor standard of comment.

She was clearly a volunteer, it was probably her big chance in life and was determined to obey her orders.
Yes her attitude did need shining up, but we have all had days like that especially when one is dealing with the public.
Should I return after my demise,I would like to come back as a traffic warden where I could rain havoc amongst the car owners of my beat.

[retrocop]

//No need to call this lady * a fat cow *. She was doing her job. Everyone gets a fresh mask.//

asquith
Please direct your comments to those who said it.They were not my words .She most certainly was not wearing a NHS uniform and it is not her job to be officious or bumptious. We might see if everyone gets a fresh mask, if god forbid the NHS start running out again.
For myself I would sooner trust my own. She failed the attitude test. That's all folks.