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..

[lankeela]

Hannah the chap with Down Syndrome I am a support worker for finds it difficult to wear a mask, so we got him a plastic visor that fits round his head and decorated it with superheroes which are his 'thing' and now he want to wear it all the time.

[teacake44]

Look at it in another light, you have someone there who gives up their time to volunteer in a hospital giving out masks, then you have someone who spends there time ( not volunteering) but pulling them apart on social media, may be one or the other just happened to get out the bed the wrong side this morning, that aside I know who I look up too.

[gulliver1]

How dare anyone tell Retro of the Yard what to do.

[New Judge]

Then of course there are those people who are either exempt or have a "reasonable excuse" for not wearing one. It seems the Obergruppenführer whom Retro was unfortunate enough to encounter today could not have coped with them.

I'm afraid "their house, their rules" does not quite apply here. An NHS hospital is a public place which in funded by the taxpayer. It's not a private bar or restaurant. The NHS should comply with the legislation and guidance laid down by the government. Despite hospitals being exempt from the legislation for visitors and outpatients to wear face coverings, on 5th June the government published this advice:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-masks-and-coverings-to-be-worn-by-all-nhs-hospital-staff-and-visitors#:~:text=others%20from%20coronavirus-,Face%20masks%20and%20coverings%20to%20be%20worn%20by%20all%20NHS,face%20coverings%20at%20all%20times.

Among other things, it said this:

"Last month, government set out advice for people on how to make their own face coverings easily at home, using scarves or other textile items. These face coverings should cover the mouth and nose while allowing the wearer to breathe comfortably and can be as simple as a scarf or bandanna that ties behind the head to give a snug fit."

No mention that only approved types must be worn.

The guidance was updated last week but still the definition remains the same and there is no mention of only approved types of coverings being required anywhere. In fact NHS settings are specifically mentioned in the guidance (though not in the legislation) but still no mention of type approval.

There seems to be large numbers of people in various settings intent on making life unnecessarily and additionally unpleasant in this country. As a well known feature writer often maintains: if you give people who are unused to holding it a hint of power, they will always, always abuse it. It seems Retro encountered somebody modelling herself on Rosa Klebb at his local hospital this morning. Lotte Lenya would be proud.

[iluvmargie]

Another excellent post at 13:19.

[bobbinwales]

Your overthinking it new judge and trying to justify unreasonable attitudes. Much easier to do what squad said. Peopel should just wear the mask there given and be grateful we have an health service

[Atheist]

I have no time for people who get upset at other people trying to do their jobs, and who refer to such people as 'jobsworths'. It's lazy cliché 'thinking'. Is a policeman a 'jobsworth'? Is a traffic warden? Is a .....(fill in your own pet peeve here).

[teacake44]

Regardless of type of mask, I think this was more along the lines of being provided with a clean one, regarding the encounter of personalities my feeling is that it takes two to tango.

[Atheist]

And, NJ, your use of Nazi references in regard to such people says a lot about you.

[iluvmargie]

No, Policemen and traffic wardens are not 'jobsworths', but this woman is! Handing out masks during a pandemic is NOT a proper job and shouting after someone in the manner she did is what makes HER a 'jobsworth'. I would have ignored her.

[retrocop]

//How dare anyone tell Retro of the Yard what to do. //

Absolutely right Gullible. Spot on for once. You can politely request retro to comply (with a simple explanation as to why I have to exchange my superior mask for an inferior one) in a civil and cordial intercourse and I may comply. I have never found the need to shout at people in order to reach a compromise or compliance.
As far as I am concerned,and in my considerable experience of dealing with the public, those who unnecessarily holler and shout for no good reason are usually scared witless. Perhaps our 'volunteer' has found herself out of her depth. Of course she may have been an unfortunate patient from the Springfield Ward ( Psychee) who happened upon a box of PPE and had delusions of grandeur when she set up stall.

[Mamyalynne]

I wouldn't go as far as describe this lady as a 'jobsworth' but a quiet word to her about being a bit more amenable as the first person people may encounter on arrival would do no harm.

Some entering may already be in a heightened state of anxiety depending on the reason for their visit.

Volunteers do a brilliant job in many areas like this.

[Atheist]

Iluv; you weren't there, so you can't really judge the tone of the conversation. Maybe Retro came across as a rude old git? We will never know, so best not to judge, much less make an issue of it on social media.

[bobbinwales]

We agree that the storey as Retro Cop tell's it tell's us she needs some training. But to say its not a proper job? Says more about you a think

[New Judge]

//Your overthinking it new judge and trying to justify unreasonable attitudes.//

I'm not overthinking anything, bobbi. I don't know whose attitude you believe I am commenting on but if I had been treated as retro had been today I would have thought much the same. The unreasonable attitude it seems came from the person doling out the masks (for which there is no need). There is also no need for rudeness in any setting, least of all in a hospital towards patients. NHS staff (quite rightly) expect to be treated with respect. That cuts both ways. As for being grateful that we have a health service, I am grateful every month when I see how much tax I have paid towards its £120bn annual budget, much of which is wasted because of poor management and political control.

[retrocop]

I have told you it as it is Atheist. Virtually verbatim with no embellishments. I said very little to her except ,'why don't you like my mask?' I took her mask ,shrugged my shoulders ( because her explanation was not sufficient or satisfactory) and continued to the department. I had neither the time or inclination to argue with any one just because they did not like my own mask.As I wrote at the beginning. My wife was waiting in the car 'drop off point' which has a limited waiting period and I hoped to dash in quickly with no confrontation,argument or grief. I can handle this lockdown. If others are scared and can't then stay at home and keep out of the way of those who comply and merely attend hospital in order to get treatment and don't want a fuss or are scared witless. Good posts NJ.

[gulliver1]

After all that Retro has been through, serving Queen and Country , and some little upstart tells him what to do . To the Tower with her.

[iluvmargie]

I know I wasn't there, but I still think she is a jobsworth, like so many have become during the pandemic, especially the ones who controlled how many were allowed into supermarkets when we had to queue - it was obvious the power had gone to the heads of some of them!

Oh and you weren't there either Aetheist.

[Atheist]

Retro, I do understand, but all the same there are different ways of saying things - tone of voice, facial expression etc. I doubt that you're a naturally rude person, but I am just saying that it's hard for people here to judge what happened. Why did you refer to her as a "large woman"

[New Judge]

//Why did you refer to her as a "large woman"//

Er...perhaps because she was?