Fighting Over Masks in Public Is the New American Pastime.....

PopsnTuff

PopsnTuff

Well-known Member
Location
Virginia USA
In states like California, Texas and Florida, many essential workers have been given an additional task: conflict resolution.

On any given day, somewhere in the United States, someone is going to wake up, leave the house and get in a huge argument with a stranger about wearing masks.

Grocery store managers are training staff on how to handle screaming customers. Fistfights are breaking out at convenience stores. Some restaurants even say they’d rather close than face the wrath of various Americans who believe that masks, which help prevent the spread of coronavirus, impinge on their freedom.

Joe Rogers, 47, a resident of Dallas, said that just last week, he had gotten in a physical fight over masks.
In line at a Mini-Mart, he spotted a customer behind him not wearing a mask, he said, and he shook his head. The man asked why Mr. Rogers had been looking at him and Mr. Rogers, again, shook his head.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/style/mask-america-freedom-coronavirus.html
 

Last edited:
What a shame that employees are being physically attacked by people who refuse to wear masks. They need to implement a law to make mask-wearing in stores, a requirement. I doubt that will happen though.
 
Last edited:
I spoke to the grocery store manager last week by phone about this and what he told me was upsetting.....he said they've already had customers spit, cuss out and threaten to come back and shoot the employees who mentioned wearing a mask....he said it's happening all over :(
 

An artist’s rendering of a recent viral video. In the video, an employee of a Florida Walmart is seen to be shoved by a mask-less customer, who also falls.Credit...Illustration by Tracy Ma/The New York Times

30maskfights-1-v4-articleLarge-v2.jpg
 
Last edited:
PopsnTuff said:
In states like California, Texas and Florida, many essential workers have been given an additional task: conflict resolution.

On any given day, somewhere in the United States, someone is going to wake up, leave the house and get in a huge argument with a stranger about wearing masks.

Grocery store managers are training staff on how to handle screaming customers. Fistfights are breaking out at convenience stores. Some restaurants even say they’d rather close than face the wrath of various Americans who believe that masks, which help prevent the spread of coronavirus, impinge on their freedom.

Joe Rogers, 47, a resident of Dallas, said that just last week, he had gotten in a physical fight over masks.
In line at a Mini-Mart, he spotted a customer behind him not wearing a mask, he said, and he shook his head. The man asked why Mr. Rogers had been looking at him and Mr. Rogers, again, shook his head.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/style/mask-america-freedom-coronavirus.html
Click to expand...
tenor.gif
 
There is never a fight - until an employee confronts someone over a mask. It is utter foolishness for an employee to confront anyone over anything & if management cared about the safety of their employees, they would never ask an employee to play cop; that's not what they are paid to do.
Even police officers refuse to enforce the mask issue after they were asked to. And, unlike store employees, cops have weapons & training.
 
jujube said:
My county just went on mandatory mask wearing yesterday. It will be interesting.....
Click to expand...
Ours has been mandatory for at least a month but that means nothing to those who object.....don't believe the law is doing anything about it cuz of more serious issues at hand.
 
RadishRose said:
An artist’s rendering of a recent viral video. In the video, an employee of a Florida Walmart is seen to be shoved by a mask-less customer, who also falls.Credit...Illustration by Tracy Ma/The New York Times

30maskfights-1-v4-articleLarge-v2.jpg
Click to expand...
The video was further down. It's the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life. Watching a grown man throw a tantrum over a mask for God sake. Just wear the thing and grow the F up. It's not like they're making us eat cockroaches or anything.
 
Why engage anyone? I had people give me weird challenging looks now that I wear a mask, and complain about me wearing no mask in the early days, but nothing they can do while they talk to themselves. Both types are idiotic in my opinion.
 
The issue is not a mask rather it is one of respect. Given a choice to stand next to a person wearing a mask versus one not wearing a mask I prefer the one wearing the mask to prevent spreading their germs to others. The virus is now spreading a break-neck speed and the hospitals cannot take many more patients so show a little common sense.
 
My area's businesses have gone from postings of "masks required" to "masks strongly recommended," which was sufficient to make about a quarter of customers abandon the practice. We'll see how this plays out in terms of rekindled viral spread. While I certainly don't like wearing a mask, I regard them as a sensible and reasonable accommodation, and will further skirt but not confront those going without...
 
Pinky said:
What a shame that employees are being physically attacked by people who refuse to wear masks. They need to implement a law to make mask-wearing in stores, a requirement. I doubt that will happen though.
Click to expand...

It's a requirement here. No mask, no entry to stores; keep your mask on in the store. You can get a fine for not wearing your mask in public places and store owners get an ever bigger fine if they allow unmasked customers shop in their stores.
 
Butterfly said:
It's a requirement here. No mask, no entry to stores; keep your mask on in the store. You can get a fine for not wearing your mask in public places and store owners get an ever bigger fine if they allow unmasked customers shop in their stores.
Click to expand...
Whose policing that? I know here the fines aren't very steep at all for residents & nothing was said about fining the businesses. I think they're being too lax about it here.
 
Butterfly said:
It's a requirement here. No mask, no entry to stores; keep your mask on in the store. You can get a fine for not wearing your mask in public places and store owners get an ever bigger fine if they allow unmasked customers shop in their stores.
Click to expand...
It’s a requirement here also. No mask, no entry and it’s enforced. You can get a huge fine here for not wearing one in stores and other public places. You can no longer say no to the mask and go shopping or anywhere close to others or you can be fined. So far I haven’t seen any people in a store since this new laws been passed. When I went shopping the other day, while there ( with my mask on ) there were two people who had waited in line to get in and then refused entry once there due to having no mask.

As far as people getting aggressive due to this virus? Here it’s the opposite. People have become extra considerate or at least from my point of view. Here it’s seems that since this earthly slow down, people seem more caring and genuine which is really what our world needs. All we need to learn to do is accept it and protect ourselves. Our life seems more like a reality science fiction movie that we’ve somehow become a part of. It’s somewhat disturbing but it’s our new reality whether we like it or not.
 
All the major stores, like Home Depot, Lowes, Krogers and other nationwide stores are mandating masks be worn by all customers and staff across the whole country.

The main thing I don't like about wearing a mask is the inability to sniff the melons and peaches. This morning I bought peaches that smell like rocks. Normally I'd never have bought them...lol.

If we see someone without a mask, we just ignore them. Nothing you can do makes it any better anyway so why "poke a bear with a stick".
 
My state has now re-mandated masks, and while signs are posted, there's little enforcement. I saw a woman with child at the supermarket yesterday without masks, and she was neither ushered out nor denied services. Grocery store workers sure aren't paid enough to risk confrontations, especially since some anti-maskers have hair triggers and see it as a "rights" rather than a public health issue...
 
Treacle said:
Only 4 days to go and mask coverings must be worn in all shops in England. Anti mask demonstrations have already begun with a rally in Hyde Park - London . Watch this space!!!!!
Click to expand...

I only visited London for a few days several years ago, so I'm hardly an expert, but I stayed in a hotel very near Hyde Park, so I visited a few times. From what I saw, that park, especially the area around the Marble Arch, is "loony tunes" territory. People were on soapboxes ranting and raving about every ridiculous cause you can imagine. Entertaining, but good evidence that all the nut cases are not in America. 😄
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top