"Danger,! Danger! Danger! Scared Democrats inside!" I was outside my grocery

[niyad]

store, pulling my mask up, when a woman, who appeared to be mid-50's, walked past me, smirking. It took a second for me to replay what she had said. When it registered, I said, "Oh, good, smart people inside. Thank you." I went into the store, leaving her a bit slack-jawed.

(Our store has a mask mandate for the non-vaccinaated, and a strong request that, per CDC guidance, we all mask. Most do, in this slightly bluer area.)

[DanieRains]

1. Everyone wears masks and 81% Have shots

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/portugal/

Covid is almost non-existant.

[niyad]

2. Wish that were the case here.

[NJCher]

24. a shimmering vision of hope

we can only aspire, here from the Divided States of America.

[MLAA]

3. Well done!

[niyad]

6. Thank you. It confuses them when you do not react as expected.

[NoSheep]

15. I love doing it

[FailureToCommunicate]

4. "Halloween is OVER!" is what I've heard more than a few times.

I just wave and say...thru my mask: "Really? Halloween is my favorite holiday! But maybe I'll "see" you on Dia de los Muertos"

[niyad]

5. Ohhh, will keep that one in mind.

[niyad]

17. I may say, "but I am a witch. Halloween Is every day."

[MontanaMama]

29. Halloween is over?

Might be good to look deep into their eyes and whisper “I see dead people.”

[JudyM]

32. This. Is. Perfect.

[not fooled]

30. Oh, yeah

sending your unmasked kids around trick-or-treating is worth risking their lives. At least in MAGA world.

[KentuckyWoman]

38. "Can't tell that by looking at YOUR horrifying face."

"And that outfit has Halloween costume written all over it."

[OldBaldy1701E]

43. Ladies and Gentlemen and all between: We have a winner! (n/t)

[Woodwizard]

7. Our area is only 52.8% vaccinated

but I have never dealt with any mask idiots, I have noticed more people wearing them again. The vaccinated percentage has been stagnant for almost 3 months I just do not get the resistance.

[niyad]

11. Those people have swallowed the lies whole.

[wnylib]

39. Since my area hit the high infection

rate category, the vax rate has crept up to 48%. All store emoloyees wear masks lately, but few customers. I am seeing young children in masks, but not the parents. I guess the parents are vaccinated but don't realize that they can pass the virus on to their kids when they get home and unmask.

[xmas74]

48. My county has crept up to 24%

Just 24%

[Paladin]

8. You were way too polite.

Don't feel bad, it's a common Democratic failing.

[niyad]

10. Believe me, many days I am not.

[azureblue]

20. I had one make a comment

And I responded with a personal attack (her weight). I am not going to be civil any more.

[Paladin]

23. These people are unworthy of civility. It only encourages them. (nt)

[LaMouffette]

9. Good response! What galls me is their arrogance in feeling free to make rude remarks like that.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I occasionally gave an unmasked person a withering look. Now I just ignore them. But these assholes feel like they can spout off their snide, offensive remarks to those of us who are doing the considerate, responsible thing.

And I think their rudeness is part of a bigger trend toward incivility that began with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Colter, etc., who normalized rude and disrespectful behavior.

[niyad]

13. I think that you are correct. Limpballs and others really got it going. And then we had

that no-class, hate--filled boor and traitor squatting in OUR HOUSE, giving these low-lifes permission and encouragement. May they llreceive what they deserve.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. "the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Ann Colter, etc., who normalized rude and disrespectful behavior."

You can add people like Bill Maher to that list too because it got a "name" and became a pop culture reference.

They basically rewrote "societal norms" to call what used to be "respectful behavior to others" as being "politically correct". I.e., they tied simple courtesy to somehow being "political", and thus the bedrock of civility came crumbling down in an avalanche.

[Jimbo S]

18. "respectful behavior to others"

I prefer to use "not being a dick".

[BumRushDaShow]

21. ...

[LaMouffette]

37. Good point. Insult-tainment, too, has normalized the incivility.

[BumRushDaShow]

42. Plus the concept of the "Shock Jock"

and "Morning Zoo" format with various types of stunt-programming that they did, including encouraging their fans to show up outside the studios of their rival stations to "protest" and harass those hosts and staff at those stations. Howard Stern was one of the biggest ones to do that here in Philly when his NY show was syndicated here on one station and he embarked on an effort to do whatever was necessary to get his show's slot here to #1 and knock a different station's show (#1 for the previous 10 years), out of the running.

It was just juvenile "ratings" nonsense.

[NoMoreRepugs]

12. Maybe next time come back with - "Whoa, now there's a face for radio."

[niyad]

14. I have always liked that one. And, in her case, it truly fit.

[wnylib]

40. I usually say about myself

that I have a singing voice suited to mime.

Sadly true. I confine my singing to alone time at home, but even the cat disapproves.

[Jon King]

19. The grocery store is the eyes into society here in Florida.

Its always the grocery store! We go to 3-4 different Publix down here in Palm Beach County. They all have a different customer base so you can see the mask or no mask dynamic play out.

Last week we went to the one in the more reddish area, the cashier was breathless that she just served Laura Trump and her 2 kids, but her supervisor would not let her take a selfy, so she was mad. Never heard a cashier talk that loudly in my life and we were standing 3 feet away from her. But she was determined that everyone hear her Laura Trump story.

Yesterday it was the store next to several elder care facilities, full of very vulnerable people, bused in several times a week to shop. Everyone masked except for one lady straight out of MAGA rally central casting. Not only no mask, that was not enough for her. She parked her cart diagonally to block as much of the aisle as she could as she slowly opened each freezer. Of course she was talking on her phone, but that was still not enough. She proceeded to talk in a voice 3 times a normal phone voice, mingled with loud cackles. As the masked people siddled around her cart, she sided eyed them. Obviously looking for confrontation.

[appleannie1]

22. Those are the ones to be shunned. It ruins their day.

[NJCher]

27. unwanted mask comments

wow, what stories! I L'd OL at MAGA rally central casting.

This is why I wear headphones in grocery stores. It saves me endless annoyance.

You experienced egregious behavior that was inviting a confrontation. You have to wonder what strange world these people live in that they behave as such.

I have noticed a phenomena in grocery stores. It doesn't always happen, but frequently enough that I've noticed it. That is that someone walks in at the same time or is somehow shopping the same aisles as I. For whatever reason they are annoying, usually doing stuff like you describe in your last paragraph. In cases like this, I diagonal across the store to get rid of them. Then I work back to the original area.

Now, regarding this:

Its always the grocery store!

IMO, certain grocery stores attract certain types of customers. I will often avoid them just for that reason, even though they might be convenient. We have certain ethnic grocery stores where the clientele is largely of one type of immigrant. I will often frequent them because I can almost always count on neatness and civility.

On another topic, I just wanted to say that we generally don't experience such comments in NJ. It is a fairly blue state and my town in particular is very blue, so maybe that is why. I think, though, that having a mask policy that is reinforced by the government/governor lends itself to civility. Taking that issue off the table eases a lot of stress for the customer, the business, and even the people who have to occasionally intervene, the security guards or police.

Let's face it (pun intended), we have better things to think about in life. These people purport pure pettiness (alliteration intended).

[lambchopp59]

25. Tucker Carlson should be sued

Sites are claiming class action lawsuit against Fox won't pan out due to first amendment.
I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me Tucker Carlson's unabashed suggestion TO HARRASS mask wearing citizens in public venues is even worse than yelling "FIRE" in a theater. More like setting a fire then sneaking out.

[niyad]

33. One gets bored reminding people that the First Amendment is about GOVERNMENT

censorship.

[Lonestarblue]

44. And what the hosts who told people to use Ivermectin?

Can you hide behind free speech to suggest a bogus medicine for Covid on television?

[lambchopp59]

45. Practicing medicine without a license... hmm.

[Moostache]

26. My new standard response...

The horse de-wormer is on aisle 6...

[niyad]

36. Snicker

[OMGWTF]

28. Ms. Fidiot Smirk is too stooooooopid to realize that the mask is to protect HER too.

[niyad]

35. As worthless as these scum are, we still try to protect them.

[Turbineguy]

31. I'm going with

"I'm told that the rectal tube is the best part of the intubation. They've shaped it like trump's penis, so it feels familiar!"

[niyad]

34. you nearly owed me a keyboard.

[peppertree]

41. She should audition for a role as that annoying robot in Lost in Space

[MissMillie]

46. Only half joking on this...

...but maybe the stores should have days for masked and vaxed shoppers and days for unmasked/unvaxed shoppers.

If you run out of milks, eggs or toilet paper on a day you're not supposed to be shopping, send a friend that qualifies on that particular day.

[niyad]

47. That would certainly be interesting.