MAGAt maskhole encounter at the supermarket...

[GReedDiamond]

Masks are required again in all businesses in my county.

Earlier today, I'm in line at the checkout and notice that a youngish-looking woman is right up on my ass in line, with no mask.

I said, "if you're not going to wear a mask, could you at least back up?"

She replies, "no, I'm not gonna back up." We exchange a few words, I call her a "maskhole" and tell her that this pandemic will never end because of people like her.

She prattles on about some "study from Israel" which somehow excludes her from the current mask mandate.

The cashier gives the maskhole a mask, which the maskhole refuses to use.

I complete my transaction and head back to the house.

The first thing I did when I got home was call the store to complain that they are not enforcing the mask mandate, and if they don't, I would take my business elsewhere.

The store manager gets on the line, I relate my story about the maskhole, and tell him that they need to throw these assholes out of the store if they refuse to mask up, no service for them.

I told the manager that I have lately been seeing one or two people in the store with no mask, or mask on chin, and if I continue to see that in upcoming visits, I will report the lax masking enforcement to the city health department and shop elsewhere. And I will recommend that friends and family take their business elsewhere, too.

Manager says he is calling an immediate staff meeting to reiterate the mask policy, which manager agrees is "no mask, no service."

I hope this results in better enforcement of the mask mandate, but I'm not too optimistic, because the narcissistic morons are apparently everywhere, even in my solid-blue area.

[Deuxcents]

1. Good luck

I brought to a magr’s Attention about a chaser sneezing into a grocery bag... “ It’s Florida..and we cannot mandate testing or vaccines. If anyone feels sick they need to stay home” O..you pay wages for sick leave.,”well, that depends..” the honor system.. it’s maddening

[True Blue American]

7. I think the Judge

Just changed that today. He over ruled DeSantis!

[hay rick]

27. Decision only applied to DeSantis' ban on mask mandates in schools.

[femmedem]

2. It's so tough because low wage employeees are at risk when they enforce mask mandates.

But no mask, no service is a good policy, and threatening to report the store to the health department assuredly got his attention.

[Scrivener7]

12. This. These poor cashiers are now having to act as police to people who are violent and belligerant

I don't know what the answer is, because if I am not comfortable I won't patronize a store.

Around here, there are pick up services, so I might consider using that if you think the management and the employees are people of goodwill but are just not able to enforce the mandate

[femmedem]

44. I'm lucky because I have a food co-op within walking distance.

And the people who shop there have been consistently wearing masks all along. But at other stores, the mask-wearing is picking up but is far from 100%, despite a mask mandate in public inside spaces ordered by our mayor. One of the local supermarkets is offering curbside pickup and delivery again here, too.

I never blame employees for not enforcing mask mandates. Those poor employees are endangered if they don't enforce the policy and endangered if they do.

I do think curbside pickup is the best option for people who are computer savvy. I live in a city with a high poverty rate, though: 20% of the people here don't have a computer.

[blueinredohio]

3. My husband said when he went to Wal-Mart today

they were handing out masks out at the door. I'm surprised because this is a very red area.

[SoCalDavidS]

8. Probably Why They're Handing Them Out

It's a red area, and Nobody (except you, of course), is bothering to carry one with them.

[blueinredohio]

15. When I do go I see quite a few older people still wearing a mask.

Not so much for the younger crowd but even half the people working there have their masks under their nose or on their chin. I try to skip their line.

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. Crossville, Tn. Walmart doing the same. Surprised also.

[blueinredohio]

35. Maybe its a corporate thing.

May be getting a lot of complaints.

[True Blue American]

46. I Carry a mask in my pocket. Goes on before I enter

Being required again. I respect the clerks.

[spinbaby]

4. At least there is a mask policy

Masks are optional here in redneck country, which means hardly anyone wears one and the only safe way to go out is in an N95 mask.

[d_r]

6. Yep

In my rural corner of the south it is back to driving to town for Walmart pickup

[LisaL]

13. Same here.

There are no mask mandates. So I wear N95 when in public.

[lambchopp59]

28. Same here, where I'm fire refugee

Beautiful Colorado country, air is clean but considering using curbside delivery at the low rate of mask usage and rather a lot of "Trump" bumperstickers.

[Maraya1969]

5. Good for you. And hey, maybe we'll get some new maskhole videos to watch!

I found them entertaining.

[Traildogbob]

9. Need a stand your ground policy

Legal to shot em. Save hospital space and the health insurers a lot of money. I say this sarcastically……kinda.

[Tiger8]

58. If we were elected, and you proposed that as a bill

I would seriously vote for it.

MAGAts are socialized to believe Democrats are weak wussies, sheeple, etc. who can be bullied and mocked.

Well, if somebody's little grandma had her masked ripped off, and told to "man up"....I'd give anything to see her pull a big honking gun from her purse, and blow the assailant into the next life....as she coolly blows the smoke from the barrel, and exclaims to the corpse, "Is that man enough for you, sonny?"

[Traildogbob]

59. Love it!

[I_UndergroundPanther]

68. Priceless

Would make my year to see that. I'd want to hug that grandma, but I would refrain,even with my mask on.

[Martin68]

10. Good for you for taking action. There's nothing to be gained by being polite with Covid deniers.

[TNNurse]

11. The problem is that those grocery store employees

don't get paid enough to enforce, receive harassment and put themselves in danger. I understand what you did, but those working folks should not have to enforce this. This frustrates me no end.

I went two places today where I was the only person present with a mask. The first was expected...local hardware place but they had what I needed. The second was a post office in a very small town.

No one has ever challenged this little white haired old lady about wearing a mask. I suspect anyone who did would surely be armed.

[GReedDiamond]

17. Hi TNNurse...the manager actually told me exactly what you say...

...they are not to confront the maskhole, but they are supposed to refer them to the manager, who is the one to tell the idiot to either mask-up or get out.

I guess I've got it pretty easy here (L.A. area), compared to you.

I am used to virtually everyone being masked since the beginning of the pandemic, but lately, that's been changing, unfortunately.

[druidity33]

65. THANK YOU! As a grocery store worker...

THANK YOU! I work in a food co-op in a red area in a blue state. Masking rate is around 70%. There is no mandate but the county recommends unvaccinated wear masks. Which means all the maskholes are belligerent. We get at least 2 a day. We've had 2 employees quit over this. People get angry and violent. It's really stupid and aggravating.

[Tiger8]

14. Anybody with access to Faux News or Right Wing radio/websites

These people are too stupid to think for themselves.

My response is something like....

Where do you get your information. Sean Hannity, the college dropout? Or maybe Alex Jones.....does fat Alex sell you his manly man pills, so you can grow a penis? lol (works on women as well as men - and it really pisses them off)

[Evolve Dammit]

21. don't forget the Pillow Guy?? WTF. How does a TV commercial become somehow relevant?? Maybe

the Sham Wow guy will be next. Entertainment reality TV is what got Orange Anus "elected". It is a fact, half the electorate loves that shit.

[TexasTowelie]

37. Don't pick on the Shaw Wow guy.

At least he is trying to sell masks (with a capitalistic markup).

It looks like he gained some weight and he wasn't speeding on meth in the promo.

[Evolve Dammit]

39. Maybe he's got a heart?? Pillow Guy sure doesn't

[Tiger8]

54. Yes. The endless parade of hustlers & has beens

Here in Massachusetts, Bobby Orr, the former Boston Bruins defenseman, and "1970 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year" winner came out of the woodwork in 2020 to shill for Donald.

Too many others to mention.......I assumed Bobby Orr was dead, but it turns out he is just BRAIN DEAD.

[Evolve Dammit]

70. There's a lot of them for sure. More than I ever thought possible.

[certainot]

51. then limbaugh - the lung cancer victim who told them for 30 years smoking doesn't cause cancer

he was the defacto republican expert on COVID, who sets the tone. if he said it was serious fromm the start they would all follow in some fashion, or the dittoheads would scream at their station producers and call screeners and blowhards and politicians.

but trump wanted it to get worse so he could call a state of emergency and cancel elections. if trump had told limbaugh it was bad and would tank the economy and people should be masking he would have. if limbaugh had decided to lie because, as he explained, dems were going to use it to force big govt solutions then he called it a hoax at the beginning, as he did, but trump wanted to fight the pandemic, limbaugh would have called it dangerous, mask up, get vaccinated.

there's a pic of trump telling limbaugh something serious at lunch/golf christmas 2019 and the other people at that table need to be asked if trump talked about COVID

[Tiger8]

56. Limbaugh was an early Cancer cell himself

He mixed lies and psychological manipulation with a mean, school yard bully type mocking humor, but in a way that was excused away as a kind of dark humor - but that we were told, even by Democrats, was within his 1st Amendment rights.

But in reality, Limbaugh was a cancerous poison that damaged our political process. He entertained people enough to tune in - but mixed with a serious call to action to "defend" America, because the objects of his derision were not "real" Americans - and were actually a danger to the moral fiber of the country. Just a few items to mention...

- Blistering levels of homophobia (read names of people who died from AIDS, followed by a laugh or applause track).
- Radically anti-science (too many to mention, from smoking to climate change).
- Total belittlement of elected Democrats. (derogatory names, mocking - warning his listeners about the danger they posed).
- Mocking those with health problems and disabilities (Michael J Fox is one I recall)
- Cruel levels of misogyny. (can't even mention all the ones, especially involving abortion and feminism)
- Unabashed racism (again, too many to mention, such as fake "dumb black" callers, spreading obnoxious racial stereotypes).
- Riffing popular songs to further demean and dehumanize. (Republicans like John McCain were severely mocked & belittled for not being sufficiently right wing).

Limbaugh was a special kind of cancer. He was a pure evil - mere words cannot capture the depth of his moral degeneracy. But we allowed him to spread his right wing poison for 3 hours a day - so virtually NOTHING stopped him - which of course encouraged every right wing psychopath, from Roger Ailes to Trump and Alex Jones.

[certainot]

69. great rundown. team limbaugh killed more people than hitler and stalin - global warming, smoking,

afghanistan, iraq, COVID (around the world - slowing US help), environmental deregulation, stopping universal healthcare efforts, etc

imagine if he led those 1500 radio stations to do the opposite? he gave us the modern republican party, yet gets very little to no 'credit' for this trumpian disaster that putin and trump rode into the white house - they blame it on facebook....

[Beartracks]

63. Funny how conservatives think that it's LIBERALS who can't think for themselves...

... which is the message their radio and TV handlers feed to them ad nauseam.

========

[Generic Brad]

16. Meanwhile in Tennessee....

My family was the only one wearing a mask in the grocery store today. Even the employees didn't have them.

[luvs2sing]

19. Good luck..

I’ve yet to be in a grocery store that enforces mask mandates for customers or employees. And our state and local health departments look the other way and do nothing when these stores are reported.

[Evolve Dammit]

23. Same here. And I'm in a fairly progressive city in the NE. 20% on a good day and zero "enforcement.

Stores don't want to deal with that, At ALL.

[FreeState]

32. Trader Joe's did when there was a mask mandate here

They were very good at it as I never saw anyone without one.

[luvs2sing]

33. Trader Joe's was where I saw a guy..

with his mask below his chin, coughing, then he threw up in a towel. I told the manager. He did nothing.

[UGADawg]

20. Name and city of your supermarket?

?

[GReedDiamond]

22. I'd rather not disclose my exact location here. I will say that...

...I am in the L.A. area, and I will withhold the store name until it seems to me that they are continuing to have lax mask mandate enforcement.

That would also be the point where I would contact the health department.

[Maggiemayhem]

24. There is no mandate in WV this go around

I wear a mask and I do get some under the breath snorting but so far no confrontation. I am considering a taser. Our town just lost a 36 year old and that will stop no one. I do not understand how dying is owning the libs. I am going to go back to parking lot pickup.

[Shoeless Louis]

25. Well done. Please stay safe. Thanks for doing the right thing. nt

[brewens]

26. I keep my cart behind me in line for that reason. It's a no frills store where we

bag our own stuff. I maintain my distance behind the person in front of me and the person behind me has no choice.

[wnylib]

31. I'll have to remember that. Great idea.

[calimary]

38. That's a great idea!

Where we shop, pretty much everybody, staff and customers, are masked. In such cases I thank the cashier or the manager for their safe ‘n’ smart mask and distancing policy.

Positive reinforcement! And it lets ’em know we’re wide awake and paying close attention.

[Mr. Evil]

29. If I owned a retail outlet my sign on the door would read:

No Vax
No Mask
No Service
Take Your Stupid Ass
Some place else!

[flying_wahini]

30. You would think mgr would post signs that say NO Masks No full Service

Do it yourself at self checkout. and bag your own groceries, too.
And make the checkout In a corner.

[dickthegrouch]

45. With an automated Lysol spray every 5 seconds 😃

Got to keep it sanitized too!

[wnylib]

34. Went to CVS to pick up a script today.

Then I stopped at two stores in the same plaza. First time in a couple weeks that I've been shopping in those stores.

This area is now in the high infection rate category. Yesterday we had a record number of new cases for one day that beat last winter's record. Record number of hospitalizations for this area, too.

So I wore an N95. All the employees in all 3 stores wore masks. There were masks for sale again, along with lots of hand sanitizer, Lysol spray, and Lysol wipes.

At CVS, all but one customer wore masks. At the other two stores, I was the only one.

[Rhiannon12866]

36. It's got to be tougher now than it would have been if it was mandated from the beginning

There was a mask mandate here in New York from the beginning, masks were required in every grocery, pharmacy, gas station, bank, convenience store, any business at all - and it was enforced. However, the mandate was rescinded at the beginning of July, just in time for "tourist season" here - and now the signs at entrances say that masks are only required for the unvaccinated - and they're using "the honor system."

As you can imagine, there are few masks in sight these days, now that we're seeing tourists from as far away as Florida, Alabama and Utah. Last summer New York was under quarantine. And of course Covid cases have risen sharply in my largely rural county - everything is "open." As we approach the fall with the start of school and people moving inside I'm hoping that the mask mandate will be back - but good luck putting that genie back in the bottle.

[Tribetime]

40. Im in Ohio..Cleveland area

And many stores don't even have employees wear masks...even chick-fil-A and McDonald's

[sarisataka]

41. I must shop in the wrong stores,

Or maybe the right stores.

[Treefrog]

48. Same here.

A dozen of these “encounter” threads a day.

[XanaDUer2]

57. I'm headed out to the grocery

wish me luck!

[kyburbonkid]

42. Itttssss BAaaaCcccKkkk...

I think a lot of folks had a sense the thing was over with the vax. It's not. Mask up; put glasses on, and break out the hand sanitizer. This round may get worst and flu is coming too.

[LiberalFighter]

43. Charge anyone not wearing a mask in the store an additional $20.

[Demovictory9]

47. good job

[3Hotdogs]

49. Now, follow up with a call to the health department.

[COL Mustard]

50. The Time For Carrots Is Past

It's time for sticks now, and some serious sticks. I like the "No mask, no service" approach, but I would hate to be a (low-paid) front line employee having to enforce it.

[Rabrrrrrr]

52. The sad part is that it's the low-wage employees with no power who have to risk getting killed

in order to enforce the store's mandate.

if I were still a grocery clerk, I'd be scared as hell to bring up masks with anyone - never know who's a Trump supporter with a gun or a bad attitude, and who's a reasonable, decent human being who might go "OMG, I didn't even realize I didn't put one on!"

It's unfair to ask the least powerful to be in charge of taking the danger.

That said, the stores do indeed need to enforce the mask mandate, and you were right to call them out on it.

[MrsCoffee]

62. EXACTLY!

[Richard D]

53. There should be a public display . . .

. . . of pictures of maskholes and the stores in which they were found.
Some store owners do not care or are maskholes themselves.
I went into one store to find some employees doing the chin mask with nostrils uncovered. I told the manager.
Next (and last) time I went in, same thing.

[AncientOfDays]

55. I'm fortunate ...

... to live in Oregon. The governor has declared a mask mandate for both indoors and outdoors. Getting them to wear properly is another matter, but I'm in a Blue area and compliance has been pretty good.

'Course, I never stopped wearing the mask when going out of the house.

[MOMFUDSKI]

60. So we go to Aldi

here in Milwaukee this morn and the sign on the door says "Masks are highly recommended" which is the dumbest sign I have seen in awhile. Take a stand, Aldi. No fence riding.

[MrsCoffee]

61. On the flip side, they should not be making the employees confront maskholes without security.

Because they tried to do that to my son. Tried to put him outside Safeway's doors and make sure people had a mask on before entering.

Hire professional security to handle covid issues. Cashiers and stock persons should not be made responsible for enforcing county health orders.

[Orrex]

64. Fun fact: when they hear "I will take my business elsewhere..."

They think “thank God that’s over.”

It really ain’t the threat that people think it is.


Also, during the previous mostly ignored mask mandate, every manager that I asked about it at a range of stores and businesses said, in so many words, that their corporate bosses have forbidden them to confront customers for not wearing masks.

Businesses do the math and know that they will suffer much worse and much louder publicity from no-mask they’d suffer at the hands of people trying to be safe and sensible, so they have little incentive to force the issue with their many asshole customers.

[Cha]

66. Damn.. TY GreedDiamond!

[onetexan]

67. Bravo!

My company has also held off on employees going back to office, & those who absolutely need to or want to must show their vaccination card. So glad.