The Guardian spoke to shop owners about their thoughts on the announcement.
Oh, this'll be good. First up, sensible pension-age shopkeeper with useful store:
“The word ‘mandatory’ is meaningless,” says 70-year-old Redmond Hanlon, who has owned his village convenience store in Devon for 35 years. “I’m not going to refuse entry to mask-free customers. I’ve got 80-year-old guys coming in first thing in the morning for newspapers. I’m not going to say, no, you can’t have your paper. These are guys I’ve known for years.”
Hanlon says most customers do not wear face coverings, but he has been handing out free masks to customers who want them. Last week, he installed a pedal-controlled hand-sanitiser dispenser at the shop entrance and a screen over the counter.
“I think government instruction might make a difference [to how many people wear face coverings]. I’m going to put up a sign thanking customers for wearing masks tomorrow, but I won’t do more,” Hanlon says. “My view is that it’s up to people how they get on with each other. By and large I like to let people do their own thing.”
Next up, scatty little millennial snowflake running currently-trendy shop that no-one considers essential:
Rosie Fletcher is delighted face coverings will be mandatory from 24 July. She was already planning to ask customers to wear them in her north London shop, but the government’s announcement “means I have some more force behind it”, she says.
“It’s not just me being wacky. I can say: ‘A-ha! The government says so too!’”Making face coverings compulsory, she says, will make her feel more secure.
“Masks aren’t magic but when people wear them, it says to me that they’re taking the pandemic seriously.”
Gosh. It's a hard choice, eh?
“My view is that it’s up to people how they get on with each other.”
ReplyDeleteBravo, sir! And how sad that this is even a point of contention.
I've heard the argument that we have an “obligation to society” because wearing masks protects others. Well, okay. I don't object to masks per se. But that obligation is to society: i.e., people-getting-on-with-each-other. The government has the same obligation. And with its dumb one-size-fits-all sledgehammer mandates like this, it's trampling all over it in size 9 boots.
“It’s not just me being wacky"
ReplyDeleteNo, it isn't just you.
Hopefully this will lead to shopping aphartied with the bedwetters using their shops leaving us in peace in ours.
ReplyDeleteWent to the riverside leasure a recreation hub yesterday, packed with punters enjoying the sunshine, not one was wearing a mask just the uncomfortable looking waiting staff.
The wholefood shop ! owner thinks it is a good idea also, and has his photo taken wearing a useless scarf, now he must be a Guardian reader.
ReplyDeleteWent to the supermarket at 10:00 this morning, only about 1 in 3 wearing a mask. This looks like a non starter.
ReplyDelete"And how sad that this is even a point of contention."
ReplyDeleteIndeed!
"Hopefully this will lead to shopping aphartied with the bedwetters using their shops leaving us in peace in ours."
Near 99.99% compliance so far. :(
"...only about 1 in 3 wearing a mask."
You clearly don't shop where I do!