So now it begins.

[TheOstrich]

Tonight, Master O popped into his home town Tesco Express - and he forgot his mask.

Inside the store, he was confronted, abused and videoed by another guy and his mate. It got "in-yer-face" confrontational and luckily store staff intervened and put an end to it. Master O has reported it to the police and is awaiting a call. The store has it on CCTV. He is badly shaken up and as a result will not be going into work tomorrow.

Those are the base facts. Some of you will no doubt applaud the shaming; other amongst you may be more sympathetic towards someone making a mistake which any one of us could make at any time.

But all I can say is that it reinforces my view that I am living in a [expletive deleted] country populated by a [expletive deleted] society. This is what we have become.
Thank you Cressida Dick. Thank you Boris Johnson. I cannot wait to see the back of both of you.

Apologies for the rant. I hope I have calmed down by tomorrow.

[JanB]

Pretty appalling behaviour Ossie. Seems to be commonplace now.

Hope you son is feeling okay now x

[saundra]

So sorry this had to happen to your son ossie

I'm afraid it's a sign of the times
Surly the shop could have govern your son a mask
Take care

[cromwell]

There are a lot of inadequate people about; and one thing they tend to do is to take out their inadequacies on others.
Your son not wearing a mask was an opportunity for some mouthy virtue signallers to go all self righteous, and they took that opportunity.
I get people worrying but a simple reminder would have sufficed.

[Kaz]

Ossie, much as I am pro mask-wearing I would never applaud behaviour like that, it's assault, pure and simple, and I am so sorry that Master O had to deal with that!

I agree with Saundra, why don't supermarkets have disposable masks by the entrance for customers who have forgotten, they provide hand-gel after all!

I sincerely hope that the police take it seriously, and they pay the consequences

((((x))))

[meriad]

Ossie, much as I am pro mask-wearing I would never applaud behaviour like that, it's assault, pure and simple, and I am so sorry that Master O had to deal with that!

Totally agree

I agree with Saundra, why don't supermarkets have disposable masks by the entrance for customers who have forgotten, they provide hand-gel after all!

to be honest Kaz, I am glad they don't - because I truly believe that would add to the already huge issue of masks being thrown away. If people had to pay for their own masks then it'd maybe make them think about buying reusable ones and not spending money on disposable ones and throwing them just anywhere and everywhere

What I find quite astounding is that stores aren't enforcing the mask wearing - Ossie, what should have happened is that you son should have been stopped at store entrance and asked to come back with a mask (or have a stand selling reusable ones) but from what I gather it is nearly all the larger grocery stores that aren't enforcing the mask wearing and I don't understand why not?

[Kaz]

Ah, you're right Ria - I hadn't thought of that

[Workingman]

We are all, shop staff, police and the general public, caught between a rock and a hard place with this.

Some people will genuinely forget or think that they have a mask in a pocket or a bag and then find out at the last minute that they don't. Then there are the militant anti-maskers who simply will not comply and will let everybody know so, or if they do not want confrontation they can easily fake being one of the former.

Enforcement is almost impossible. I just give those without a mask a huge body swerve - and let them know that I am doing it.

[saundra]

It's difficult for smaller shops to refuse a customer a sale because they arnt wearing a mask,as well because they need to,sell,stuff
Very difficult times ahead in afraid

[miasmum]

I just walked round to the corner shop to get a paper. There was a notice on the door, only 2 people in the shop at any one time and there were 3 in there, a couple and one solo. So I stood in the rain with my paper getting wet to wait, whilst waiting I put my reusable, bought from a charity, mask on. Along comes one man, oh I need a mask he says runs back to his car, comes back wearing mask and goes straight in shop. So now there are 4 people in the shop. Along comes a another man, no mask, walks straight past me and into shop, so now there are 5 people in the shop. The lady serving, catches my eye and smiles and shrugs. So It thought sod this for a game of soldiers, I'm just getting soaked so I when the couple came out I walked in. She served the others, including the man with no mask even though he had to look around her big poster saying you must wear a mask int his shop. When I was my time I said he wasn't wearing a mask, she just smiled and shrugged again. So to be honest it all seems a bit pointless. I hate it, but I will do as I am told, as on the whole I have all the way through, but it does really annoy me the inconsistency