Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Enforcing mask wearing in shops
I wonder whether I'm alone in wondering whose job it is to enforce face mask wearing in shops.
For the second time in a week, on a visit to a shop on Grand Parade, I've noticed that about half the customers weren't wearing masks. One of these also had a rather nasty sounding cough.
The police say I should talk to the shop staff, while the shop manager tells me they are not in a position to enforce the law.
Where does that leave us? I would like to think that we're all doing our bit.
Tags for Forum Posts: coronavirus
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by KP on
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That is interesting Michael. Maybe it's because they are not driven by profit. The rest are obviously more concerned about the bottom line than public health. I had to buy something from my local shop yesterday and I was the only person in a mask.
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Permalink Reply by Will on
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It's because they are usually national or multinational organisations which have the resources and PR imperative to roll out these new protocols and procedures for their stores.
Their customers are also usually markedly different to the people who regularly shop at the Green Lanes grocers.
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Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on
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You do of course have empirical evidence to support your generalised comments, particularly with reference to Green Lanes, I presume.
They do of course have concessions for up to 80% rate relief, and no VAT on donated goods because their profits are used to support public benefit, which could be you if at some time you might need it, although I hope you don't. They also rely on volunteers in large part, as I'm sure you already know.
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You appear to have taken offence for some reason, Peter. Is everything OK?
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Permalink Reply by Peter on
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Not at all, Will! What makes you think that?
I'm just still unclear about how a law is to be enforced if the police think it's up to shop staff, and shop staff have no legal right to enforce it. After all, only the police can issue fines.
There have been some very interesting comments, and I'm glad I'm not the only one.
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A different Peter. I should have been clearer. I was wondering why 'PeterPiper' replied to my comment in such an odd way.
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I made my comments Will because I have experience of having been a volunteer in the past in one of the Green Lanes charity shops and also in Crouch End. I know that the customers are very much the local people who shop in the grocers, butchers, bakers etc on their respective high streets.
They are people looking for a bargain, or see some house-hold goods that they need. Sometimes they are people who just want to have a chat, and a browse. Others want to donate things they no longer need, but feel that someone else can use rather than send to landfill. In these times, charity shops fulfill many useful functions in a high street.
I don't understand why other businesses can't make more of an effort to remind their customers that the wearing of a face-covering is more likely to protect their fellow customers & the shop staff than not wearing one.
Why on earth do we need the police to enforce respect for others anyway? What makes so many feel that they are exceptional? The sooner everyone makes a small effort, the better the chances of everybody surviving the pandemic.
Personally I will only shop where I see a high compliance of face covering by customers, and am happy to wait my turn outside. Its a small price to pay.
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If there is dog mess on the pavement in front of my gate/house I gingerly step over it, complaining that the council hasn't done its job of cleaning the pavement. Even if it is there for days and days....
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With the best will in the world the police aren't going to have the resource to enforce mask wearing effectively. But thats not really the point - even if compliance is only 50% (or whatever) that still has a substantial impact on virus transmission. My own experience of green lanes is actually that there have been pretty high levels of mask wearing in the supermarkets etc, contrary to what has been suggested by some of the reports on here.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I think that the incentive for the charity sector is the desire to protect their volunteers in the shops. After all, if a volunteer in a charity shop doesn’t feel comfortable with the way it is being run they can simply stop coming to work - it’s not as if they will lose their wages
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It is called short termism and selfishness.
By not helping to get rid of this 'thing' as quickly as possible, the longer we all will suffer the economic consequences of it. And that has a direct bearing on business activity and job. Some places are doing well because of it!
Not to speak of those we will lose along the way.
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