Most of you have probably experienced this type of person already: those that refuse to pass you on a footpath or alleyway and end up jumping into the road or behind a bush to avoid crossing too close. How are you all dealing with the pleasantries?
I first witnessed it walking down my local high street when a man, I'd say in his 60s, sensed the presence of somebody else closing behind him. As he turned and saw that second person he literally leapt off the footpath into the road, like he'd been electrocuted. Such was the fear instilled in him of 'getting too close'.
My own experience involves a lady who had evidently waited behind a bush as my eldest, about 100 yards ahead of me, cycled along the footpath towards a crossing. The first I knew of her was when her head protruded from behind the bush, saw me in the distance, and proceeded to go back into hiding. I gave her no more thought until I reached the crossing when behind me came the most sarcastic "thank you", with her storming down the path, head shaking and hands gesturing. It was then I realised that in her world I'd put her out by 'forcing' her to wait and not even thanked her for it.
The funniest part of the whole episode was that she ended up passing within a metre of me as she set off down the footpath. The road was lightly trafficked and I'd have gladly stepped onto the road had she been coming towards me. I know she was probably just 'trying to do the right thing' but I'm getting so hacked off with all the moronic behaviour out there that saying 'thank you' seems to be validating their behaviour and I'm not in the mood for it!
Anybody else feeling the same?!
I went to a garden centre today to buy some compost. In the car park a group of three elderly, maybe even disabled, people were busy putting their masks on. I was tempted to tell them of exemptions but they hurried away. A few minutes later I saw them in the outdoor snack bar with their masks around their necks ... ho hum. Plenty of other people arrived, mainly over 50s all wearing masks outside wandering around the pots and plants etc. The staff were okay, didn't hassle me with no mask, despite the one way system etc. and at the checkout they had a notice about using a card as cash 'could be dirty.' I asked about that and the guy didn't know what it meant and didn't care about it.
I then noticed a friend, someone who has worked in the garden at home, is a garden designer/ planner with a small business - known him for years. Walked over to say hi but he would not shake hands and stood back from me as I approached him - I asked how he was and how his business was going - he said he'd furloughed his team originally and in the last month had got them back to work in small 'bubbles' to undertake gardening jobs. He claimed everything was working well and as safely as he could manage - but only 2 people per van. He then went on to tell me how a policeman friend of his had been carrying 'all the dead bodies out of homes and care homes' and that he believed the virus was real and that we should all be very careful still. He claimed to have read all the scientific papers and was convinced the virus was deadly. He claimed we had no immunity to this 'new virus' - that it was highly infectious. He claimed another friend could not breathe and had ended up on a ventilator or respirator. It was difficult to contest his experience but I did suggest there was a lot wrong with what was happening. He disagreed. He claimed anti-social distancing was good and all other 'necessities' were in place to stop the virus! We decided to agree to disagree about the current situation, I offered support to his business and left.
All the way home I felt physically uncomfortable, ill even. I felt like I had to have shower and scrub the time spent out off my body. It was awful. I wish I had never gone out and it's taken me hours to get over this episode.
Venetia, I too run and whereas people used to wait or jump, most don’t move now. I truly believe that many don’t believe the hype anymore but are just are too apathetic to do anything about it.
I have been running down into my local town, up the high street, and then back down the high street and home. I give way to nobody now because I am so sick of people behaving as if I was a leper. This has gone on long enough! And the joke is that social distancing isn't even a legal requirement!
Early during the illegal lockdown I would go out for long walks, and to any passerby on the path I'd greet them with an anti-lockdown slogan. One such dog walker going the other way was an ambulance man on a day off, when prompted he told me he was a lot more concerned about being called out to road accidents where pedestrians had jumped infront of cars in futile attempts to social distance than he was about the virus.
twice now I've had lemmings jump into the road in front of my car as they launch themselves off the pavement trying to a avoid the dirty disease carriers, both had their backs to me and both made zero attempt to look as if getting walloped by a car is less deadly than the magic disease that can differentiate from a pub or a supermarket
It has died down now, as the emphasis on 'social distancing' is now mainly for an indoor environment or queuing, but earlier on during the lockdown it really was very common. I'm guessing also that those who 'need' a mask to feel 'safe' don't worry so much now about 'social distancing'.
Can't really classify my encounter as tragic or amusing, but here it is:
Was walking in the woods with my wife and dog, wide fire road, a lady coming towards us having realised she would have to pass potential spreaders ran away and hid behind a tree, she promptly put her mask on if that wasn't enough covered her masked mouth with a gloved hand...
We passed said friendly hello and moved on, can tell you that much, even the dog looked confused.
Absolutely, part of me thinks that it's not their fault, they've been scared, the other part of me thinks "oh grow up you stupid idiot" It has happened to me many times. (Maybe I look like coronazombie) The funniest one was when my Brother and I were hiking through a forest, a woman in here 60's on a bike nearly crashed into a bush in an effort to avoid us; we just looked at her half amused and half bewildered as she wobbled and bumped her way through the thistles and thorns!