I commend you for taking a stand. As do most businesses, particularly outfits like yours where the manager on duty is the owner.
At corporate stores like the national chain pharmacy in question there are more forces at work. Not that there should be; but I suggest there are.
Such as:
Fear of getting shot (or at least attacked) by a crazy-ass freedumb hothead.
Fear of a video of the confrontation ending up on TwitFace and Corporate deciding that sacrificing your job to the baying horde is their best face-saving move.
Standing verbal (=easily deniable) orders from the local manager to avoid making a scene with non-compliant customers.
Attitudes like “I’m a cashier; they don’t pay me enough to be a LEO wannabe. Or even enough to give a shit about the store, the manager, the cow-orkers, etc.”
“This is the 33rd person who came in the door without a mask on this shift. I corrected the first 12 & got 1 compliance, and 11 earfuls. I’m so done for today.”
Understand if I was king the maskless would be arrested for public endangerment, placed in a dense holding cell with another hundred maskless folks and arraigned only after 2 weeks “quarantine” in the cell. We can’t be bringing that stuff into our court facilities now can we? And none of the hundred can honestly say they are at any risk because they’re all sure they don’t have it, so they have no reason to complain this plan is risky. Inconvenient yes, but not risky.
We truly have met the enemy and he is (many of) us.
That’s exactly it. I looked it up on the state health dept. website: "Businesses are not responsible to enforce the order, but they CAN refuse entry or service to customers who are not wearing face coverings. " Apparently Walgreen’s decided not to refuse entry.
I have an email in to their corporate HQ. I suspect it’ll get a polite, generic response, but I wanted to go on record. Before I get another Rx filled there, I’ll call first and speak with the manager: no compliance, no sale. And I’ll tell him to take his f’ing MANDATORY sign down if it’s not mandatory.
If someone challenged me on my mask wearing, I’d be tempted to take it off and start talking to that person. I’d tell them that I was only wearing it to get in the store and I agree with them. I’d tell them COVID is a hoax and I don’t believe it is real even though I’ve had a fever and a chest cough for two weeks now. Wonder if that would back them off?
And speaking of Covidiots, not only are young people partying in spite of the risks, they are inviting people to the parties that have an active infection. Then they all put money into a lottery pool, and the first person to contract the disease wins the money.
Huh. I guess the governor agrees with me. He’s just issued an expansion of the order so businesses can refuse service to customers not wearing masks. I’m puzzled as to why the first order didn’t include this and why this order apparently says “can,” not “must” or even “should.”
The governor of Texas issued a statewide order mandating mask wearing in public in any county with at least twenty cases. I wonder what those who seem to think mask wearing is some sort of liberal/Democratic conspiracy think of that? I’m still amazed that wearing a mask during a pandemic has become part of the culture wars.
I had a doctor’s appointment the other day. The receptionist wore a mask.
That covered her mouth only.
A month ago, I was at a different medical office and the lab tech - luckily NOT the one who did my blood draw - was similarly half-masked.
Somewhat embarrassing to me: as I was waiting Tuesday, my hay fever decided to be a covidiot and started one of my massive nonstop loud sneezing attacks. I was wrenching my neck trying to sneeze into my shoulder while apologizing profusely. Then I had to deal with the runny nose… while masked. I finally just faced the corner, moved the mask down, did a quick kleenex swipe, then put it back before turning around.
Each of the 4 people in the West Florida hospital elevator had a corner. Three of us wore masks. The fourth was openly contemptuous of the virus issue. She smilingly claimed that ‘those’ numbers were made up and the sun glasses hanging around her neck were her mask. One of the occupants sternly lectured her on the danger she posed. She just waved off his objections and, when the door opened, giggled as she danced out of the elevator.
I was in our local hospital recently. Mask absolutely mandatory. Clearance station inside the door to screen entry. No entry without an appointment. Inside, all the staff masked and gowned, everyone else masked (including the Correctional Services officer following one gurney down the hall). When my sister came to pick me up after my procedure, she had to be masked to enter the door, and had to wait in the entrance hall until I came down - no entry for her.
Funny tweet by someone who obviously had to deal with many Covidiots:
Welcome to the Freedom Cafe! We trust you to make your own choices if you want to wear a face mask. And, in the same spirit of individual liberty, we allow our staff to make their own choices about the safety procedures they prefer to follow as they prepare and serve your food.
We encourage employees to wash their hands after using the bathroom, but understand that some people may be allergic to certain soaps or may simply prefer not to wash their hands. It is not our place to tell them what to do.
At Walmart yesterday in the next checkout line over I noticed a family of 4 masked up (good for them, but not sure why all 4 needed to shop), but the teenaged boy had his mask pulled down so that it did not cover his nose. So they finish with checkout and as the clerk handed the receipt to the mother, the mother simultaneously whips out a can of Lysol and makes a production of thoroughly dousing both sides of the receipt with Lysol spray. Hadn’t seen that one before but had to shake my head at the contrast between that action and yet allowing her son to leave his nose uncovered.
Today, someone shared a meme that got a lot of laughs in a Facebook group I’m in: “Wearing masks after 4 months of the virus (pandemic) is like wearing a condom to the baby shower!”
…I had to explain to them that by that analogy, it’s too late to stop Baby 1 once the pregnancy’s happened, yes, but if you still refuse to wear a condom, you could get Baby 2, Baby 3, and Baby 4.
A while back, I posted my frustration that my local pharmacy–Let’s call it Ball Peen’s–had a big sign out front saying masks are required. Today I had to go back there, and saw the sign said customers could not enter the store without a mask. As I reported, the couple entering ahead of me had no masks, and the pharmacy tech told me they could request but not require masks.
I messaged Ball Peen’s customer service asking why the sign said “MANDATORY” when, in fact, it’s not mandatory. Here’s the reply I received:
"
Thank you for taking your time to contact our Corporate Offices. We appreciate hearing from our customers and value all comments received. Consistent with CDC guidelines, we recommend customers wear face covers before entering the store except where doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or where the individual is under two years of age. Out of concern for employees’ safety, advises against confronting customers about the policy or trying to keep them from entering stores. I have forwarded your concerns to leadership."
Look, Ball Peen’s, if you don’t want to confront customers, I understand, but then don’t say masks are mandatory. In fact, post a sign saying, “This store does not require masks despite the governor’s orders. Please feel free to shed as much virus as you’d like.”
The only other pharmacy within walking distance (I can’t drive.) is quite a bit farther away. However, I may call tomorrow and ask if they’re protecting customers’ health by requiring masks and enforcing the rule.
