My run-in with a maskless idiot at the grocery store

[packman]

Trying to decide what type of ribs to buy when a maskless guy comes up to me. I moved away and couldn't help commenting "nice mask you're not wearing"

He replied back " You can't live in fear"

I shot back, "No, but you can die in ignorance"

You know, I think I made his little brain pause for a moment- You could actually see the wheels turning

[lapfog_1]

1. too many teeth missing

on those tiny gears... slipped a cog or two

[I_UndergroundPanther]

61. Hey a lot of my teeth

Are gone because of cracked tooth syndrome and I have a lot of tattoos and Pierces,wear a mowhawk,

And I am not stupid.

Don't denigrate
people into tattoos and body modification. Or people going through the hell of losing teeth and not enough money to get implants. Or can't get them because of health problems.

Being a magat / trumper is enough to see someone is dumber than a bag of hammers.

No need to base the ignorance of trump idiots on how someone changes their body or oral health problems and health issues.

[intrepidity]

70. Well said nt

[ShazzieB]

75. Thanks for this.

As one who has lost all my teeth due to bad genetics, I get really tired of people equating toothlessness with a lack of intellect. I usually let such comments go by and move on, because I know no harm is meant, but they do bother me. Thanks for speaking up.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

77. My heart goes out to you got shit teeth too.

Yeah the ignorance assumption is irritating.

My teeth crack easily. And when they crack they have to pull them out. They are sore alot.
Having teeth cracking and getting yanked out fucks up the nerves in the mouth and gums.

Well once my teeth are gone I can finally get a toungue pierce. The barbell wouldn't have any teeth to knock against and crack.

[Richluu]

83. Obviously good points

I have a friend with one missing front tooth from an accident. It's a superficial physical quality that doesn't define him.

Sorry about your health issue. I wonder if oil pulling would help. It strengthens the teeth and pulls impurities out of the head. I was getting constant cavities until I started oil pulling. Just Google if to find out about it.

And thanks for posting.

[Ohiogal]

2. Wow. What a great reply!

I’ll have to file it away for the next time I encounter such a fool. Thanks!

[volstork]

24. Agree!

Great comeback!

[iluvtennis]

28. +1. nt

[OAITW r.2.0]

3. So simple a message.....

even a Trump voter can understand it. Well done!

[panader0]

4. I said to a maskless guy at the store recently:

"Funny, you don't look stupid."

[certainot]

43. i'm saying as i point where he's going or came from "you know, there was a maskhole back

there sneezing a little while ago"

[Eliot Rosewater]

60. Perfect...my way is more like this

When I see someone without a mask

&ab_channel=XanxiuZ



And in all honesty I dont do this, but I do talk very loudly about the need to wear a FUCKING MASK

[stillcool]

5. great line!...hope I remember it

should the need arise.

[Raster]

6. Enjoy your ventilator!

[KS Toronado]

15. Love it, I'll use "Hope you enjoy your ventilator" on my next maskless encounter.

[birdographer]

36. I say

"If you don't like wearing a mask, you're really not going to like a ventilator."

[634-5789]

7. I'm carrying pepper spray if they get too close

[nebby70]

17. I've thought of that too ...

... I've little bottle of lysol spray in my bag when i shop ...
... and I've considered 'accidentally' spraying some mask-less idiot ...
... would that be assault?...
... I figure I might get away with it since I'm a little old gray haired gal ...
... but then, i'm a little old gray haired gal who could get creamed by the yutz ...

[cayugafalls]

31. Spraying someone with anything can be considered assault.

Better to just walk away. Stay safe!

[Foolacious]

37. Can you swing your fist near their face?

And when they flinch, admonish them: "Are you living in fear? Don't live in fear. I probably won't hit you."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

79. That would be assault (creating fear of injury). Actually hitting is battery. . . . nt

[Foolacious]

89. Then not wearing a mask in public during a pandemic is assault...

because it creates fear of injury. Yes?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

90. Yes, in my opinion, but would be hard to make a case. And I Am Not A Lawyer. . . nt

[634-5789]

45. I checked with my legal mouthpiece...

She told me that if I feel threatened, (Yeah, I'm 69) to go ahead and give 'em a little 'back off' spray.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

80. Don't do it unless you've taken other reasonable steps like backing away & warning them to keep away

Assault should be your last resort. If they suffer symptoms from the spray then it becomes battery.

(I am not a lawyer)

[634-5789]

81. Understand.

[BobTheSubgenius]

56. Do you live in a "stand your ground" state?

[world wide wally]

21. Then you can say, "See? Your should have worn a mask"

[DonaldsRump]

8. Well done! That's quick thinking on your feet!

It is so disgusting that wearing a mask has been politicized like this, and Trump is the total cause.

[3catwoman3]

9. What a superb rejoinder!

[mitch96]

10. I'm curious... with all the medical burn out over the virus would these "non believers"

work in a covid ward with out a mask? I mean just an extra set of hands to move beds, clean trash cans and mop floors.. I bet the Hospital would be GLAD to take them on board.
Me thinks they would not go for it at that point... Maybe I'm nuts but to me this is like denying a bullet would hurt you if you play russian roulette. uff
m

[DarleenMB]

25. Sadly they believe

the ICU's are empty because Covid is a hoax. Even when, like in South Dakota, they are LITERALLY DYING from the disease they refuse ... REFUSE ... to believe it.

[maxsolomon]

11. HE was making the choice for YOU.

the only one in danger was you. fucking selfish idiots.

[yonder]

32. +1. That's the essence of it, yep. Authoritarianism.

There are so many good comments in this thread, including the OP's initial reply but your post is what it boils down to: maskidiots remove our choices by removing their masks.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

62. Desperate to dominate

And fuck with others right to live.

Wish it was legal to punch out maskholes.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

82. That it, looking to dominate. That's what they're about.

I can’t stand these arrogant antisocial pricks.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

91. I hate those arrogant pricks too.

[nilram]

12. Or, the wheel turn

[PatSeg]

13. Excellent comeback!

[mgardener]

14. Perfect

Mask usage in my community is great, but we live in NY.

[cwydro]

29. It's pretty good where I am.

Red county in NC.

Though there’s always the ones with the nose out.

I keep my distance.

[birdographer]

38. Also in a very red NC county

Trumpers seem to have picked their spots to swarm. No masks at a Bi-Lo grocery store or any Dollar General. Many more masks at any Ingles, large or small. And oddly, close to everyone in a mask at Lowe's. Do trumpers not do home repairs?

We avoid them as well, but playing Dodge Trumpers makes every shopping trip last much longer than it should.

[gus1985]

65. I'm in GA metro ATL.

I too gave noticed certain stores attract anti mask idiots. I guess its the ones with no mask required signs. Publix, Target Wal-Mart in Kennesaw, Woodstock Wal-Mart and Ingles seem to have the most people wearing mask. Kroger,Food Depot and Dollar General most not wearing mask.


I make it a point to not shop at stores without a mask requirement and stores that the anti mask crowd shop at.

[wnylib]

68. I've stopped going to a 7/11 near me

because ALL of the staff except one wears their mask with their nose hanging out. One clerk keeps pulling her mask down to talk. They sell take out food - pizza, coffee, sandwiches - and customers remove their masks to eat while they walk around the store.

[birdographer]

88. All of our stores have signs

They say sternly that masks that cover nose and mouth must be worn in the store. Followed by "Thank you for your cooperation." If you don't choose to cooperate, no big deal, nothing will be done. Hardly a requirement. Interestingly, the. liquor store here enforces the masks and will escort you out if you won't wear one. The ONLY store in town that enforces it. We have not been to Walmart since March. I imagine you can see the virus in the air, given the typical shopper there. We haven't missed it a bit.

[Canoe52]

16. Beautiful response, just perfect!

[Harker]

18. He might've paused to try to remember which state

Ignorance was in, and whether it was the capital.

[liberalla]

19. Smart response!!!

[Sherman A1]

20. Well Played!

[paleotn]

22. Misshapen wheels grinding with no lubrication.

Thinking hard. Need sound bite. Liberal bad. Asshole good. Must follow leader.

Simple machines need very simple programming.

[Turbineguy]

23. Excellent riposte

[Major Nikon]

26. I don't think at this point ignorance can be an excuse

It's fundamentally the same as people who refuse to wear helmets on motorcycles or seatbelts in cars. It has nothing to do with "living in fear" or ignorance. It's all about living with stupidity by refusing a simple solution which mitigates risk. There's also an element of assholery in that the aforementioned examples have nothing to do with mitigating risk for those around you.

[AllaN01Bear]

27. i ignore those so and sos . i care more about my self not getting sick.

i dont seek a confrontation.
somone on here once said " proud of your ignorance arnt you?"

[dchill]

30. To quote New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy...

"You know what's uncomfortable? When you die!"

[yonder]

33. Funny how that group believes they are living fearlessly,

while many of them will insist on open or concealed carry for "protection" from fear.

[diva77]

34. Brilliant!

[TNNurse]

35. Excellent

Hope you do not mind others borrowing it.

[Illumination]

39. You're very quick thinking. That was a perfect retort! One more week & many people's lives

will change because they were ignoramuses!...

[NightWatcher]

40. What are the odds that the guy was carrying a concealed gun in the grocery store cause he's "scared"

He's scared of something that never happens, and we're scared of something that has killed a quarter million here in less than a year.

[Moostache]

41. I have lost any composure for or around these people (mask 'truthers')...

My mother passed in the hospital this month. It was not entirely unexpected, but the trauma of her being isolated and not being able to visit her in the hospital because of COVID transmission and her ultimately becoming COVID positive near the end was, is and always will be a personal horror and hole in my being. I was robbed. My family was robbed. My mother was robbed. All the things that we as humans do with and for each other near the hour of our passing was STOLEN because some assholes "can't live in fear"...

To that mask-less fool:
FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!!! FUCK YOU!!!!
What my family has lost is so much more than just our matriarch and irreplaceable center...what is gone now can NEVER be returned, NEVER be made whole, NEVER be replaced. And I am not alone in this anguish or suffering - MILLIONS of others in families impacted by COVID or because of it are in similar positions.

Put that mask on your fucking worthless face and leave it there, because if you refuse and you lip off to me or near me about it, I am going to remove the tire iron from my truck and take out as many of your teeth as I can before they arrest me. I am through with this pain because of your fucking desire to act like a tough guy.

If someone like that says to me "You can't live in fear..." I am going to tell them that they had better start running then, because you can't live around me without a mask and keep your fucking teeth.

This whole thing is chewing me up inside and I don't think I am ever going to fully come out of it...I am really fearful of what may happen if people continue this path...

[LuckyCharms]

46. I'm very sorry about your mom...

And I share your opinion.

[irisblue]

49. Moostache, I am so sorryfor your great loss

Have you and or your family talked about loss and grief since her death?

[Moostache]

53. Thank you for the kindness...

My immediate family has been coping with this in isolation from each other still...due to COVID concerns and travel restrictions and the idea of trying to navigate arrangements for people from as far apart as Florida and Alaska, we are in a sustained state of suspended animation...

Mom requested that there be no wake or viewing and wished to be cremated, so we have honored her wishes, but we are unable to get closure or start healing because we cannot get finalization on her Memorial Mass or services and the rest - the lack of intimate closure and final in-person good byes - will never be filled in. I will carry that hole in my heart with me the rest of my days and there is nothing that anyone can do to fill it now. I'll learn to live with it, it hurts a little less acutely every day, so I know that in the cruel passage of time, the anguish will fade to be less immediate, less present than it is now.

It is made all the worse by the stories and photos and experiences of those who refuse to wear masks or insist that COVID is overblown as a concern and not as serious as it is.

One day, I will have what passes for peace, when the entire 24 hours will pass without a reminder of this horror show...but that day feels a long, long way off right now...

[stopwastingmymoney]

58. Words fail

[yonder]

51. I am sorry for your loss. Peace to you and yours.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

63. I lost my mom in January this year

And it hurts. What happened to your family is so sad.. I don't have words, so

[dai13sy]

71. I'm so sorry

you lost your Mama in such a horrible and preventable way. I know what you are feeling because the same happened to my Mama and I alternate between crushing pain and burning anger and I too want to hurt anyone who is so ignorant as to not understand or just don't give a shit what their behavior is doing to others. If I see them in the grocery store I make sure to turn and walk away because everything in me wants to follow them to the parking lot.


I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and just know that someone (and not just me) knows what you are going through. I hope you can find some peace.

[LaMouffette]

42. Perfect response!

Next time someone says that to me, I'm going to tell them, "You're not afraid of Covid? Good! You should go volunteer at the hospital to help move the dead bodies to the refrigerator cars or hold up the phone for dying Covid patients to say good-bye to their family. Be sure to tell them at the hospital that they don't need to supply you with a mask, since you're not afraid of getting Covid."

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

44. Wearing a mask and going about your business is not living in fear

I do not wear a mask because I am afraid of covid-19. I'm at low risk. I wear it to protect other people in my community and so we can keep our hospitals from being over run with covid-19 patients.

[LuckyCharms]

47. Well done, packman. n/t

[Skittles]

48. FEAR IS WHAT MADE YOU VOTE FOR DONALD FUCKING TRUMP

that is what I told the MAGAt who said that to me

[ShazzieB]

76. Good for you!

[cutroot]

50. Stand your ground and start yelling for the manager

These people are breaking the law and they should be escorted out of the building.

[SoonerPride]

69. Well not in Oklahoma. No statewide mask mandate here

Because of course not. Stitt is a trumpian moron.

I don’t know about the OP and what state they live in so maybe there is a law there.

There isn’t here.

Some cities have ordinances and most stores have posted signs.

But no one seems to want to confront anyone over it.

[58Sunliner]

54. Good for you!

[BobTheSubgenius]

55. Prudence is not fear.

Good exchange. You made your point, may well have scored a hit, and not a gun to be seen.

[Ferrets are Cool]

57. K and R

[oldsoftie]

59. In a perfect world, only the deniers would get infected. nt

[TexasBushwhacker]

64. Can't live in fear?

Should have asked if he owns a gun.

[Blue_true]

66. Honestly. I just social distance myself and totally ignore them.

If I have to pass one, I hold my breath until in a space that they were not in.

[mvd]

67. Great answer!

I hope he does get a clue. You could have saved his life.

Mask wearing in my area continues to be excellent, but it is the household gatherings where people can let their guard down.

[GoneOffShore]

74. 'Simply over someone not wearing a mask'? It's not simple. Not wearing a mask is violence.

Interesting screen name - OANHS? Welcome to DU.

[aggiesal]

73. With your permission, I'd like to use that ...

Great response.

[mahina]

78. Oh ten points!

Perfect!

[Cbus Girl]

84. Thank you the perfect reply!!

I needed that today!

[elias7]

85. Nicely done on the fly. I would add...

But you can die or kill your loved ones in ignorance

[Dukkha]

86. worse you can kill with selfishness

Anti-mask is anti-christian.

Here in Ohio it's so bad merchants are taking a zero tolerance approach. Grocery stores have greeters with a box of masks at the door. Put it on or turn around

[zentrum]

87. Masks are primarily to

……to protect OTHERS.

It's patriotic to wear a mask because it protects others.

It confers some protection for the wearer. But it's mostly about giving a damn for other people.

So it isn't about "living in fear"—it's about living and killing in selfishness.