On the wearing of masks

[excoriator]

To the chippie this evening. Only two allowed in the shop so customers pop in, give their order and wait outside. I joined the two or three outside - all wearing masks - when we were joined by a gang of kids, milling about and deciding on their order. None of them were wearing masks, but one of the other waitees, a woman, began to berate them for not wearing facemasks. Some of them obediently donned them but not all and she began filming them on her phone threatening to report them

At this, they all took out their phones and began filming her!

Fortunately, I was called in at that point to collect my order or I think I might have been called in to back up her case, but when I came out the mutual filming was still going on. They had progressed to calling for her to smile and watch the birdeie, so I made my escape.

I could see her point, she is obviously a frightened woman, but I can see theirs too. At their age they are immortal and will live forever, and it seems to me we have very little to offer them as a future the way things are in this country. Forced into debt to get an education, lucky to get a job after it, even more lucky to be able to buy a home, a collapsing economy, with brexit likely to make it even worse and an epidemic that is utterly beyond the current governments ken to address properly. Add to that climate change and all the problems that will inflict on them.

On balance I think I feel more sympathy for them. We are dumping a shameful mess on them.

[jonjel]

I tend to agree with most of what you have said Exco, but an awful lot of their problems are not of our making, like C19 and the enormous ramifications that has brought to all our doors.

And from what you said, some of their problems are because they are ill mannered and ill behaved brats.

[excoriator]

Not really, they were fine until provoked in a rather high-handed way by an irate woman. Just youngsters in a group. I've been a lot worse in my time.