Stop Arguing With Retail Workers About Wearing A Mask | The Odyssey Online
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Politics and Activism

If I Can Work Retail Wearing A Mask For An 8-Hour Shift, You Can Wear One For 8 Minutes Shopping

It is not political, no matter how much you argue.

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Essential workers wearing masks.
Stephanie Tango

The pandemic has been in our world for more than half of 2020 and people are still acting stupid. If anything, they're getting stupider. They think that the virus is gone. It's not. Stop going to frat parties. Stop trying to go places without a mask. I wish things were normal, too. They're not.

I went back to my job at Target in May. Prior to that, I wanted to focus on school. I was assigned mask-checker shifts where I stood at the door for four hours and stared at the parking lot, counted the number of people in the store, and just reminded people to put on a mask. They'd see me standing there, turn around to go back to their car to get a mask, pull one out of their purse, and or give me a dirty look.

To them, I was the reminder the world wasn't normal. I was just doing my job.

They got rid of this position, and now the person cleaning carts is tasked with mask checking while sanitizing. We give out free masks. You don't even have to pay or go out of your way. It's hard to do both cleaning and watching. People slip through and consider it an achievement.

I'm not confrontational. I'm not going to argue with people. I work in retail. I've seen all definitions of stupid. Go ahead, threaten to call corporate. Call corporate for all I care. You don't scare me. But you make me mad.

To the family who tried to argue they had a medical condition, you lying just so you don't have to wear a mask is disgusting. People have real health issues. You are risking their health by pretending yours is at risk.

To the lady who stood in the guest service line and proclaimed proudly that you left your mask in the car, it's not cool.

To the girl who was on the phone on speakerphone with your mask on your chin, I don't appreciate your spit all over the cosmetics section, and no your drama is not that good that we all have to hear it.

To the people who wear a mask with your nose sticking out, it's like wearing underwear with all your junk out. Your junk is not attractive. Put it away.

Maybe the virus was man-made, maybe it was an attempt at warfare. That does not change, however, that wearing a mask in public is not a political choice. It baffles me that people like to compare the right to own a gun with the right to not wear a mask. I've seen the see-through mask ads on social media. I'm disgusted.

Stores and places of business are giving you free masks. You can order a mask with literally anything you want on it. You can get a Baby Yoda mask. A Harry Potter mask. Anything you want. Stop making something necessary into something to complain about.

It's a common courtesy to the people around you. Workers are people too. We've touched so much stuff, sanitized everything, and done everything in our power to give you a seamless shopping experience with a worldwide pandemic. The fact you can get stuff delivered to your door within a few hours without moving yourself from the couch is a blessing.

If you're that upset about it, order curbside. We'd rather put stuff in your car than deal with you trying to make a point (that will not be political no matter how hard you try).

Just keep it on your face for half an hour. It's not that hard.

And to those people who ask how I can wear this mask for eight hours because you can't manage it for half an hour, the fact that you're asking is enough to tell me I don't like you.

Wear a mask and stop complaining.

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