COVID-19 Mask Patrol

C

Cynder

Joined
May 31, 2017
Messages
45
My county has a mask mandate and as a person who was shifted from Beauty to Cart Wipe duties, I have had the privilege of being on mask patrol for the last few weeks. Oh what fun that has been!

Ive been laughed at, flipped off, ignored and then accused of chasing someone, argued with, lied to (I believe) about them having medical conditions, had the cops called, and gotten a colorful of other curse words thrown my way by guests.

There has been guidelines as far as dialogue we’re supposed to go through regarding enforcing the mandate. Most guests are compliant. But some guests never want to hear it and they end up walking away from me, unmasked, or cursing...before I say all I’ve been asked to say. So then the guidelines says for us to call a leader when that happens, to de-escalate.

At first, it was really difficult for me not to run my smart mouth back to these people, and it still is difficult, because that’s how I am and I have not been trained to deal with unruly guests. I’ve told a few people “There’s the door!” When they say they don’t want to do business there if they have to wear a mask.

But then I realized I’m going to end up getting fired for telling these assholes where I really want them to go and that I’m not being paid to deal with this, leaders are, so I am going to command they be close to the front and often to help me out. I had to push for that but I have a couple of good leaders who are on my side. (A few other leaders don’t seem to care about my experiences with this task.)

It’s rather unclear how certain details will change once this becomes Target policy on the 1st, as it pertains to whether or not we’ll refuse service to those who refuse to wear a mask.

But I strongly don’t think untrained regular team members should be involved in this role at this time. It’s too risky and even potentially unsafe. Too many guests are completely irrational and hostile in their response to the mask police. It has been a pretty uncomfortable thing I somehow got shifted in doing.

What’s worse is that they have been sticking new team members only there after a week or two, up there to do this as well. They’ve confessed to me that it’s terrifying! And it is.

Anyone else experiencing anything similar?
 
Last edited:
Mods can delete if the repeat isn’t allowed. I didn’t initially see the other thread.
 
Last edited:
It can be very dangerous. If they had any fucking sense in Minnesota the stores would hire a big rough looking armed security guard for the door. Karen or equivalent gives them shit, out they go. No mask....get out and don't come back.... It will end eventually and we will all go back to normal. It's just so damned simple, the municipality and stores require masks, mask up do your shopping then leave. Don't make your Target visit an event with all the affectations, the $6.00 Starbucks drink, the bullshitting with other Karens...just buy your fucking mustard, chocolate milk and get the hell out.
 
Cynder said:
My county has a mask mandate and as a person who was shifted from Beauty to Cart Wipe duties, I have had the privilege of being on mask patrol for the last few weeks. Oh what fun that has been!

Ive been laughed at, flipped off, ignored and then accused of chasing someone, argued with, had the cops called, and gotten a colorful of other curse words thrown my way by guests.

There has been guidelines as far as dialogue we’re supposed to go through regarding enforcing the mandate. Most guests are compliant. But some guests never want to hear it and they end up walking away from me, unmasked, or cursing...before I say all I’ve been asked to say. So then they want us to call a leader when that happens, to de-escalate.
At first, it was really difficult for me not to run my smart mouth back to these people, because that’s how I am and I have not been trained to deal with unruly guests. But then I realized I’m going to end up getting fired for telling these assholes where to go and that I’m not being paid to deal this, leaders are, so I am going to command they be there to help me out. I had to push for that but I have a couple of good leaders who are on my side. (A few other leaders don’t seem to care about my experiences with this task.)

It’s rather unclear how things will change once this becomes Target policy on the 1st. But I strongly don’t think untrained regular team members should be doing it. It’s too risky and even potentially unsafe. Too many guests are completely irrational and hostile in their response. I has been a pretty uncomfortable thing I somehow got shifted in doing.

What’s worse is that they have been sticking new team members only there after a week or two, up there to do this as well. They’ve confessed to me that it’s terrifying! And it is.

Anyone else experiencing anything similar?
Click to expand...
our AP is the only
Cynder said:
My county has a mask mandate and as a person who was shifted from Beauty to Cart Wipe duties, I have had the privilege of being on mask patrol for the last few weeks. Oh what fun that has been!

Ive been laughed at, flipped off, ignored and then accused of chasing someone, argued with, lied to (I believe) about them having medical conditions, had the cops called, and gotten a colorful of other curse words thrown my way by guests.

There has been guidelines as far as dialogue we’re supposed to go through regarding enforcing the mandate. Most guests are compliant. But some guests never want to hear it and they end up walking away from me, unmasked, or cursing...before I say all I’ve been asked to say. So then the guidelines says for us to call a leader when that happens, to de-escalate.

At first, it was really difficult for me not to run my smart mouth back to these people, and it still is difficult, because that’s how I am and I have not been trained to deal with unruly guests. I’ve told a few people “There’s the door!” When they say they don’t want to do business there if they have to wear a mask.

But then I realized I’m going to end up getting fired for telling these assholes where I really want them to go and that I’m not being paid to deal with this, leaders are, so I am going to command they be close to the front and often to help me out. I had to push for that but I have a couple of good leaders who are on my side. (A few other leaders don’t seem to care about my experiences with this task.)

It’s rather unclear how certain details will change once this becomes Target policy on the 1st, as it pertains to whether or not we’ll refuse service to those who refuse to wear a mask.

But I strongly don’t think untrained regular team members should be involved in this role at this time. It’s too risky and even potentially unsafe. Too many guests are completely irrational and hostile in their response to the mask police. It has been a pretty uncomfortable thing I somehow got shifted in doing.

What’s worse is that they have been sticking new team members only there after a week or two, up there to do this as well. They’ve confessed to me that it’s terrifying! And it is.

Anyone else experiencing anything similar?
Click to expand...
Our AP is the only one enforcing. They shouldn’t ask this of you. People gets crazy so be careful.
 
Search option does work.
www.thebreakroom.org

COVID-19 - Is anyone else's Target enforcing masks?

Was just curious, I'm in a state where it's currently required that you wear a mask whenever you go outside or shopping. The Target I'm at though isn't currently enforcing that, so they are allowing people to enter our store without a mask or anything of the sort. I was just curious if anyone...
www.thebreakroom.org www.thebreakroom.org
 
One of our local supermarkets has a very large young buck contract security guy weaving through the aisles. I didn't see any of those moronic "its my right to not wear a mask" assholes in the store a few days ago but they do exist.
 
allnew2 said:
Based on the de-escalation training Ap shouldn’t be called for that issue.
Click to expand...
He is the ONLY one that can say anything to a guest. A TM got HER lips busted in an alteration with 3 guests for advising a guest of the mandatory face covering.
 
When will people realize that shopping is a privilege, not a right? And when will those same troublesome people realize that this is a public health issue, not a political one? And when will they decide to become part of the solution instead of being part of the problem?
Wish I had an answer to any one of those questions. Sigh.
 
FlowTeamChick said:
When will people realize that shopping is a privilege, not a right? And when will those same troublesome people realize that this is a public health issue, not a political one? And when will they decide to become part of the solution instead of being part of the problem?
Wish I had an answer to any one of those questions. Sigh.
Click to expand...

Honestly? I don't think it's going away anytime soon. I think the root of the problem started 30-35 years ago when the brand new parenting advice was the complete opposite of what happened during the Latchkey Kid generation, that parents should make family life kid-centric, lots and lots of focused time, and lots of praise over every little thing. The classic give everyone on the team a trophy rather than just the MVP. That much kid-focused, entitlement was groomed in starting at a very young age. Experts now say that approach actually also makes kids feel powerless, since they don't have to rely on themselves and their inner resources to fix anything in their life.

Well those kids are all grown up and having their own kids. They have the belief that it's all about them, since it was all about them (kid-centric). They feel that since they are special their needs and wants are top priority. Deep down, they also feel uncertain or powerless and the typical way of dealing with that is being a control freak. Add in that there have been a ton of society and technology changes in their lifetime, and that gives the sense that everything that was important when people were young are either no longer valid or no longer remembered or proven ethically wrong, and that can really disrupt the very foundation of life for someone who doesn't have an unshakeable certainty in their ability to survive.

Throw in religious issues, and see above about society changes. Note: This is not all the Karens, just some. One societal change is the embracing of non-Christian religions and the support for Christianity to be treated equally to other religions. People who are convinced that they know the only true way are focused on a) saving everyone else by "guiding" (coercing) them to follow the true way, and b) beating back the false prophets. They truly believe that there's a war on Christianity and la la la any attempt to explain as equal. A persecution complex often leads to extremism as a way of saving what they have, and (whether true or not) a sense of an actual persecution leads to martyrs.

Even sadder, copy the above paragraph and switch religion to skin color.

Throw in generations of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and "don't rely on the government, rely on yourself" training and the resulting extreme individualism that seems a little peculiar to the rest of the world. Individualism in the sense of people not wanting to sacrifice self for the common good and individualism in the sense that people should rely on themselves, not a government safety net.

So decades of training a generation that they are the focus of the universe, they are special and should get whatever they want, they are also afraid deep down of what would happen if they lose control of a situation, they fight as if their life depends on it to be in ultimate control, everything is live in the moment because everything goes away and is forgotten, they have to focus on themselves because no one else will help since everyone else will be focusing on themselves, and for seasoning possibly a sense that despite being a majority of something they have to push back hard to prevent from being a minority of something -

And that is the recipe to create someone who will react above all reason to ensure that they are in control over what touches their face and no one can take that power over self away from them and they control everything about their shopping trip, including other people's reaction to them. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
 
Tessa120 said:
Honestly? I don't think it's going away anytime soon. I think the root of the problem started 30-35 years ago when the brand new parenting advice was the complete opposite of what happened during the Latchkey Kid generation, that parents should make family life kid-centric, lots and lots of focused time, and lots of praise over every little thing. The classic give everyone on the team a trophy rather than just the MVP. That much kid-focused, entitlement was groomed in starting at a very young age. Experts now say that approach actually also makes kids feel powerless, since they don't have to rely on themselves and their inner resources to fix anything in their life.

Well those kids are all grown up and having their own kids. They have the belief that it's all about them, since it was all about them (kid-centric). They feel that since they are special their needs and wants are top priority. Deep down, they also feel uncertain or powerless and the typical way of dealing with that is being a control freak. Add in that there have been a ton of society and technology changes in their lifetime, and that gives the sense that everything that was important when people were young are either no longer valid or no longer remembered or proven ethically wrong, and that can really disrupt the very foundation of life for someone who doesn't have an unshakeable certainty in their ability to survive.

Throw in religious issues, and see above about society changes. Note: This is not all the Karens, just some. One societal change is the embracing of non-Christian religions and the support for Christianity to be treated equally to other religions. People who are convinced that they know the only true way are focused on a) saving everyone else by "guiding" (coercing) them to follow the true way, and b) beating back the false prophets. They truly believe that there's a war on Christianity and la la la any attempt to explain as equal. A persecution complex often leads to extremism as a way of saving what they have, and (whether true or not) a sense of an actual persecution leads to martyrs.

Even sadder, copy the above paragraph and switch religion to skin color.

Throw in generations of "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" and "don't rely on the government, rely on yourself" training and the resulting extreme individualism that seems a little peculiar to the rest of the world. Individualism in the sense of people not wanting to sacrifice self for the common good and individualism in the sense that people should rely on themselves, not a government safety net.

So decades of training a generation that they are the focus of the universe, they are special and should get whatever they want, they are also afraid deep down of what would happen if they lose control of a situation, they fight as if their life depends on it to be in ultimate control, everything is live in the moment because everything goes away and is forgotten, they have to focus on themselves because no one else will help since everyone else will be focusing on themselves, and for seasoning possibly a sense that despite being a majority of something they have to push back hard to prevent from being a minority of something -

And that is the recipe to create someone who will react above all reason to ensure that they are in control over what touches their face and no one can take that power over self away from them and they control everything about their shopping trip, including other people's reaction to them. Put in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Click to expand...

Shit, someone's button got pushed. :p
 
allnew2 said:
Verbal de-escalation
Click to expand...
allnew2 said:
Did you do the training? If yes you need to do it again. If not then I’m letting you know that the option is a leader in that situation and not the Ap.
Click to expand...
i think you misread. There Will never be a day when I approach anyone to put on a mask. They would have to pay me way more than $18 an hour for that. The TM that got her lip busted....There was no conversation to de escalate. Just a punch.
 
Captain Orca said:
It can be very dangerous. If they had any fucking sense in Minnesota the stores would hire a big rough looking armed security guard for the door. Karen or equivalent gives them shit, out they go. No mask....get out and don't come back.... It will end eventually and we will all go back to normal. It's just so damned simple, the municipality and stores require masks, mask up do your shopping then leave. Don't make your Target visit an event with all the affectations, the $6.00 Starbucks drink, the bullshitting with other Karens...just buy your fucking mustard, chocolate milk and get the hell out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and a little gate the bouncer opens up to let in guests "on the list," meaning wearing a mask.
 
Cynder said:
My county has a mask mandate and as a person who was shifted from Beauty to Cart Wipe duties, I have had the privilege of being on mask patrol for the last few weeks. Oh what fun that has been!

Ive been laughed at, flipped off, ignored and then accused of chasing someone, argued with, lied to (I believe) about them having medical conditions, had the cops called, and gotten a colorful of other curse words thrown my way by guests.

There has been guidelines as far as dialogue we’re supposed to go through regarding enforcing the mandate. Most guests are compliant. But some guests never want to hear it and they end up walking away from me, unmasked, or cursing...before I say all I’ve been asked to say. So then the guidelines says for us to call a leader when that happens, to de-escalate.

At first, it was really difficult for me not to run my smart mouth back to these people, and it still is difficult, because that’s how I am and I have not been trained to deal with unruly guests. I’ve told a few people “There’s the door!” When they say they don’t want to do business there if they have to wear a mask.

But then I realized I’m going to end up getting fired for telling these assholes where I really want them to go and that I’m not being paid to deal with this, leaders are, so I am going to command they be close to the front and often to help me out. I had to push for that but I have a couple of good leaders who are on my side. (A few other leaders don’t seem to care about my experiences with this task.)

It’s rather unclear how certain details will change once this becomes Target policy on the 1st, as it pertains to whether or not we’ll refuse service to those who refuse to wear a mask.

But I strongly don’t think untrained regular team members should be involved in this role at this time. It’s too risky and even potentially unsafe. Too many guests are completely irrational and hostile in their response to the mask police. It has been a pretty uncomfortable thing I somehow got shifted in doing.

What’s worse is that they have been sticking new team members only there after a week or two, up there to do this as well. They’ve confessed to me that it’s terrifying! And it is.

Anyone else experiencing anything similar?
Click to expand...
For me I’m supposed to educate ones who don’t have them but we don’t kick anyone out of the store if they don’t have it, I don’t believe masks completely work so I don’t really say anything to a customer unless they ask about it when they aren’t wearing one. I’m not gonna preach on something I don’t believe in.
 
redeye58 said:
Doesn't matter what you believe; follow your store's policy as closely as you can without causing disruption.
You can't fix stupid & you can't quarantine it either.
Click to expand...
My management hasn’t said anything to me or others who don’t do it. There’s a 1% chance that I would see one person come in without one.
 
Then it doesn't matter what YOU believe.
IF someone should come in unmasked you can only politely state the directive & ask them to comply - nothing more.
If you want to move out of the front end to another dept, ignoring a simple policy isn't the way to do it.
 

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