The Lemon Fool

I've just spent 10 days in France in various locations and was struck by the differences in approach and compliance between UK and France.
In central France and Provence, it's standard practice in cafes, restaurants and hotels to use an app to check you have valid proof of double vaccination. If not, you can't even use outside tables, it's take-away only. You just have to remember to keep your phone with you at all times. Similarly with masks, you must wear one when entering premises. Supermarket mask compliance was virtually 100%.

We went to an event at the Arles amphitheatre (open-air) where proof of double vax was required to purchase tickets, and in the (outdoor) queues to get in, our pass was checked again and around 80% of people queuing wore masks.I felt safe to attend this event with crowds, and certainly wouldn't have done so in the UK.

Nice was different - neither hotel nor restaurant checked (or even asked for) proof. Supermarket mask-wearing compliance probably only about 80%.

zico wrote:I've just spent 10 days in France in various locations and was struck by the differences in approach and compliance between UK and France.
In central France and Provence, it's standard practice in cafes, restaurants and hotels to use an app to check you have valid proof of double vaccination. If not, you can't even use outside tables, it's take-away only. You just have to remember to keep your phone with you at all times. Similarly with masks, you must wear one when entering premises. Supermarket mask compliance was virtually 100%.

We went to an event at the Arles amphitheatre (open-air) where proof of double vax was required to purchase tickets, and in the (outdoor) queues to get in, our pass was checked again and around 80% of people queuing wore masks.I felt safe to attend this event with crowds, and certainly wouldn't have done so in the UK.

Nice was different - neither hotel nor restaurant checked (or even asked for) proof. Supermarket mask-wearing compliance probably only about 80%.

I think you will find supermarket compliance is also 100% in the UK. The approaches may well be different, but compliance is broadly the same I would think. You appear to be confused with what compliance refers to in the UK as it isn't compulsory to adhere to french (or other non-UK) rules or protocols here, much though it would appear you would like others to do so it seems.

zico wrote:I've just spent 10 days in France in various locations and was struck by the differences in approach and compliance between UK and France.
In central France and Provence, it's standard practice in cafes, restaurants and hotels to use an app to check you have valid proof of double vaccination. If not, you can't even use outside tables, it's take-away only. You just have to remember to keep your phone with you at all times. Similarly with masks, you must wear one when entering premises. Supermarket mask compliance was virtually 100%.

Well since I don't have a mobile phone and at the moment never intend to get one, that rules out France as a destination for me. I have native French friends there, perhaps I can persuade them to come here again They used to live here but they left donkeys years ago, before Brexit was ever considered.

dealtn wrote:I think you will find supermarket compliance is also 100% in the UK.

Is that actually the case? I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

It seems like there may be big differences across the UK.

elkay wrote:

dealtn wrote:I think you will find supermarket compliance is also 100% in the UK.

Is that actually the case? I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

It seems like there may be big differences across the UK.

I think the specific concept being addressed was that "compliance" would normally be considered with regard to "regulations" (which are various)
- if the "regulations" state that mask wearing is up to everyone to make their own judgement (which is what it would be in some parts ofthe UK) then they can never really not be 100% complied with (notwithstanding any requirements/requests made by individual premises "reserving the right" style, etc.)

Now, you and I probably know what Zico meant with their post and it's of general interest to read travellers' reports of perceived/observed differences in Covid approach
- but in this case they've been caught by a harpoon of linguistic literalism (and carrying the pedant gene myself I can see why one might have done that )

- sd

elkay wrote:

dealtn wrote:I think you will find supermarket compliance is also 100% in the UK.

Is that actually the case? I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

It seems like there may be big differences across the UK.

I do not know what the regulations say for Scotland but most supermarkets for instance tell us it is the law to wear face masks and I would say that compliance is about 95% in my area and in neighbourhood shops in my village it is at least the same.

Dod

Dod101 wrote:

elkay wrote:

dealtn wrote:I think you will find supermarket compliance is also 100% in the UK.

Is that actually the case? I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

It seems like there may be big differences across the UK.

I do not know what the regulations say for Scotland but most supermarkets for instance tell us it is the law to wear face masks and I would say that compliance is about 95% in my area and in neighbourhood shops in my village it is at least the same.

Dod

The regulations in Scotland say that masks are to be worn in indoor public places such as shops and public transport. Details here:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coron ... d-be-worn/

Compliance seems pretty high here (over 90% but I wasn't doing a proper survey and looking in detail, but noticed very few people not wearing a mask.

elkay wrote:I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

In my local town (West Wilts), the data cake is sliced differently. 100% mask-wearing in Waitrose, maybe 50% in Sainsburys, but below 25% in Asda. I wonder whether that pattern is replicated elsewhere? None of the petrol stations I've visited seem to score even 1% for masks, apart from me. Don't think I'll be shopping in Poundland again for a while, which is a pity because I rather enjoy it

BJ

bungeejumper wrote:

elkay wrote:I would be interested in views from around the UK. In Northern Ireland, where I live, mask wearing in the areas I visit is probably around 90%-95%. But I visited North West England in September, and in the areas I visited, I stood out like a sore thumb with my mask. I would estimate around 10% in the Arndale Centre, Trafford Centre, and Primark in both locations. A little higher in Cheshire Oaks, and enclosed areas in Chester Zoo. Non-existent in the entertainment arcades and shops in Blackpool.

In my local town (West Wilts), the data cake is sliced differently. 100% mask-wearing in Waitrose, maybe 50% in Sainsburys, but below 25% in Asda. I wonder whether that pattern is replicated elsewhere? None of the petrol stations I've visited seem to score even 1% for masks, apart from me. Don't think I'll be shopping in Poundland again for a while, which is a pity because I rather enjoy it

BJ

Same here, an affluent area of South West London. Waitrose close to 100% mask wearing, Lidl probably below 25%. I actually noticed this only a few weeks after mask wearing was no longer mandated, Lidl shoppers trended towards a significant majority not wearing masks within weeks of the rule change whereas Waitrose shoppers mostly maintained and are still maintaining mask wearing to this day.

- Julian

One interesting thing I noticed yesterday is that the poster on the window of my local Co-Op said something like 'Please feel free to wear masks in our store', which to me implied that mask-wearing was seen as slightly eccentric, so that you needed to be reassured that you were still welcome.

Likewise in our local Waitrose, nigh on 100%.
Local Aldi, not so.

It would be tempting to wonder whether continued mask wearing is a hallmark of intelligence.
Mind you, wasn't feeling so intelligent last Saturday when I went out and forgot to take mine...

V8

88V8 wrote:Likewise in our local Waitrose, nigh on 100%.
Local Aldi, not so.

It would be tempting to wonder whether continued mask wearing is a hallmark of intelligence.
Mind you, wasn't feeling so intelligent last Saturday when I went out and forgot to take mine...

Is that an inverse rule then? People clever enough to save money at Aldi rather than be ripped off at Waitrose...?

Scott.

swill453 wrote:

88V8 wrote:Likewise in our local Waitrose, nigh on 100%.
Local Aldi, not so.

It would be tempting to wonder whether continued mask wearing is a hallmark of intelligence.
Mind you, wasn't feeling so intelligent last Saturday when I went out and forgot to take mine...

Is that an inverse rule then? People clever enough to save money at Aldi rather than be ripped off at Waitrose...?

Scott.

Or people clever enough to earn sufficient to be comfortably off such that saving a few pennies, and mixing with others of a different demographic, in a more crowded store seemingly populated with those less adherent to mask wearing etiquette, isn't a requirement?

Doesn't sound inverse to me.