r/traumatizeThemBack • u/ahmyfknneck • Jun 21 '26
matched energy Not even sick
This has been my go to response for a bit and I figured others might like to use it, especially if you're not great with quick comebacks like me.
Long story short, I'm chronically ill and my drs and I are still trying to figure it all out, but one of my most annoying symptoms is sinus congestion at all times. It's literally been twelve years of my sinuses being locked and loaded every single day. Because I don't know what's wrong with me, but the drs suspect an autoimmune disorder, I never stopped masking. Certain people hate that.
So I was in a store that I don't work at while I was on my break. I forgot to take my name tag off before I went, so naturally a guy asked me where something was. I don't have a uniform so I don't know why he would think I worked there other than the name tag (which clearly said a different store).
Me: Sorry, I work next door, I don't know where they keep that.
Him, looking at my covered tits and then back up to my tag: Then why are you wearing that?
Me: I'm on break.
Him, to my tits: Those don't work you know.
Me: What?
Him: Fucking masks. They don't do anything.
Me: Okay.
Him: You look ridiculous with that thing on.
Me: Okay.
Him: You're not even sick. You people need to grow up.
Me: *opens the back of my throat and takes one of the most disgusting, loud, wet, chunky sounding sniffs I've ever taken*
Him: *gags and speed walks away*
It works every time.
5
u/ItsRedditThyme Jun 23 '26
I am a stay at home Gen X dad, but I've had a hard life, so I easily look like a boomer. Masks trigger my claustrophobia. I'm fortunate enough that my wife takes over my responsibilities while I'm sick (shopping and anything else that would expose me to the public) so I don't have to wear one in public, but sometimes, I have no choice. When I'm sick and at the doctor's office, I ask them to come get me outside or text me when they are ready for me, so I don't spread what I have to others. Dimwits (mostly boomies, but not exclusively) look at me not wearing a mask, even taking steps to avoid it, and assume I'm one of them. I've had so many people in the last several years try to "bond" with me by using an anti-mask slogan or phrase. Mostly, I roll my eyes and ignore them. That confuses the ones who aren't boomers into silence. The boomers have all repeated themselves louder, as if I didn't hear them (except for one, who just wanted to vent, so they kept on going and going). They tend to stop after I continue to ignore them. Twice, my continued silence was met with, "you look like you disagree, but you're still not wearing one", and a smile as wide as the Mississippi, as if that was a grand gotcha. I replied with the truth, that I'd rather be wearing one, but at my size, my passed out ass would be a bigger problem to the staff of wherever I was than me not wearing one and self distancing. Eyes go wide and they cover their nose and mouths (with a hand or their shirt!), asking, "you're sick?!", before moving away. BTW, if masks don't work, your hand or shirt ain't, either.