Ultimate tattletales: Facebook group shames those who don’t wear masks in Anchorage

By
Suzanne Downing
-
88

NEW SOCIAL MEDIA TREND: MAKE ANCHORAGE MASK UP

A new Facebook group has popped up in Anchorage to share information about which businesses are mandating masks — and which are not.

The mask shaming is strong with the group called “Anchorage Businesses that Wear Masks,” whose members call out businesses where masks appear to be optional, and then vow to boycott them.

This is the place to go to see the world of Karens.

The group’s purpose is benign enough: “Many of us would like to shop and support a business whose employees wear masks to help protect themselves and their customers. This is a group meant to share the places that are doing a good job, and those who could use some respectful encouragement to do better.”

But the execution of the policy results in a social media neighborhood busybody, scolding companies that are struggling to stay alive — from the House of Harley to hipster bakeries and cafes, and even drive-through burger joints.

“Though I have patronized the House of Harley for 17 years and my TriGlide is getting its 30k service now, unfortunately, not one staff member was wearing a mask, upstairs in sales are or in service department. I will not enter HOH again, except to pay bill today, until they wise up,” wrote one group member. The group response was predictably agreeable.

“Just called them…Happily Offered them 50 masks for staff and 75 for customers. They laughed and said no thanks,” wrote one member, who decided to follow up the lead.

“Just watched the grand opening of the Bear Paw restaurant on the local news. None of the staff was wearing masks! Not a good thing!” wrote another scolding group member. No more Bear Paw for her. The restaurant had been on the verge of its grand opening when the shut-down orders came down and closed dine-in restaurants.

“While I love this bakery so much, I was disappointed to see the employee handling all of the ToGo pickups at the Fire Island Bakery South shop was not wearing a mask yesterday. UPDATED: Fire Island responded and stated this was an accident. All staff should be wearing masks. Yay!!” offered one customer who had shamed a locally owned business. Fire Island Bakery owner quickly joined the Facebook group, apparently to protect his business’ reputation.

Businesses should be wary — their customers really could be out to get them. In “Anchorage Businesses that Wear Masks,” ninety percent of the members of the “mask spying” group are young- to middle-age women, most of them in the white genre, but MRAK notes that Forrest Dunbar, who aspires to become the next mayor of Anchorage, is also an early adopter of the “make Anchorage mask itself” tribe. An indication, perhaps, of how he will govern.

Berkowitz’s face mask policy based on misunderstood ‘Hong Kong hamster’ study

88 COMMENTS

  1. “Though I have patronized the House of Harley for 17 years and my TriGlide is getting its 30k service now, unfortunately, not one staff member was wearing a mask, upstairs in sales are or in service department. I will not enter HOH again, except to pay bill today, until they wise up,” wrote one group member. The group response was predictably agreeable.”

    Now thats the brains of of Darwin. Lady, how many tri-glides are in for 30K servicing right now….enjoy taking you three legged Hog to the Honda dealer next year.

    Net-nanny brigade. Pfft….

    • I’m replying to every single negative word uttered on this page: You are the reason we have reached this moment in time in such a state of despair and uncertainty. There is a very ugly history behind each one of us that has brought us to this point. The “Virus”; the person that is currently called President, the rampant human trafficking, the extreme weather events, the rich staying rich while the middle class struggle to stay middle class and the poor and starving struggle to live one more day. We are all responsible. You might say you had nothing to do with it, but I challenge you to step back and evaluate just your actions for let’s say yesterday. We’re you kind? Patient? Tolerant? Humble? I’ll make it simpler did you start your day with the intention of contributing to your world or seeing what more you could take from her. Being guilty myself, how many of us go out of our way to remain blind to the horrors that mankind (is still):afflicting upon the weak and vulnerable. “AGAPE” , “UTOPIA”:”ALTRUISM”: We are so powerful, so BeYoutiful together! If we could just tell our egos to shut up. Many us would “wake up”.

      • The only negativity would be communists er- democrats such as yourself who applaud those that see it your way, yet give opposing views the beat-down.

        Perhaps you need to delve into the history books about the Russian Revolution a bit harder, to get an idea of where your place is and what your outcome will be when it’s all said and done.

        Communism requires useful idiots. As the good “Beto” O’Rourke put it about tools when they are no longer useful, they are discarded. The same went with the Russian Revolution, when the useful idiots were no longer useful, they were discarded in two ways- Gulag work camps in Siberia or given the Tokerev Treatment (Tokerev pistol to the back the head, dumped into un-marked mass graves).

        Government change (revolution) to communism requires greed. It appeals to the greed in useful idiots. They think if they work and support said revolution, they will be given upper and middle management jobs in the new government. There are only so many upper and mid level job openings. They will be filled and the rest will be culled (liquidated).

        Communism looks great on paper and through rose colored glasses. In the end, it’s a multi-generational nightmare where pain, fear and misery is handed out free of charge.

        I take it critical thinking is not something taught in the school system. Do your own research before you take your place with the millions of other drones.

    • If you think wearing masks protects you from catching a virus, then you are part of the problem. Let me say that again, you are part of the problem and it is very likely that you have no common sense at all.

      • Perhaps you’d like to read some of the science that says masks are virtually worthless. Then we’d have one less village idiot

        • Science? He don’t need no stinking science!

          He is one of the mind set who believes that just following government rules, however silly, will keep you safe. Ahh…safe, no cares, no worries. S.A.F.E.

        • Rock,

          Science tells the truth and people hate hearing the truth. Sounds like another Facebook page of uneducated bullies.

        • @Rock – Exactly! A bunch of sheep screaming the sky is falling.
          Quarantine’ is when you restrict the movement of sick people.
          ‘Tyranny’ is when you restrict the movement of healthy people.

        • Actually, the masks are valuable. They keep covid from spreading to others, they are not meant to protect you, they are to protect others from you. Since we don’t have universal testing, the best we can do is wear our masks to keep from spreading the contagion to others.

          • You want to wear a mask? Do so, but if you get in my face and demand I wear one, I have four words for you – mind your own business.

      • Uh, excuse me. Are masks good now? First they weren’t then they were, then they weren’t again. Are they back in style now?
        It’s hard to keep up try as I may.

      • Masks are not the save-all that so many of you claim them to be. To some degree they help stay off the spread of some germs, but several doctors in Alaska have also said that prolonged hours of wearing the mask actually reduces your ability to fight the virus, causes a higher level of carbon dioxide in the body, and is not 100% helpful. For those of you that are afraid of the virus, by all means wear your mask and continue to contain yourselves in your home and be afraid to venture out into the world. If you are wearing your mask and someone else isn’t then according to your logic you are protected and you should not be concerning yourself with people who aren’t wearing a mask. As U.S. citizens we have the right to decide what risks we are willing to take with our own lives. If you are afraid of people without a mask, then wear your mask and stay home. I on the other hand choose to live my life without fear.

    • This mask for safety for staff, it’s requires you wear the mask enter any business… so business owner will not let you enter owner’s business…. owner don’t know you have a virus or not. It is very important to wear a mask

    • That is stupid! I usually wear a mask but out of respect for the business that require a mask, I have one with me. IT IS NOT HARD just to put one on and go in. It’s that simple. Especially if it’s locally owned.

  3. So am I one of them? I won’t wear a mask nor visit a business requiring one (like Costco). It’s my money and I choose where to spend it. I even dined in a restaurant still secretly serving during the quarantine and survived. Vivat Libertie!

    • Costco is the worst…there is a sanctimonious twerp up front who is rude to everyone entering if he doesn’t like their mask…yet they have instacart people coming in right where everyone exits…creating chaos and zero social distancing. I’ve heard the Southside manager is sleeping with his staff, overall hot mess.

      • That’s awful.
        Costco pays attention to their comment cards – that’s part of how they determine what to sell. I’ve made it a point to leave a comment every time I go. Hopefully others are doing the same.

      • That’s just nonsense. My wife and I go to the Southside Costco all the time. They, and many other national companies are requiring their staff and customers wear a mask. Mine is as well. The ‘sanctimonious twerp’ at the entrance is doing his job correctly, as management has directed him, so don’t take your unjustified anger out on him. The business, along with many others, are trying to implement social distancing since the United States has the worst record in the first world, outside of Sweden, of keeping this virus down.

    • So what, you have to wear a mask for their safety ! If some staff ask you to wear a mask or no enter !

      • My friend has severe COPD. He can’t wear masks because he A) can’t breathe, and B) can’t use his respirator with a mask on. Why can’t he be able to go into a store without being scolded and sneered at? Why shouldn’t he be able to breathe while at the same time getting outside?
        .
        There are valuable reasons of not wearing masks, especially for those who already have breathing issues.

        • Covid is especially lethal for people like your friend. He should definitely wear a mask and keep away from others as much as possible.

  4. I recognized myself as a Sovereign citizen of the United States and I’m not going to follow along with the sheep. I’m free go and come as I will. If a business requires me to wear a mask, they don’t need my business.

  5. As one who is skeptical about the value of masks, I fail to see the reasons for praising or condemning those who do, or do not, use them.
    We choose our paths and go our ways. Judgments and recriminations do not become us.

  7. Wow! Brave enough to ride a motorcycle but scared of a fairly benign virus? There’s a disconnect somewhere. I won’t patronize anyplace that requires masks but I don’t care whether or not they choose to mask.

    • 100k people have died so far, and with ignorant attitudes like yours the deaths will only continue to climb. How is that benign? This isn’t about freedom or personal choice and more than ignoring stop lights is a personal choice. You’re needlessly endangering yourself and others for what? To own the libs? History will not be kind to your ilk.

      • CDC death count shows that for the months of Feb & Mar 2020, the average # of deaths was roughly 6% less than the 3-yr average. #fact

  8. So who’s Karen? Since I’m a frequent visitor to HOH, who are you? Do you really exist? Or are you some figment of this so-called author’s imagination,

    For those shaming get a life. You need to take care of yourself and not worry about others.

    It’s easy to shame others behind an anonymous FB page. Grow some balls and identify yourselves. Then maybe I’ll have more respect for you … but I’ll do what’s mandated. And Masks are not.

    • I’m sure the HOH does care if you come back or not! At least be a big enough person to disclose your identity! If you are that big of a pansy then just keep your opinion to yourself!

    • It’s not possible to wear mask when working in hot kitchen for 10 hours a day. People shouldn’t be shaming others, especially when local businesses are struggling to survive. You want to wear a mask or don’t it’s your right. If you don’t feel safe then stay home. Shame on you for trying to make sure everyone is doing what you feel is right.

  9. “Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”
    What’s fantastic about this Facebook tattletale is that now the people with common sense will know which businesses do not require face masks and frequent them. Those nasty little busybodies C. S. Lewis spoke of are providing us a great service. Discrimination can go both ways.

    • Thank you so much for the C.S. Lewis quote. He is one of my heroes. He manages to distill so much wisdom in such a perfect concise way. I’ve heard him called a “Christian Apologist” in a very insulting way. I can’t even figure out what that’s supposed to mean. As far as I’m concerned, truth is truth.

  10. I hope the “Karens” will own it when it becomes clear that wearing a mask makes no difference with regard to spreading the virus. It’s just theater…..of the absurd. However, I have no problem with businesses that mandate masks. That is their right. Then it becomes my choice if I decide to patronize them or not.

  11. If there are no mask I shall not enter because I want to make sure that I am safe and I see the mask as a safety precaution. I will wear my mask and I will expect others around me to do the same. I do not see it as an infringement on my rights I see it as my way to help keep other safe and myself safe. If wearing a mask is what it takes to get life back to so-called normal then I am willing to do so. I expect the Anchorage school District to require masks of all students and staff when school opens in the fall as a safety precaution.

    • Masks don’t do anything except make you “feel” better. That and collect bacteria.

    • Worm,

      What if masks and the wearing of masks incorrectly actually makes it possibly more unsafe for you and others, what then? Do we still wear masks because it makes you feel safe?

    • Way to stand up for your personal beliefs, “Worm.”

      Making a statement like your ASD one is short-sighted due to the fact there are so many families unable to provide healthy lunches; how do you expect them to afford multiple masks for 1 to how-many kids a week?

      Want to wear a mask? Please, do so! But you have no right to force your fear upon the rest of us.

    • ‘If there are no mask I shall not enter because I want to make sure that I am safe and I see the mask as a safety precaution. I will wear my mask and I will expect others around me to do the same. I do not see it as an infringement on my rights I see it as my way to help keep other safe and myself safe.’

      I could use the same quote about carrying a gun.

    • Do you wear a mask for the flu?
      No.
      If your at risk your at risk. Theres a segment of every population that succumb to new risks. Some will die, some will not. Unless your wearing that mask forever your never safe weather today or 5yrs from now when you stop wearing it. Group think at it’s best, scare the people into conformity. Pretty funny I would like to have the “Karen’s” tested and see who already has the antibodies…..Your welcome.

  12. Suzanne, I though so much more highly of you, that it shocks and saddens me that you are one of the many who mock the name of perfectly nice, decent and caring people who happen to be named “Karen”. I’m a good person. I help a lot of people without “virtue signaling” every time I do a good deed, yet still…now my name is associated with something unpleasant. I thought mocking someone’s name was a thing only thoughtless young children did and were then taught by responsible adults to not do so, since it means the person mocking someone’s name is a bully. Do you really want to be seen as a bully, Suzanne? Should the name Suzanne, or Mark R (above) mean a person who is a bully? Seriously…how would you feel if it were your name. Yeah, sure…folks say to ignore it, but when thousands of people are doing it just so they can pretend they are one of the “cool kids”, it’s irritating to say the least.

      • From the KnowYourMeme.com website:
        *
        About
        Karen is a slang term used as an antagonistic female character in memes. “Karen” is generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of “the kids.”
        Origin
        While it’s unclear where exactly “Karen” began seeing use as a pejorative character, it perhaps started with the Oh My God, Karen, You Can’t Just Ask Someone Why They’re White meme from Mean Girls. Others believe that the popularity of the name may come from the character Karen from the 1989 gangster film Goodfellas.
        *
        Saw it in the recent article about the woman in Central Park who falsely accused a man of harassing her – he was asking her to leash her dog in a well-signed area where he was birding.

        Karen, it wasn’t personal – your name got impolitely associated … kinda like ‘John’ 😉

    • Karen, many of us have names that have been used to make demeaning statements or mean jokes by others. However , part of becoming a fully developed person is learning to think critically which enables one to sift through what is important and what is not. Going through life being constantly offended or demanding an infringement of others freedom of speech isn’t much of a life. BTW , I didn’t even know what a Karen was until I read this story.

    • As a person who grew up as the only Gretchen among numerous Susies, Judys, Lindas and Karens, hang in there. (Interesting that my name came more into vogue later.) Sorry your name is being mocked but believe me, many of us have already been there, done that. My mother wouldn’t let me cut my hair, had it in two long braids and I had to endure a lot of cheek pinching or head patting and people saying: Oh you just look like a little Gretchen! I was never going to forgive my mother but I got over it. Just laugh and say, I’m a good Karen, not THAT kind of Karen. People will never forget your name!

    • Taking ourselves way too seriously, are we?
      .
      Blessed are those who are legends in their own minds for they shall always have someone to worship.
      .
      A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle. – Benjamin Franklin

  13. I’m pretty sure you and many of your readers don’t understand what a Karen is…. FYI, you’re a Karen.

  15. When others wear masks, you don’t have to worry about them coughing or sneezing on you. Remember when we didn’t have masks and people of all types sneezed on you? I for one love wearing a mask so I can walk around a store with my hands in my pockets. And when I sneeze, it’s so much fun to blow a big sneeze right into my mask and cough into it. Look ma, no hands! So glad I can protect everyone, including all my Karen friends.
    Boy, that wet mask gets wearisome after a couple of hours though. But like our mayor told us, “no freedom without safety.” I think he thought he was quoting Ben Franklin….
    On a serious note, when I hear of a business giving the customer the option of taking care of their own health, THEY will get my business.

  17. Media morons, sad how media proves the rapidly growing stupidity of the simple minded Americans. Requiring face mask and calling out those who choose not to wear one ??? Just stay home if you are so afraid of going outside and being around the barefaced few of us not afraid to live without the guidance of media. Stay home! Please just stay home and not burden the few folks out here not afraid to live outside the protective skirt of your media mother. Please do not force your stupidity on us. Stay home, wear your mask, gloves, full body cover and keep the air in your home hazy with disinfectant while keeping a safe 6 feet from your family members. Keep tuned in to your media and allow them to continue feeding you the ignorance you greedily crave.

  19. Unsurprisingly, the author doesn’t actually know what a “Karen” is, and didn’t research the term.

  20. I walked into an anchorage shop wearing a homemade paper bag mask, which looks like a typical mask you would buy. A worker greeted me at the door with his shirt pulled up over his nose, wearing no mask, and said my mask wasn’t allowed. I walked out, and took my business elsewhere. The worker could have said “pull your shirt up over your nose and you can shop”.

    My thought on this is whatever you do from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed, it’s all based on choices, and if you choose to wear masks or don’t wear masks, or if a business says You must wear masks or you don’t need a mask, then deal with it. Nobody wants to wear masks that are irritating. But we should all try to respect businesses just as much as they need to respect customers.

    Right now every business owner should know that every employee should wear masks including themselves. But not every customer wants to wear a mask and that should be their choice. Also not everybody has a mask on them so I think businesses should provide at the door at least.

  21. I have been told by medical professionals that most masks are useless in stopping the spread of an airborn virus. But if Costco makes wearing of a mask mandatory in their stores it is their right to do so. I am free to go shop elsewhere if I don’t want to don a mask. I respect Costco’s right to property and love getting avocado oil for half what others sell it for.

  22. Most of the responses I see are from those who have no respect for their fellow man. Try getting on a domestic or international flight without a mask and see haw far you get. ‘Idiotic herd thought pattern”

    • It sounds like you have lost your “safe place”. This isn’t San Francisco…. the majority of people in Alaska are still free thinkers. You have choices to make just like everyone else and you can cast your “dollar votes” and “feet votes” anyway you wish.

    • I have respect for everyone, including you, even though I disagree with you. There are valid medical reasons for not wearing masks. One of my best friends has severe COPD and can’t breathe with a mask. He also can’t use his breathing tube with a mask on. And he does need to go out of state for medical work.
      .
      I think that people and companies should learn some basic facts about masks instead of blanket one-size-fits-all policies, because he is severely being hurt by the mask requirements. Every single one-size-fit-all policy ultimately hurts more people, usually those same people that need help the most (like my friend), than they help. Why shouldn’t he be able to fly for his medical needs? Why shouldn’t he be able to get out of his home and do his own shopping so he can feel like he’s got some control over his life without people scolding or sneering him?

  23. For those who don’t know…Karen is a slang term used as an antagonistic female character in memes. “Karen” is generally characterized as an irritating, entitled woman, sometimes as an ex-wife who took custody of “the kids.”

    Carl is the male equivalent and is used in military memes.

    Jody is the guy who is having sex with your girlfriend while you’re away on deployment with the military or doing a stretch in prison.

    Hitler is used to describe a totalitarian that is drunk with power, like some mayor we know.

  24. It’s people like this that keep a totalitarian state informed as to who is an enemy of the state. The KGB, the Gestapo and the security apparatuses of other totalitarian regimes could never keep tabs on all the citizenry without the help of informers. They are the front line when it comes to keeping the gulags and the concentration camps full. Groups like “Anchorage Businesses that Wear Masks” should be shamed and have scorn heaped upon them. They prefer peaceful slavery over dangerous liberty. I’m reminded of a Samuel Adams quote…“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”

  25. This author is completely confused about what it means to be a “Karen”.

    Karens want to see the manager so they can get special treatment. Trying to get the manager to follow CDC guidelines for the common good is the exact opposite of what a “Karen” would do.

    Sovereign Simpletons trying to make up their own rules for the society they are a part of are the real Karens here.

  27. Who on a good day gives a microscopic damn about Facebook
    .
    …or masks
    .
    …except on Halloween or during felonious transactions at certain places of business?

Comments are closed.