Diary summary week ending 9th October

[Maiden Stone]

RTL I've walked home at night in preference to sharing a bus shelter with a drunken or pest of a man if I know it would be a long wait for a bus. It's a short walk along a main road.
Pharma don't feel guilty about taking time out from your busy life for a bit of leisure. You need & deserve it. Sounds like you were in a safe environment. No need to worry.
 I meet friends & acquaintances outside. Not today though, weather is horrible, gale-force wind, heavy rain, cold. Haven't put my bin out, it will blow over. It's the one for paper & card.

[River Tyne Lass]

I agree that this would seem the better thing to do in most situations like this.  However, I live a long way from work and the bus station.  I think I would have felt a bit isolated if I had got off at a lonely stop en route at night. 
Mind, if that man had followed me to the other seat I think I would have complained to the driver and if he persisted further I think I would have called the police.  So I did have a plan B and C.  I wonder if such people realise what nuisances they are with their pestering?

[pharmaT]

BTP is British Transport police. Technically if you continually pester someone who wants to be alone it's what's called in Scotland a section 38offence ie behaving in a manner liable to cause fear and alarm.  I'msure there is a similar rule in England.

We did have to cut through the indoor bit and my mask elastic snapped so not properly protected so it puts my anxiety throught the roof so 2 weeks of extreme anxiety and guilt at the damage I may have done. Although work is riskier.  We have people with known covid and not allowed to wear FFP2 never mind a 3 just surgical ones which are insufficient for extended exposure.

Now have over 11200 sources logged getting there.

[River Tyne Lass]

Thank you Pharma, it is good to know such help exists if needed although from googling it seems their work focuses on train transport.

Try not to be too anxious about the prospect of catching covid.  I do think now with the jabs most people recover if they do get this.  Correct me if I am wrong in this belief.  When I got it (after two years of travelling to and from work on public transport) I only felt no more than 'rough'.  And I can truthfully tell you that there has been many a day when I have actually felt more 'rough' when covid free. 
The main thing seems to be that most people will not die or be hospitalised.  If you do get it one day Pharma, the odds are, I think, that you too will be okay and recover.
The overwhelming majority of people I know who have had it have not been hospitalised or died.
You would have to stay off work as I had to but surely you wouldn't face disciplinary for something like this that you would have no choice over?
I feel sad that you are so worried about this.  Take heart, I do think things are much better now.

[louisa maud]

I can   only calls them yobs, would they have behaved the same way to men  , I think not,  I can only  call then cowards and it is about time they  were dealt with,  it is frightening for lone women

LM

[River Tyne Lass]

Yes, I agree LM.  There were men on the bus he could have pestered in like fashion but he didn't.  I had had a very long and exhausting work day and it was the very last thing I needed at that point for someone not to take the hint. 
It doesn't happen that often (although I have been pestered several times before over the years) but it is a shame it can't be displayed as a bus 'rule' that pestering people into unwelcome conversation will not be tolerated - as other rules are.   People should be able to travel in peace if they are giving all the indications as I was that they wish to be left alone. I didn't wish to have to get into a confrontation with him so I felt no option but to move to another seat.  Annoying really to think I had to do that. I think I have a right to feel safe on a bus.  As you say, it is not a nice experience for lone women like myself having to travel on public transport - especially at night.

[pharmaT]

Unfortunately, sick leave is a disciplinary issue.  The Government responded to complaints in the press about "Lazy nhs staff" so they crack down.

younger daughter due to go on school trip in a couple of weeks.  I need to get her stiff and get it packed I can't afford to be ill and ruin her rip orworse, harm them.

[River Tyne Lass]

Are you saying that they would still expect you to go in and work if you had covid? 
I know we are all now meant to be living with it in the general population but patients surely would be deemed vulnerable and NHS workers with covid ought to be off?
How does that work that they would discipline if covid was the reason for absence?

[pharmaT]

Are you saying that they would still expect you to go in and work if you had covid? 
I know we are all now meant to be living with it in the general population but patients surely would be deemed vulnerable and NHS workers with covid ought to be off?
How does that work that they would discipline if covid was the reason for absence?

No, expected to stay off but a meeting with HR with threat of official warning for not staying well.