CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC Sept. 2, 2020
Despite masks being mandatory in indoor public spaces for more than a month, local business owners are still dealing with headaches from policing the public health rules.
At Langford’s Grocery in Shawville, manager Christine Gauthier said that she and her staff have had to deal with . . .
customers unhappy with covering their faces.
“Truthfully, I haven’t had very many, our other employees are having a lot of problems,” she said. “There was an issue last Friday that made the cashier cry. [The customer was] very insistent that they weren’t wearing a mask, but [the cashier] stood her ground and they left.”
Gauthier said that while there were more issues back in July when the rules came into effect, they are still seeing an average of one customer a week that will kick up a fuss.
“People come in, it’s almost like they don’t know about it but it’s been so long now that you would think they would know,” she said.
Langford’s owner, Tony Iqbal Dar, who has two other locations in Campbell’s Bay and Chelsea, said that some of the customers have verbally abused his staff. He gave one example where an elderly gentleman had in confusion entered the store without a mask. While the employee was trying to let him know about the rules, another customer stood in the doorway of the shop and yelled that she would be reporting the employee to the authorities.
“For me, I don’t tolerate when somebody disrespects my employees, bully them or anything,” he said. “I don’t tolerate it. Those girls work so hard, and do their best and for that idiot to just come and bully them, it’s not their fault.”
He added that there are some customers with medical exemptions that have been able to use the store with no issues, so long as they have a note from their doctor.
Bill Telford, the owner of Billy T’s Pizza in Shawville said that he’s fed up with having to enforce the government rules, and also the fact that he will be held responsible if a customer doesn’t comply.
“My frustration is, why do small businesses have to enforce the law?” He said. “I get the fine if it’s not enforced … we’re in a small community, if you lose a customer, you don’t replace that customer, they’re gone.
“We’re the middle guy here,” he continued. “We’re caught trying to look after our customer and trying to do the government’s work … I do enough paperwork for them, now they want me to enforce their mask law.”
While Telford said most people are respecting the rules, he’s had several customers get frustrated with his staff, though they do their best to accommodate them.
“We don’t mind taking their food out to the curb and serving them there,” he said. “We have a mobile interac, so we can do the transaction outside.”
He said that he has sympathy for the people that forget their masks, but said that enforcing rules is an added stressor in an already stressful time.
“Hey, I’m as bad as anyone else, I’ll get out of the car and go in some where [and realize I don’t have a mask on],” he said. “We’re going to have to put more signage up. It’s not about getting angry, it’s about finding a balance to serve the public and keep my environment safe … We’re under a lot of pressure as local business owners trying to keep the community safe and not get a fine.”
