Another day, another dickhead causing a stir because they refuse to wear a face mask. This time, we have Karen from Bunnings, who told staff members that “it is my right, as a living woman, to do whatever I want.” Yikes.
In footage posted to social media, a woman in Melbourne can be seen harassing Bunnings staff after they asked her to put on a face mask inside the store.
Instead of, you know complying, the woman decided to have a very public rant about why she’s above the law, or something.
Wait til this Karen finds out about ‘no shoes, no shirt, no service’. pic.twitter.com/2dvLE90dOa
— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 25, 2020
Right at the beginning, without missing a beat, the first Bunnings staff member in the video somehow managed to sense the Karen aura immediately. She can be heard politely asking the woman whether she’d like to speak to the manager.
The woman said yes, before telling the manager: “You’re discriminating against me.”
Then, another staff member stepped in to try and speak some reason.
“We’re all just trying to be in this together, we all have to wear a mask,” she told the woman.
That’s then the woman whipped out whatever obscure, litigious jargon she could muster, and became a Karen in her final form.
“That’s discrimination and I can have you sued – personally – for discriminating against me as a women,” the woman yelled.
Keep in mind, two of the three Bunnings staff who questioned her were themselves women.
“It is in breach of the 1948 charter of human rights to discriminate against men and women,” she continued.
“It unlawful, and it is discriminatory, and it is illegal, and I’m going to continue going in here and getting what I need because it is unlawful for you to do that.”
She then told them to look up the DHHS list of exceptions, without actually naming any.
For what it’s worth, she wasn’t eating, drinking or smoking. There are a few medical exceptions, but one would imagine these would be easier to politely explain than throwing a legalese-riddled fit in the middle of a busy shop.
It may not have been the last we’ve heard of Karen from Bunnings, either. In a later tweet, the user (who is not in any way connected to the people in the footage) shared a previously-found video of a woman arguing with police officers in a carpark.
Not only does the woman in this video sounds suspiciously similar to the woman in the first clip at Bunnings, but in the background an Early Settler store can also be seen. In Melbourne, it’s pretty common for Early Settler and Bunnings stores to be opposite or around the corner from one another, just saying.
Qaren doesn’t believe in being arrested. pic.twitter.com/mmNsxwILOX
— cam smith (@sexenheimer) July 26, 2020
A spokesperson for Bunnings told 7 News the that it’s obviously not OK to abuse store staff over face masks.
“The safety of our customers and team is our highest priority and our team are doing everything they can to keep everyone safe,” the spokesperson said.
“The customer’s behaviour towards our team was completely unacceptable and we’re proud of the way our team calmly and professionally handled the situation.”
So, if you don’t have a serious medical exemption, wear a goddamn mask. And please, please, don’t use it as an excuse to have a go at retail workers who are literally just doing their job.
You won’t find the Deep State in the aisles of Bunnings, Karen.
