Bus incident with teens spitting through straw at me - covid risk?

[Fambo Number Mive]

So I wear a mask when I use the buses or go into a shop. I've been doing this for 2 years now, and usually no-one comments on it.

However, I was on the bus today and a group of teens got on at the back and made some comment about covid. Then I felt something wet hit the back of my head twice. I think one of the teens was using a straw to spit his drink at me because I was wearing a mask.

I wasn't really sure how to deal with it and got off the bus at the next stop and changed to another bus.

If the teen who spat liquid at me through a straw had covid, is there much of a risk of me getting it? I know it hit the back of my head but could some droplets have gone past my head and hit my nose and mouth or eyes?

I was double masked and sitting by an open bus window, they were about 1 metre away.

I didn't know how to deal with it and am worried that I will see them again, given Oxford is a small city. I don't know if getting me off the bus was a win for them - I saw one of them turn round and glare at me when I was on the second bus. I feel like they targeted me because of my mask but I'm not going to stop wearing a mask on the bus.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I thought of saying something to the driver as I got off but was worried they would hear me and retaliate. Saying something to them would probably have made things worse, when I looked round at them the two teens who were in the seats one row from the back just moved to the back.

[DelurkedToHelp]

I don't see the harm in taking a COVID test, not because I think it's likely you have it, but just to put your mind at ease. Don't give those twats on the bus the satisfaction of making you worry for days about something you may not even have.

I know you chose not to talk to the driver at the time, but I'd still urge you to consider making a complaint to the bus company. What the twats did, even if not considered criminal, will certainly be against company policy. The bus may have CCTV and if the twats can be identified, they could find themselves banned from travelling.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Thanks for your reply. The incident happened a couple of hours ago so I presume I'll need to wait a couple of days before taking the test, as I presume if they did infect me it wouldn't show up yet.

My concern is that if they get banned from travelling they will realise I did it and retaliate. Not sure where abouts they live, never seen them before.

[Glebe]

Little fuckers. Hope you okay Fams.

[DelurkedToHelp]

Thanks for your reply. The incident happened a couple of hours ago so I presume I'll need to wait a couple of days before taking the test, as I presume if they did infect me it wouldn't show up yet.

My concern is that if they get banned from travelling they will realise I did it and retaliate. Not sure where abouts they live, never seen them before.

I think you're worrying too much about encountering these teens again. You've been wearing a mask for 2 years and I presume this is the 1st time anything like this (physical attack, rather than verbal comments) has been done to you by anyone, let alone by that particular group. The chances of you being on the same bus at the same time as all of that group (rather than just 1 or 2 - people tend to be less bold when on their own) again must be slim, and in any event, they may not recognise/remember you. Arseholes say and/or do mean things to random people and then move on, not giving it or the victim a 2nd thought.

RE: the fears of retaliation for a complaint - if they are banned from travelling, how are they supposed to theoretically get to you? Not on the bus obviously, and the chances of bumping into you in the streets (again, if they even remember/recognise you) must be as slim, if not more so than seeing you on the bus. Were there any other passengers at the time? From the teens point of view, it's feasible the other passenger(s) could be the complainant. You didn't get off at your usual stop either, so that's of no help to the teens either.

[Brundle-Fly]

These sort of incidents really bring out the inner vicious, right-wing vigilante in me, which is disturbing because I'm normally a sweetheart.

[shiftwork2]

These people are pricks Fambo, and you did the right thing by rising above the childish provocation even though there was some inconvenience to you.  Having said that, I think the chance of infection is extremely low.  As others have said do a test if you find you're still worrying.

[Kankurette]

Ugh. Little mingers. That said, try not to worry too much - it took me TWO YEARS to get COVID and during that time I went to plenty of gigs, football matches, pubs etc. and used public transport. If you're jabbed, you should be OK. Hell, I've got family who live in the same house who've avoided getting COVID while another person in said house has it.

[jamiefairlie]

Gah, wee fannies like this are my pet hate, destroying people's peace of mind for nothing, I fucking hate them.

Just read this story and it didn't help cool my ire either.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62722082

[Glebe]

Gah, wee fannies like this are my pet hate, destroying people's peace of mind for nothing, I fucking hate them.

Just read this story and it didn't help cool my ire either.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62722082

For all our technological advances some people are still just savages. Fucking lame reactions from the police too.

[Kankurette]

Gah, wee fannies like this are my pet hate, destroying people's peace of mind for nothing, I fucking hate them.

Just read this story and it didn't help cool my ire either.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62722082

Jesus Christ, those poor little kids. And of course the police are fucking useless. Are we going to have to have another Sophie Lancaster before they pull their fingers out?

I'm sorry, it upsets me a lot. I was bullied and if social media had been a thing when I was a kid, I'd probably have ended up killing myself. Even now I get paranoid around groups of kids or teens.

[SpiderChrist]

https://giphy.com/gifs/nobodymovie-CuWCcYNO2LSiFe2RiH

[vanilla.coffee]

Does the bus have cctv on board? If so, report it now that your home safe.

[ollyboro]

It was probably only sperm.

[steve98]

^ I just sprayed my keyboard.... (With saliva)

[imitationleather]

Sorry to hear you went through that, Fambo. It's not nice to be ganged up on like that, especially if you're of an anxious disposition. Hope you've not let it get to you too much because honestly those twats will have long forgotten about it by now and wouldn't be able to pick you out if they tried.