‘What 3 words’ is an innovative app which is arguably revolutionising the way society deals with emergencies, deliveries and much in between. It gives a unique location, to within a few square metres of anywhere in the world by assigning 3 words to that area. It got me thinking as to which 3 words we have grown to hate, or revere. The obvious one is ‘I love you’ which goes without saying, but a new combination of linguistic word triplicate now pervades our everyday lives: ‘Because of Covid’.

It has become the get out of jail free card and the abolishment of any blame. It is the cover for ineptitude in all areas of society and I have become rapidly, exponentially more bored of it with every utterance. I recently visited a theme park (best avoided, but one of the downsides of having kids) where we were charged a king’s ransom, as per pre-Covid, only to find half the rides were shut with the pre-requisite: ‘This ride is closed to keep you safe…because of Covid’. Now I would have a lot more respect for organisations large and small, independent and conglomerate, if they would afford us a little honesty and acted with some level of decency. If you’re going to charge £50 a ticket and half the rides are shut, then charge £25 instead. You wouldn’t pay for a full tank of petrol and only fill it half full now, would you? Maybe they can’t get the staff, or they haven't paid to maintain the rides, or they want to keep the running costs down, whatever the reason, ‘because of Covid’ certainly doesn't cut the excuse mustard.

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My local doctors are no better: After a war of attrition, which I resoundingly lost, I have now given up attempting to get a face-to-face appointment. I called last Friday regarding a rash that has persisted around my shoulders for months. I have sent photos and had a grandiose sounding telephone ‘consultation’, which in layman’s terms means the Doctor, blindly, ‘takes a punt’ at to what the issue could be. ‘Do you have any appointments today?’ I enquire early doors. ‘No’ came the terse reply. ‘Are you seeing patients face to face?’ I retorted. ‘No’. Upon enquiring why, the ‘because of Covid’ three-word response was given as a sure-fire argument winner. Now in this situation I have become accustomed to following up with: ‘Can you unpack that for me please? What do you mean because of Covid?’. I then received a spiel about how she, correctly, didn’t make the rules, but I still fail to see why, much lauded as it is and has been, the medical profession don’t grow a pair and, like most other industries, pull their fingers out and do their jobs. Doctors have been vaccinated and are no doubt afforded face masks that wouldn’t look out of place on a Star Wars set, yet folk are dying and suffering undiagnosed as they hide behind a balsa wood constructed excuse wall of ‘Because of Covid’.

In a petrol station the other day I did a little shopping after putting some fuel in the tank. The man took the items and scanned them. I then passed him my nectar card which he point blank refused to touch. I asked why? The three-word response came so I challenged him as to how he was happy to grope the packet of smints, crumpets and biscuits I had fingered, but not the plastic loyalty card. He looked confused, glared and, in robotic fashion reverted to ‘Because of Covid, sir’.

As you get to this point you may be thinking I’m having a whine, and you would be correct. There are bigger fish to fry in this world than a seemingly first world issue, but I would urge you to see the macro picture. It is a serious matter: to be ruled through fear and not question the diktats passed down to us from the Government and our masters. It is a critical issue to see our kin ill for months with cancers and other nasties, where, when they are finally diagnosed due to ‘because of Covid’ being dragged out at every turn, they are cruelly sentenced to an early yet avoidable death. So yes, first world whinge maybe, but the end result is ‘because of Covid’ and the lack of personal contact and support has killed many of our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers and that to me, is not only unforgivable, but criminal.

  • Brett Ellis is a teacher