Woman who allegedly took exception to another customer complaining she wasn’t wearing a mask (Facebook)
June 14, 2020 Staff Report
A video has gone viral of a woman deliberately coughing on another customer at a bagel shop in Astoria.
In the video, a woman comes into New York City Bagel & Coffee House on Broadway–near 30th Street–to pick up an order without a mask on June 6.
Another customer complains to an employee that there is a customer without a mask.
The woman takes offense and erupts into a fit of anger.
Called out for not wearing a mask…
So she coughs on somebody, not realizing she is being recorded.
Y’all need to act right. pic.twitter.com/cudHs7Rk5X
— DeMarcus ? (@semperdiced) June 13, 2020
“You’re a pussy, such a pussy,” the woman says to customer who was complaining. “Say that to my face.”
The staff then serve the woman her order. She grabs it and then goes over to the customer who complained and coughs in her face.
“What the F$$k is wrong with you?” the victim who is coughed on says. “You A-Hole.”
The woman then realizes that she is being recorded as she exits.
The victim later went on Facebook to provide an account of the incident.
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61 Comments
Both parties acted wrongly. Is it a big enough deal to sensationalize and ruin people’s lives. Not in the slightest.
To all the self righteous internet folks out there who are so keen to point fingers and ruin people’s lives. You have waved your right to complain when it happens to you in other contexts, This sudden air of ethical superiority that pervades humanity in the moment has arisen not out compassion but out of fear and selfishness from a deep seated feeling that something might affect your tribe.
I am almost certain that this climate of judgement and moral superiority comes hand in hand with hypocrisy in some form or another. First world Karens who continue to buy cheap goods off the back of overseas exploitation, who continue to make excuses for themselves in their apathetic actions towards the climate crisis, who will tell themselves that they are are better than others while they buy disposable ppe and throw it in the street.
I have higher respect for the invasive outspoken vegans and religious folks for force their ethical frameworks on others. At least it less about them.
Why hasn’t she been arrested yet? I suppose the answer is in the question.
No matter if black . white. Red yellow or what. People need to realize Life is Life
So is minding your business.
Goes to show you we have inconsiderate people in the World today that dont care about others
This woman is a total sicko
Karen was wrong for confronting a complete stranger. You don’t know if they’re crazy or not. All anyone can do is to stay away from someone not following the rules.
Perhaps she (like me) has a medical condition where masks spell murder to us. Or a psychological reason like claustrophobia.
Regardless, the 6 feet is the more important thing.
No 6 feet is not the most important thing. The single most important thing by far is wearing a mask. Many studies have shown this including very early ones done in China. The CDC was very late to the party. Social distancing wise, 6 feet may be nowhere near enough in any case. So yeah, you need to wear a mask to prevent killing people who are vulnerable to the virus.
Then you can wear a face shield or something else. Or better yet stay home.
No, 6 feet is not the more important thing. The mask is many studies have shown. You guys can rationalize all you want. But if you have spread this thing to someone else who was severely sickened or who died because you refused to wear a mask, that is on your soul forever. There will be no excuse.
Goes to show you we have inconsiderate people in the World today that dont care about others
This woman is a total sicko
This is disrespectful spreading germs. She shouldn’t have allowed entry without a face mask in the store in the first place.
She should be arrested
Someone do something!!!
That’s not right
I don’t see you out there, Karen.
I’d have given her a nice blast of Sabre Red pepper spray. Of course then I would have been arrested as a white male attacking a poor troubled female…
I agree we all need to do our part.. however unless the owner was the one complaining, we do need to pick our battles during covid life is stressful enough now add a pandemic &the constant killing of black men& women in our country. I’m sure the girl was just being helpful &
sometimes we need to fall back a little & make it the owners responsibility to enforce the rule a.
The masks dont help much. but since we told we have to wear them, wear them! dont be an idiot! and if you see someone not wearing one, keep your distance! do you have to tattle to the workers? all you did was get her to come closer to you and spread her nasty germs. both immature morons which have taken over Astoria. Astoria is now a dump.
I see customers sitting on the tables outside on the sidewalks and being served on Broadway, Astoria Blvd, Ditmars.. Phase 2 already??? Dumb e-bike delivery guys riding on the sidewalks full speed.. People drinking at Rainey, Socrates, Astoria Park and spitting all around, playing loud music with the f-word, n-word, p-word lyrics. The police would not care less.. Where should we take our families to??? The city has changed dramatically in the last 6 months.. Becoming another ghetto..
Let’s look at the numbers: 207,049 confirmed cases out of eight million NYC residents, 17,433 deaths out of eight million NYC residents. Deaths divided by residents equals .002% death rate. 207,049 cases divivided by eight million residents equals .02% cases. Numbers are from nyc.gov. Now everyone saying this lady should be locked up, terrorism etc, what about all the protesters out and about with no masks, sneezing, coughing etc, looting. And I dare anyone to say something to someone who coughs or sneeze during regular flu season (which by the way affects healthy indivduals way more than Covid-19 affects healthy individuals). Yes it’s absolutely in bad taste what the lady did by coughing on someone but a lot of people need to get a grip on themselves. This mask and glove mentality should not and cannot be the “new norm.”
^No doubt one of the clowns who doesn’t wear masks all the time.
Well, irrespective of the seriousness of the virus threat, this woman should be taught a lesson. Her behavior is unacceptable during these times. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate a slap in her face for that, would she?
I would also put some blame on a store – if you have the rules, you should follow them!
Those number aren’t worse partly because of masks but I get your point.
But covid-19 is more serious and more contagious than the flu. We have had twice as many Covid-19 deaths than the flu in a 6 month period WITH all these restriction.
Per CDC from 20k-68K flu deaths from Oct 19,2019-April 4. 2020. We have had 118K covid-19 death since we started tracking deaths about Feb 2020. That is a lot of death considering the restrictions.
Otherwise your hypocritical words mean nothing…
COVID-19 is way more dangerous than your common flu, please review the WHO or CDC on this. The virus spreads more easily than the flu and there is no known vaccine or cure! If you’re really from the area you could have seen first hand the amount of human bodies piled up into trucks to be cremated.
But regardless, out of respect of other people and common civility, the woman should have worn a mask. It’s the least you can do in order to maintain a functioning society.
Respect is universal.
My and husband see the same issues when we’re out we are doing our best to follow the rules by masking up and when you see others simply putting others at risk it’s just not right and not only patrons but store owners..the signs on the doors and its the LAW by the way but store owners not enforcing the rules..it enraged me when I saw her cough and that woman ..she’s lucky cause she gonna do that to the wrong person and get knocked out! I would file charges on her!
You’re right she could’ve done that to the wrong person and the other way around too, if the lady with the mask shaming the maskless had said what she said to the wrong person it could end up badly also. It is not the law it is an executive order. What are the store owners to do, lose business because they refuse to serve the maskless? They have suffered enough with a lot of businesses not getting relief instead going to ivy league colleges and corporations that do not need the funds. Enough already, everyone needs to mind their own business.
That is horrible if “Karen” tried that on me or a member of my family, i would have slammed her. Doesn’t she realize that coughing on someone can be conceived as assault with a deadly weapon.
Look up the definition of a deadly weapon. Coughing on someone, really? If you would’ve slammed her you would be arrested because she did not touch you.
Karen is the one who called her out.
Who is she?
Karen! The disrespectful germs spreader. She shouldn’t have allowed entry without a face mask in the store in the first place and should being reprimanded.
Mindyabuisness!!!
Gotta love the internet. The coughing Karen has been identified as Lauren Balsamo of Astoria, and to add insult to injury until January 2020 was employed at Weill Cornell Medical Center, so she clearly should have known better:
https://heavy.com/news/2020/06/lauren-balsamo-coughing-new-york-city/
Karen boss and co-workers will definitely call her out on this horrific news. Bad apple for sure. She is a SHAME to the medical field.
Gotta cringe at the internet as it is collectively bringing down standards and ethics of journalism and humanity in general.
Shame on the self righteous doxers and journalist in that article who published the name of a private individual with no criminal charges.
An extremely distastefulness third grade action in confrontation has turned into a mark on a human being’s life that will never go away. “Terrorism”? “assault with a deadly weapon”? Are you kidding me? I guess these labels (that are not even weighing the current transmission and mortality weights) sound appropriate until it happens to one of your kids in a moment of stupidity.
Too many businesses are not enforcing state law. We are ALL supposed to wear a face covering when we’re outside and business owners are not supposed to admit anyone who is not wearing a face covering. This business was wrong to allow this woman to purchase anything. She should have been turned away at the door. Customers are not supposed to have to fight for their right not to have their health and safety endangered by stupid, lazy people who find it too difficult to wear a face covering. But then again, cops aren’t wearing them either. If the police don’t wear them, who’s going to enforce the law? And by the way, it is the law! And if that woman had coughed on me, I’d have called 911 and stayed at the business till police arrived.
Actually that is part of the problem. The law is you must wear a mask if you can’t keep 6 feet social distance. Never mind that this distance has been found to be inadequate by some especially in certain situations. It’s Completely idiotic.. This is Cuomo “lets move contagious residents back to the nursing home and see what happens” and bill de blasio stupidity. Of course people are going to try and get away with not wearing a mask if there is an out… if they can socially distance. The law should be you go outside you wear a mask, period. And it’s not.
The police get coffee here and never wear masks .
Just avoid the place . It’s become a dump .
New York City Bagel & Coffee House is a haven for eurotrash, low class Greeks who leer at women and hipsters who need to be seen. The woman didn’t have a mask on and was coughing. Welcome to the real world kids. Everyone isn’t going to comply to “rules”. If you are going to confront someone be prepared for a reaction. This “victim” couldn’t wait to update her social media with this prose— I know there are bigger problems in the nation right now but Drama queens suggesting you slap her. LMAO You couldn’t take her without a mask on then you are going to fight her? Internet losers. Call Cellino and Barnes
Awwww look at you sticking up for the woman who goes and coughs in peoples faces. You are part of the problem. You don’t see that but good thing we do.
yeah his italics was so effective lol
the only “problem” is the melodrama surrounding this. if the cupcake could have minded her masked business no confrontation would have occurred. they were 6 feet apart-lots of whining over nothing. Imagine that. The “victim” ran her mouth and got what she was looking for-a confrontation. Then she whines about it on Facebook. Now weak-minded losers must break out the torches and pitchforks to mete out internet justice. yeah but I am the problem. Keep telling yourself that
She was coughing on things.. she was supposed to wear a mask on entry to the store. Some people die shortly after exposure to covid-19. She and others like her are killers.
“eurotrash”, “low class Greeks” ?! This is more vile than not wearing a mask.
The Greek residents in this neighborhood are what make this community special. Take your racist ass out of Astoria if you can’t handle that, better yet NYC because you know you’d be scared to say this out in public.
This New York City Bagel & Coffee House location doesn’t enforce/require masks. Mike who runs it never has a mask on. One guy eats at the counter.
Coughing on someone during a pandemic? She needs to be charged with terrorism. That aside, so true so many are not wearing masks or distancing. Another week from now will probably end the opening with a mega-surge. Meanwhile we have the Di Blasio idiot doing everything wrong.
What’s wrong with the restaurant? No mask, no service! Won’t be going there again.
Astoria bagel should have never served that woman who coughed on another patron and never the less entered the establishment without a mask. This bagel store should be boycotted! No one person during this time with the pandemic going on should get away with that disgusting behavior!Wake up people and make a statement!!
This is nothing. Walk a few blocks east to 34-11 Broadway and you will see the sidewalks packed with people eating at cheap folding tables. No social distancing, no facemasks and a terrible guitar player serenading the diners. Meanwhile pedestrians need to walk in the street
We understand you need to complain about people sitting at tables.
This is about a single incident though, it’s in the title of the article. Do you know what article you’re commentig on?
I realize you just got out of rehab, again, but you really need to focus on the positive. Now that the drugs are out of your system you will realize my comment was relevant. Detoxing is terrible for losers like you. Good luck and remember to wash your hands after every hit of the pipe.
Senior moment?
And a Trump lover!!!!
Not only rude but potentially very dangerous. Scarey world out there. Hope the injured lady will be ok.
Injured? There were no injuries. The mask-less woman was more than 6 feet away from the shrieking harpy of a victim. She could have kept her mouth shut given she had a mask on. But everyone wants to add to their online profiles so she engaged the mask-less woman. The woman should have simply told her to drop dead and left but maybe she needed more likes for her online presence as well. As the victim said, “I know there are bigger problems in the nation right now”. So she needs to STFU already
First and foremost its the Law “no mask no admittance” and if you were there so why attack her as Yes she was a victim regardless of your comments so if you can see right from wrong, why do you stfu!!
Sir Galanad looking to defend the damsel’s honor. Some “LAW” where there is no penalty for breaking it. She ran her mouth and got a surprise. Calling this terrorism and a crime is hysterical. Imagine if she simply kept quiet. Nah that would be too easy. She is probably sucking down some cocktails on the sidewalk outside Madame Maries right now. Go buy her a drink
Wow look at you tough guy. Talk about internet trools.
The customer should have knocked her out for coughing on her.
She would have felt differently if you had knocked her out, or better yet, filled charges on her! She was in my opinion threatening your life and others!