A man was caught on video urinating in front of Dairy Queen employees who asked him to wear a face mask over the weekend in British Columbia, Canada.
Video obtained by CTV News showed the unidentified man inside the Dairy Queen in Port Alberni on Saturday after 9 p.m., arguing with employees about masks.
In the moments leading up to the incident, the employees are seen asking the man to wear a mask, pointing out that they are not allowed to serve anyone without a face covering.
"We ask you to follow the rules," they say, explaining that masks are required for everyone above the age of 12 while indoors.
The man argues that they "have to observe exemptions," though the video did not show him explaining why he qualifies for one. Exemptions are made for people with medical conditions; children younger than 12; people who can't remove their mask; and people who need to remove it to communicate due to another person's hearing impairment.
The employees continue to say they do not want to argue with him and that they want to serve other customers. The man then proceeds to urinate at the counter of the restaurant, while employees scream in horror and disgust. He is then told to leave.
While leaving, the man shouts "f****** psychopaths" at the employees.
Graham Hughes, the man who recorded the video, told CTV News the incident shows that despite the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, people did not have to give up respect and decency.
"We keep talking about when we get back to normal, but we never had to give up being decent to each other," he said. "The amount of disrespect that's taking place, we never had to give up respect. We never had to give that up with the mask mandates or a vaccine mandate."
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Chris Manseau told the news station that this is the first incident he has seen of "this nature." No arrests had been made, and police are asking anyone else with video of the event to share it with them.
"I think people should just wear their masks and be safe, be polite," he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, police were still asking the public to help identify the man, RCMP said in a statement sent to Newsweek.
"His actions are being investigated as an indecent act, as it appears that he willfully performed this act with the intent to insult or offend in a public place," Manseau said in the statement.
Police are asking anyone with information about this incident or who could identify the man to call the Port Alberni RCMP at (250) 723-2424.
Newsweek reached out to Dairy Queen for comment Tuesday morning but had not heard back by publication. This story will be updated with any response.
On Twitter, people responded to the incident with disgust.
"People who behave this way have no place in civilized society," wrote one user, @karma_daydream.
"Adults have turned into children. This is so pathetic," @jason_bogart tweeted.
Port Alberni is a city on Vancouver Island with a population of about 18,000 people.
COVID-19 cases in British Columbia are increasing, as the province averages 683 new cases per day, according to data from The New York Times. As cases rise, several COVID-19 safety measures remain in place, including masks and some restrictions on organized gatherings.
About 67.5 percent of all Canadians have been vaccinated against the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
