Credit: Govt. of B.C.

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: What should we do about businesses that won’t use the card?

Sep 15, 2021 | 4:37 AM

KAMLOOPS — I’VE GOT A COUPLE of ideas on how to move things along with the vaccine card.

Three days in, the card appears to be working just fine, though there are lots of rumours and social-media buzz about anti-vaxxers plotting to disrupt restaurants by calling in phony reservations, and so on.

Some businesses will avoid the card if they can, and there are plans for lawsuits, and the news that workers and volunteers at all B.C. healthcare facilities must be vaccinated will add fuel to the fire of the objectors.

Besides the businesses who refuse to check the card, others can’t be bothered or simply haven’t figured out how to scan the QR codes.

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The problem will be with those who absolutely refuse to buy in. Customers in that category face possible fines of several hundred dollars, while businesses and event organizers could find themselves with fines of $2,300 for each offence.

I suggest the first fine to any business refusing to follow this new law of the land should serve as a warning. Second offense, shut it down until the owner signs an undertaking to follow the rules.

As for customers, nobody wants to fink on a business or service they use regularly but there’s an alternative — if you walk into one of these places that should be checking your QR code and ID but don’t, or won’t, simply turn around and walk away.

That leaves the business with a choice: serve only the vaccinated, or serve only the unvaccinated at their legal peril. They can’t have it both ways. Let’s patronize those businesses who play by the rules.

What about customers who create disruptions as they refuse to produce the card or who commit fraud? Fines should increase incrementally into the thousands of dollars for each succeeding offence.

Harsh? Sure. But rights and freedoms don’t include the right to flout the law.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.