Woman Talks To CBS2 About Being Purposely Coughed On By Customer Inside Astoria Bagel Store
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A woman seen on video getting coughed on inside a Queens coffee shop last Saturday has filed a report with NYPD.
CBS2's Cory James spoke with her about the incident that has left her scared and outraged.
It was a disturbing moment caught on camera. A woman inside New York City Bagel Coffee House in Astoria walks right over to another woman waiting in line and coughs in her face.
"Honestly, it was utter shock," Allison Goodbaum said Sunday.
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Goodbaum is the woman who was coughed on. She said it all started when she told an employee that the woman did not have a face covering on and was allegedly coughing over the drink section in the store.
"A, I was scared that she had COVID," Goodbaum said. "And that was a moment where it was just this realization that, 'Oh no, what if I now have it?'"
Another customer had the following to say when seeing the video for the first time.
"Oh my god, what a jerk," Mina Periklaous said, adding, "She can't be in her right mind. I don't know. Why would somebody do that?"
Masks or face coverings are required in New York when you cannot social distance. Goodbaum said she took a photo the day of the incident, showing there were no signs outside the store reminding customers to wear face masks.
CBS2 asked the owner John Lucas about that.
"Maybe they washed the windows and it was off," Lucas said.
But a week after the video went viral, a sign with a clear message was placed front and center on the door.
"I feel very bad that it happened to one of our customers. I really do feel bad. It should have never happened," Lucas said.
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But what did happen has inconvenienced Goodbaum. As she waits for police to investigate the case, she is doing a voluntary quarantine until her COVID-19 test results come in, and that she says is impacting her parents who are in their 70s.
"I go grocery shopping for them. My father needs support getting around. ... But it definitely has been an emotional week," Goodbaum said.
The owner of the shop said since the incident he has told his employees that they need to be more strict with telling customers who come in without a face covering to put one on.
He also said he has some face coverings behind the counter for those who forget to wear one, and he said if they choose not to put one on they will be asked to leave.
