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Ally Goodbaum said on Facebook that the incident took place on Saturday, June 6, at the New York Bagel Coffee House at 30th Avenue and Broadway in Astoria, Queens.
According to Goodbaum, she was getting a bagel and noticed a woman who was coughing, not covering her mouth, and not wearing a mask.
"I politely pointed this out to the woman working at the store and told her that the store should enforce masks to worn by patrons while inside the store," she said.
The unmasked woman, later identified by internet sleuths a former worker at a healthcare company, overheard the complaint and became enraged.
The woman was allegedly yelling at Goodbaum, calling her names, claiming she had COVID antibodies and doesn’t need to wear a mask in public so Goodbaum should mind her own (expletive deleted) business, Goodbaum said on Facebook.
"She then proceeded to come towards me and repeatedly cough on me," she added. "I share this to say please choose kindness in these situations."
The company said in a tweet that the woman no longer worked for it: “As an institution on the COVID-19 frontlines, this behavior is shocking & abhorrent to us."
The statement went on to say, "We condemn this flagrant disregard of public safety."
Goodbaum said she will never return to the bagel shop, who posted on its Facebook page that it's the store's policy for all patrons and employees to wear masks. The store added that the woman who coughed is banned from all its locations.
“I know there are bigger problems in the nation right now," said Goodbaum, "but more and more it seems the people who are just trying to stand up for the right things are getting bulldozed by bullies."
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