NYC 'Karen' coughs on fellow customer at bagel store after getting called out for not wearing a mask
A "Karen" from New York City was caught on camera coughing on purpose on another customer at a bagel shop. The "Karen", an umbrella term given to an entitled, irritable white woman, had been called out by the customer for failing to wear a face mask during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The woman was picking up her order at a Manhattan bagel bar when she was seen losing her temper after being told she was putting others at risk by not wearing a face mask. Check the video out here.
The incident had taken place at the New York City Bagel Coffee House last week when the woman deliberately coughed on a fellow customer. The "Karen" was later identified as Lauren Balsamo who used to earlier work as an assistant research coordinator at a medical college. The footage starts after a fellow customer, Ally Goodbaum, suggested that a compulsory "mask on" policy be introduced to all people who enter the store. When Lauren heard Ally complain, she first attacked Ally verbally and then physically.
She asked Ally, "You can't say it to my face you p****?" before walking up to her and then coughing loudly in her face. Ally is heard exclaiming, "What the f*** is wrong with you?" The workers at the store pay no heed to the commotion and continued to serve the woman her drinks and food. On Saturday, June 13, the woman was identified as Lauren Balsamo. The college was able to confirm her identity in a post on social media and made it clear that they had no associations or links with their former employee in a statement.
On Instagram, the college had shared, "Weill Cornell Medicine condemns the actions recently exhibited by a former employee in a video circulating on social media."
They also released a similar statement on Twitter where they wrote, "Lauren Balsamo has not been an employee of WCM since January 2020. As an institution on the Covid-19 frontlines, this behavior is shocking & abhorrent to us. Since WCM's mission is to protect the health & wellbeing of all NYers, we condemn this flagrant disregard of public safety."
The fellow customer, Ally Goodbaum, took to Facebook to say, "Words truly cannot express my disappointment in humanity these days. I know there are bigger problems in the nation right now, but more and more it seems the people who are just trying to stand up for the right things are getting bulldozed by bullies."
"I was at New York City Bagel Coffee House on Broadway and 30th Street getting my bagel and noticed a patron 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 be worn by patrons while inside the store," Ally shared.
"The unmasked patron overheard my complaint and became enraged yelling at me calling me names claiming she has covid antibodies and doesn’t need to wear a mask in public so I should mind my own F’ing business. She then proceeded to come towards me and repeatedly cough on me as seen in this video," she continued. "I share this to say please choose kindness in these situations. Look out for one another like patrons who took this video and asked if I was okay. Tomorrow is a new day- lookout for everyone in your community and please choose peace and kindness."
Social media users rushed to her support and slammed Lauren. One user wrote, "This woman should be charged for assault and the coffee shop fined." Another added, "So sorry this happened to you. She showed her hard heart. I am tired of people like these." A user commented, "Thank you for calling them out. I will not go to the store that doesn't protect the customers and their employees."