If you don't wear a mask from next week

[profpoopsnagle]

You will be most welcome to sit next to me on the bus or train.

I won't give you a wide berth in a shop (just a normal British awkward one!)

I understand that you have your reasons for not wearing a mask and I respect them.

Not sure why you are putting this on here. 🤔.. Strange post.

I will let non makers carry on as they feel fit, but no, I won't sit next to an unmasked bus passenger

You are Michael Gove and I claim my small cash prize?

Will you be wearing one OP?

I would "like" your post if we were allowed likes, OP.

How welcome will they be with a cough? Or if they sneeze? Or spit when they talk? Or vape? Or get right in your face to speak to you about how kind you are?

I suspect not very.

Some people have good reason not to wear a mask and they therefore rely on everyone else to wear one to protect themselves. Similar to how a vaccine works. I have no problem at all with people who genuinely can't wear a mask.

Some anti-maskers, however, are like anti-vaxxers- ill informed and not considering other more vulnerable people.
I have to say I have heard some truly ridiculous ideas about why people should not wear masks to do with breathing in CO2 or lowering oxygen levels!!

Wearing a mask is not that much of a hardship. No one is asking anyone to donate a kidney!!

Yes masks might take a bit of getting used to but people can practise at home. Even very young children wear them with no problems in other countries. Medical staff wear them for entire shifts. Women give birth in them. Wearing one for a few minutes whilst going into a shop is really not much of an ask.

There are lots of studies now showing how they really bring down the R number. Wearing masks can prevent another lockdown which is something everyone wants to avoid.

We need to think of others not just ourselves and wear masks (and not just in shops).

The social distancing rule is still 2m, only less (1m) with mitigations such as mask/visor/screen

I don't think anyone should be welcoming strangers in closer proximity than that.

It's why families who were hoping to be able to maybe go to a non-essential shop in August when shielding pauses are seeing that slipping away from being achievable. Because if people think it's OK to be less than 2m away when unmasked, it's simply not safe for us.

I really hope that does not come to pass.

Same here OP.

Why would you actively want an unmasked passenger next to you?

Unless you don't care about the spread then this is a very strange attitude indeed.

An acquaintance of mine made the point that enforcing masks this far into the pandemic seems a little like taking condoms to a baby shower... Made me chuckle (and my mask is safely back in it's sealed plastic pouch in my handbag, just fyi)

I'm with you op.

Wearing a mask means nothing to me. I am far more bothered about not spending an extended period of time in close proximity with strangers than whether someone wears a mask or not.

This condom/baby shower thing doesn't make sense. Yes of course this should have happened months ago, that's obvious. But surely as things are opening up more and more, wearing masks now enables life to get back to something closer to normal. Without the masks we're stuck at 2m distance which keeps us under more restrictions.

LadyMonica
Your acquaintance made a very bad analogy, taking a condom to a baby shower is an effective way of preventing future pregnancies, in the same way as wearing masks (may be) an effective way of reducing the future infection rate of the coranavirus.

It's a bit like bringing a condom to a baby shower, they introduced this far too late in the pandemic.

I shall use one if I go shopping or use public transport, but only as I now have to.

@Rockbird

This condom/baby shower thing doesn't make sense. Yes of course this should have happened months ago, that's obvious. But surely as things are opening up more and more, wearing masks now enables life to get back to something closer to normal. Without the masks we're stuck at 2m distance which keeps us under more restrictions.

Ah someone beat me to it! I think it makes perfect sense, far too late! I think there has been too much lack of sense from the government for so many months now that people just couldn't give a toss now (pun intended)

I haven't really been on MN for a couple of months. The last time I was on, it was all arguments about why lockdown and social distancing shouldn't apply the people posting for a whole myriad of reasons.

Now I come back and it is the same conversations but just about why the mask rule shouldn't apply to individuals.

Combatting Covid requires a level of ultrism and sacrifice. Either everyone makes a relatively small sacrifice or a minority will make the ultimate sacrifice.

Of course, nobody would judge someone who has been advised not to wear one for medical reasons. But how many other people are justifying it for themselves with various interpretations of 'I don't like wearing it' or 'I am tired of being told what to do'?

My 6 year old daughter wears her mask. She has no underlying health conditions and doesn't like wearing it but when I explained that it will help protect more vulnerable people, she agreed and dilligently wears it whenever we are in a public place.

Covid sucks. This is a shitty situation we are all. It is not fun for anyone and for many people it has been tragic and heartbreaking. But it is not going anywhere so we need to adapt to this new normal and try to save as many lives as we can.

Ah someone beat me to it! I think it makes perfect sense, far too late! I think there has been too much lack of sense from the government for so many months now that people just couldn't give a toss now (pun intended)

That's like saying having had one unplanned pregnancy you may as well give up condoms forever! Well you've had one baby now so it's far too late, no more birth control for you clearly after an accidental baby condoms are still a sensible decision to prevent future pregnancy, just as masks are still sensible to reduce future chance of infection!

Agree with you OP. I will be wearing a mask but if someone else isn't I don't care.

Did someone say "new normal"? It's a TEMPORARY normal.

As for the mandated masks "restoring normality", I'll believe that when we're swimming, doing recreational sport, in the theatre, without other restrictions.

I want to stay at least 2 metres away from anyone who isn't wearing a mask. The vast majority of people can wear one. If you genuinely can't then the safest thing for you to do is to stay at least 2 metres from other people.
It helps reduce transmission - I don't know why that is so difficult for some people to comprehend.

Nobody should be sitting next to anybody outside their household, regardless of whether you’re wearing masks. It’s either 1m or 2m away depending on mitigating factors.

The condom and baby shower analogy is just so much crap, it makes me cringe

There’s nothing pointless about it. In fact everyone should ask themselves why they had to wait for “permission” to do it. We’ve had 4 months. Why are people only buying masks now? Why didn’t they do their bit before?

Thanks babe x