To wear one of these on my walk to work

[MargotMoon]

Not really an AIBU, more WILLAT (will I look like a twat)?

I walk to work for 35-45 mins a day, depending if I've had to drop DD at school, then walk home 2-3 days a week as well, and it's nearly all on main roads with lots of traffic.

I'm worried that the benefits of walking are being negated by all the pollution, plus I get a lot of blocked nose/sore throat/sinus problems.

But, on the other hand, I don't want to look like a fucking weirdo...

I divide my time between London and the South Coast. I see people (who nearly all appear to be Japanese) in both places wearing these. My immediate thought is 'that's so unnecessary '. But on reflection they appear to be in good health while my eyes are constantly red and streaming from a cocktail of allergens. Perhaps they are ahead of us.

I'm a bit puzzled by the people protecting against acid attacks in allegedly 'Muslim areas'.

I didn't think acid attacks were currently prevalent in one ethnicity over another? If I was pushed to have an uninformed opinion I would have thought it was more linked to working class, petty criminal type crime than race or religion.

I am happy to be corrected if someone has some substantiated facts about this.

Ignoring the utter tripe of the "Muslim area acid attacks" which are non-existent and apparently made up by a racist troll, or a complete berk who believes the tripe in the Daily Heil.....

To protect against acid, a tiny rubberised mask is going to achieve nothing. For example, sulphuric acid requires natural rubber as a minimum protection - people can actually severely allergic to it. You'd need a rubber mask like a gimp mask to truly cover the skin of the face, head, neck and shoulders to be effective. Add in a particle filter for creating and you have your head protection.

Of course, you could actually buy a proprietary whole-body rubber suit and air system, but they are a little cumbersome...

*breathing, not creating

Yep, you'll look odd. I've never seen people wearing them in my local city (Cardiff) and tbh think they're unnecessary. After all people manage to live/work in London, not wear a mask and stay healthy don't they? Honestly a few hours (Max) walking main roads a day won't make that much a difference. I think it'd look really odd - like you're a surgeon late to surgery! The only time I've seen people wearing them is in photos of the Japanese subway etc. I'd understand tourists perhaps wearing them - wasn't there massive pollution in Japan a few years back - so perhaps it's ingrained in them but I'd find it very odd in this country

Not pregnant and don't have much time on my hands apart from all that thinking time while I'm walking to work but hearing the message loud and clear that IWLLAT and it will be pointless so I will stop mithering 

Bit alarmed about having to have your face fired though @SilverHairedCat - what is that?!

I see quite a few cyclists wearing the masks now.

If it gives you comfort though, apparently the people in the cars will be breathing in a much higher concentration of pollutants than those of us walking / cycling

Oh dear, dreadful typo, face FITTED!

It's a process of checking a mask fits you sufficiently, and the best version of the test involves you going up and down a step with a mask on the measure the efficacy, while you go slowly, quickly, tilting head up down left right etc, talking, bending... You need a face fit factor of over 100 on each element of the test or its failed.

You need to be clean shaven (nightmare for men in the construction industry!), and it can be affected by facial shape and dental issues. It's redone every few years or in the event of significant weight loss / gain, facial surgery, dental changes etc.

It's something I deal with a lot in my line of work.

People also these post lung transplant (not sure about other transplants) wen they're recovering as the immune system is so low to prevent rejection.
Don't assume it's because people are being snowflakes about pollution and germs.