To ask London commuters if you will be wearing a mask?

[HummingBirddd]

I'm on furlough but hopefully not long know - I mean who know but loosing my marbles here a bit so keep telling myself it's not long now. I work in London and takes me a 20 minute train ride to get to work. Train is packed usually, not sure what will happen after things are back to normal ish ... my question is to Londoners/ London commuters, will you be wearing a mask on your commute?

@LemonPudding that’s nothing to be proud of. You’re asked to leave the proper ones for medical staff who need them.

I’ve tried but it makes my glasses steam up and I can’t see

@Iloveplacentas have you tried some anti-fog spray? Works a treat for me.

Saw a single decker bus on the outskirts of London before 6 a.m. this morning, nose to armpit packed and not one face covering in sight!

Yep...I have 3 (used) P2 masks from our last round of decorating so will use those until they are gross then sew my own.

IMO, the rule should be...no mask, no entry to transport.

Plenty to buy on ebay at the moment , just search cotton face masks .

@onemorepringle

@LemonPudding that’s nothing to be proud of. You’re asked to leave the proper ones for medical staff who need them.

We bought them in February before we knew how hopeless and inefficient this government would be in supplying hospitals. But we are going to wear them, because they are safer. Have a go at Johnson not me - it isn't my fault he's shit at his job.

If the government really gave a shit then there would be masks for all who want them.

Yes, once I go back. Can work from home and don’t expect to return to the office for months

The only reason they say face coverings and not masks is that they are trying to stop people buying proper masks. Well, tough. We've bought proper ones and that's what we'll be using

They don't protect the wearer, they protect everyone else. So if one person wears a 'proper one' that won't help anyone really, least of all the wearer

I carry a mask when out on a walk. I put it on if I go in a shop. I would wear one if I were on public transport too.

We got disposables at the local asian grocers - but if we end up wearing them longterm I'll make some so they fit me and the kids better.

Did you see the ones made from the heel of a sock? Very inventive I thought.

for anyone looking for a specific link to a mask, you can get one here that has a carbon filter. You can put them into the washing machine, so order 2 for each person so whilst one mask dries, you can wear the other one.

Yes, when the time comes - proper N95 masks that I bought at the beginning of March.

I'd rather not use public transport at all, but an 8 mile walk twice a day isn't reasonable and my disability means I can't cycle safely.

If you've got proper masks - either bought in February or left over from DIY or previous work PPE then fgs use them. Lots of people surely have some? (We do).

DH - who used to sometimes need masks working in the chemical industry reckons they can be reused after being hung in a warm place for a week or so.

The Times has a couple of diagrams for DIY masks this morning. DH commented on the second that there's now a shortage of elastic... Don't most people have a few more pairs of pants than they absolutely need?

Yes of course.

I want to ensure that if I’m infected I pass it on as little as possible. Wearing a face mask catches any droplets before others can breathe them in.

Also they’re helpful to keep reminding you not to touch your face, so you’re less likely to catch it.

Forgot link

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-facemasks-required-for-public-transport-as-usage-sets-to-ramp-up-7b7t2fphg?shareToken=fdb439953c421aceaf8a9f484fbefd3b

Corner shops are selling masks
My corner shop isn't. Nor is my local supermarket.

TfL have just provided staff with limited supplies of paper face masks to their employees. We had a few before in case of an emergency but now a box of 50 has turned up. I wear folded bandanas on the Tube and bus. On my station I stay in the office to answer questions. We have hand sanitiser and a handwashing station inside so we make good use of it. We had an email the other day saying TfL are going to provide sanitising areas at stations. The unions are going shit hot on this, if it wasn't for them we would have lost many more colleagues.

The Times has a couple of diagrams for DIY masks this morning. DH commented on the second that there's now a shortage of elastic... Don't most people have a few more pairs of pants than they absolutely need?

It is 2020 and we are now cutting up our underpants so that we can tie bits of them all over our faces (sorry, not making fun of your excellent suggestion but it just highlights what a bizarre situation we are currently in! Can you imagine someone waking up from a five-month coma and reading Mumsnet right now and thinking "WTF??")

I'm sure our parents and grandparents did all sorts of 'make do and me do things with whatever they had to hand. I seem to remember DMs sewing basket included a few bits of reclaimed elastic as well as apparently every button off every garment we'd owned. I've still got a subselection of them now.

Reusing fabric etc for whatever you can rather than binning items which can't be donated is very much in keeping with modern greenish ethics.

Make a facemask out of old underpants? Seriously?? That is probably the most ridiculous thing I have EVER read on the internet.....

comtesse just the elastic, don't panic!

Just use the elastic if you can't buy any...Though using the cotton from a sturdy pair of men's pants would probably work and not be distinguishable from t-shirt material.

It would be ridiculous if people were unable to go on a bus because they didn't have the nous to work out what materials they have in their house which could be repurposed.

I just noticed autocorrect mangled 'make do and mend' below.

I can probably outdo myself on uses of old pants... the last lot DH binned are being cut up to use as dog arse wipes, the dachshund can't reach his rear end. Why squander good loo roll...