..to expect people to wear a mask on the bus or have I misinterpreted 'mandatory'?

[RingPiece]

Got the bus home from work today. I was under the impression that face coverings were now mandatory but out of 13 people on the lower deck, only five were wearing a mask. Also, the bus was pretty crowded and whilst no one was sitting next to each other (unless they were traveling together), the people standing were very close together. I passed countless other buses, both single and double decker, and saw at least half of the passengers not wearing any form of face covering.

I thought it was compulsory. Whose responsibility is it to ensure this is happening? I know some people are exempt but surely there can't be that many. What does mandatory mean? Will this only be enforced by random infrequent checks such as ticket officers boarding? If so, this only happens once in a blue moon so what's the point?

Lots of questions there!

[SweatyAmy]

Not everyone with asthma has mild asthma - many of us have moderate/hard to control asthma, and a not insignificant minority have severe/brittle asthma.

Not everyone manages their asthma correctly either, which puts them at increased risk. Not all asthmatics can afford their medication and ration their doses to reduce how many inhalers they have to buy. I read an awful account of this from a woman whose DD died in an asthma attack after doing this - there weren't enough reliever puffs left in her blue inhaler to treat her attack.

I also know someone who doesn't allow their child to take their preventer inhaler as prescribed, as they're worried about side effects. Child takes preventer puffs on 2-3 days a week only. Generally asthmatics are prescribed 1-2 puffs of their reliever inhaler twice a day.

Although asthma is often well controlled, it is still a serious condition and can, and does, kill. Unfortunately it's an often trivialised condition and people don't always take it seriously, including some patients, and their carers.

Anyone reading this with asthma - please only wear a face covering if you can do so safely. If it makes breathing more difficult, don't wear them - it's not worth the risk of a fatal asthma attack.

[BiBabbles]

I see fewer masks now than I saw back at the start of April, it's been very weird.

I've been trying to get my local bus service to confirm clear face shields count, as their website and social media has only and specifically mentions cloth coverings, but haven't gotten any reply yet.

[DisobedientHamster]

It’s not 10%

They are exempt, Summer, no matter how much you dislike it . I get it, you dislike it. Well, you don't make the rules. If some are happy wearing them, they can, but they don't have to.

[DisobedientHamster]

@DomDoesWotHeWants

There are far too many exemptions.

Our local facebook forums is full of people claiming really good reasons for not wearing them which is so unfair on everyone else.

If you can't (won't) wear a mask don't use public transport. Or get a visor.

Wow, there goes a lot of disabled people who can't drive .

[DisobedientHamster]

@Montsti

I’m in South Africa and we’ve had to wear masks while going out in public for nearly 3 months. You cannot enter a shop without one and you should not go outside at all without one. We all wear them to do exercise/walk the dog/ride bikes etc...

You have to wear them in the workplace and at school (my 2 year old doesn’t wear one but my 5 year old certainly does and has to).

It’s far from ideal and I don’t like it but you find one that’s comfortable and we have to get on with it. My immediate family is not vulnerable but we’re doing it to protect those who are...

To be fair, S. Africa has gone so far as to even restrict the sale of some items of clothing in this! They are so restrictive it's actually quite frightening. I mean, you can't buy open-toed shoes or vest tops (unless being used as underwear) new? What has that got to do with the virus?

[ilovesooty]

I went down to town to give blood today. I went by taxi but came back on the bus. The driver refused entry to a group of people without masks.

[EmperorCovidula]

Since when do people do things just because it’s mandated by law?

[GoodbyeRosie]

I'm going to wear a mask to protect me from the selfish fuckers who have suddenly turned into scientists and KNOW that is pointless and unnecessary.

Only in this selfish, entitled country would you get people not wearing masks in this situation because 'they don't want to'.

[Thaddit]

There have been links posted on this thread to enable those who need exemption from mask wearing for medical reasons to get a card to show bus drivers etc. If other people want to get one because they don’t want to wear a mask then surely that is up to them. Just get yourself a card if you need it and the person who throws themselves around and criticises will just look a complete cunt when you show your card.

[RightIsRight]

@GoodbyeRosie

I'm going to wear a mask to protect me from the selfish fuckers who have suddenly turned into scientists and KNOW that is pointless and unnecessary.

Only in this selfish, entitled country would you get people not wearing masks in this situation because 'they don't want to'.

A mask doesn’t protect you, it protects other people...

[lovelyupnorth]

It was clear from the Cummings debacle that the rules only apply if you haven’t got a dodgy excuse not too.

Unfortunately the Governments lost all credibility on the whole Covid response so unless they can fine and enforce it you’ve no chance.

[NoMoreReluctantCustodians]

Its totally unenforceable. A bus driver cant demand medical evidence that someone has a condition which makes them exempt

[funinthesun19]

There was a busy body on the bus confronting people yesterday who didn’t have a face mask on. I was just thinking “sit down and shut up ffs” She didn’t know people’s circumstances. One poor man got an earful from her before he’d even got on the bus and hadn’t quite got his mask out of his pocket!

[lovelyupnorth]

@Helloitsmemargaret

Several bus drivers in London have died from Covid-19 😒

In S.Korea 70% of the population wore masks, alongside test, track and trace it was a big factor in their death rate of only around 300 per 50m population.

Do people really want to go through all this again?

Thing is South Korea’s track and traces works and started from the 30th case of Covid. We still have no track and trace - so masks are really pissing in the wind.

[GalesThisMorning]

Yesterday I was packing away my shopping at Tesco. I was damp from queueing in the rain, hot under my waterproof, and most uncomfortable of all was the sweaty mask. I don't like wearing it. But this is one of the measures we have to take to come out of lockdown.

Do we stamp our feet about not wanting to be treated like muzzled dogs? Or do we behave like reasonable adults capable of taking small measures to protect the people around us?

[PrincessConsuelaVaginaHammock]

@lyralalala

Bus company here is giving people 14 days grace, after which they'll be refusing travel to anyone who hasn't got a pass they are dishing out to folks who can prove they are exempt (or anyone who has a disabled bus pass)

That sounds open to challenge, especially as they've totally ignored the severe distress exemption.

[RightIsRight]

Thing is South Korea’s track and traces works and started from the 30th case of Covid. We still have no track and trace - so masks are really pissing in the wind

Erm, yes we do.

[StayinginSummer]

I would hate to be a bus driver at the moment though. Wouldn’t you? I know track and trace is rubbish at present but wearing a mask is the least I can do on a bus.

[DappledThings]

Just finished making one following the instructions on .gov. It's come out very bulky and was roasting hot after being in it for all of 2 minutes.

Not looking forward to wearing it in public.

[Brefugee]

Erm, yes we do.

you sure about that?

[Jaxhog]

It's because too many people think the rules don't apply to them, and no-one is enforcing it.

[Jaxhog]

And yes we DO have track and trace. But again too many people aren't tracking, so their contacts can't be traced.

[jcurve]

Erm, yes we do.

Got abandoned yesterday by Hancock as it doesn’t work.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53114251

[Jaxhog]

Unfortunately the Governments lost all credibility on the whole Covid response so unless they can fine and enforce it you’ve no chance.

Whatever happened to taking personal responsibility for your own actions? Do you need a police state to make it happen?

[Jaxhog]

Got abandoned yesterday by Hancock as it doesn’t work.

That's the automated App. And it still works, just not how the government wants it to. Manual track and trace IS still working.