Will face masks make you more likely to shop and eat out?

[CamDram]

I understand the reasons for making face masks compulsory. But I’m not sure whether I’ll want to go out into the shops or restaurants and spend money on the high streets unless I really need something specific once everyone’s faces are covered.

Will compulsory face mask make you:

YES - MORE likely to go out shopping/ eating out on the high street

NO- LESS likely to go out shopping

W

The virus has affected 0.04% of the population, and is now believed to have mutated into a much less deadly form.

Any citation for this? What I have seen recently is consultants from several different countries saying they are worried because the virus is now showing signs of mutating into a multisystem disorder which causes longterm organ damage in survivors.

Yes, I will definitely go out to the shops more.
I have been wearing a mask right through lockdown but amazed that most shoppers don't...hopefully now they will, so I shall feel safer and will go out even more.

Or maybe more people will stay at home? That means shorter queues, so I will still go out and about more!!

Restaurants are required to distance tables. When we were in one in saturday there was 2 metres between each table. You never came into contact with anyone but the waiter, and they stood a metre away and wore a mask.

I went to a cafe at the weekend and there were no waiters, you had to order at the counter and wait for your order. The tables were not 2 metres apart and people were walking past and getting close to each other. Using the toilets was also difficult to manage effectively. There was more social distancing in Tesco than there was in this cafe.

Less likely.

I will wear a mask when I have to but I will minimise the times I am required to.

I have some things I need to stock up on and I’ll do that before masks are made mandatory. After that, I’ll just go to shops for the bare minimum of times and I certainly won’t be popping to the shops to browse etc.

Happy to wear one of compulsory but haven't been. How are you supposed to eat in a restaurant with a facemask though?

I'm exempt from wearing a mask but I'll be too anxious to try and walk into a shop without one in case I'm challenged. How do i prove I'm exempt? I know there's cards available but anyone can go online and get one! I don't imagine my GP will want to write me and hundreds of others a letter to say we're exempt

It won’t make any difference to me, but I don’t do shopping as a leisure activity. The only shops I browse in are charity shops, otherwise I decide what I need and pop into a shop locally or buy online.
It’s depressing that our economy and people’s jobs are so dependent on us all continually buying unnecessary stuff - fast fashion probably made in sweatshops, plastic toys and games that aren’t repairable and end up in landfill, mountains of stuff shipped from China. All of it with a massive carbon footprint. How did we end up in this situation?

How are you supposed to eat in a restaurant with a face mask though

In Europe you only wear it walking through the restaurant or going to the toilet, you can take it off at your table.

I'll wear one if required to go to the supermarket but I certainly won't be doing recreational shopping and going out if I have to wear one because I can't be arsed with the hassle. I'll just give it a miss. I'm not saying I disagree with mask wearing, if that's what the rules are fine, but I will avoid situations where I have to wear one.

I am less likely to go to big shops like supermarkets and department stores. (I was already avoiding the living hell which is primark!)

I am more likely to go to small shops like greengrocers and co op.

Restaurants were only ever for special occasions, and our local cafes do take away (keep cups allowed) to sit in the park.

@BakedBlossoms

We're not expected to wear them in pubs or restaurant (or how would you eat/drink properly) yet it's more likely to be transmitted there as people are closer for longer.

Restaurants are required to distance tables. When we were in one in saturday there was 2 metres between each table. You never came into contact with anyone but the waiter, and they stood a metre away and wore a mask.

I agree that many restaurants can do this however some are going for the 1m to try and get as many covers in at any one time. I'm not sure the same distancing is happening in pubs yet that's been deemed ok.

I think it's a disaster for shops personally.

@BarefootHippieChick

How are you supposed to eat in a restaurant with a face mask though

In Europe you only wear it walking through the restaurant or going to the toilet, you can take it off at your table.

Surely the taking it off and the putting it on again isn't that hygienic and makes it more likely to transfer any germs to your hands?

Why are people so anti mask? I genuinely don't understand.

It won't make a blind bit of difference to me - I don't mind wearing a mask, don't feel any safer if people are wearing masks or not, but am prepared to do it.

Won't affect me at all. I've been a bit surprised at the amounts of people not wearing masks throughout this whole thing as opposed to other countries.
I will feel better knowing there are more people taking similar precautions to me and if anything I feel like it will make me feel more comfortable about going out shopping for non essentials again.

Unless there is a genuine medical reason which I completely sympathise with I don't understand the people I've seen on SM and here whinging about it being uncomfortable and stomping their feet like toddlers being all "that's IT I'm not going ANYWHERE now it's all RUINED!" - we are in a pandemic, not exactly the most comfortable situation all around, don't like it? Don't go out. But FGS what's with the strop? And please stop moaning about people wearing masks to try and keep others safe!

What madness is this?

I wore one to have my hair cut yesterday. Before lockdown I loved the shops. I went into three yesterday and it was the most dismal experience ever. If you add a mask into the mix, I’ll be entirely happy never to go into a non food shop again. All my non essential shopping will be done online now. Way to go to finish off the high street for good.

I'm not anti- mask I just don't want to wear one so as far as possible I will avoid situations where it is necessary to do so. So I won't wander into any of the local independent shops at my lunch break and buy bits and pieces. I'll do as much on line as I can then probably the rest in a supermarket to get the mask wearing over in one go.

I find these threads quite frustrating. The question is usually, will wearing a mask change your shopping habits?

Lots of people will, quite reasonably, say "if I have to wear a mask I will probably limit myself to essential shopping only because I find it uncomfortable".

At no point does anyone really say, "I will refuse to wear a mask".

Then loads of people come on with lots of "just wear a mask!" "It's so selfish" "why all the hand wringing in the U.K., the rest of the world just gets on with it" etc etc

People are and will get on with it. I will wear a mask for necessities but realistically I am not going to wander around the shops for hours on the off chance I see something I like wearing a mask. Why is that so controversial?

We were discussing this earlier, if it is mandatory to wear a mask in a shop, we simply won't go to the shops.

For me personally, I wear glasses and no matter what type of mask or what I try - they don't sit right and fog up my glasses so I cannot see properly.

My toddler is scared of people wearing the masks despite us trying to normalise them and got her a mask of her own so I won't subject her to it more than necessary.

I think it's a stupid idea to make them mandatory now, it's too late. They should have done it months ago, not now when the risks are a lot lower.

It’s a big relief to the retail workers who had no choice but to return to work or take unpaid leave due to family members shielding or being vulnerable. Out of respect for them, putting on a mask to shop is not asking for too much is it?

You don’t drink and drive to protect others.

You don’t smoke in public places to protect others.

People are and will get on with it. I will wear a mask for necessities but realistically I am not going to wander around the shops for hours on the off chance I see something I like wearing a mask. Why is that so controversial?

Exactly. People just see "mask" in the title and assume it's people complaining and stating they are anti-mask for whatever reason. Really it's very little of that and much more of what has been quoted here but people just love to be polarised.

I’ve let DD go to the shops now masks are mandatory where we are.

Shopping is sufficiently low on my 'pleasure' activities list that it doesn't take much to push me away from it. Adding to the faff means I will go even less often than I already do.

Masks aren't the main push away, the idea of having to take DC shopping, plus masks, plus queueing (more of a problem because DC - I'll gladly stand in a queue without them, more alone time) means I'm not going and between having to buy maternity and nursing clothes online (because no shops stock them) and the whole no shops open thing I've finally accepted shopping online for shoes and clothes!

I'll go less. I think it's a good thing they've been made mandatory but I don't like wearing them for long periods of time. I'll still go to the supermarket rather than switching to online but I went to Bluewater last week and I won't fancy doing a longer trip with a mask.

I haven't been shopping since early March. With masks being mandatory I will finally venture out to the high street. I think psychologically wearing masks and seeing others in masks is a reminder that coronavirus is still present and will make people stay 2m away more.