To ask people to show a little more understanding to those not wearing masks

[Fuckinellitsme]

Apologies for another mask thread.

First of all, I'm not an 'anti masker', I absolutely see the need and the importance of wearing them. I'm unable to wear one myself - I have trigeminal neuralgia and when I've tried to wear one, the resulting attack has left me bedbound for days. I want to wear one, but I can't. I also have rheumatoid arthritis so I'm incredibly grateful to all the people who do wear masks, therefore protecting others and especially those in higher risk groups (though not vulnerable enough to be shielding) like me.

However. I've seen some truly awful comments on here in the last few days directed at those who don't wear masks. We should be treated like lepers if we enter a shop without one, for example, or should be banned from them outright. And we ought to stay at home if we are exempt, not use public transport or go shopping or go to work. We have 'made up' health issues and disabilities and are 'woe is me' 'snowflakes'. I've also encountered bus passengers passing comment and tutting about my lack of mask.

Those of us who can't wear a mask (and are acting within the law/guidelines, being exempt) still need to go about our business. It would be lovely if we could do so without fear of comment or judgement. I understand that there will be those who don't wear a mask because they just don't want to - however, please, if you see someone without a mask (particularly if they're wearing a sunflower/exempt lanyard) try to be understanding and give them the benefit of the doubt.

The nastiness and ableist comments on here (and elsewhere) in the past few days have been genuinely upsetting for those of us unable to wear masks. Please don't assume we're all stupid/selfish/conspiracy theorists/don't care about your health, or that it's a choice. For many, choice doesn't come into it.

A bit of empathy goes a long way, especially in these weird times.

I think the issue is that it is stated that you are exempt from wearing a mask “if you have a disability.” Now. There are certain medical conditions which would make a mask impossible, but not every disability and I have one.

E.g I am visually impaired and the number of other people with VI I’ve heard say “well blind people don’t have to wear them,” is phenomenal. They believe they should be exempt purely for being blind and yet there is no reason what so ever why they can’t actually wear one.

So while people essentially take the piss and just think they shouldn’t have to wear one those people who genuinely can’t get more of a hard time. Iyswim.

In WW2 you had to carry the gas mask with you, but you only had to put it on if there were bombs dropping or similar, not just in shops etc.

and the treatment when that happens is brain surgery. It always gets worse over time and never goes away in its own - even after surgery it will eventually return.

^^ Just this..
A very good friends husband has had the this for quite a few years, the pain is indescribable.
He is down to have surgery in the next couple of weeks, my friend is so worrried.

@GiantPinesAhem hi to another Zebra 🦓

That's awful. (I'm not shielding because of my zebra status but because I have an autoimmune condition and am on immunosuppressants - I hit the genetics jackpot). Why weren't your allergies a disability? You should have been protected under the Equality Act and adjustments made for you. It isn't right that one person was accommodated at detriment to you.

so did people refuse to wear gas masks during the blitz

Well no, because the Germans never dropped gas during the blitz.

There are going to be plenty of people not wearing masks going forward as sockyarn has said, the general public need to keep their noses out of policing it so how does that keep the vulnerable safe?

Overall mask wearing keeps the vulnerable safer but if you're waiting for the world to be made 100% safe then you're going to be waiting a long time. Maybe there's going to be a point where you have to accept that this is as good as it gets.

@Meredithgrey1

the problem with this is that I don't believe the 60% of people who were not wearing masks yesterday were all not doing so because they have hidden disabilities

If you were in England I imagine they were doing so because it's not compulsory yet. And that's an issue for the government to answer because again we seem to be behind other countries. If you're saying 40% were wearing a mask that sounds high compared to what I've seen, although I did notice an increase yesterday after the change was announced, even though it hasn't come into effect yet. I think once it actually comes in, there will be a high level of compliance with it. Hopefully that will make it easier for people like OP because there won't be loads of people claiming they can't wear one.

@meridithgrey1 - yes, this is right. I don't expect people to wear yesterday but the point I was making is that while I don't judge people who aren't wearing them as it's not law, I also don't assume they're all disabled. Perhaps when it's compulsory, as you say, if there are only a few I might believe this. But I'm just not terribly sympathetic to ths idea right now. if I believed masks WERE 100% important and necessary and I saw most people not wearing them, I wouldn't be assuming it's because they're disabled.

Masks are about control. This is only the beginning. I am not an anti vaxer but I will fight to the death for someone to opt out if they wish to do so. What if we were wrong about wearing masks. Entertain the fact that "the science" might be wrong.

What if we were wrong about wearing masks
What will happen if we were?

Well no, because the Germans never dropped gas during the blitz. hmm
Indeed. That was a fear born out of WWI.

Comparisons with WW2 don't make sense, though, because the situations are different.
Better comparisons would be with the "Spanish" flu, cholera, black plague...

@ Lweji. No it's not sensible advice its disablist, judgemental shit and is definitely posted in that vein. Later on you make the very sensible comment that if people follow social distancing and hygiene a small number of people not wearing masks will make very little difference. That is exactly the attitude we need to see.
I know a man in his 80s who was repeatedly gagged and raped by his grandfather as a small child. He has never spoken about this to anyone and only spoke to a family member a few weeks as he was so distraught at the thought that masks might be made compulsory. I have known this man for over 45 years and would have had no idea what he went through so noone else in the supermarket would either. If I see someone not wearing a mask I will assume that there is a reason.

@BrightYellowDaffodil

There are going to be plenty of people not wearing masks going forward as sockyarn has said, the general public need to keep their noses out of policing it so how does that keep the vulnerable safe?

Overall mask wearing keeps the vulnerable safer but if you're waiting for the world to be made 100% safe then you're going to be waiting a long time. Maybe there's going to be a point where you have to accept that this is as good as it gets.

And I'll accept "as safe as possible" which means proper social distancing, quarantining as necessary, hand washing and wearing masks.

Could you try one of these things? It is a plastic tube that rests on the shoulders and covers the head whilst not coming into physical contact with it. It might help some people who can't wear masks or visors.

When people are trying to control you, honestly, they want to stop you from wearing masks. Wearing a mask, you can protest against the government.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-mask_law

As a matter of interest it wasn't only the Germans in WW1 who had mustard gas. There is a WW2 stockpile buried in north Bedfordshire that still has to be monitored for leaking.

@chocolatesweets

Masks are about control. This is only the beginning. I am not an anti vaxer but I will fight to the death for someone to opt out if they wish to do so. What if we were wrong about wearing masks. Entertain the fact that "the science" might be wrong.

I don't believe you should simply be able to 'opt out' just because you don't fancy it. I think that wearing one if you can is the right and proper, responsible thing to do. If there's the slightest possibility that wearing a mask might protect even one vulnerable person, why wouldn't you wear one if you're able?

All I'm asking is that people show understanding of those who can't. Those who just want to 'opt out' because they they believe masks are part of some big new world order conspiracy theory or whatever do not help those of us who are genuinely unable to wear one.

Honestly? If I had this condition and truly could not wear a mask, I'd create myself a badge or write on a label and stick it to myself before going out. There would be so few people truly affected by something like this, and the 'effort' would be seen in explaining why you're not complying. Surely that's better than going out and blending in with all the cocks who don't want to wear a mask, because they're 'free thinking human beings'. And I also don't believe that would be in any way ableist. Going out without a mask will get you looks and comments anyway, so it's not drawing attention to yourself. People wear badges on transport to explain why they need a seat. Drivers have blue badges. You don't need to wait for the government to create a badge for you to explain to the public why you're unable to do what needs to be done. It's a tiny gesture that would also show up all the selfish arseholes out there, so it's a win-win.

I’m fine with people such as the OP with a genuine medical reason not wearing masks. But I’m worried that the majority of the population will claim distress and anxiety and claim exemption.

some proper nasty people on this thread. I feel for you OP. I would not judge you or anyone else for not wearing a mask. Aside from anything, I have some serious misgivings about the mandated mask wearing in the first place; and it is truly bringing about the worst in some people who have self appointed themselves as the mask police. I hope you dont get any judgement or comments and are still able to go about your daily activities.

So what will you do, Fuckinellitsme, would you wear a badge saying "MASK EXEMPTION" or something, and just point at it if anyone gives you the evils?

It's not a solution to wearing a mask, OP, but you might find it useful to get a JAM card (Staff on public transport have apparently been made aware of them)
jamcard.org/jam-for-me

and also to print out the TFL card that says 'I am exempt from wearing a mask'
tfl.gov.uk/campaign/face-coverings#on-this-page-3

And I'll accept

With respect, the world doesn't revolve around what you as an individual want.

What if we were wrong about wearing masks. Entertain the fact that "the science" might be wrong.

That's what governments have been doing. That's what I do every day. And that's what I try to teach my students to do.

If masks are the right thing to do, we save lifes and enable the economy to recover and people to regain more normal lives without going into lockdown.
If masks are not the right thing to do, people will have spent a bit of money and will have been a little inconvenienced (most), numbers will rise a bit again and more protective measures will have to be implemented.
If no masks, then numbers will still rise again, and we have to choose between lockdowns and deaths.

The chances of science being wrong are not 50-50, though.
That's why it's science. Not a guessing game.
Science relies on logic and testing, so the chances of science being wrong when support is shown for something are pretty low.
That's how we trust planes to fly and medicine to work. The chances of the science behind it being wrong are pretty low.