Responding to people asking why I'm not wearing a mask

[PhasedRay]

I can't wear a face mask and am exempt due to having issues which make it extremely uncomfortable and difficult to wear. At the start of the pandemic I used to explain to people who asked why I can't, but I was getting some nasty comments and it's made me quite cynical. When someone asks now, I just tell them to mind their own business.

AIBU? I think that rather abrupt response probably would sound unreasonable from the perspective of someone who has just asked a single question, but I have been getting questioned (feels more like an interrogation sometimes) for nearly a year and I am just sick of it.

@user1497207191 oh absolutely. If they're not wearing a mask and don't respect social distancing that's different

The problem is, a lot of the time, the ones ‘exempt’ don’t even attempt to keep their distance! I wear a mask and I’ve always tried my best to stick to the 2m. If someone in a supermarket is getting something from a shelf, I’ll just wait until they’re finished, but then people without masks just brush past me to get what they want, and often in a group, none of them in masks. If you’re exempt, at least make an effort to respect the 2m.

Our lives are already on hold I'd say.

@Lakeshore6

I hate the way the sunflower lanyards have been abused and used for a different reason.

This!!!

"Why you not wearing a mask?"
...
"I'm medically exempt"
...
"What's wrong with you like?"
...
"I've got Nunya"
...
"What's Nunya?"
...
"Nunya fucking business."

"I was told to remove mine during a hospital appointment as they are useless."

@XenoBitch that was rude of them. Or it would be if it had happened.

Vaccinated people don't spread it in the first place

Lies.

www.gov.uk/government/news/past-covid-19-infection-provides-some-immunity-but-people-may-still-carry-and-transmit-virus#:~:text=Past%20COVID%2D19%20infection,and%20transmit%20the%20virus.

Ive not seen anyone bar employees of establishments reminding people to wear one where they can.

I just avoid people with a wide berth if no mask as it’s seems more haven’t than have at present and they can’t all be truly exempt. Given how many aren’t testing or isolating currently we will limit our exposure to others as much as is possible.

I’ve seen plenty of recordings online of people being confronted by members of the public for not wearing a mask

@StamfordHill

When all the vulnerable people have long been vaccinated, and a huge portion of the overall adult population, isn't it time we stopped wearing the sodding masks?

Vaccinated people don't spread it in the first place (far better evidence for that than for masks), and anyone posting here is probably vaccinated, so almost no risk of getting infected.

Have you got a link to any articles regarding vaccinated people not spreading it? It's different from what I thought.

People who genuinely have respiratory conditions will wear a mask. My asthma, copd and lung cancer patients will all wear masks no problem because they know they're high risk and aren't going to make a fuss about protecting themselves. I have to roll my eyes when I hear people loudly declaring they have asthma while walking in to shops with no mask.

@walkoflifewoohoo that was rude of them. Or it would be if it had happened.

Yep!

@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop

Also I don't think you can blame Dominic Cummings. People were compliant, now their liberties are being taken away over something that, it turns out, wasn't as bad as was promised. Unless your freedom includes attending football or Ascot. Everyone is getting sick of it, and we as a nation are being gaslighted into thinking it's acceptable that 60,000 football fans can congregate but we can't attend our children's sports days. I don't blame people for ditching masks and refusing to buy into the melodramatic fear.

Completely agree with this 100%. A lot of "friends" seem to be visibly enjoying the melodrama and all that goes with the fear. Makes me seethe that yet again the younger generation are coming off worse, no sports days, no proms, no transition days, languishing at home for "self isolation" and it goes on and on and on...

@Soverymuchfruit

It also depends on how you behave. You know that, however valid your reasons for exemption, if you talk to a person indoors at close quarters then you will be putting them at greater risk and may very reasonably make them uncomfortable? If you are careful to keep your distance esp when taking then fair enough.

(But if, otoh, you plonk yourself right down next to a visible vulnerable person on public transport, along with your non mask wearing mate, and then have a long loud conversation in her face, don't be surprised if you piss people off.)

This. I have never asked someone not wearing a mask why, and I absolutely never would. However, there were two maskless women sitting on the front seats of the bus yesterday having a loud conversation across the aisle so that every person who got on or off of the bus had to walk between them.

It also seems to be maskless people (or those wearing them on their chin) who don't seem able to follow the arrows on the floor of the local shopping centre or not brush against me in shops.

But from sounds..if rumours are true. Masks will become a choice anyway in 2 weeks. Might just be paper talk and speculation but will see.

I just dont get people going close to a maskless person to ask them. Especially cause if their answer is because of past trauma then what would you say. Just wall away?

Recording confrontation seems to be a bit look a me how many likes can this get

Walk*

Is it not against the Disabilities act (Not sure of the full name, sorry) to ask why a,person isn't wearing a mask. Wasn't a women awarded £7K a few months back after being quizzed. These little Hitlers could find themselves in deep trouble

[quote StamfordHill]Yes, the cdc says so. As do many others. While it's too early for conclusive data, preliminary studies suggest vaccination is highly effective in curbing infection.

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/keythingstoknow.html[/quote]
Vaccinated people don't spread it in the first place

is different to what you linked which says

COVID-19 vaccines reduce the risk of people spreading the virus

@Awwlookatmybabyspider

Is it not against the Disabilities act (Not sure of the full name, sorry) to ask why a,person isn't wearing a mask. Wasn't a women awarded £7K a few months back after being quizzed. These little Hitlers could find themselves in deep trouble

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

@Lilibet2022

They’re for people with hidden disabilities if they choose to wear one - been around long before the pandemic. Somehow they’ve been co-opted to mean “mask exempt”.

This. I dislike the fact they've been appropriated significantly by the cranks. A friend of mine who's genuinely exempt and I know the reasons behind it gets questioned every time because of the selfish arseholes. There are very few actually exempt people in the circles I know of. All very genuine reasons which they chose to share and weren't forced to. The others because they don't want to be controlled
A supermarket worker here has been posting covid is a hoax stuff all over their social media posts for a year to the point I blocked them but has an 'I'm exempt' badge when at work. So yes whilst most exempt cases will be genuine it can't be denied that a tiny minority are abusing the lanyard and exempt conditions. I'm exempt. I wear one. The only time I truly struggled was for an extended waiting period at a hospital appointment. I can manage perfectly fine in the 20 minutes it takes to do a shop etc.

This.

My idiot stepson and his Covid-denying friends just say they're exempt if they're challenged.

They ignore all the other social distancing rules too and have been mixing socially since the start, so they've probably transmitted Covid to dozens of people.

@2021DNA

Ah so now people with ill health, disabilities and past trauma should now stay home forever and ever amen because it's too hard for you to stay 2m away from them

You do understand that the nature of a pandemic means it won’t go on forever?

COVID is here to stay.

Were you ever this concerned over other people getting the flu? Or do you only but I to the fear that's playing out at the moment?

Is this in the UK?

I've lived in 2 EU countries during the pandemic and neither of them has exceptions. Many people here would be frightened / panicked to see someone without a mask, particularly somewhere like inside a food shop or on public transport.

I would like to know exactly who and where OP was challenged about lack of Mask but has not returned. 🌸