To those that don't want to wear a mask...

[Iamchangingmyusername]

I've seen a lot of threads on here with people annoyed that they have to wear a mask in public.

Aside from those with a legitimate medical reason, why are some people so anti mask?

Genuinely curious. I have had to travel to and from work throughout lockdown and the introduction of masks on public transport made me feel somewhat safer. Noticing less and less people wearing them, or wearing them as a decorative chin strap.

It's also a switch from a female dominated industry to a male dominated industry - a reverse of 1980s employment pattern switch. Expect a corresponding decline in women's rights as we return to juggling ridiculous school hours, lack of childminders, no jobs. Fun times.

Another one here who wont be doing any shopping in person. Our government is suggesting people wear socks on their faces to prevent the mythical "second wave". Absolute bullshit, and put pressure on already overworked stressed retail workers and police.

I submitted a foi request for their evidence to support mask wearing. Attached is the reply. There is a clause that allows them to refuse foi requests if they consider it to be "vexatious".

I think people should be far more concerned with our becoming a Police State than catching a mostly mild virus that is in decline.

but more people working in delivery - it all evens out in the end except it doesn’t, you provide far more jobs from an actual store, even down to the cleaners, the window washers etc than you on with an Internet business. Advertising and marketing will also die as an industry, it just becomes data analysis to target ads. Delivery drivers are also paid very poorly. I think we should be considerably worried. I don’t actually think the high street would have disappeared thanks to online shopping, rents, parking charges etc have all sped things up, and now masks.

It's not just delivery drivers - there's a whole industry around the vehicles - manufacture, sales, design, repairs, maintenance, etc. One of my clients is a "one man" garage and he's never been busier with doing tyres/brakes, servicing etc for courier drivers. If you include peripheral jobs such as cleaners then surely you have to also include mechanics, vehicle salesmen, etc don't you?

As for the High Street - it's been dying for years, if not decades. It's high street "identikit" chain stores that have been slowing killing it. Dozens of chains went to the wall long before Covid - even back in the noughties, big names were disappearing. The rot set in back in the 80s/90s when independent stores were forced out by the identikit chains - that also led to ridiculously high rentals demanded by the landlords (again, no longer privately owned but now mostly owned by pension schemes, private equity funds, etc - sometimes the same consortia of rich (often overseas) financiers who own the chain stores.

Don't forget that before the 80s, the High St wasn't even dominated by retail. Most town centres also had factories, warehouses, breweries, print works, doctors, dentists, offices, etc on their High Streets. Much of that was demolished/converted for identikit High street chains, private equity backed shopping malls, etc. I'd argue it was never sustainable in the first place. Shopping malls, chain stores etc seem to have a history of regular change of ownership, massive losses, etc.

We need to be realistic and start re-modelling town centres away from the retail model and re-purpose them back into where people live and work, not just where people go to shop.

Covid has accelerated the decline of High St chain stores, not caused that decline.

than catching a mostly mild virus that is in decline

It's only in decline because of the precautions. Do you really think it would be in decline if we'd just carried on as normal and not done anything different since February???

@Kazzyhoward probably yes.

prevent the mythical "second wave".

You sure of that? Covid is almost finished?
@Janaih

Some precautions would have been sensible yes, I agree. Maybe some of the recommendations in the pandemic practice they did could have been followed. Instead we got a half arsed lockdown because mob rule demanded it.

Did I say it was almost finished? No. It's in decline but it will always be with us.

Some precautions would have been sensible yes,

😂😂

Basically the Sweden model, by the time we got round to our half arsed too late lockdown. Same outcome, less effort.
It'll come in waves. They usually do. First wave is a bit of a practice run. Plenty of time to practise wearing socks on your faces (sigh) and hopefully other stuff as well that will actually help -like a decent test, track, trace system

OuiOuiKitty I think it's virtue signalling. There is no valid reason whatsoever to complain if people where masks where necessary but don't like it.

I don't want to wear one so going to limit where I go. Prescription is now being delivered and shopping all done online now

I’ve started to wear mine this weekend to try get used to it. I actually quite like it... find it oddly comforting to be able to hide a big portion of my face?!

I am partially deaf and need to lip read and an asthmatic. I tried a mask the other day on the train and found it ok on the air conditioned train but not on the one with no air con. It just simply made the air even hotter and harder to breathe. I realise that that is a mental health issue rather than asthma!

I understand why we are being asked to do it. I had COVID back in March. But personally I now can't 'hear' people as I can't see their lips move and find it hard to breathe with one on myself. I just won't go to shops as it's really uncomfortable for me to keep going PARDON PARDON!

And for work I've amended my journey to only take the trains that are air conditioned and avoid the tube.

But I'm not complaining. I understand why we should. Just doesn't work for me.

To be clear, I will wear one if I really have too...

Other wise, I just won't go 'shopping'.
Get a click and collect, or on line, which I detest..
But there you go!!

OP what I think has riled a lot of people on here (myself included) is your use of 'want.' It reminds me of my DM asking me if I 'want' to do something which benefits her but is uncomfortable/boring/inconvenient for me. Most times I'll probably do it anyway, but I reserve the right to my own feelings on the matter. So yes I'll try my best with the mask despite not technically having to (asthma) but don't expect me to enjoy the experience just to make you feel better.

@Janaih

I think a face mask would look fabulous with your tinfoil hat

I suspect there will be a reversal on masks when the people out and about shopping declines even more. That is all it is about at this stage...

Equally, many will go to shops for the first time in months because masks are mandatory.

@Itsarattrap

True, I'm planning on going clothes shopping for the first time on Friday.

@Peeta over 24 hours and that's the best line you could come up with?

@Itsarattrap

Equally, many will go to shops for the first time in months because masks are mandatory.

Well yes, that's why masks are mandatory

Enjoy your comfort blanket

I wonder whether shopping has declined in other countries where mask wearing is mandatory (ie most places). I’ve seen nothing to suggest it is.

I expect some will go less, some will go more. I also suspect that many of those who are saying they won’t go shopping probably don’t do much high street shopping anyway! And once it becomes normalised they’ll end up shopping as much as they did before.

Personally, I’m ambivalent about masks as think the risk is very low (particularly in the half-empty supermarkets I tend to go to) but I hate the feeling that I should wear one when I don’t particularly want to, and then feeling awkward whether I do or guilty if I don’t. So even though I’m not a big mask lover, the fact that the decision is taken out of hands from Friday, reduces the angst I am likely to feel, and mean I’ll be more comfortable going to shops.

There's zero proof that they work, therefore they're a political symbol.
I'm being forced to wear a political symbol. It's like forcing someone to wear a symbol of a religion they aren't a member of.
Many people wouldn't be bothered by that, because they either don't have much integrity, or because they just dont care.
To those who do care, like me, it is a very, very big deal and a huge matter of principle.

Im not surprised people don't understand it being a matter of huge principle though.

1. Because they truly believe that masks work - and I can understand that if you believe that you would think it eclipses any principles, and
2. Most people don't really have many strong principles, I reckon. So, they don't understand the immense distress of having them breached