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Original poster

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

415 replies

Iamchangingmyusername · 16/07/2020 15:37

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.

OP posts:
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8
Russellbrandshair · 17/07/2020 06:21

I really don't understand the fuss about about this. If you enjoy wearing masks then good for you! There are fun times ahead for you. I don't see why you have a problem with people who find them uncomfortable saying so. Everyone here is saying they will wear them when they need to so why all of the sanctimonious posts

Exactly. This is exactly what I said. But I guess there always has to be some people who love to brag about how morally superior they are because they love masks and even wear one to bed 🙄

TheLegendOfZelda · 17/07/2020 06:32

@Happyface120

How do all of you people think that NHS staff feel about wearing masks?! Guess what, we all hated it at the beginning, but we did it because we didn't want to put patients at risk. And now, would you believe it, we are still wearing them, without complaint, because we are responsible adults who need to protect those at risk. Just wear it, and get over it, or stay at home.
Haha that is somewhat undermined by

Knowing anyone who works in the nhs. They bitch like hell about them. No complaint my arse.

Reading the papers. How many healthcare staff was it who had to self isolate a few weeks ago because they weren't wearing masks or social distancing? Oh yes ...70 ...
Plus their CEO pictured maskless in front of the sign saying wear a mask

TheLegendOfZelda · 17/07/2020 06:42

Wanting people to want to wear a mask is a bit fucked up, in my opinion. Why aren't people allowed to not enjoy having their mouth and nose covered? What's it got to do with anyone else how they feel about it?

Personally, as has been said by the government, I believe this is about increasing confidence rather than being medically necessary, and I don't enjoy been taken for a fool. So you lot go ahead. I just won't go places you have to wear one. That leaves me with plenty of options: educational settings, pubs, cafes, takeaway outlets. Just not supermarkets (online) or shops (they can fuck off anyway with their tannoy announcements about the plague, in case we hadn't noticed a four month lockdown)

Malteserdiet · 17/07/2020 07:10

Grin @TheLegendOfZelda. I thought the exact same thing yesterday when I was in town. As if the imminent arrival of compulsory masks, the sodding stickers on the floor, the signs on every shop window stipulating how many people are allowed in at any one time and the copious amounts of hand gel stations weren’t enough. What’s with the lack of background music and fucking tannoy announcements every 3 minutes telling me to remember to wash my hands and stay away from all other human beings? It really is joyless going to the shops at the moment and doing so just reiterates how utterly crazy everything has become.

Malteserdiet · 17/07/2020 07:20

@IntrovertedUnicorn your situation sounds extremely difficult and I have huge sympathy for your family and wish your DD nothing but the best health.
However, you do kind of prove my point that coronavirus is a risk no different to many germs out there to anyone who is vulnerable and the whole of society has not previously been changed because of the presence of these viruses.

TheClaws · 17/07/2020 07:20

Which exemplifies another thing I hate about masks and this whole Covid fiasco - it’s revealed the extent to which many people seem to desire an authoritarian society where people’s thoughts and emotional responses are policed along with their actions.

*TempsPerdu Drawing a very long bow there. Just because a good deal of people wish to follow guidelines, wear masks (for me, I'd like to protect my own health as well as other people's), and socially distance - that means they are goose-steppers? Have you actually read '1984' or do you like to throw out terms like this without much thought?

JaceLancs · 17/07/2020 07:27

At least it will be good for my personal economy - I won’t buy non food online unless it’s something essential or can be returned easily at no cost
Even on food I will spend less as I stick to basics if not shopping in person - I don’t get tempted as easily as I do in an actual shop
A lot of people I’ve spoken to feel the same so mask wearing may not have the effect the government want

Russellbrandshair · 17/07/2020 07:29

A lot of people I’ve spoken to feel the same so mask wearing may not have the effect the government want

I agree

TheLegendOfZelda · 17/07/2020 07:29

@sleepingpup

Must admit I find these threads a smite amusing. Like people can debate their way out of a potentially deadly virus with long 'uman rights posts, even though they have no idea how it'll affect them during of afterwards or people they may give it to. Chances are they'll be fine, there's absolutely no way of knowing.

"Debate their way out" - I wish I had thought of this. So true.

There might not be a way of 'knowing' just as we can't ever predict the future, but the two main risk factors are very clearly

Age over 80
Dementia

With other factors like
Being an obese male (Boris)
Coming into play with age (over 50)

TheClaws · 17/07/2020 07:32

[quote Malteserdiet]@IntrovertedUnicorn your situation sounds extremely difficult and I have huge sympathy for your family and wish your DD nothing but the best health.
However, you do kind of prove my point that coronavirus is a risk no different to many germs out there to anyone who is vulnerable and the whole of society has not previously been changed because of the presence of these viruses.[/quote]
This "germ" (as you term it) is incredibly virulent. Not as much as the measles, but it far more damaging to the body than the measles. It attacks multiple body systems at once. A younger, healthy individual may come away with lasting consequences that, in comparison to an older subset, are termed 'mild'. (In reality, they are not.) The older group - and vulnerable people with pre-existing conditions - are really wiped out.

That's why the response of the entire world has been different to this "germ" you would deem otherwise insignificant in virus terms.

NothingIsWrong · 17/07/2020 07:33

I don't want to wear a mask. As a result, I simply won't go shopping. I have money to spend that will now stay in my account.

The only thing I object to is being told to go out and spend to help the economy, but I must wear a mask. Nope. You can tell me to wear a mask and I will comply where essential, but you can't mandate that I will be happy about it and keep spending.

OutwardBound2016 · 17/07/2020 07:34

I am simply going to modify my behavior by not going to shops, I won’t enjoy the experience in a mask so I won’t go. I do have one in my bag for emergencies which of course I will use but this isn’t enough for some people on MN who feel you MUST go to the shops in order to WEAR A MASK.

As an alternative pov a family member has now said that they will not to any shops going forward as they feel that if this has been made compulsory now there is something the government are not telling us and that we should all follow the much touted MN advice of ‘STAYING THE FUCK AT HOME’

ButterMeCrumpets · 17/07/2020 07:36

As most people on here I will wear one where I have to but I will choose to avoid shopping in person from now on.

More money in my pocket as less impulse buying but worse for the high street but that's the government's choice to mandate it therefore they have to suck up any change in people behaviour for worse in terms of the economy.

BakedBlossoms · 17/07/2020 07:47

I'm a bit bemused by people saying their children are scared of people in masks. My 4 year old doesn't look twice at them. He also wears one himself on the train or in shops without a second thought, jabbers away to me as normal.

I often think that people are projecting their own discomfort onto their children (assuming the child is NT of course). Children are a lot more adaptable and resilient than adults.

BakedBlossoms · 17/07/2020 07:49

As a result, I simply won't go shopping. I have money to spend that will now stay in my account.

I mean, there's this brilliant thing called the Internet...

ButterMeCrumpets · 17/07/2020 07:51

@BakedBlossoms

As a result, I simply won't go shopping. I have money to spend that will now stay in my account.

I mean, there's this brilliant thing called the Internet...

I will be internet shopping instead. It does save money as less impulse shopping.
NothingIsWrong · 17/07/2020 07:53

@BakedBlossoms

As a result, I simply won't go shopping. I have money to spend that will now stay in my account.

I mean, there's this brilliant thing called the Internet...

I enjoy shopping for things I don't necessarily need. Day out with my eldest daughter, browsing and maybe picking up a few bits. I won't be doing that online, and the lunch out, coffee, money to buskers etc will all stop as well. Obviously I can buy the essentials online, but I NEED very little.
TempsPerdu · 17/07/2020 07:58

I'm a bit bemused by people saying their children are scared of people in masks. My 4 year old doesn't look twice at them

That’s great, I’m glad he’s not scared; neither is my two-year-old (of other people wearing them - I certainly won’t be making her wear one). But just because our DC are fine it doesn’t mean other children aren’t fearful, and on a practical level it doesn’t take away from the fact that widespread mask wearing isn’t optimal for young children’s language and social development. There are downsides to mask wearing and we need to acknowledge this.

cassgate · 17/07/2020 08:04

BakedBlossoms.

There may well be the internet and believe me I do a lot of online shopping (ordered a vax carpet cleaner yesterday, coming today) but it’s the impulse purchases that won’t be made. Its the impulse purchases that keep the high street going. I enjoy going shopping as a leisure experience it’s not going to be enjoyable wearing a mask so I won’t go. I will wear a mask if I have to go in a shop as an emergency and I will happily wear one for medical appointments but that’s it.

BakedBlossoms · 17/07/2020 08:07

God I make tonnes of impulse purchases online.

DontDoItGeorge · 17/07/2020 08:07

@Whendoesthisgeteasier Flowers sorry for your loss and your brothers problems.

I wear a mask for 13 hours a day at work, in a very hot hospital. I'm sweaty, spotty, and my skin on my face is awful. I find it hard hearing people as everything is muffled on a busy ward. But I have no choice, I suck it up and put up with it.
I will wear a mask when I go shopping, it will be for an hour at the most,and I have a comfortable cloth one to wear outside work.

If you dont like the thought of a mask, you definitely wont like the thought of a ventilator.

AlexisCarringtonColbyDexter · 17/07/2020 08:09

I despise wearing a mask. I will wear one because I have to.

Whats the issue with me not liking it? I dont get why that is such a huge deal for some people?

I also dont particularly like sticking to a 20mph speed limit but I have to in some areas of town- noone brags about how marvellous 20mph is do they? or how much better they are as a person because they enjoy driving really slowly and anyone who doesnt like slow driving is an evil monster. Good grief.

BakedBlossoms · 17/07/2020 08:11

I'm not sure anyone is arguing that you have to like it, I just don't get all the hand wringing over it.

I'm ambivalent towards it but I can see the advantages. As an introvert for instance, I despise making small talk with acquaintances I happen to bump into, so it is very helpful for avoiding that.

OutwardBound2016 · 17/07/2020 08:11

DontDoItGeorge I don’t think anyone who is saying they won’t go for a wander around Topshop because they have to wear a mask is suggesting for a moment that they would instead like the feel of a ventilator, I don’t understand the link?

SorrelBlackbeak · 17/07/2020 08:12

@DontDoItGeorge pretty much everyone on the thread has said they'll wear a mask when they have to.

Many people, me included, will limit the times they shop as a result and not do recreational shopping in physical shops.