Is mask wearing limiting your economic participation?

[byvirtue]

I knew mask wearing was mandatory in shops but I hadn’t heard about the new restrictions that have come out today www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53702291

I had planned to head to a spa for a couple of days this month for my birthday and we were going to book a staycation in a hotel in September. We would have easily spent £2k on these trips.

Now it seems that masks are mandatory for spa treatments and in hotel public areas we won’t be going. I personally find face coverings unpleasant and they significantly reduce my enjoyment so I'd rather not bother.

We are fit and healthy with money to spend and were happy to get out and spend money prior to face coverings becoming mandatory. These new rules mean the opportunities for us to spend money have been notably reduced.

I’m curious are these extended face covering rules going to lead to you spending more or less now?

Yes I only go somewhere that I have to wear a mask when it's unavoidable. I wouldn't go into town to browse the shops. I wouldn't go to a cinema, spa etc. If the government has introduced masks as a placebo to boost the economy (and given the contradictory evidence of their benefit which more often than not shows they are neutral or detrimental to health) they've made yet another mistake.

A little. In 'the time before' I'd often just go for a wander round the shops, maybe spend £20/£30 just on trivial little bits & pieces, I don't really do that anymore.

Masks on, (I'm not an anti masker, I always wear one) one way, queueing, don't touch anything, hand sanitiser, and the stock in a lot of shops is still a bit weird and not quite right, it's just not fun anymore!

@AmelieTaylor I’m not a bot I’m just interested in the impact of govt policy on people’s behaviour. I was planning on one set of activities and as a result of a change in government policy today those plans have gone out the window. I’m interested if I’m the only one.

By contrast the dine out to help out scheme has increased the amount we are eating out. I’d never normally eat out mon-wed and ate out twice last week on those days.

I hate them so won't be going anywhere unless essential so yes it's definitely stopping me from spending.

I’m one of those who is going out and spending more now that people are wearing masks. I feel safer and will avoid places where compliance seems low (the vast majority are wearing them where I am though)

Yanbu OP

This is such a timely thread, as I am currently sat in the hairdressers having a full head of highlights and having to wear a mask. I would not have had to wear the bloody thing yesterday. If I had known when I booked it this would have been the case, I honestly wouldn’t have bothered. It is hot, irritating and unpleasant.

The mask thing has 100% impacted on my economic participation.

I don't go places other than for essentials because I don't like wearing a mask. The constant virtue signalling of people and face masks is getting boring.
I wear one because I'm told to, I won't enjoy it and I don't like it. So yes it definitely is affecting my contribution to the economy.

This

I don’t mind wearing a mask - here in Scotland they have been recommended then mandatory for some time. I am a keen shopper/browser for clothes, makeup etc, and have completely stopped doing that because the experience is so changed, but it’s nothing to do with masks. (I am still buying things online though.)

Wearing one in the hairdresser was okay, and the benefit of my long awaited cut FAR outweighed the discomfort!

I am hoping in winter that scarves will suffice as face coverings which will be much less fiddly.

I've been to a day spa and they required masks last month (except in pool area) no big deal. B&b didn't mandate masks all the time but did ask us to carry one with us in case other guests were in the corridor (never saw anyone)

I am hoping in winter that scarves will suffice as face coverings which will be much less fiddly.

I was using a scarf as a face covering before I got hold of some proper face masks, and I found the scarf a lot more fiddly because it kept slipping down. The proper face mask stays in place because of the straps over the ear.

I’ve managed to avoid wearing a mask at all yet because I’ve been in north wales where it’s not mandatory. I would not go into a shop wearing a mask unless what I was buying was absolutely essential. I’d shop as quickly as poss, preferably all under one roof to get it over with.

Unfortunately yes, not helped by the seemingly constant queues to enter stores (especially at the weekend) and then feeling self conscious of touching anything. I haven't shopped in-store for clothing since the first time, when I was stopped from trying on a blazer over my own top. Bought very few cosmetics as can't test.

Store shopping just feels like a lot of effort these days. It's such a shame.

Yep. I can just about manage to wear a mask for as long as it takes to buy food, or to browse in a clothes shop for maybe half an hour at the most. After that, I start to get very claustrophobic and stressed out. I've suffered from claustrophobia in shops for years, and mask-wearing is definitely not helping.

I'm spending considerably less than I would normally.

I've just come back from a museum which has just reopened, masks were compulsory as we're in England. I didn't find the mask issue so bad - museums are air conditioned so it wasn't too hot. I bought a new mask which is designed as an anti-pollution mask for cyclists like this. It worked much better for me as it's a stiff moulded material, which sits away from my face, and the ear straps are loose so lots of air is ciculating around the edges too. It looks normal from the front though, so it meets all the legal requirements. I don't use a filter inside so it's easier to breathe through. Only spent about 1.5 hours inside - I could easily have stayed a bit longer, but couldn't linger over the exhibits due to having toddler with me.

The mask wearing isn't, Covid itself is. I would normally have taken a couple of trips by now, one with my Mum and one with my daughter. I'm not doing either because I'm not comfortable going to hotels. I don't want to go to eat inside a restaurant yet. And I haven't been to a hairdresser yet.

Of course. They are uncomfortable. I wouldn't go anywhere for pleasure where I have to wear one.

I'm still shopping online and visiting beer gardens/going to outside venues (as long as don't need to book in advance which is also ridiculous!). I'm happy sticking to gym swimming and eating out.

Other than work where I wear one all day, I've put one on briefly in an empty petrol station shop (server behind screen) and for a wax.

When we go on holiday in a couple of weeks we won't be visiting any local shops or attractions. Just food/beach.

It's so dark in the cinema, surely everyone will just take them off and put them back on once the film ends?

I didn't spend any money in the museum though, it was free to get in, and the gift shop was open but I don't tend to buy from museum shops or cafes anyway. So no economic participation. Plus their one way system made it awkward to browse in the shop and linger in the cafe anyway - that probably had more impact on economic spending than the mask issue.

Yes, because I have a health exemption which isn't obvious and I don't want to deal with mask vigilantes demanding my life history. Naturally, this makes going out anxiety producing rather than enjoyable so I don't go out.

@KatherineJaneway

It's so dark in the cinema, surely everyone will just take them off and put them back on once the film ends?

I was imagining removing and replacing for every piece of popcorn

I think the benefits of masks are probably fairly minimal in most situations, but I don't mind wearing them at all. I genuinely forget that I'm wearing one quite a lot of the time. BUT - I wear one at work and have done for many years and virtually everywhere I'm wearing one is air-conditioned (shops, cinema etc). Might feel differently in other environments like hairdresser etc.

@mosquitofeast

your choice, wear a mask or don't go, simple.

Mask wearing is going to encourage other people to go, who would not have gone otherwise, so they won't be losing out on custom because of you deciding to stay home.

And we all benefit because there will be less transmission.

I'm glad you are staying home. I don't want to have to mix with you. I am less likely to go out if there are people like you wondering around

This is exactly how I feel. The less self centred twats that are incapable of understanding the reason for mask wearing the better. I'm much more likely to go out and spend money now than I would have been before it became mandatory to wear a face covering in so many places.

@RoseAndRose

No, quite the opposite. I prefer places which require them

Same here. I’d been in two shops since March before the ruling to have masks in shops. Now I’ve been in, ooh, maybe five. And had takeaway food that we collected from inside.

It's been mandatory in England for masks in shops for a while.

Those that say that they are more likely to spend are you not already spending more in shops especially non food shops?

Or are you already shopping indoors and will now visit museums, cinemas etc?