To refuse to wear a face mask

[gindinner]

Outside my daughters primary school as I wait for her after school?
I was asked to wear one today as I stood outside the gate so my daughter in year 6 could see me and leave her teacher.
It's not an enclosed space, not even inside the school gate.
So who is being unreasonable? The school with this ridiculous request, or me?

New advice received by schools yesterday recommends masks for drop off and pick up, so even if other local schools weren't asking for it yesterday, they probably are today.

Regardless, with all the struggles schools are facing atm why on earth would you be another by making a fuss over something so ridiculous that is no hardship for to to do?

I don't think you have to, unless I missed something here www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own

But I guess the question is does it harm you to wear one and is it a fight worth having?

Why wouldn't you? What possible problem is it, seeing as you haven't mentioned a medical or psychological issue? Yes, other people may walk past etc. Risk can't be eliminated. But why not help to reduce risk?

You.

I think schools have enough to deal with right now...if they ask you to wear one and you can, just do it

I totally agree it's bollocks. You are outside, you're 2m apart from people, that mask is, at best, making no difference to the spread of covid at all.

Ultimately though, it's no hardship to stick one on for a couple of minutes and so I do.

@gindinner

But what if someone is just walking by the school, to get to their house near the school? That is where I am, outside the school

What if, what if, what if. What if you're just an obstinate arsehole and not the reasonable person you seem to think you are?

Parents aren't 2m apart and are having face to face conversations. Would you want your whole class isolating if one parent was ill? Wear the mask. People who are actually exempt suffer from people who choose not to care.

Yes you should wear one. The school I’m a governor at have sent a message out that masks must be worn at drop off and collection times - it helps when some parents refuse to socially distance and insist on standing around in groups.

It is probably not necessary but YABU to kick up a fuss it can't hurt you to wear one.

YABU Wear the mask or make arrangements for your child to leave school on their own. You have been requested to do one thing for the safety of the whole of the class and their teaching staff. Please, it's only a few minutes, school staff have got enough to deal with this virus, and so shouldn't have to deal with parents being unpleasant or ignoring requests too.

Ffs why do people make such a drama out of a simple request.

If you aren't close to anyone else, it's pointless.

In that case they are asking for a sort of virtue signalling, which is a bad policy with this stuff. It undermines the idea that the rules are actually important for actually stopping transmission.It makes people less likely to think the rules are actually useful.

My dds school has asked that we wear masks for pick up and drop off since the beginning of October. This was due to parents failing to adhere to social distancing rules so to make it safer for staff etc they asked for masks. Its 3 mins in a morning and 10 mins in an afternoon, hardly a hardship. It hasn't stopped the same group of parents congregating at drop off but they have now taken it to the end of the road instead of right outside the school.

YABU and the other parents will judge you for it, as you can tell.

Surely the point isn't about whether you, on this particular occasion, were really risking others or yourselves, it's to try to create a new social norm that everyone does wear masks at pick up and drop off, so that those who don't stick to the social distancing/get crowded/forget and chat to friends are then also included.

New social norms can't stick if there's one person going on about how they personally aren't risking anything and making a fuss. Just wear the f-ing mask if you want to pick up or drop off! Teachers don't have time to risk assess every single case or measure distances or police your friendship chats- that's why there's a new blanket rule!

You are, but you know that!

Put the bloody mask on and give your head a wobble OP

Why wouldn’t you?

All the schools here are asking parents to wear masks at pick up/drop off as it's impossible to social distance all the time.

Just do as you are told for Pete's sake. It won't kill you to stand there with a mask on, will it?

@DryRoastPeanut

You are, but you know that!

Exactly.

Genuine question.

Why wouldn't you want to help restrict the spread of a nasty virus that has killed lots of people?

You. This is common practice now. Just get on with it.

Our school request we wear one - we all just get on with it. Seems mad but all stood in a big car park waiting outside but happy to respect the head teachers ask.