Hypothetical mask question

[Frazzled13]

Absolutely hypothetical question as obviously it would never happen like this.
Imagine the government said tomorrow that masks were no longer legally required, however they were still recommended, and they hadn’t suddenly discovered that they don’t work or cause some horrible side effect, and there also hadn’t been a massive drop in cases that made masks not necessary. Everything is the same, they just aren’t legally required.
Would you still wear one? Would you only wear it in some situations? Or would your masks be instantly thrown into a fire, never to be seen again? If you would keep wearing it, do you think you’ll continue to do so (post-covid) as a regular winter measure against colds etc?
I was only wondering because before masks were legally required, where I live the vast vast majority of people were not wearing them in shops but I think if they suddenly changed the rules more people would wear them despite not being legally obliged to than did earlier in the year, in part because I think people are a lot more used to them now.
(I’m not advocating a sudden random change in rules by the way.)

Yes. I, too, wore them before they were legally required.

I would wear one in shops / crowded places. When I first started to wear one I hated it and found supermarket shopping in one just awful bit. Is completely used to it.

I really hope it doesn’t become part of our culture. I feel like I’m in a dystopian film in supermarkets and other indoor places. So no, I would not continue wearing them if they weren’t mandatory.

Oh great so now it’s selfish not to wear one when it’s not mandatory anymore?

Umm. Of course it's selfish. It's pretty much the definition of selfish. Which you reinforce by saying that it's on vulnerable people to protect themselves and you won't help by wearing a mask .

It never occurred to us, culturally, to wear a mask on a crowded train if we felt a little coldy. Now it would. And it would be selfish to expose others to your illness without taking a simple step to keep your germs to yourself. If the situation called for it.

@theantsgomarchin

No, I wouldn't wear one if they suddenly declared they weren't legally required. And not because I'm a selfish wanker who wants to spread my germs around, but because I am personally not vulnerable. I expect those who consider themselves personally vulnerable to take the steps to avoid catching what they don't want to catch (in the same way elderly people have always got the flu jab, to protect themselves. Whereas I only ever got it when pregnant, as the rest of the time it wasn't risky for me to catch the flu). If you are vulnerable and it's dangerous to catch it, protect yourself with a mask or whatever other tools available to you, and if you do that, it makes no difference whether I wear a mask or not because you protect yourself

I don't think you understand the way masks work. They don't protect the wearer (unless they are medical-grade), they protect the people around the wearer.

I dont know. One the one hand I have not been ill this year, not a cold, not even a sniffle... adopted a mask from before the first lockdown as we could see the way things were going. On the other hand, not meeting new bugs means a less active immune system and more liklihood of severe problems for the future.

Masks and increased hand hygiene protect you in some ways, otherwise I would have had at least a couple of colds by now.

I would still wear them and did so even before it was made a legal requirement.

Making it no longer a legal requirement would allow me much more freedom than I currently have, so I would go to places where it weren’t requested and not wear one

@Calligraphy572

Oh great so now it’s selfish not to wear one when it’s not mandatory anymore?

Umm. Of course it's selfish. It's pretty much the definition of selfish. Which you reinforce by saying that it's on vulnerable people to protect themselves and you won't help by wearing a mask .

It never occurred to us, culturally, to wear a mask on a crowded train if we felt a little coldy. Now it would. And it would be selfish to expose others to your illness without taking a simple step to keep your germs to yourself. If the situation called for it.

Actually I disagree, it’s not selfish to not do something which isn’t mandatory, it’s personal choice. And actually the government are going with this, as they have said it will move to personal responsibility after Easter. Not collective responsibility, personal responsibility. It will be up to everyone to protect themselves how they see fit, if your vulnerable take more precautions and if you choose by to that’s fine.

When personal responsibility is brought in I got one will not be maskwearing or social distancing anymore. Others can choose to carry on if they wish though.

I'm quite enjoying my mask on frosty school runs - toasty warm face. But I gave nice soft cotton jersey ones. I'm sure the disposable ones aren't as comfy.

It will be up to everyone to protect themselves how they see fit, if your vulnerable take more precautions and if you choose by to that’s fine.

Why don't people still not get that masks primarily protect others, not the wearer? Yes it will afford the wearer a little protection but that is not their main purpose.

I would stop wearing a mask and never wear one again. I hate them. I avoid going anywhere I have to wear one as much as I possibly can.

• why DO .... not don't!

@RockingMyFiftiesNot

It will be up to everyone to protect themselves how they see fit, if your vulnerable take more precautions and if you choose by to that’s fine.

Why don't people still not get that masks primarily protect others, not the wearer? Yes it will afford the wearer a little protection but that is not their main purpose.

I do get that. I’m talking about when they aren’t mandatory anymore so I won’t have to wear one. You can buy masks that offer more protection to the wearer so if people are worried they can buy them.

Yes, I would keep wearing a mask as the risks would be the same even if it wasn’t mandatory. Further down the line I was thinking that it might be good to keep wearing one in busy places in winter to reduce the chances of colds and flu but I might feel a bit daft if nobody else is still wearing them.

100% would keep wearing them. I hope I don’t get grief if I choose to occasionally wear one after covid too.

“ I'm quite enjoying my mask on frosty school runs - toasty warm face. But I gave nice soft cotton jersey ones. I'm sure the disposable ones aren't as comfy.”

I’ve been wearing a jersey neck gaiter in winter that you can pull up over mouth and nose in cold weather since I was a teenager. I do a lot of walking. I’m glad other people have discovered this way of keeping nice and warm at least

Threads like this make me laugh. It's just an excuse for people to be ever so virtuous and call everyone selfish murderers for daring to say that we'd not wear a mask ....

I've already said I wouldn't, I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever for this opinion. I don't think they work, I for one fiddle with mine endlessly and touch stuff and I've had one disposable one that I've worn for the entire time which lives screwed up in my bag so it's really not going to do any good whatsoever.

I hardly see anyone wear them properly, everyone's fiddling with them, to be honest I live in an area where a lot of people just don't wear them

I'm CEV, I go to work everyday, we don't wear any ppe at work anyhow because we can't.

And I really am not going to cry myself to sleep if a ton of people call me selfish and a murderer or whatever.

Threads like this are the most virtue signalling nonsense ever. Well done everyone who is being perfect

Is 'virtue signalling' now to go-to defence of selfishness?

@Calligraphy572

Is 'virtue signalling' now to go-to defence of selfishness?

No - threads like this are virtue signalling in my opinion because what on EARTH is the point of them , other than to point out that the people who wouldn't wear a mask are selfish.

There's honestly no other reason to start such a thread other than it lets people point out that those of us who wouldn't wear one are lesser and selfish.

I am very sure than since those of us who wouldn't wear a mask are very happy with our choices...it just serves to make those who would think that they're very very excellent because you'd all wear one when some of us don't want to.

So well done you lot! I hope this thread makes you enjoy knowing how much better you are .

There's honestly no other reason to start such a thread other than it lets people point out that those of us who wouldn't wear one are lesser and selfish

@OpheliasCrayon
Ah. That wasn’t my intention at all. I tried to be neutral in the OP because I was genuinely curious. I would also not wear a mask if not legally required to so certainly didn’t start the thread to virtue signal.

I'd still wear one inside. I think I'll stick with them every winter tbh.
And possibly outside in the winter as they're nice and warm. And I forget to take it off when I walk home. (I'm most definitely not a mask fiddler).

@theantsgomarchin

Actually masks do not protect the wearer, they prevent (marginally) the wearer spreading their germs around. How have you missed this?

I've had one disposable one that I've worn for the entire time which lives screwed up in my bag so it's really not going to do any good whatsoever.