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Original poster

Why won’t so many Brits wear a mask

484 replies

IloveConkers · 10/12/2021 17:50

I live in mainland Spain where I haven’t seen a single person without a mask in a supermarket since March 2020. I hear it’s the same in Germany and Italy. What is it about so many British people that makes them not do it when it’s clearly safer. I returned to the UK for a visit and found it horrifying. I was even looked at with disdain for wearing one! I just don’t get it!

OP posts:
SunscreenCentral · 15/12/2021 20:43

@WanderingFruitWonderer

People are wearing them much more now, since it was mandated again two weeks ago or so. Before that, it's true, not many. Not sure when you visited? I don't judge the people who don't wear one now, as I assume there is a valid reason. Also, I've given up judging other people's personal choices (within reason!) and recognise that life and people are complicated. Also though, in general, I think there's an anarchist streak that runs through the British psyche - which can be both a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what's going on...
Anarchist streak???! Oh please.

Contrarianist, certainly - and with big (Christmas) bells on Grin

elliejjtiny · 17/12/2021 12:49

I was thinking that there are lots of people who need a blue badge or dla/pip but aren't entitled to one. So if we had a rule where people had to have proof from somewhere that they couldn't wear a mask there would be lots of people who couldn't wear a mask but didn't have an exemption letter either. I would rather a small number of people abuse the system and pretend to be exempt than the alternative which is people being shut in their houses because they can't wear a mask and can't get proof of exemption.

I've been there with my son needing full time care but not being able to get dla and it's awful.

Whammyyammy · 17/12/2021 14:12

We've tried Masks, and distancing, hand gel, lockdown, closing schools, working from home, vaccinations, boosters. None seem to have worked. Let's do it some more, then...

GutsInMay · 17/12/2021 14:36

@Whammyyammy

We've tried Masks, and distancing, hand gel, lockdown, closing schools, working from home, vaccinations, boosters. None seem to have worked. Let's do it some more, then...
Masks, worn properly and consistently, are probably the most effective plus sustainable approach, in conjunction with vaccination.

Lockdown did work to contain /reduce infection but isn’t sustainable financially or socially.

thing47 · 17/12/2021 15:03

Agree with this. Lockdowns actually do precisely what they are intended to do – they flatten the curve and lessen the spikes in infection rates which threatened to overwhelm hospitals. That's it. What's happened is that politicians have put spin on it to make claims for lockdowns which the science never supported.

Whether the advantages of lockdown outweigh the disadvantages in terms of society, the economy and people's mental well-being… well that's extremely debatable. But that's a policy question, not a science question.

Tealightsandd · 17/12/2021 17:03

@Whammyyammy

We've tried Masks, and distancing, hand gel, lockdown, closing schools, working from home, vaccinations, boosters. None seem to have worked. Let's do it some more, then...
No we haven't. Not properly. Other countries have - and it's worked. Not perfectly but a hell of a lot more than here.

uk.news.yahoo.com/return-plague-island-uk-under-150336478.html

In Italy, where measures including a Covid pass and widespread mask-wearing have been the norm for months, many are also baffled at why Britain only recently introduced tougher measures to curb the virus.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany's leading conservative newspaper, also asked: “How is it that so many MPs from a traditional mainstream party are vehemently against comparatively moderate – many would even say inadequate – protective measures?"

HesterShaw1 · 17/12/2021 17:06

Is this the same Germany which is warning of "a massive fifth wave"?

Tealightsandd · 17/12/2021 17:12

Warning. Hence them taking mitigating action. Where they can. They have a vaccine shortage (although bear in mind that they've already double jabbed their 12+). Difficult to boost without the drug, but they're acknowledging it's an issue and taking what mitigations they can (and scrambling to get more supplies in).

Also they'll need to keep us out (if it's not too late). France has the right idea. Travel restrictions on people from high risk countries - like the UK.

HesterShaw1 · 17/12/2021 17:13

Gotcha

NMC2022 · 17/12/2021 17:13

The ones saying they're exempt when they aren't are the ones causing issues for those who are
I heard two older teenage boys saying how they hated masks were back and they weren't wearing them "just say you're exempt, I'm not putting one on"

HesterShaw1 · 17/12/2021 17:14

As in, righty ho.

Gilead · 17/12/2021 17:16

We've tried Masks, and distancing, hand gel, lockdown, closing schools, working from home, vaccinations, boosters. None seem to have worked. Let's do it some more, then...
No we haven’t, not one of these things has been implemented in a sustainable fashion, half arsed action provides half arsed results.

Tealightsandd · 17/12/2021 17:16

And interpretations of 'massive' vary depending on how well or not the country has dealt with the pandemic. For example, compare South Korea's current 'massive' surge of around 7,000 cases a day to our 93,000...

Tealightsandd · 17/12/2021 17:17

No we haven’t, not one of these things has been implemented in a sustainable fashion, half arsed action provides half arsed results.

This.

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 17/12/2021 19:05

@NMC2022

The ones saying they're exempt when they aren't are the ones causing issues for those who are I heard two older teenage boys saying how they hated masks were back and they weren't wearing them "just say you're exempt, I'm not putting one on"
No, the ones causing issues are the ones who are making nasty comments, name calling and behaving like disgusting pigs (such as the spitting on people ffs). It is obviously not the maskless who are doing that shit.
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 17/12/2021 19:14

People with masks on are spitting? Wouldn't that be a bit of an own goal?

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 17/12/2021 21:11

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

People with masks on are spitting? Wouldn't that be a bit of an own goal?
Well I'm assuming people are not super glueing their masks onto their faces. I'm certainly not Confused I mean, come on, it's hardly going to be the people who are unbothered by masks who are behaving that way is it?
ClumpingBambooIsALie · 17/12/2021 21:14

I've no idea what you're on about, love.

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 17/12/2021 21:24

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

I've no idea what you're on about, love.
Oh no, poor you sweetheart.
tsmainsqueeze · 17/12/2021 21:27

@icedcoffees

I think lots of people are sick of it, tbh.

They've worn their masks. They've had their jabs. And yet we still end up back under some kind of restrictions because nothing we do is actually working.

I wear a mask when I have to but I personally don't think wearing a piece of cloth over your mouth makes any difference to whether you catch/spread COVID or not.

you have summed it up.
Gilead · 17/12/2021 21:36

you have summed it up
Erm, no they haven’t because it isn’t about what you believe, it’s about what the science ( you know, the peer reviewed evidence stuff) quite clearly demonstrates. Believe what you like, even if you’re wrong.

ClumpingBambooIsALie · 17/12/2021 21:40

No, really, BlaBla — where are all the reports of people quickly whipping down their facemask to gob on someone and making it clear that it's because their victim was unmasked? It just doesn't sound plausible. People mostly wear masks either because they want to cut transmission (in either direction) and believe masks help, or because they're the compliant type and prefer to follow the rules. Neither of those is consistent with spitting on people. That's why I took the piss by joking about spitting with a mask on. Spitting is incompatible with mask-wearing physically, but also incompatible with the mindset more generally. So… have you witnessed this, or read a credible account of it occurring?

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 17/12/2021 21:40

Well I'm guessing the poster was saying they've summed up why some people are not wearing masks...in answer to the question asked.

BlaBlaSmthSmth · 17/12/2021 21:49

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

No, really, BlaBla — where are all the reports of people quickly whipping down their facemask to gob on someone and making it clear that it's because their victim was unmasked? It just doesn't sound plausible. People mostly wear masks either because they want to cut transmission (in either direction) and believe masks help, or because they're the compliant type and prefer to follow the rules. Neither of those is consistent with spitting on people. That's why I took the piss by joking about spitting with a mask on. Spitting is incompatible with mask-wearing physically, but also incompatible with the mindset more generally. So… have you witnessed this, or read a credible account of it occurring?
Ah so you're taking issue with the people who've said they/their loved ones have been abused for not wearing a mask? You think they've lied because it doesn't fit in with your views? Because to be perfectly honest with you, the bile and sneering hatred I've witnessed on this thread (and others) suggests that it's entirely plausible. I mean, mock away but the people who've posted awful experiences probably aren't finding it all that amusing and neither am I.
Kinlocrhum · 17/12/2021 21:52

If you don't wear a mask on city centre streets where I live it's an automatic €150 fine.
Amazing how everyone wears one.