No masks ffs

[custardface47]

Took my two dc to the evening showing of Spider-Man last night and the cinema was pretty much full with hardly anyone wearing a mask. I was really shocked. I thought this was a rule now in indoor spaces and after I made the booking I received an email from the cinema chain saying that everyone was expected to wear make inside unless exempt. It was really hot in there and no distancing (previously I think cinemas made some seats unavailable to create bigger spaces between people). I just felt really uncomfortable.

Obviously I realise I could have got up and left but didn't want to disappoint two excited kids. Plus they've both had it recently so it was only really me at risk.

Has anyone else experienced this in cinemas? With rates so high and it being close to Christmas I just would have thought people might be more careful.

Im assuming they didn't ask for a covid pass. Seems mad to me, you wouldn't be able to get on a plane at the moment without a mask or pass so why 2 hrs in the cinema

Perhaps naive of me to assume it wouldn't be so busy but after having to alternate covid isolations with two kids over the past few weeks it just seemed like a nice treat on a wet horrible evening.

But lots of people may have been in similar circumstances. This reminds me a bit of those threads during lockdown which said things like "I went for a jog this morning, the park was packed!".😆

@dundydee

Perhaps naive of me to assume it wouldn't be so busy but after having to alternate covid isolations with two kids over the past few weeks it just seemed like a nice treat on a wet horrible evening.

But lots of people may have been in similar circumstances. This reminds me a bit of those threads during lockdown which said things like "I went for a jog this morning, the park was packed!".😆

Yep! It's like the joke, you aren't stuck in traffic you are traffic.

I think rightly or wrongly most people see sitting in the cinema with food and drink as the same as hospitality where you can be unmasked because it would be a bit ridiculous to keep putting it on and taking it off to take sips or bites.

Also most of the cinema chains in England (not sure about other places) have told staff not to challenge people without masks so people are free to not wear one as they won't be challenged. It's essentially guidance only due to that.

did they have lots of ventilation?

Ooh I know, isnt it AWFUL? Selfish pigs! Superspreader event.. blah blah etc etc

Ad nauseum for nearly 2 bloody years now!

@Oblomov21

Agree Elephant. I wouldn't want ds's wearing masks as they sat there for 2+ hours. They enjoyed it.

If your anxiety is high, don't go.

This! If you are that concerned why go at all?! Honestly I am sick of seeing posts and real life people saying things like this. If you are that worried about covid (which is understandable) why put yourself and others at risk?! The people not make wearing masks possibly haven't worn one completely throughout and may possibly not be vaccinated. The cinema is massively not essential. It's different if it's your work place people are coming into not wearing masks and you have no choice but to be there. And before it's mentioned that your children were so looking forward to it etc, you take the chance and go, you don't then moan about it. Like others have said, the masks aren't magic and stop the virus completely. If you want to eliminate any chance don't go.

Ask yourself if you really believe that it makes any difference to you "staying safe" (from this one virus) if people wear masks in a packed cinema, whilst sitting close enough to each other that elbows are touching. It's OK for people to remove the mask to drink and eat their popcorn and sweets (the virus doesn't get you when you're eating popcorn) but the same mask must then be pulled back up (with the same hands covered in popcorn and whatever) until the next time it is pulled down (with the same hands that have by now touched the arm rests, their germ riddled 'phone screen etc. etc.) Do you in your heart of hearts think it makes the slightest bit of difference or have you bought into the theatre of it? The "Look At Me, I'm Doing Something" performance that is mask wearing (when not eating or drinking).

We went last weekend and a few people seemed to keep their masks on for the majority but the vast majority, like us, were unmasked and enjoyed watching a great film in comfort. If you feel particularly vulnerable, it's probably safer to avoid a communal indoor activity?

Yes this is why we are avoiding the cinema!

Honestly, this post just sums up how priveliged some people have been recently. If you've worked in a school or nursery or pub there would be loads of people together for hours with no masks for hours on end. In some of those settings most would not even have been vaccinated and likely to have transmitted.

Many experts now that unless everyone uses ffp2 masks there no point. On Cron is too contagious. Some people will limit going to these settings for fear of isolating over Christmas some won't. We all know omiCron is rife right now. No point getting mad at other people for taking the same decision you did to attend an indoor space with lots of people always likely to not be wearing masks

I went to the theatre in the West Midlands last weekend and almost everyone wore a mask seated. I didn't because I didn't feel the need but I covered my face for the 'oh no it isn't' bits

Did you honestly expect people in cinema's to be wearing a mask? You don't have to when sat and eating! People will obviously have popcorn 🍿 buckets to avoid this

@walksen sorry I'm confused, how is it privileged to be the minority who are wearing a mask? Surely the privileged ones are the people who are so unlikely to get sick if they contract it they don't feel the need to protect themselves or others.

Accept the fact that it was silly to go to such a setting if I was worried. As I said, both kids have had it recently so wasn't worried about their risk. Ideally I don't want to get it myself and had I known it would be that busy (yes it's a popular film but been out over a week now) then I probably would have thought of something else to do. What's done is done now. Hopefully managed to dodge it (I did when both kids had it). Hope everyone has a nice Christmas.

sorry I'm confused, how is it privileged to be the minority who are wearing a mask? Surely the privileged ones are the people who are so unlikely to get sick if they contract it they don't feel the need to protect themselves or others.

Surely you can see its a privileged position to be in where you have the choice of whether to be indoors with unmasked, unvaccinated people. Those who don't have the choice in their day to day jobs wouldn't even think of being surprised that a busy cinema will be full of people most likely not wearing masks.

YANBU. I have attended a couple of shows with DS, that have been sold out but have not been well- attended, which I put down to people's fears over omicron. It was good for us, as it meant more social distancing. All adults wore masks throughout from what I saw. This was a concert and a Christmas play. I suppose the difference was that food and drink weren't being consumed.
When I've been to the cinema over last few months, I've put my mask back on after a snack.
I don't think you're unreasonable to be surprised at a full cinema of maskless people but I suppose it's always going to be a risk.

Even if everyone followed the rules religiously, there would have been lots of people without a mask at least some of the time. It’s a pg 13 film I believe, so there’ll be plenty of kids there who don’t have to wear a mask anyway. Then you have people eating and drinking, so removing a mask frequently, or more likely just leaving it off while they eat.
There are no social distancing rules anymore, so cinemas aren’t going to reduce their revenue by leaving seats unsold.
So even in a perfect rule following scenario you’d have a packed cinema with lots of people without masks.

I think it’s wrong that you can buy a ticket from a cinema that purports the myth that patrons will be made to wear masks and then doesn’t enforce that rule. The only reason OP chose that particular cinema might be because their marketing/rules gave a false sense of security.

Went to the theatre a couple of weeks back. Wholly different experience. Covid passes checked before entry, spaced out seating and mask wearing mandated. Assistants scouting the audience and telling people in no uncertain terms that masks needed to be worn.

It’s always going to be the same. Those who follow the rules for the greater good and the selfish people who think only about themselves.

The cinema has been one of the few activities I’ve stuck with as it’s always been our main hobby and I didn’t want to give that up. I always pick a quiet showing where I’m confident we can have a lot of space between us and often boom the back row so don’t have anyone behind us. For SpiderMan we went to a daytime showing that was virtually empty. But people don’t generally wear masks during the film as they are snacking and drinking. I wore a FFP2 mask during Spider-Man just because I was being extra cautious due to the new variety/xmas but most people were not masked. We are lucky that our cinema is generally quite quiet though I admit.

We went to the cinema last Wednesday for opening night of Spider-Man. Everyone walked in wearing a mask and then everyone ( that I could see ) took the mask off again as soon as seated ( me and dc included ), we were sipping drinks and snacking on pop corn/ sweets throughout so really putting the mask up and down over face in between mouth fills would have done bugger all anyway!
It was same yesterday when going to watch Elf.

It’s always going to be the same. Those who follow the rules for the greater good and the selfish people who think only about themselves.

I'm loving the irony that people following the rules which say you can remove face coverings when eating or drinking are considered selfish.

Meh

Went to the theatre a couple of weeks back. Wholly different experience. Covid passes checked before entry, spaced out seating and mask wearing mandated. Assistants scouting the audience and telling people in no uncertain terms that masks needed to be worn.

I went to the theatre yesterday and not one of those things was applied 🤷‍♀️

It's a sensible precaution, and I don't think any of us can moan when you think of doctors and nurses doing 12 hour shifts in warm hospitals, with them on constantly. I have to wear one when on work premises until physically eating or drinking - if I want to speak to a colleague over lunch, I have to put my mask back on - I just get on with it.

If people can have popcorn and drinks with them then obviously the masks are going to be off at some point. Not exactly unexpected.

Also this was always going to be a busy, confined environment where you can't just open windows to ventilate.

Yes some people are taking the piss but what else did you expect?

You can't control other people's behaviour but you can control yours. Meaning if this is such a problem for you, avoid cinemas.

Although I guess if you still go to restaurants, pubs and cafes you accept that people there won't be wearing masks in these settings. This one isn't much different, which is why people sometimes don't follow the rules but they simply are illogical.