Who is planning to ditch masks as soon as we are legally allowed?

[polar81]

Is anyone else planning to ditch the masks asap? The only reason I wear one atm is because of the legal mandate and it will go as soon as that's dropped.

If you are staunchly pro-mask then this is probably not the thread for you! I know all the arguments on both side and they have been fully rehearsed on this board for the last 2 years. I am simply interested to gauge how many people also want to ditch masks asap, when the law allows.

It would be fab if we could have a thread on this topic that didn't include the words- selfish, it's no hardship, why wouldn't you?, we're in a pandemic ffs, I wear my mask to protect others etc.... that's lovely, and we already know!

Will be gleefully ditching them the second I can. Alas though I live in Scotland, where we'll probably be wearing them on a "just another wee while and then we'll review it again" basis for the next 438 years.

@littlepeas

It is really disingenuous to say that you don’t understand why people dislike masks (outside of reasons such as PTSD) - there are loads of reasons and I think I’m some circumstances they cause a lot of harm.

They impede communication in numerous ways - they discriminate against people who rely on lip reading; they make it much more difficult to read facial expressions, which is a large percentage of how we communicate and makes it much more difficult for some neurodiverse people to understand social situations; it muffles peoples voices (I often find myself having to communicate through 2x masks and a plastic screen); they reduce the interactions that children have with adults outside of home. They prevent basic, human interaction.

They make it easier for people to hide their faces and commit crimes. They are uncomfortable, they steam up people’s glasses so they can’t see, they make it feel more difficult to breathe for many people - lots of people dislike having their face covered and nobody should be forced to.

They are wasteful and bad for the environment. How many in landfill? How many littering the streets? How many shipped around the world? How many produced in sweat shops? What chemicals do they contain, that we’re breathing in day in, day out?

They are an excuse for people to be vile to other people - selfish, granny killer, twats, etc…they bring out the worst in people. There was a disgusting thread on AIBU yesterday where someone was bullied into giving details of an attack they had suffered as a teenager because the sanctimonious mask brigade wouldn’t accept that she was exempt based on the info she had given - even after she explained people were still piling on to her (thread was deleted - I hope the op is ok).

So many reasons. And do they even work in a significant enough way to make all of that worthwhile? I’m not sure they do based on the evidence I’ve seen.

This.

I tried wearing them. I then tried wearing stupid visors in order not to attract the wrath of any self-appointed Covid police. I gave up entirely this time last year. The schools U-turn had me mentally on my knees anyway, and the sensory overwhelm of my breath damply wafting around my face and then static stands of hair tickling around sent me to the point of leaving the supermarket with bleeding scratchmarks on my face last January.
I have not covered my face since with the exception of having to strip to minimal clothing in 5⁰C fog to cope with wearing one for the minimal amount of time in a marquee to get a PCR which took a lot of force of will knowing I was highly likely to be infected. (Christmas, no other options, had to drive to another county as it was)

I did draw the line at attempting any face covering on the school playground. They are utterly farcical in any open space. 10% v the transmission rate of 1:1000 of being outdoors. Wearing a visor in an attempt to look compliant was at best ludicrous and at worst, dangerous if fogging up in humid conditions. I don't care about the batshit laws of other countries.

I'm looking forwards to picking up some of the activities/ parts of my life that are on hold because I find it deeply unpleasant being surrounded by unreadable faces (especially the lips), distorted speech and expressionless eyes.
Some people will cling on to masks for percieved security, but it will be a massive relief when the vast majority abandon the things. And most people will. The vast majority of people wearing masks are tripple vaccinated. We're a long way from where we were on 19th July 2021. Most people experience Omicron as a normal range winter illness, we don't have to isolate as contacts and we can currently quarentine for as little as 5 days, a major change from 10.

I just hope that they don't cling on in healthcare or on travel for too many more months beyond the rest of public places.

I'm just going to wear it the whole time I'm at the dentist.

@GoldenOmber

Will be gleefully ditching them the second I can. Alas though I live in Scotland, where we'll probably be wearing them on a "just another wee while and then we'll review it again" basis for the next 438 years.

So do I but ditched it anyway.

Can you imagine if all us nurses (and other emergency services) felt so unwell from wearing a mask for our 12+ hour shifts 😂

@LemonPeonies

Can you imagine if all us nurses (and other emergency services) felt so unwell from wearing a mask for our 12+ hour shifts 😂

😂

Me.

But as I am in Scotland, that will be around 30 November 2032.

I will carry on wearing in close contact situations. I won't stress if I forget it and I need to pop to a shop.

I'll def keep wearing them on public transport and in supermarkets. I've got a really strong sense of smell and have really enjoyed not smelling the wretched breath of a significant number of the UK population!

Just ditch the mask, @MarshmallowFondant (and others). There isn’t enough police to enforce masks, and you can deal with the busy bodies yourself.
Reminds me of my childhood in a totalitarian regime - people were under so much propaganda and psychological warfare, that neighbours/friends/family snitched on each other to the authorities and thought they were the good guys! Think telling a joke about the head of the communist party and then getting dragged out of your house in the middle of the night, to a labour camp.

I estimate we are about 5-10 years from that.

I will stop.
My feeling is that when it's legally required is when on balance it's required from a public health standpoint.

I will burn the damn things. Can’t wait for them to go.

I’m teetering on not wearing one now but it’s hard to be the ‘rebel’ not wearing a face nappy in a shop.

Talking about face nappy.. saw one laying on the ground today. that one was definitely used as a nappy. Or, rather, bog roll. Dog sniffed on it

Me! I'm having a bonfire for the horrible things. It makes me so sad to see young children in them

Absolutely yes. Loathe the things for so many reasons.

How odd?

If suggesting that I wouldn't act a certain way and using a relatively mild perjorative is so shocking to some that I get a deletion and an MNHQ warning about my posting style what the hell happens in the real world when someone challenges anyone not wearing a mask because they are "So done with this shit?"

Posts here still standing inciting others to just throw away their masks, regardless of what current regulations might say. But God forbid someone calls that kind of behaviour what it is - not that I did, someone just chose to interpret it that way.

Ludicrous. Utterly ludicrous. And so thin skinned.

Sticks and stones may break your bones
But words should never hurt you

There has been no change to the requirement to wear them in Scotland. We didn't have the break that rUK seems to have had.

I will stop wearing them as soon as I possibly can.

@user1471443411

Yes you'll get loads of people saying two year olds in their country wear them all day for school with no complaints.

"In my unnamed country we were masks when we have sex because we are responsible citizens and care about each other. Not like Selfish Brits."

In answer to your question, I won't be wearing a mask one second longer than I am legally obliged to.

@LemonPeonies

Can you imagine if all us nurses (and other emergency services) felt so unwell from wearing a mask for our 12+ hour shifts 😂

I find it very different wearing it at work compared to for indoor social activities with my toddlers. I guess it doesn’t bother you.

Depends on where I am.

Work have their own RA and so I'd wear one if needed on that.

Stopped wearing them into local corner shop etc when we could last time. Also when at swimming pool with ds.

Currently wear one to walk through leisure centre but remove when watching him swim.

Don't wear one in the gym and most of us don't for walking from changing rooms to actual gym (it's up stairs).

Probably still wear one in supermarkets and if I went somewhere busy where SD isn't easy - I have no idea why but I feel safer around strangers with one on!

No

Me and this last week I've not been bothering. Had it confirmed today by a contact through work restrictions will be fully lifted so feeling pretty cheerful blue Monday - particular as this time last year was peak bleakness!

The only advantage of masks for me was that you can enter a public toilet without being overwhelmed by the smells, ditto hospitals. Yes yes I know you can wear scarves or snoods but in summer, it was a small bonus.

Those little fuckers will never be near me again, that's what will happen.

I shall live my life like I did before. Maskless and Free.

Wow. Lots of entitled, toddler-esque comments.

For as long as wearing a mask may reduce the risk of the people around me getting sick, I’ll continue to wear one. I assumed that was just what being a grown-up and not massively selfish required…