Genuine question.
I travel regularly on trains and tube for work and am astonished at the high numbers who are not wearing a face mask at all or who wear it on their chin or forehead - in which case, why wear one there at all? I am guessing just in case there is the small chance they get challenged and then they will put it on to save being fined?
I appreciate some people have hidden illnesses and disabilities. If most of those not wearing them have a hidden reason, there is an astonishing number with these conditions. I appreciate it may not be possible for everyone, but I know people with some of these conditions who are wearing a mask; partially because they are actually more vulnerable because of said condition.
Of course I am not an expert but like the majority, I am not qualified to be able to make a decision about whether it is better to wear one or not. But it seems such a little sacrifice and discomfort, if it makes a difference.
I don't want to offend anyone with this comment, which is only based on my experience, but the majority of those I have seen are from groups disproportionately affected by the virus.
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if their oyster or card does not have enough money, they have to get off.
A while ago, someone suggested that not wearing a mask when mandated should be as socially unacceptable as drink driving. Unfortunately Han it is mandated and when not is a bit difficult to keep track of but most people should know:
On public transport you must wear a mask
You see in some Dutch towns this week by order of the Mayor's they've stopped wearing masks completely!
If you look back at the 1918 Spanish flu even then after a while people got fed up following rules.
At my college we expect there to be an outbreak soon when the kids come in wearing their masks on their heads!
I'm afraid this reluctance to conform will probably happen everywhere.
Bus drivers nor supermarkets enforce it and they should if it’s a government ruling but then again not all bus drivers wear them.
I’ve also only got one ear and it keeps slipping off!
Customers shouting accusations at others not wearing a face mask whilst some were shouting at the sales assistants for the length of queues and lack of social distancing.
Not to be outdone, till operators were adding to the brouhaha with their own loud comments blaming the company for laying off staff..
Disgusting scenes in ROYAL Tunbridge Wells !
What a load of bollocks (and he agreed with me)
If wearing a mask is going to mess with your breathing that much would it not be a better idea to stay away from the shops?
Didn't really think about it at the time but on the way home I realised that I was one of the 3 out of 7 in there who had a mask on (was a CAFC one, thanks Steve).
Suppose I'm lucky I don't have to use public transport daily, but yes, I think I would be annoyed if I was travelling daily with people who don't care about others. I understand that some can't wear them but unfortunately there are a lot of selfish bastards out there.
I have called 3 people/groups a series of expletives for walking and deliberately not leaving enough space (for example walking in the middle of the pavement when I am literally up against a wall to keep distance from them) or a group of dozy bints who walk 3 abreast on the pavement. I'm a right laugh to be around, honest. And it's not that I'm worried about me, it's more to make them wake up to the actually vulnerable people who are walking around.
On another note, controversial I know - but for me, if you aren't wearing a mask (for whatever reason) you don't go to areas people are required to wear masks in. I am a firm believer that you should be able to do whatever you want in life as long as you don't harm anyone else, and just because you have an illness or are disabled does not mean that you can't infect me or my loved ones.
If masks protected the wearer, fine, but they are there to protect others.
A moot point anyway though because no one can enforce it!
We are told masks offer protection to others rather than the wearer. Does this mean that airborne particles (of one micron in size) are small enough to penetrate through a wearer's mask, but cant penetrate in the other direction as the wearer exhales?
I'm sure some people wear these filthy masks day in day out, and some, albeit a minority, discard them to the the floor or leave in open public bins. As someone passed me the other day, they flicked their mask off just as we were adjacent, it was as though a slingshot full of C19 was headed in my direction.
If we all wore medical grade masks and sanitised scrupulously on attaching and disposing safely, I would have no argument.
Despite my opinion, I still wear a mask (where necessary) out of respect to others sensitivities.
P.S. Sainsbury Bexleyheath, pipe a message in requesting customers leave maskless shoppers alone and not question their motives.
People are entitled to privacy.
Why should decent citizens in a supposedly free country have to discuss sensitive personal medical matters with shop assistants and security guards in the shopping centre?
It's a matter for them and their doctor if they choose to involve one.
You wouldn't dare ask a disabled person to leave their wheelchair because they take up too much space in the aisles.
The only difference is that you can see one disability and not the other.
So basically it is not enforceable.
A youngish couple (late teens) got on and headed giggling to the khazi which was one of the old school types...not even an automatic door jobby.
10 or so minutes they emerged with the young "lady" loudly enquiring of her gentleman friend "Oi, watcha do with my tampon?!". (He didn't answer so I am still none the wiser). They left the door open and legged it down the carriage and missed their stop much to my amusement and I went back to my sudoko.
Unsurprisingly the feral scallywags didn't have masks on which actually irked me more than the unhygienic shagging.
It was like witnessing an episode of Gossipmongers.
If I'm honest, for the most part of this lockdown since March I haven't worn a mask and only do so now the regulations are tightening up but as I said I'm not sure how effective they are?
I do feel we see the extremes of peoples behaviour some take things extremely seriously and have a heart attack if you get within 0.0000001 of breaking social distancing and other perhaps like me who feel fairly relaxed about the whole thing.
I do feel there is a lot of scaremongering going on but that's just me.