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I’m wondering how dedicated everybody is in their mask wearing? I will admit to not being so 100%, 100% of the time. I have exceptions:

  • On a train in the morning, I sometimes have bought a coffee, because it’s early and I’m fed up. I can’t sensibly drink with a mask on, so I don’t put it on until I’ve finished. There is mitigation — the train is mostly empty until long after I’ve finished. But others on the train will observe me not wearing a mask at that time
  • I get dry eye unless I wear moisture-retaining eyewear. If I wear mask and eyewear, the glasses immediately steam up. Normally, I prioritise mask. However, on the train coming back in the evening, I normally have pretty sore eyes and I may well wear eyewear instead of mask.
  • In our office, literally zero people wear a mask ever. Across 7 floors of people. What would be the point of me wearing one?
  • If I’m going into a cafe, I generally won’t go through the charade of wearing a mask to the table and then taking it off.
Those are the things that spring to mind but there may be other occasions, such as if I’ve thought my mask was in my pocket when I went out but it actually wasn’t.

Is this partial dedication to wearing a mask unusual? Surely not. It can’t all be people who either refuse to wear one or treat it with religious devotion.
 
I also don't bother in cafes/restaurants etc. Seems pointless. Over the last few months I've been in Turkey and it's been easy to simply eat and drink outside, but now it's colder that's less likely.

I don't really understand people who complain about others not wearing masks at places like cinemas and theatres. Of course the majority won't. The answer is to not go, sadly.
 
I had a coffee on a train two weeks ago, to recover from the awful journey to the station: did the same I do when I’ve had a cup of tea at a friend’s place: keep my mask on apart from when taking a drink.

Doing support work for group of vulnerable adults, involved taking them to a cafe last week. Kept mask on for all the chatting while waiting for food. Took my mask off to eat. (Didn’t feel comfortable about it tbh & next time would probably make sure I’d eaten beforehand and just get a drink.)

Sometimes in a rush I’ve arrived into a station still wearing the cloth mask I’ve had on the way. I take that off to switch to an n95/ffp2 on the platform, if it’s an indoor platform usually take a breath before removing the cloth mask and hold it until I’ve got the other one on.

Had to figure out the glasses steaming up thing in April 2020. Would not have coped if I hadn’t, can’t stand steamed up glasses.
 
miss direct said:
I also don't bother in cafes/restaurants etc. Seems pointless. Over the last few months I've been in Turkey and it's been easy to simply eat and drink outside, but now it's colder that's less likely.

I don't really understand people who complain about others not wearing masks at places like cinemas and theatres. Of course the majority won't. The answer is to not go, sadly.
Click to expand...
So the inconsiderate fucks are the ones who get to go to the theatre and cinema. Perfectly reflects the society we live in.
 
kabbes said:
I’m wondering how dedicated everybody is in their mask wearing? I will admit to not being so 100%, 100% of the time. I have exceptions:

  • On a train in the morning, I sometimes have bought a coffee, because it’s early and I’m fed up. I can’t sensibly drink with a mask on, so I don’t put it on until I’ve finished. There is mitigation — the train is mostly empty until long after I’ve finished. But others on the train will observe me not wearing a mask at that time
  • I get dry eye unless I wear moisture-retaining eyewear. If I wear mask and eyewear, the glasses immediately steam up. Normally, I prioritise mask. However, on the train coming back in the evening, I normally have pretty sore eyes and I may well wear eyewear instead of mask.
  • In our office, literally zero people wear a mask ever. Across 7 floors of people. What would be the point of me wearing one?
  • If I’m going into a cafe, I generally won’t go through the charade of wearing a mask to the table and then taking it off.
Those are the things that spring to mind but there may be other occasions, such as if I’ve thought my mask was in my pocket when I went out but it actually wasn’t.

Is this partial dedication to wearing a mask unusual? Surely not. It can’t all be people who either refuse to wear one or treat it with religious devotion.
Click to expand...

I always wear a mask on public transport (not that I use public transport that often). If I'm heading to Glasgow on the train, I usually have a can, but passed last time coz (a) you're meant to wear a mask and (b) alcohol is banned on trains for the time being. Still, quite a few people maskless and consuming booze on that train and the packed one home! Ticket inspectors weren't giving a shit, though TBF I don't blame them for not wanting to challenge people on this. I suppose if the train is quiet such rule-breaking shouldn't be a massive deal anyway.

We don't have to wear a mask at work when we're in our own office, not that I'm actually back at the office. I would hate to wear a mask all day.

I'll wear a mask as much as possible when walking around a pub/restaurant/cafe, though sometimes you forget after a few drinks.
 
kabbes said:
I’m wondering how dedicated everybody is in their mask wearing? I will admit to not being so 100%, 100% of the time. I have exceptions:

  • On a train in the morning, I sometimes have bought a coffee, because it’s early and I’m fed up. I can’t sensibly drink with a mask on, so I don’t put it on until I’ve finished. There is mitigation — the train is mostly empty until long after I’ve finished. But others on the train will observe me not wearing a mask at that time
  • I get dry eye unless I wear moisture-retaining eyewear. If I wear mask and eyewear, the glasses immediately steam up. Normally, I prioritise mask. However, on the train coming back in the evening, I normally have pretty sore eyes and I may well wear eyewear instead of mask.
  • In our office, literally zero people wear a mask ever. Across 7 floors of people. What would be the point of me wearing one?
  • If I’m going into a cafe, I generally won’t go through the charade of wearing a mask to the table and then taking it off.
Those are the things that spring to mind but there may be other occasions, such as if I’ve thought my mask was in my pocket when I went out but it actually wasn’t.

Is this partial dedication to wearing a mask unusual? Surely not. It can’t all be people who either refuse to wear one or treat it with religious devotion.
Click to expand...
That all sounds quite reasonable to me. In my workplace, I am stubbornly holding out while fewer and fewer colleagues and customers are wearing masks, but if I was literally the only one? I'd either double-down by wearing a mask that's more protective to myself or give up, too...

Sometimes, I have also still put on a mask while walking to a pub/cafe toilet, but you are right that that is somewhat of a charade, and I have done it more as a little sign of "there is still a pandemic on".

What I find more astonishing is how many people have gone from "it's not legally mandated to wear masks in e.g. shops anymore" to being in shops and on public transport while displaying raging respiratory illness symptoms and still not wearing masks. Or indeed staying at home full stop!
I thought it was quite interesting when whatshischops from the NHS said something at the press conference last week about staying at home for a few days with general cold symptoms - I got the impression that he checked himself halfway through and went "oh shit, I have gone off script - that would of course be the sensible thing to do but I wasn't supposed to say that." (because an overall shift in attitude towards this is precisely not what the government has in mind - but maybe I read too much into it...)

Also, what's been really noticeable to me these last couple of weeks is that the notion of outdoor dining/drinking has been all but abandoned with the chillier weather. Been to three different restaurants/pubs in the past ten days where not only were b/f and myself the only people in the outdoor area, we also very much had the impression that staff and other guests were thinking "wtf are these guys sitting in the cold for?" as if the last 18 months had never happened...
 
BobDavis said:
Edit to add. Yes we have done several self tests this week all negative so we have bad colds not Covid.
Click to expand...
Lateral flow tests? I feel like this bulletin board and every social media needs a bot notice that goes up in response to statements like this: "Did you do a lateral flow test when you had possible covid symptoms and draw conclusions from that? STOP. This goes against government and scientific advice. Please now isolate and take a PCR test."
 
Tbh if you have kids at school ATM you aren't going to avoid covid by wearing a mask in public.
The idea most wore them to protect others is wrong. Perhaps 50/50 at most did.
 
Upon going back to work in August I bought masks designed more to protect me than others from me. Virtually nobody has worn a mask since August at college.
 
IC3D said:
Tbh if you have kids at school ATM you aren't going to avoid covid by wearing a mask in public.
The idea most wore them to protect others is wrong. Perhaps 50/50 at most did.
Click to expand...
I might agree that the reason most people wore masks was for self-protection, but whatever their reasoning, the fact of the matter is that masks DO protect others.

And if you have kids at school, and there is thus a possibility of you being infected, then that's all the more reason to be wearing one.

This is simple stuff, and you've had it explained to you often enough :confused:
 
People use both sides of that to rationalise not wearing a mask.

Either it’s because it doesn’t protect them themselves and if fewer people are wearing them now what’s the point. Or they can’t avoid being exposed to it via kids in school or work therefore why should they bother because they’re going to get it anyway. Whether they frame it as masks were only to protect themselves, or were only to protect others, they get themselves to the same point.

I suspect they just find it inconvenient and/or don’t want to stand out or look different.

Fact is masks protect both the wearer and those around them (and those who come into a small space after they’ve gone).

And - most importantly for me - they protect the health service cos everyone who needs treatment for getting covid is going to take up nhs resources which could be better spent elsewhere.
 
Last edited:
l'Otters said:
People use both sides of that to rationalise not wearing a mask.

Either it’s because it doesn’t protect them themselves and if fewer people are wearing them now what’s the point. Or they can’t avoid being exposed to it via kids in school or work therefore why should they bother because they’re going to get it anyway. Whether they frame it as masks were only to protect themselves, or were only to protect others, they get themselves to the same point.

I suspect they just find it inconvenient and/or don’t want to stand out or look different.

Fact is masks protect both the wearer and those around them (and those who come into a small space after they’ve gone).

And - most importantly for me - they protect the health service cos everyone who needs treatment for getting covid is going to take up nhs resources which could be better spent elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Despite the exasperated tone there I do still ascribe the majority of the blame for this to the government’s total failure on providing clear messaging on this. Next in line the antivax grifters.

When people trot out these rationales it is difficult not to find them circumspect and annoying though.
 
Most people, I say loosely bought the govt line about vaccination providing protection from spreading covid. This was clear messaging, total bullshit and only now it's unravelling, rapidly. You can be irate on here but it doesn't change anything. This place is a bit of a bubble regarding views on covid.
 
cupid_stunt said:
Plus, changes to the booking system are coming, so people will be able to book a booster jab appointment up to a month in advance of when it's due.



www.mirror.co.uk

'Millions more Brits to get Covid booster as over-50s can book month earlier'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has reportedly told the NHS to allow people over 50 to book their third jab a month earlier so that they can have the booster vaccine after six months
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
Click to expand...
Yeah, I read that last night. Given that all their eggs are in the vaccination basket, you'd have thought they'd have fixed that earlier. :facepalm:
 
IC3D said:
This place is a bit of a bubble regarding views on covid.
Click to expand...

And yet the opinion polls throughout the pandemic have revealed that the position of many here is really not so different from the wider public stance, where polls have tended to show the public supporting more action than the government take.

There are some differences, such as those with idiotic pandemic views here being so heavily outnumbered that they probably go elsewhere to vent their spleens as a result. And we dont have our own version of shitty newspapers to distort peoples impressions of the balance of opinion here.
 
IC3D said:
Tbh if you have kids at school ATM you aren't going to avoid covid by wearing a mask in public.
The idea most wore them to protect others is wrong. Perhaps 50/50 at most did.
Click to expand...

I have a hunch which 50% you belong to
 
kabbes said:
I’m wondering how dedicated everybody is in their mask wearing? I will admit to not being so 100%, 100% of the time. I have exceptions:

  • On a train in the morning, I sometimes have bought a coffee, because it’s early and I’m fed up. I can’t sensibly drink with a mask on, so I don’t put it on until I’ve finished. There is mitigation — the train is mostly empty until long after I’ve finished. But others on the train will observe me not wearing a mask at that time
  • I get dry eye unless I wear moisture-retaining eyewear. If I wear mask and eyewear, the glasses immediately steam up. Normally, I prioritise mask. However, on the train coming back in the evening, I normally have pretty sore eyes and I may well wear eyewear instead of mask.
  • In our office, literally zero people wear a mask ever. Across 7 floors of people. What would be the point of me wearing one?
  • If I’m going into a cafe, I generally won’t go through the charade of wearing a mask to the table and then taking it off.
Those are the things that spring to mind but there may be other occasions, such as if I’ve thought my mask was in my pocket when I went out but it actually wasn’t.

Is this partial dedication to wearing a mask unusual? Surely not. It can’t all be people who either refuse to wear one or treat it with religious devotion.
Click to expand...
I try and wear one at all times I'm in shops, but practicalities get in the way. We've got loads of masks in the car, but I've started going in more local shops and walking to them. And where I'd have only gone in a pub with a mask on 6 months ago and then very rarely, I've had the odd 'opportunist pint', going in without a mask and then finding a quiet corner. Suspect lots of people are the same, still think masks are important, probably should be legal requirements, but... life.
 
Why aren't we living in a socialist society all working toward the betterment of all? Because we might say when asked that we believe in these things but there is a govt pushing in different directions, work pressures, fed up with restrictions, hoping for the best etc.
See what happens next I guess.
And I fully support more personal responsibility and there has been shit health promotion and to much focus on vaccinations, everyone went with it because it was sold as a golden ticket. Who doesn't want that.
 
Well, I have kept wearing a mask ... and I see no reason to change that opinion, especially with the gov't again dodging the issue & their responsibilities.

To protect the NHS, others in the wider community, myself and my immediate household. That sums it up.
 
IC3D said:
And I fully support more personal responsibility and there has been shit health promotion and to much focus on vaccinations, everyone went with it because it was sold as a golden ticket. Who doesn't want that.
Click to expand...

That did happen but only to an extent, there were still limits in regards how much people bought into that. These limits showed up in various ways, eg aspects of 'freedom day' were still mocked and most people understood some of the reasons why that day ended up being delayed a few months ago.

Other examples include that "if not now then when?" logic only gained limited traction round these parts. And I was able to bang on since vaccines were first available about how it was asking for trouble to expect vaccines to carry the entire weight of this pandemic. I have little doubt that if everyone here had bought into the idea that vaccines would get the entire job done on their own, everyone would have turned on me at some point in the last 9 months.
 
IC3D said:
Nd another thing is people like yourself getting judgemental on others creates further division.
Click to expand...
Oh the division is there for real and is created by the differences in an individuals attitudes and actions/inactions as you pointed out.
 
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