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19th July Lockdown Easing - Observations and Compliance

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Grumpus63

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On Great Northern. It was about 50% correctly wearing on a lightly loaded train. Of the ones who were not about 50% had them on as chin warmers so maybe ready to put them on if the train got busier.
I like your description of people having masks as "chin warmers" as I see this all the time.

I live in a Transport for Wales operating area near the border with England. I notice that on TfW services mask-wearing seems to have declined but is still about three quarters of passengers wearing them on the Cambrian Line. However, once you arrive in Shrewsbury the people getting on there to go to Birmingham or who are using TfW services to Manchester, Chester, Holyhead etc are not wearing them so much. It's a bit of a vexed question about "we are in England and we don't have to wear masks on trains any more" or "you must wear a mask on this train because it is operated by a Welsh Transport Company."
 
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DanNCL

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The TPE service I took from Newcastle to Darlington this morning had about 50 people in each carriage, and I could count the number of face masks on one hand. The same went for the LNER service back at lunchtime.

The Go North East 21 I was on earlier didn’t have a single mask wearer on board.
 

WestRiding

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Not train related, but out and about in Beverley, maybe just 5% NOT wearing masks
 

greyman42

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I travelled on The Underground from Kings Cross to Liverpool Street yesterday. I would say that mask wearing was about 60-40 in favour of masks. I was one of the 40%. There were police on the Underground concourse at Liverpool Street but they showed no interest in non mask wearers.
 

ChrisC

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Not train related, but out and about in Beverley, maybe just 5% NOT wearing masks
That’s just about the same as I saw yesterday when I was out and about in Newark. Mask wearing does seem to be far more widespread in these type of market towns than it is in the larger cities.
 

MikeWM

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The proportion of mask wearers on the London Underground seemed to be lower that most other places I’ve been in the last week, which I suppose maybe considered ironic. Suppose it may have been skewed today by the rally/march.

Below 50% mask-wearers I’d say at Westfield Shepherds Bush, though that had dropped pretty low in the last month anyway.

Cambridge had about 85% mask-wearers on the platform, which was slightly lower than I expected. It’s going to take a while to drop off much around here, I think, but I expected that anyway.

On a non-mask note, good to see the escalators from the northern ticket hall at Kings Cross to the main station are finally back in use.
 

Peter Mugridge

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I went to Battle with my wife today ( the place near Hastings, I should make clear! ) and I would say the numbers still wearing masks were 10% to 20% on this route.
 

Hadders

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12:17 Stevenage to Finsbury Park today (8 car class 700 - would normally be a 12), very busy so walked through several cars to find a seat. Masks being worn by around 20% of passengers.
 

WestRiding

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Seems like the proportion wearing masks is now declining
I keep thinking that, but then out of the blue, everyone seems to be wearing them again. I know this is a railway forum, but people seem to wear them more in shops. I think this is down to very misleading signage at the shop door. Went in H&M in Beverley today with the other half, the sign in the shop said "you MUST wear a mask in this shop". Went to a Florist too, they wouldn't let you in the shop, and had a counter at the doorway, with a sign, "masks essential". The other half asked if we could have a look at the bouquets in the shop, after been told they range from 20 to 45 pounds, but couldn't have a look around, but she would bring them to the doorway. Other half, said, and I quote, "Jesus, I can't be arsed with this crap, I'll go to Tesco insted". And we walked away. Never actually went to Tesco, but it was a sort of proud moment. The Florist lost out on a potential fair sum of money. Business must be booming if they can effectively turn people away by dragging on this patheticness. And don't get me started on the lates buzz words, cashless store......
 

3rd rail land

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I keep thinking that, but then out of the blue, everyone seems to be wearing them again. I know this is a railway forum, but people seem to wear them more in shops. I think this is down to very misleading signage at the shop door. Went in H&M in Beverley today with the other half, the sign in the shop said "you MUST wear a mask in this shop". Went to a Florist too, they wouldn't let you in the shop, and had a counter at the doorway, with a sign, "masks essential". The other half asked if we could have a look at the bouquets in the shop, after been told they range from 20 to 45 pounds, but couldn't have a look around, but she would bring them to the doorway. Other half, said, and I quote, "Jesus, I can't be arsed with this crap, I'll go to Tesco insted". And we walked away. Never actually went to Tesco, but it was a sort of proud moment. The Florist lost out on a potential fair sum of money. Business must be booming if they can effectively turn people away by dragging on this patheticness. And don't get me started on the lates buzz words, cashless store......
It's wonderful to hear that people are not putting up with silly antics of retailers. The florist didn't deserve the business. The whole point of going to a bricks and mortar shop is that you can browse the goods on offer which you and your wife were prevented from doing at that particular establishment.
 

satisnek

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Had a run down to Worcester today, my first true leisure outing since March 2020. A majority were still wearing masks on trains and in shops, but not outside in the street, suggesting that they were regularly taking them on and off. Rather them than me partaking in this unhygienic practice. But what really stuck in my craw were the announcements and signs on trains and stations exhorting us to wear face coverings "out of respect for others". Who, exactly, are "others"? Not me, I would prefer it if you didn't, and I'm sure that I'm not alone. "Out of respect for the medically vulnerable" would be fair enough, but maybe that's too many words...
 

Jamesrob637

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I took 4 buses, a tram and went into 3 pubs, a car dealership and Sainsbury's within the last 24 hours.
I wore my mask only on Metrolink as it's apparently still mandated there. The journey was less than 10 minutes. What an overall positive feeling. 90-95% normality.
 
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DelayRepay

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Yesterday I went to:

1. The barbers. Not a mask in sight on staff or customers. The only reminder of Covid was an empty hand sanitizer bottle on the counter.

2, Costa. Most people did seem to be wearing masks in the queue/at the counter but obviously took them off when they sat down. One staff member had her mask around her chin, the other did not have one at all. Several customers removed their masks at the counter because the staff member could not hear what they were ordering due to the Perspex screen and noise from the machines.

3. Little independent DIY/Hardware type shop. No staff wearing masks. One of about five customers had a mask round their chin. The other customers did not. Boxes of disposable masks now in the 'Reduced to clear' section along with Christmas decorations and 2021 calendars

4. Co-op. About 50/50 for both customers and staff.
 

davews

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Has anybody mentioned Specsavers?

I have been into their shop several times during the pandemic including for eye tests and although they had the usual checks never had issues and my exemption lanyard was not even commented on. But they seem to have tightened up.

Friday I needed my hearing aid tubes changed. Maybe I was wrong in just walking through the wide open door towards the girl on the desk ahead. Immediately asked to go back outside, what do you want etc. She got me to take my aids out for them to do, meanwhile I was to wait outside the shop. A bit later, when they realised it would be a bit longer to do, I was 'invited' inside, but had to sanitise, give me T&T details on a slip of paper as I had no phone, asked if I had a mask (exempt, no problem sir) and the wait on the only chair there near the door. While I was waiting various other people came in with similar treatment, in once case a couple asked if they had been doing LFT tests and another collecting their new glasses had them brought to them to try on outside the shop! I know they need to keep some restrictions but they seem to be going way over top.

Everywhere else I went on my trip into town was almost normal, just wander into places with no questions and 30-50% masks. Maybe need to find another opticians.
 

3rd rail land

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Has anybody mentioned Specsavers?

I have been into their shop several times during the pandemic including for eye tests and although they had the usual checks never had issues and my exemption lanyard was not even commented on. But they seem to have tightened up.

Friday I needed my hearing aid tubes changed. Maybe I was wrong in just walking through the wide open door towards the girl on the desk ahead. Immediately asked to go back outside, what do you want etc. She got me to take my aids out for them to do, meanwhile I was to wait outside the shop. A bit later, when they realised it would be a bit longer to do, I was 'invited' inside, but had to sanitise, give me T&T details on a slip of paper as I had no phone, asked if I had a mask (exempt, no problem sir) and the wait on the only chair there near the door. While I was waiting various other people came in with similar treatment, in once case a couple asked if they had been doing LFT tests and another collecting their new glasses had them brought to them to try on outside the shop! I know they need to keep some restrictions but they seem to be going way over top.

Everywhere else I went on my trip into town was almost normal, just wander into places with no questions and 30-50% masks. Maybe need to find another opticians.
Specsavers really don't deserve your business if they treat you like they did on Friday. Problem is your already a customer of there's and have paid for the hearing aids so you have no choice but to comply with them.

The branch of my audiology provider I go to is inside an office building so not a shop but if but if they tried impose over the top restrictions I would be firm and polite with them saying a mask s no longer required by law etc.. However if they refused to serve me until I had comp-lied with their restrictions I would have no choice but to comply as I'm tied to that provider as it's where I acquired my hearing aids.
 

PupCuff

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It's been really good to not have to wear a face covering and certainly on my train home last night of about maybe 60 or 70 people only 5 were wearing face coverings. The only grief I've had so far was in the opticians when a receptionist got shirty over it so to save an argument I put on a face covering, and then after I'd sat down she decided to come over for a round two because my face covering wasn't good enough for her. She gave up in the end and the clinical staff were sound.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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If the case rates were as they were in May I would ditch mask-wearing.
But in many areas, including mine, they are up from 5 to 500 (7-day rolling averages).
Some areas are knocking on 1000 (check the Public Health England maps).
Interactive map of cases | Coronavirus in the UK (data.gov.uk)
It's noticeable that this thread makes next to no reference to current infection levels or trends over time.
Maybe the rates are stabilising, maybe not.
Vaccination levels tell another part of the story.
I would expect mask-wearing to be linked to local infection levels and the degree of crowding experienced or anticipated.
My travel plans will exclude "black" areas until the numbers subside.
 

Yew

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If the case rates were as they were in May I would ditch mask-wearing.
But in many areas, including mine, they are up from 5 to 500 (7-day rolling averages).
Some areas are knocking on 1000 (check the Public Health England maps).
Interactive map of cases | Coronavirus in the UK (data.gov.uk)
It's noticeable that this thread makes next to no reference to current infection levels or trends over time.
Maybe the rates are stabilising, maybe not.
Vaccination levels tell another part of the story.
I would expect mask-wearing to be linked to local infection levels and the degree of crowding experienced or anticipated.
My travel plans will exclude "black" areas until the numbers subside.
A drop of 20% from the peak is pretty hard to dispute.
 

VauxhallandI

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Today, Tesco 75% staff no mask and I’d say 50/50 customers; that’s changed over the week

Bakery, all three customers and three staff no masks
 

WestRiding

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Irrelevant to most people I suppose, but currently in my local, the Boot and Shoe in Ackworth. Super busy. Only seen one mask. Bar service. Normality. Love it.
 

bramling

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Today, Tesco 75% staff no mask and I’d say 50/50 customers; that’s changed over the week

Bakery, all three customers and three staff no masks

Back home in Hertfordshire now. Went into local newsagents, 3 customers and one member of staff encountered, all devoid of mask.

I don’t expect to see this in my own town though, which is “work from home Central”.
 

VauxhallandI

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Back home in Hertfordshire now. Went into local newsagents, 3 customers and one member of staff encountered, all devoid of mask.

I don’t expect to see this in my own town though, which is “work from home Central”.
You’ve got St Albans written all over you ;)
 
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