People who prefer the restricted things

[RuralRambler]

Even if mask wearing is completely ditched by most people, at least I’d hope that the stigma reported by people who wore masks before the pandemic goes away now. It is after all their choice and who is anyone to judge?

I agree. I hope there are no mask requirements going forward, but likewise hope that people who choose to wear them, for whatever reason, are allowed to do so without ridicule or stigma etc. I'd say the same about hand shaking - it needs to remain acceptable not to do it for those who don't want to. People need to be allowed to do (or not do) whatever to feel safe, especially when it really doesn't matter one jot to other people, and however irrational that may appear to the finger pointers.

As for people wearing them here post pandemic, whilst it would be their choice, there will always be times when they would have to accept that either they would need to remove them, or accept that people around them be uncomfortable with them socially. As a society facial expressions are really important in communication for many, and of course being able to identify people in secure environments is vital.

For identification purposes, yes, definitely. For social reasons, no. Why should someone be forced to feel unsafe or apprehensive in a social setting so that others are "comfortable"? What about the "comfort" of the mask wearer - should their feelings/worries etc be ignored? I'm not sure why the "comfort" of one person trumps the "comfort" of another.

 

[Darandio]

If people choose to wear masks after the are no longer required then that's their choice, crack on with it. But if they choose to do so then they had better stop this fake moral high ground "but i'm wearing it to protect you love" bulls**t that they have been peddling for over a year.

 

[Bantamzen]

For identification purposes, yes, definitely. For social reasons, no. Why should someone be forced to feel unsafe or apprehensive in a social setting so that others are "comfortable"? What about the "comfort" of the mask wearer - should their feelings/worries etc be ignored? I'm not sure why the "comfort" of one person trumps the "comfort" of another.

And should not that also work the other way around?

But its not about comfort, its about the ability to communicate properly. Facial expressions are often important to many to convey true feelings. Someone can be saying something, but their face can tell a whole other story for many people. Now if people want to continue with masks that's up to them, but my point was that they should expect that some people may limit their interactions with them as a direct result of this.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

If people choose to wear masks after the are no longer required then that's their choice, crack on with it. But if they choose to do so then they had better stop this fake moral high ground "but i'm wearing it to protect you love" bulls**t that they have been peddling for over a year.

I would go further and, after 21 June, introduce a new offence of "excessive caution" punishable by fines, aimed at those hysterical people who continue to wear masks or socially distance when there is no legal requirement to do so.

 

[greyman42]

Wonder though, will there be this level of honesty or will those with anxieties try force their maskivist ways on all of us so they don't feel marked out?

They already are.

 

[TPO]

I agree. I hope there are no mask requirements going forward, but likewise hope that people who choose to wear them, for whatever reason, are allowed to do so without ridicule or stigma etc. I'd say the same about hand shaking - it needs to remain acceptable not to do it for those who don't want to. People need to be allowed to do (or not do) whatever to feel safe, especially when it really doesn't matter one jot to other people, and however irrational that may appear to the finger pointers.



For identification purposes, yes, definitely. For social reasons, no. Why should someone be forced to feel unsafe or apprehensive in a social setting so that others are "comfortable"? What about the "comfort" of the mask wearer - should their feelings/worries etc be ignored? I'm not sure why the "comfort" of one person trumps the "comfort" of another.

I'm very much of the view of these things being optional. But equally I don't want to have that social pressure either way, and the maskivists have had it their way too long. The pendulum needs to be centred- not one way or another.

Similarly, although I find remote meetings extremely liberating on one level, there's still stuff where in-person interaction cannot be beaten. I say this as an autistic person who finds in-person interaction very difficult- and masks unwearable for more than 5 minutes so I've not been out much the past 12 months- yet even I acknowledge still it can be the best option (just don't ask me to do so in a mask ). Again- flexibility is key.

The hygeine/cleaning has been better- but I'd like an end to places using COVID as the excuse to close public toilets.

Hand shaking- I can take it or leave it but I really dislike "forced hug" greetings from persons other than close friends/family and hope they are not forced on me again for a while (nowt to do with COVID, I just find that sort of enforced closeness extremely uncomfortable).

I'd like to lose the propaganda and get people using their brains again, and understanding risk in context. What's shocked me the most is how many people have been willing to accept a very authoritarian state mandate with no real opposition to "the narrative". That's scary and the sooner we can row back from it the the better IMO. Getting shot of the "little Hitlers" who want to enforce their personal version of "the Rules" would also be good, we need to stop tolerating that sort of intolerance.

I'd also like to see the flexibility we now know is "reasonable" to be used to improve access to work and services for everyone- people with disabilities or with complicated lives. I wonder if that's too much to ask.....?

TPO

 

[initiation]

For those of you who can't wait for face mask rules to disappear, have a read of the responses to this Sky News twitter post about masks potentially being dropped after June - lots of people saying they will continue/prefer to wear them.

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1392011136531419137

You also get responses like this:

I will NEVER be able to casually breathe in other peoples exhaled air again. COVID came along. Anything else could too in the future. My Mask is staying as long as I’m on Planet Earth

I'm hoping some of these are trolls but I am not so sure!

Clarify: I am fine if people want to continue to wear them voluntarily, but it should no way figure into the debate around them continuing to be mandatory.

 

[Failed Unit]

I tend to find the comments on such article’s extreme. people who don’t care don’t reply. My view is if anyone wants to fine, as long as you don’t expect me to. Even on silly things now - I am sure everyone has done this. Walk past shop. Remember they needs something. Look in pocket no mask. Oh well need to go back. People I know that like wearing the masks is definitely in the minority.

 

[nlogax]

I'm hoping some of these are trolls but I am not so sure!

It's about perspective. They're only trolls if you're coming at it from a certain extreme anti-mask angle. Just let them be - if they want to wear masks on an ongoing basis then fine, I see nobody pushing to make them permanently mandatory for the rest of us.

 

[LowLevel]

I tend to find the comments on such article’s extreme. people who don’t care don’t reply. My view is if anyone wants to fine, as long as you don’t expect me to. Even on silly things now - I am sure everyone has done this. Walk past shop. Remember they needs something. Look in pocket no mask. Oh well need to go back. People I know that like wearing the masks is definitely in the minority.

Yes - it's like the opposite venue to threads on here where it's the done thing to be very angry about masks at all times I have pointed out enough times that social media attracts people with formed views on subjects, those who don't give a toss don't tend to bother.

Perhaps more concerning though for the brigade on here should be that this here forum is a quiet corner of the Internet inhabited by people with a hobby many people already see as "strange". Mainstream media sites are much more, well, mainstream.

Thus the "everyone hates masks and will stop wearing them asap" viewpoint here may (or may not) be somewhat challenged when the rules actually change.

 

[GatwickDepress]

I don't think I'll be using coach services regularly once social distancing restrictions lift - not for any COVID-19 related reasons, but personal comfort. The luxury of having two whole seats has led one to develop ideas beyond one's (coach) station.

 

[Failed Unit]

I think that will be interesting on all forms of public transport. What I need to sit next to someone. .

 

[Crossover]

For those of you who can't wait for face mask rules to disappear, have a read of the responses to this Sky News twitter post about masks potentially being dropped after June - lots of people saying they will continue/prefer to wear them.

https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1392011136531419137

You also get responses like this:


I'm hoping some of these are trolls but I am not so sure!

Clarify: I am fine if people want to continue to wear them voluntarily, but it should no way figure into the debate around them continuing to be mandatory.

I'm personaly happy to leave such people to it, as long as they don't try and force me to do the same. I can't wait to see the back of the things and as soon as they become optional, mine is unlikely to go back on. Time to build up some immunitiy to things naturally

 

[TPO]

I'm personaly happy to leave such people to it, as long as they don't try and force me to do the same. I can't wait to see the back of the things and as soon as they become optional, mine is unlikely to go back on. Time to build up some immunitiy to things naturally

Agreed. The virtue signalling aspects need to go too.

It's a pity there wasn't an opportunity being taken to educate the coronaphobic part of society about relative risk. Not just of COVID but also things like MMR vaccine (I had measles as a child, it's waaaaaaaaaaaay badder than COVID), nuclear energy, "chemicals," minor injuries and other things beside. I am in no way of a right wing persuasion but the level of cotton-wool wrapping many expect especially from public services is a bit worrying.

Although I am not that old, I remember the days when you only went to A&E if it was proper bad (likely fracture, cut that obviously needed stitching) and first aid courses taught things like bandaging and dressing a wound. But now we leave it all to "professionals" and cannot do basic of looking after selves and each other. I also remember when we had a notion of a "good death" rather than "extending life as far as possible no matter what the quality." But then in school we also learned to cook, sew (attach a button, repair a hole), use a saw and plane etc and it was "usual" when I was a child to have a stock of candles and matches on hand in case the power went off (maybe a legacy of the 3-day week?).

If we had a proper nasty event which hit supply chains and power hard, there's many who would struggle to cope with basics unless they had their phone and could call someone in to sort it.

COVID has taught much about what we are really like as a society and there's bits of social life we really should be improving (the divide between rich & poor, the slavish dependance on authority, the virtue signalling and the snitching all come to mind).

TPO

 

[kristiang85]

I think that will be interesting on all forms of public transport. What I need to sit next to someone. .

This is what worries me - when things start going back to normal, if one sits on an empty seat next to someone on the train, there will be people who object to somebody sitting next to them and cause a scene. This is going to be difficult to manage for train staff.

 

[Freightmaster]

COVID has taught much about what we are really like as a society and there's bits of social life we really should be improving (the divide between rich & poor, the slavish dependence on authority, the virtue signalling and the snitching all come to mind).

This.

The past twelve months have been an absolute eyeopener for me as to how easy it is to brainwash/'gaslight' the
gullible general public into a state of unquestioning, cult-like obedience irrespective of the actual facts/risks...

To be honest it feels like the Emperor's New Clothes - and I'm one of only a tiny minority who can see that
the king is in the altogether!




MARK

 

[Mathew S]

Personally, I will most likely be continuing to wear a mask (in certain situations) for a fair while yet. At a guess, maybe until Spring 2022, in supermarkets, on the train, etc. By then, we’ll have had one more winter and hopefully be more certain about where we stand with Covid on an ongoing basis.

It’s my decision to wear a mask in that way, obviously, and once any legal obligation is removed, people are free to do as they choose, but there are a number of reasons why I think that’s the decision I will make:

• I’ve lived and worked in a city where, certainly for the last 10 years, mask wearing has been relatively common anyway. There’s a huge population of Chinese / Japanese / South-East Asian students in Manchester, and pre-pandemic it would have been exceptionally unusual for me not to see people wearing masks on the way to/from work, for example. So, I don’t feel any social reason not to wear one.
  
  
• I don’t trust other people either a) to stay at home if they’re unwell and not share whatever they’ve got with me, or b) to stay a suitable distance away from me if that’s not possible. I’m not just talking about Covid, here, I know I’ve caught things from people on trains, in meetings, etc. before the pandemic and, if I’ve got a mechanism to reduce the likelihood of that happening again, why not use it.
  
  
• Bolton, which is on my doorstep, has the highest infection rate in the country, largely down to a variant of the Covid virus that we don’t fully understand yet. So, even though I’m fully vaccinated, I’d prefer to play it safe and not put myself at any greater risk than I need to.

I make a distinction between my wearing an FFP2 or similar mask in situations where I feel at risk and wearing a basic surgical mask or cloth mask in, for example, the office. The first is about protecting myself and is what I will likely keep doing. The second is about us all protecting each other and, once case rates are low enough in all areas, hopefully a decision can be made to reduce where masks are legally required, eliminating the requirement altogether over time. It might be sensible, for example, to continue to mandate mask wearing in hospitals for some period of time after it’s been decided it’s not needed in Tesco.

Your points, @TPO, about reasonable adjustments, people learning basic skills, and only going to A&E when it is genuinely an emergency; I couldn’t agree more. I’ve had the misfortune to experience three different A&E departments since last March, and the difference it makes when people are properly triaged, so they only end up in A&E if they really need it, is massive. I’ve nothing but praise for the system of phoning 111 and getting a call back from A&E with a time to come in, rather than hanging around in the waiting room for hours on end. I really hope that continues for a long time to come.

This is what worries me - when things start going back to normal, if one sits on an empty seat next to someone on the train, there will be people who object to somebody sitting next to them and cause a scene. This is going to be difficult to manage for train staff.

Me, if I'm honest. Will I actively do anything about it? I might move to another seat I guess, if there is one. Otherwise, most likely I'll just get off the train and wait for one less crowded. But yeah, as things stand right now, if someone were to sit next to me on the train, I'd be very unhappy about it. (Assuming I didn't live with them, etc. etc.)

 

[kristiang85]

Me, if I'm honest. Will I actively do anything about it? I might move to another seat I guess, if there is one. Otherwise, most likely I'll just get off the train and wait for one less crowded. But yeah, as things stand right now, if someone were to sit next to me on the train, I'd be very unhappy about it. (Assuming I didn't live with them, etc. etc.)

Could I ask why? (I'm not criticising your feelings on this, I'm just genuinely interested). Were you worried about keeping distance from people pre COVID? And, if not, why would you not feel comfortable with someone who isn't showing any kind of symptoms sitting next to you at a time when you are fully vaccinated, they are most likely to be vaccinated too, and rates are low? (Obviously if they are coughing and spluttering I very much understand, as I'd probably move too, as I would have done pre-2020!)

I really feel a government and media campaign, highlighting how small the risk will be in a society where most are vaccinated and numbers are stubbornly low, to help people feel safe again would be really beneficial.

 

[WelshBluebird]

This is what worries me - when things start going back to normal, if one sits on an empty seat next to someone on the train, there will be people who object to somebody sitting next to them and cause a scene. This is going to be difficult to manage for train staff.

Maybe I am just an antisocial b*****d anyway (I can be, I know!), but even pre covid if there are spare double seats in the carriage I always found it pretty rude if someone jumps right onto a seat next to someone when that isn't necessary.
Of course, there are caveats (reservations, needing a plug socket etc) and we are not entitled to that extra space anyway, but it just felt a bit rude to me if there was other space that could be used. I wouldn't have moved or complained or expected that person to move or anything, but it felt to me similar to the long and widely held tradition in mens bathrooms of not using the urinal right next to someone if you can avoid it!

 

[kristiang85]

Maybe I am just an antisocial b*****d anyway (I can be, I know!), but even pre covid if there are spare double seats in the carriage I always found it pretty rude if someone jumps right onto a seat next to someone when that isn't necessary.
Of course, there are caveats (reservations, needing a plug socket etc) and we are not entitled to that extra space anyway, but it just felt a bit rude to me if there was other space that could be used. I wouldn't have moved or complained or expected that person to move or anything, but it felt to me similar to the long and widely held tradition in mens bathrooms of not using the urinal right next to someone if you can avoid it!

Oh yes absolutely - but I'm imaginging a mostly crowded carriage iwth only a few spare seats, as was common 'in the old days'. If your scenario is what Mathew meant, then I totally get that - I would be the same! (assuming none of the caveats you mention)

 

[Failed Unit]

I agree I wouldn’t choose to sit next to anyone if empty double seats exist even before COVID. i don’t think we will see crush loading in normal service for a while. But that wouldn’t bother me.

walking around a corner I crossed paths with someone wearing a mask (outdoors). I may as well have had a knife in my hand with his reaction. I felt sorry for him that he is that scared of getting close to people outdoors.

 

[philosopher]

Personally, I will most likely be continuing to wear a mask (in certain situations) for a fair while yet. At a guess, maybe until Spring 2022, in supermarkets, on the train, etc. By then, we’ll have had one more winter and hopefully be more certain about where we stand with Covid on an ongoing basis.

It’s my decision to wear a mask in that way, obviously, and once any legal obligation is removed, people are free to do as they choose, but there are a number of reasons why I think that’s the decision I will make:

• I’ve lived and worked in a city where, certainly for the last 10 years, mask wearing has been relatively common anyway. There’s a huge population of Chinese / Japanese / South-East Asian students in Manchester, and pre-pandemic it would have been exceptionally unusual for me not to see people wearing masks on the way to/from work, for example. So, I don’t feel any social reason not to wear one.
  
  
• I don’t trust other people either a) to stay at home if they’re unwell and not share whatever they’ve got with me, or b) to stay a suitable distance away from me if that’s not possible. I’m not just talking about Covid, here, I know I’ve caught things from people on trains, in meetings, etc. before the pandemic and, if I’ve got a mechanism to reduce the likelihood of that happening again, why not use it.
  
  
• Bolton, which is on my doorstep, has the highest infection rate in the country, largely down to a variant of the Covid virus that we don’t fully understand yet. So, even though I’m fully vaccinated, I’d prefer to play it safe and not put myself at any greater risk than I need to.

I make a distinction between my wearing an FFP2 or similar mask in situations where I feel at risk and wearing a basic surgical mask or cloth mask in, for example, the office. The first is about protecting myself and is what I will likely keep doing. The second is about us all protecting each other and, once case rates are low enough in all areas, hopefully a decision can be made to reduce where masks are legally required, eliminating the requirement altogether over time. It might be sensible, for example, to continue to mandate mask wearing in hospitals for some period of time after it’s been decided it’s not needed in Tesco.

Pre Covid in London, mask wearing, other than cyclists who wore one presumly to protect themselves against airbourne pollutants, was almost completely absent. You did occasionally come across the odd person wearing one on the tube, but that was very rare. Anyone wearing one would have probably felt out of place, which is perhaps why it was so unusual.

 

[Mathew S]

Could I ask why? (I'm not criticising your feelings on this, I'm just genuinely interested). Were you worried about keeping distance from people pre COVID? And, if not, why would you not feel comfortable with someone who isn't showing any kind of symptoms sitting next to you at a time when you are fully vaccinated, they are most likely to be vaccinated too, and rates are low? (Obviously if they are coughing and spluttering I very much understand, as I'd probably move too, as I would have done pre-2020!)

I really feel a government and media campaign, highlighting how small the risk will be in a society where most are vaccinated and numbers are stubbornly low, to help people feel safe again would be really beneficial.

No problem, they're reasonable questions. A few reasons, I guess. I've been vaccinated, but no vaccine is 100% effective and I don't know the vaccination status of the other person. I've had a very close friend lose both parents to Covid around this time last year, and another friend become very seriously unwell with it (been in hospital since Christmas) so that's made me a lot more cautious. I also had it myself. All of which has undoubtedly coloured my judgement.

In time, I've no doubt I'll be happy to get back to how things were pre-pandemic, but the key is going to be time, measured most probably in several months. It would definitely help to see the rail industry doing things to give me confidence it's safe to travel. E.g., continuing with enhanced cleaning, trying to provide space for social distancing where possible (I know that's not easy once passenger numbers start to increase again, but a little effort goes a long way in providing reassurance), and offering some additional flexibility in ticketing so that, where crowding is an issue, people can make the choices that feel safe for them even if, to some, those choices seem over-cautious.

I’ve no way of knowing, of course, but I would imagine there’s plenty of people who feel similarly to me, for all sorts of reasons. Which I guess is by way of saying I agree that a campaign is a good idea. For it to be effective for me, it would need to be distanced from the government, because I don’t trust them to provide accurate information about risk. A rail industry campaign would be more effective, or something led by experts (e.g., Chris Whitty).

Pre-2020, yes, I would keep my distance from people, but only because I agree with @WelshBluebird and yourself.

Pre Covid in London, mask wearing, other than cyclists who wore one presumly to protect themselves against airbourne pollutants, was almost completely absent. You did occasionally come across the odd person wearing one on the tube, but that was very rare. Anyone wearing one would have probably felt out of place, which is perhaps why it was so unusual.

Indeed, if I think back to visits to London pre-Covid that is absolutely true. All I can say is Manchester is very different, so that's not been my experience. Just goes to show how much of a difference where you live can make, I guess.

 

[kristiang85]

No problem, they're reasonable questions. A few reasons, I guess. I've been vaccinated, but no vaccine is 100% effective and I don't know the vaccination status of the other person. I've had a very close friend lose both parents to Covid around this time last year, and another friend become very seriously unwell with it (been in hospital since Christmas) so that's made me a lot more cautious. I also had it myself. All of which has undoubtedly coloured my judgement.

In time, I've no doubt I'll be happy to get back to how things were pre-pandemic, but the key is going to be time, measured most probably in several months. It would definitely help to see the rail industry doing things to give me confidence it's safe to travel. E.g., continuing with enhanced cleaning, trying to provide space for social distancing where possible (I know that's not easy once passenger numbers start to increase again, but a little effort goes a long way in providing reassurance), and offering some additional flexibility in ticketing so that, where crowding is an issue, people can make the choices that feel safe for them even if, to some, those choices seem over-cautious.

I’ve no way of knowing, of course, but I would imagine there’s plenty of people who feel similarly to me, for all sorts of reasons. Which I guess is by way of saying I agree that a campaign is a good idea. For it to be effective for me, it would need to be distanced from the government, because I don’t trust them to provide accurate information about risk. A rail industry campaign would be more effective, or something led by experts (e.g., Chris Whitty).

Pre-2020, yes, I would keep my distance from people, but only because I agree with @WelshBluebird and yourself.

Thanks for the response - that is interesting and understandable to see your viewpoint. And I'm really sorry to hear about your friends; that sounds awful.

Definitely I agree that changes to ticketing are needed to allow for more flexibility (and I do think peak fares need to be looked at, as clearly now they are likely to be the emptiest trains as commuters will probably stay part time users but leisure travel rockets as people make up for lost time). The regular cleaning regimes are something that must stay; British trains were an embarassment at times, especially compared to many other services I've used abroad, and it will do no harm to keep up the new routines.

I agree that an industry-led campaign would be preferable; though it's interesting that you wouldn't trust the government but you would trust Whitty - I see them as one and the same after the past year. Maybe "JVT" would be a more appropriate figurehead of any campaign; he definitely seems a bit more measured than many of his colleagues. But, then again, so many people do seem to blindly trust the govermnent that they should run a 'be confident' campaign themselves.

 

[Mathew S]

Thanks for the response - that is interesting and understandable to see your viewpoint. And I'm really sorry to hear about your friends; that sounds awful.

Definitely I agree that changes to ticketing are needed to allow for more flexibility (and I do think peak fares need to be looked at, as clearly now they are likely to be the emptiest trains as commuters will probably stay part time users but leisure travel rockets as people make up for lost time). The regular cleaning regimes are something that must stay; British trains were an embarassment at times, especially compared to many other services I've used abroad, and it will do no harm to keep up the new routines.

I agree that an industry-led campaign would be preferable; though it's interesting that you wouldn't trust the government but you would trust Whitty - I see them as one and the same after the past year. Maybe "JVT" would be a more appropriate figurehead of any campaign; he definitely seems a bit more measured than many of his colleagues. But, then again, so many people do seem to blindly trust the govermnent that they should run a 'be confident' campaign themselves.

I'd forgotten about JVT, I agree he would be a good choice.

 

[greyman42]

Personally, I will most likely be continuing to wear a mask (in certain situations) for a fair while yet. At a guess, maybe until Spring 2022, in supermarkets, on the train, etc. By then, we’ll have had one more winter and hopefully be more certain about where we stand with Covid on an ongoing basis.

I am fine with you wearing a mask but to ask the obvious question, why do you wish to? The obvious answer is because you fear catching covid, but for over 99.9% of the population, it will do you no lasting harm. I speak as someone who had covid, and while it was unpleasant for about a week, it has done me no lasting harm.

 

[Darandio]

I am fine with you wearing a mask but to ask the obvious question, why do you wish to? The obvious answer is because you fear catching covid, but for over 99.9% of the population, it will do you no lasting harm. I speak as someone who had covid, and while it was unpleasant for about a week, it has done me no lasting harm.

Mathew has also had it, see below from a later post.

No problem, they're reasonable questions. A few reasons, I guess. I've been vaccinated, but no vaccine is 100% effective and I don't know the vaccination status of the other person. I've had a very close friend lose both parents to Covid around this time last year, and another friend become very seriously unwell with it (been in hospital since Christmas) so that's made me a lot more cautious. I also had it myself. All of which has undoubtedly coloured my judgement.

 

[Bikeman78]

This is what worries me - when things start going back to normal, if one sits on an empty seat next to someone on the train, there will be people who object to somebody sitting next to them and cause a scene. This is going to be difficult to manage for train staff.

I've had people sit next to me on a few trains. The world didn't end. People just got on with it.

 

[Yew]

So, even though I’m fully vaccinated, I’d prefer to play it safe and not put myself at any greater risk than I need to.

What about the risk of our mask slipping over your eyes, obscuring your visions and causing you to trip and break your neck. With vaccines and the generally low prevalence of the virus, and clear evidence that masks do not protect the wearer, it's probably more likely.

 

[Cowley]

What about the risk of our mask slipping over your eyes, obscuring your visions and causing you to trip and break your neck. With vaccines and the generally low prevalence of the virus, and clear evidence that masks do not protect the wearer, it's probably more likely.

We know someone (I won’t name names) who when walking into the entrance of a well known preserved railway last year, realised he hadn’t put his mask on and while struggling to do it one handed, tripped over the ‘Please wear a mask’ sign and threw his full cup of coffee over a passing (not best pleased) lady...