What are your observations of face coverings wearing on public transport?

[YorksDMU]

Well, today I travelled from Beverley to York by Northern and as far as I could see it was about 99% compliance with the wearing of face coverings.

 

[yorkie]

Well, today I travelled from Beverley to York by Northern and as far as I could see it was about 99% compliance with the wearing of face coverings.

99% compliance with the rules or 99% wearing masks? (I'd say 90% of people wearing masks is likely to indicate 100% compliance with the rules, as a very rough estimate)

Either way I'd certainly agree that trains serving York do seem to have very high levels of compliance based on my observations.

 

[YorksDMU]

99% compliance with the rules, I’d say. The guard was announcing that coverings must be worn at all times on the trains and stations, unless there is a medical exception.

 

[bramling]

Depends on whether you’ve bothered to wear one in the first place !!!

I haven’t worn one at all thusfar, and have experienced no issues apart from perhaps the odd dirty look, returned in kind.

I was ready for issues going into Euston LU this afternoon, but again nothing said.

Compliance appears marginally up this week, which is perhaps to be expected with the cooler weather. However a massive issue remains with people wearing them round their necks and/or fiddling with them - both good reasons why we shouldn’t have this nonsense in the first place. BTP are not interested, and who can blame them? They’re no doubt as sick of the politicians as the rest of us.

 

[MikeWM]

99% compliance with the rules, I’d say. The guard was announcing that coverings must be worn at all times on the trains and stations, unless there is a medical exception.

Were there that many people on the train? Good to hear of such decent loadings if so; I can't say I've seen anything like 100 people on a train in months :-/

 

[YorksDMU]

It was all seats full, a class 170, between Beverley and Hull. But Hull to York, in a two car 155 was disappointing, at just four other passengers in addition to myself.

 

[island]

I went into central London yesterday for the first time since March.

The train in had about 60% of passengers wearing face coverings. The train back (which was in rush hour) had all but one passenger I saw doing so.

There were close on 20 rent-a-guards in pink hi vis at the entrances to and ambling around Charing Cross NR station. I expected I was going to be challenged upon approaching the entrance not wearing a face covering – it is of course not a legal requirement until one is boarding the train – but all that happened was one of them mumbled something I could not hear and I got on with my day.

 

[DB]

It was all seats full, a class 170, between Beverley and Hull. But Hull to York, in a two car 155 was disappointing, at just four other passengers in addition to myself.

Was that all actual seats, or all which Northern were allowing to be used?

 

[Enthusiast]

The guard was announcing that coverings must be worn at all times on the trains and stations, unless there is a medical exception.

Which of course demonstrates why many people are sick to the teeth of being told what to do, especially when it consists of misleading information. There are seven "reasonable excuses" for not wearing a face covering listed in the legislation. Five of them are not medically related.

 

[YorksDMU]

Was that all actual seats, or all which Northern were allowing to be used?

It was just the seats Northern permit you to use. I’m hoping, before much longer, we may get either an increase in seats that can be used or more trains running to make up the shortfall of seats. But I’m not holding my breath that either will happen with it being Northern.

 

[Trainfan2019]

Update...I'm now observing that it's the same passengers who regularly travel without wearing masks. Nothing is said to them.

 

[Peter Sarf]

In terms of observations I have seen about 25% not wearing a mask. My best observation was a young lady who was boasting about using a child ticket and how she was usually believed when she said she was fifteen. She said she even said thirteen by mistake once. She went on to say she never pays the fines. I then noticed she was not wearing a mask. Funnily enough all those travelling with her were wearing a mask. She might have had good reason not to wear a mask but I think it unlikely she would be believed.

 

[bramling]

My observations today remain similar to the last two days. A good number not wearing a mask, and a very large number or those wearing them are misusing them, either through having them round their neck, or touching them. Likewise many staff not wearing them, and pretty much no BTP.

 

[Iskra]

My observations today remain similar to the last two days. A good number not wearing a mask, and a very large number or those wearing them are misusing them, either through having them round their neck, or touching them. Likewise many staff not wearing them, and pretty much no BTP.

BTP are exempt.

I think people should just respect the rules and other people. If everyone does that there are no issues.

Interestingly, at my work some members of the general public are criticising some staff for wearing masks. Can’t win really, but people should respect personal preference.

Most passengers I’ve seen are still wearing masks (and 1 BTP was too today that I saw).

 

[Romsey]

Having travelled on SWR a couple of days recently, I would guess about 90% of passengers wore masks, but only about 70% so they covered both mouth and nose!
A practicality which may have been missed and explains why people fiddle with masks. The blue and white disposable masks don't align with the shape of a nose particularly well. They efficiently direct your breath across your glasses with a loss of vision! Not a great scenario trying to walk around a station littered with extra signs, sanitiser points and extra contractors trying to offer yet another squirt of sanitiser.

 

[greyman42]

Interestingly, at my work some members of the general public are criticising some staff for wearing masks. Can’t win really, but people should respect personal preference.

That would be great, especially on the train.

 

[fishquinn]

While exiting a major station earlier I was asked by a member of Network Rail staff if I had a mask but a quick "I've got a exemption for breathing problems" was completely fine and he thanked me. Then a bit closer to the station exit another Network Rail member of staff came up to me (well within 1m let alone 2, not that I cared about that but it just shows the hypocrisy) and immediately asked why I wasn't wearing a mask. I said I had asthma and he asked for a card to prove it (which neither myself nor anyone else I know has) and I told him that I didn't have one. He then asked for an inhaler, which I didn't have on me as it's not severe and an inhaler is very rarely needed. Once I'd said I had no inhaler the guy claimed "if you don't have a card or an inhaler then you don't have asthma". Still ranks as the most stupid statement I've heard all day (and he repeated it in a different way so what he meant was obvious). Anyway, he didn't want to back down so I just finished it by saying "you're completely incorrect but I need to get on with my day so goodbye", turned around and walked the rest of the way out the station without problems.

 

[Huntergreed]

While exiting a major station earlier I was asked by a member of Network Rail staff if I had a mask but a quick "I've got a exemption for breathing problems" was completely fine and he thanked me. Then a bit closer to the station exit another Network Rail member of staff came up to me (well within 1m let alone 2, not that I cared about that but it just shows the hypocrisy) and immediately asked why I wasn't wearing a mask. I said I had asthma and he asked for a card to prove it (which neither myself nor anyone else I know has) and I told him that I didn't have one. He then asked for an inhaler, which I didn't have on me as it's not severe and an inhaler is very rarely needed. Once I'd said I had no inhaler the guy claimed "if you don't have a card or an inhaler then you don't have asthma". Still ranks as the most stupid statement I've heard all day (and he repeated it in a different way so what he meant was obvious). Anyway, he didn't want to back down so I just finished it by saying "you're completely incorrect but I need to get on with my day so goodbye", turned around and walked the rest of the way out the station without problems.

You should report the person who said that. It's very disrespectful and there's no place for that type of comment (I have asthma and don't carry a card or inhaler), whether it be during a pandemic or not.

 

[fishquinn]

You should report the person who said that. It's very disrespectful and there's no place for that type of comment (I have asthma and don't carry a card or inhaler), whether it be during a pandemic or not.

I would but I honestly can't be arsed, he'll probably get "told" by some of the less pleasant locals passing through if he keeps it up anyway (this station serves some pretty nasty suburbs)

 

[route101]

There quite picky in Glasgow Central , some people get ,asked some dont .

 

[fishquinn]

There quite picky in Glasgow Central , some people get ,asked some dont .

Sounds like revenue protection in that regard, take the 'easy' ones and let the obvious people go

 

[johnnychips]

A guard on a train I was on today told three fifteen-year old lads they couldn’t get on the train as they hadn’t got masks. I would be 90% sure they were chancing it, but...if there had been a child protection issue, or something had happened to them later? He also told an about-20 year-old woman who got on at a further station that she should be wearing a mask, it has been two weeks now, and if he saw her on his train again he would report... unfortunately there was a noise then so I couldn’t hear what he said.

Any observations either way?

 

[johntea]

While exiting a major station earlier I was asked by a member of Network Rail staff if I had a mask

Why are they asking that? As far as I know in England it is only a requirement to wear a mask whilst travelling i.e. on a train rather than walking around a station!

As soon as I alight from a train at a Leeds in fact the mask is straight off, luckily I haven’t had any such lectures from any of the staff yet!

 

[Ianno87]

Why are they asking that? As far as I know in England it is only a requirement to wear a mask whilst travelling i.e. on a train rather than walking around a station!

As soon as I alight from a train at a Leeds in fact the mask is straight off, luckily I haven’t had any such lectures from any of the staff yet!

Greater Anglia's posters at Cambridge do request wearing masks on both trains and stations.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why?
On a station in particular, mask or no mask you aren't going to spread anything to anyone.

If I understood correctly, the person I was replying to hadn't worn one on the train either. Stations are indeed a bit moot.

 

[Enthusiast]

Greater Anglia's posters at Cambridge do request wearing masks on both trains and stations.

They can ask, but they cannot order. The legislation is quite clear - face coverings must be worn when boarding or on board the vehicle. The situation is different on TfL services. They have introduced a specific bylaw requiring coverings to be worn "end to end".

Yet again an example of organisations either deliberately or mistakenly (I know which I prefer) "gold plating" Coronavirus legislation and allowing their staff to harass their passengers. I have made a few train journeys since the face covering legislation was introduced. The only problem I have had was on one occasion when entering Charing Cross I was tersely told by a cove in a pink jacket "You should be wearing a mask" but I simply went to the platform. I carry a copy of the legislation in my pocket but quite honestly I cannot be bothered to argue the toss. I get extremely annoyed when I'm told to do things I know I do not have to do by people who don't know what they're talking about and I'll have difficulty holding my tongue.

 

[Bletchleyite]

A guard on a train I was on today told three fifteen-year old lads they couldn’t get on the train as they hadn’t got masks. I would be 90% sure they were chancing it, but...if there had been a child protection issue, or something had happened to them later?

15 year old lads are rather close to being adults. I would totally agree with the Guard's position. If it was the last train I might think otherwise. Are staff issued with masks to give out in such cases? Might help. I think we generally pander too much to "child protection" of that sort of young person - I'd personally revert to the old ways of chucking them off in the middle of nowhere, just as I would with a young (particularly male) adult who had somehow breached the conditions of carriage. A long walk (or having to cough up for a taxi or phone your parents for a lift which could be quite embarrassing) teaches a lesson and very rarely actually brings harm.

There are going to be very few asthmatics if any whose asthma is mild enough that there is no risk of an attack at all so an inhaler is not carried, who also cannot, as a result of asthma, wear a mask while seated on a train (or boarding one). And I say that as a mild asthmatic.

 

[johnnychips]

15 year old lads are rather close to being adults. I would totally agree with the Guard's position. If it was the last train I might think otherwise. Are staff issued with masks to give out in such cases? Might help. I think we generally pander too much to "child protection" of that sort of young person - I'd personally revert to the old ways of chucking them off in the middle of nowhere, just as I would with a young (particularly male) adult who had somehow breached the conditions of carriage. A long walk teaches a lesson and very rarely actually brings harm.

There are going to be very few asthmatics if any whose asthma is mild enough that there is no risk of an attack at all so an inhaler is not carried, who also cannot, as a result of asthma, wear a mask while seated on a train (or boarding one). And I say that as a mild asthmatic.

I think I would have asked ‘show me your ticket.’ If they had one, which I doubt, he could have told them to sit together in the far end of the train. With the lass, I would have asked if she had an exemption without asking what it was. You can see I’m on the guard’s side by not giving any details, but I worry he might lay himself exposed.

 

[bramling]

They can ask, but they cannot order. The legislation is quite clear - face coverings must be worn when boarding or on board the vehicle. The situation is different on TfL services. They have introduced a specific bylaw requiring coverings to be worn "end to end".

Yet again an example of organisations either deliberately or mistakenly (I know which I prefer) "gold plating" Coronavirus legislation and allowing their staff to harass their passengers. I have made a few train journeys since the face covering legislation was introduced. The only problem I have had was on one occasion when entering Charing Cross I was tersely told by a cove in a pink jacket "You should be wearing a mask" but I simply went to the platform. I carry a copy of the legislation in my pocket but quite honestly I cannot be bothered to argue the toss. I get extremely annoyed when I'm told to do things I know I do not have to do by people who don't know what they're talking about and I'll have difficulty holding my tongue.

To be fair my impression is very much that many staff aren’t overly happy about it either, and this is borne out by the numbers visibly not wearing them. And further to that I suspect that many of those who *do* wish to wear them and are genuinely fearful of contracting C19 are not going to go challenging people.

There are, however, certainly people (not specifically staff I should add, in fact on the contrary in most cases) who seem to now have taken it up as their role to go around passively-aggressively enforcing this off their own back, either through making twitter reports or in bolder cases by eyeballing people. I do wonder how long it will be before this results in something unpleasant happening.

This is what I’ve observed this week anyway in my neck of the woods.

 

[island]

They can ask, but they cannot order. The legislation is quite clear - face coverings must be worn when boarding or on board the vehicle. The situation is different on TfL services. They have introduced a specific bylaw requiring coverings to be worn "end to end".

TfL have not changed their byelaws, they have published a notice under byelaw 12.1 purporting to give a safety instruction.