Talking about masks.......

[missy]

YES! Masks also mean lack of conversation. And in the grocery store, it use to be families shopping. Parents with kids, couples etc. Now I find it is mostly people shopping alone.

I miss shopping with my teenagers. I shop alone now.

As I was on my weekly grocery store trip yesterday, I kept thinking of Hulu's Handmaids Tale, the scenes in DC. Everyone muzzled by their masks, shopping quickly to get out of the store. Avoiding eye contact, fear and distrust in the air. Worried eyes. Occasional eye contact. Even if someone smiles at you, it is very difficult to tell. The grocery store just seems so surreal now. It is a bit creepy.

I thought of this series/book too. You're right. There are similarities.

However, I do chat still despite the mask and it is harder but I persevere lol. We still strike up conversations keeping at least 6 feet away if not more. Usually with people with dogs where I admire their pup (without touching them sadly-I miss that). And I try making eye contact with people and smiling with my eyes. IDK there are ways to make it work and while it is not the same it is something. But I agree. It is eerie at times.

 

[missy]

I wear a mask whenever I will be around people - so generally just the grocery and liquor store. I got ID'd at the liquor store one time trying to buy stuff with a mask on I hadn't even thought kids may try to sneak in using masks!

LOL yeah I didn't even think of that either. My dh goes to Costco occasionally during the 60 yo plus age range time. He is over 60. He mainly goes during the "regular" time but sometimes he goes the hour reserved for those over 60. And every single time they stop him and say sir it's for the over 60 people. And Greg says he is and they are like wow and let him in. But he's wearing a mask so what are they going by? I mean I don't think it's flattering with a mask on if you kwim. LOL.

 

[lyra]

I'm much more freaked out by people who are NOT wearing a mask. I had to leave the house recently to go to the pharmacy and I was very mentally judgemental. I get issued the blue mask every time I do an infusion, it's nice to have those, but I also got masks from Etsy that I'm totally fine with wearing. I prefer to see people covered, period. Edit: only drawback is no one can hear me speak apparently. I don't have a loud voice.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Are people allowed to wear a mask inside a bank?

 

[Karl_K]

Are people allowed to wear a mask inside a bank?

If the bank lobby was open it would be against the law to wear a mask and against the law not to wear one LOL
All the banks here are drive thru only right now.

 

[caf]

I was talking to a neurologist today who has two practice locations. He said at one of his locations, a conservative, more Trump supporting community, patients are not wearing masks. At his city, more diverse community location, patients are all wearing masks. It was an interesting observation. He was amazed that any patients would be out without masks and particularly coming in to a medical office.

 

[marymm]

I wear a mask everywhere and like others who posted, I freak about more about those not wearing masks ...

Also I find doing errands while wearing the mask is far more tiring; I feel like I can't take a real breath until I get home and remove the mask.

And, since I am wearing the mask, I'm only wearing chapstick to keep my lips moisturized - I miss wearing lip color - I don't feel like I look like myself.

 

[1ofakind]

I wear a mask when out and while I don’t think it’s creepy it does seem to make everything so very impersonal. It also makes me feel claustrophobic and unable to breath. I’m making myself a single layer mask as we don’t have any community spread here but it’s required at many stores now. A lightweight linen should be very breathable.

 

[1ofakind]

I was talking to a neurologist today who has two practice locations. He said at one of his locations, a conservative, more Trump supporting community, patients are not wearing masks. At his city, more diverse community location, patients are all wearing masks. It was an interesting observation. He was amazed that any patients would be out without masks and particularly coming in to a medical office.

He doesn’t require patients to wear masks?

 

[missy]

Also I find doing errands while wearing the mask is far more tiring; I feel like I can't take a real breath until I get home and remove the mask.

This is the hardest thing for my sister who is working and has to wear a mask. For 9 hours minus a 30 minute lunch break she takes in her car to eat lunch and then go right back to work. It's hard to breathe all day and by the time she gets home she is absolutely exhausted. I feel for all the essential workers who have to wear a mask every day all day. It is exhausting on many levels.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

My neighbor who 3D printed masks for us actually had someone in a store tell him his mask is too severe and scary and that he shouldn't be wearing it. I told him he should have told the guy it would be more severe and scary if he didn't have one on.

He has this mask but painted black. I have to say it's pretty comfortable and has a spot inside to hold a filter, we just leave them in the car for when we go out.

 

[caf]

He doesn’t require patients to wear masks?

He does. But enforcing it is another story - Particularly here in Colorado. Denver requires masks...other counties/cities not a requirement in all places. He takes temperatures and he and his staff are gloved and masked up. Also patient appointments are staggered. But I’m not sure under Colorado law that he can refuse to treat someone who won’t wear a mask.

 

[Gussie]

I am still in NW Arkansas and I go to two different towns for shopping. One is more progressive and almost everyone has on a mask. The other is in "banjo land" as @Arcadian calls it . Not a mask in sight except for the people working in the store. Note there are only 2 cases in the county though.

As for my mask wearing, I feel horribly clumsy in it. I think that seeing it on my nose bridge hinders my eyesight! I knocked over a display in Wal-Mart the other day!!!!

And here's my take on it - come 100° summer heat, we are really going to be able to separate the women from the girls when it comes to shopping!

 

[prs]

We live in California redneck country, it's just mind blowing the number of people who don't wear masks, even in the grocery stores. Don't they realize they are putting everyone else's life in danger!

I know part of the GOP message is "herd immunity", and I do my best to immediately dismiss unkind thoughts, but when I see these people, the idea this virus might do some "herd thinning" of the most stupid among us, just crosses my mind for a fleeting second.

 

[missy]

We live in California redneck country, it's just mind blowing the number of people who don't wear masks, even in the grocery stores. Don't they realize they are putting everyone else's life in danger!

I know part of the GOP message is "herd immunity", and I do my best to immediately dismiss unkind thoughts, but when I see these people, the idea this virus might do some "herd thinning" of the most stupid among us, just crosses my mind for a fleeting second.

The problem is, as I see it, that instead of taking care of the most selfish and ignorant among us it will just take out those who are the smartest continuing the "dumbing down" of our country.

Hoping I am wrong.


Just thankful that so far, in NJ, one must wear masks inside the stores.

 

[Jambalaya]

Frankly I'm creeped out when someone at the food store is not wearing a mask, or have it pulled down so their nose and/or mouth are exposed.

This. So this.

 

[OboeGal]

@OboeGal what is wrong with (some) people? Would you mind sharing the area in which you live even if you just name the state? NYers near us are for the most part wearing masks. Not all but I would say close to 75-80% in our area. But I can only speak for our area of Brooklyn which is diversely populated so perhaps it can be extrapolated to other neighborhoods in Brooklyn. But at the Jersey Shore 90% are NOT wearing masks. SMH. Driving my DH crazy as I keep whinging about the people who aren't wearing masks.

Mainly I am frustrated with our Governors who must have the power to definitively state (vs strongly recommend) one must wear masks. OK they don't have the manpower to enforce it but at least make it an order.

I'm sorry - I wrote a reply that somehow never made it here! I live in southwestern Ohio, in a small town that is a suburb of Dayton, and is near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. My dentist was just on the outskirts of Dayton, so I was passing through a more affluent suburb to get there.

My town is unfortunately hard-core on the anti-intellectual, "taking pride in ignorance", and science-denying train. The only reason, frankly, that DH and I still live here is that we are living in the house that my parents bought just before I was born, which I inherited, and which we poured a ton of money and effort into renovating extensively to our tastes. It's not really done yet, either, although we're creeping slowly closer to that. We just adore the house, though, and after all this work on it, the idea of leaving it is heartbreaking.

 

[OboeGal]

In my town it has become a political affiliation marker:/ It's dividing houses around here. This town is one of the reddish dots in a sea of blue county. We have a majority more aged population. Most of my tiny town insists on being defiant. There is a lot of hoax/it's overblown talk! STILL!
It's scary for us.
One local corner store almost no one does- ever- not even the people inside. It's always packed. The other up the street has masks and bleach spray at the ready and limits of four customers at a time. If I need some gas, I go up the street.
Most people in the surrounding areas wear them religiously and practice appropriate hygiene. We will continue to do so, as well.

You have my sympathies - this sounds so much like my town, with the deliberate defiance/hoax/"it's overblown" stuff. I've gotten some harassment a few times now when out walking my dog. Today and on prior occasions, I've come along to find adults or kids congregated in the street, completely blocking the way, and when I stop and ask for space so that I can pass through while maintaining adequate distance, they refuse and I get flipped off or verbal harassment or people pretending to come at me coughing - including the parents of the children. Yesterday a neighbor with whom I've had friendly, albeit brief, interactions in the past saw me walking my dog in a mask and made a point of coming within about three feet of me and then coughing and hacking a bunch. This is in a county with almost 120 cases and with the numbers rising rapidly. Unfortunately, the whole county and a lot of the surrounding ones are the same way.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I posted this in another thread but it belongs here too.

Also in the hospital I’m at, if patients enter and refuse to put on a mask...well unless they’re in critical condition or have a valid medical reason not to wear one, they don’t get to come into and increase the risk level for staff and other patients just because of their personal preference. We can be insistent on this though since we are a hospital setting with a security team who will happily scowl at people to persuade them to comply with hospital policy. Private practices I’m sure have a harder time.

If I were a private practice/business owner I’d split my waiting room/dining room/cashier lines and have all the non mask wearers in one area and mask wearers in another that’s 6 feet apart from them. Don’t want to wear a mask? Cool, you can hang with the other people who don’t want to wear one since you have all decided you’re ok with that risk. Like having a smoking and non smoking section lol. Id prefer all places be able to safely enforce all people wear them, but in areas where local government won’t mandate this and you’re worried about backlash or ethical ramifications at turning people away entirely, this might be a reasonable compromise. Just cohort non maskers together like we do in for the covid+ patients in hospitals.

 

[Matata]

Yesterday a neighbor with whom I've had friendly, albeit brief, interactions in the past saw me walking my dog in a mask and made a point of coming within about three feet of me and then coughing and hacking a bunch.

This is why I carry pepper spray with a green dye in it. If someone approaches me and does the coughing/sneezing thing, I consider it assault and will pepper spray them and the police can easily identify them by the green dye which isn't easy to wash off. I won't tolerate that kind of stupidity.

 

[DiaDiva]

Where I am, it's currently mandatory for everyone to wear a mask so long as they are out of the house. I would freak out if they didn't wear one. Culprits who don't will get fined $300 for the first offence. I'm in Singapore btw.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Where I am, it's currently mandatory for everyone to wear a mask so long as they are out of the house. I would freak out if they didn't wear one. Culprits who don't will get fined $300 for the first offence. I'm in Singapore btw.

If Singapore is anything like China, the fee is almost irrelevant. You will get glared, yelled at, and publically shamed for not wearing a mask. They will go tell your mom what a terrible selfish person you are. The public support behind mask wearing is immense and the peer pressure alone gets most to conform. If you’re in China without a mask you’re basically treated like a leper. Well, I should say Beijing as that’s where my family is. China is big, areas may differ. As a whole though, wearing a mask was pretty common even before covid.

 

[OboeGal]

This is why I carry pepper spray with a green dye in it. If someone approaches me and does the coughing/sneezing thing, I consider it assault and will pepper spray them and the police can easily identify them by the green dye which isn't easy to wash off. I won't tolerate that kind of stupidity.

Yup! I'd already been planning to order pepper spray; that will go on today's to-do list.

 

[JPie]

I’d like to start coordinating my mask with my outfits. This is the President of Slovakia showing how it’s done. They’re both wearing gloves as well:

 

[OboeGal]

I’d like to start coordinating my mask with my outfits. This is the President of Slovakia showing how it’s done. They’re both wearing gloves as well:

Nice. The only thing that would make this better for me would be for them to stay further apart and do a "namaste" bow.

 

[SandyinAnaheim]

I know part of the GOP message is "herd immunity", and I do my best to immediately dismiss unkind thoughts, but when I see these people, the idea this virus might do some "herd thinning" of the most stupid among us, just crosses my mind for a fleeting second.

Why is that considered such a bad thing, and not just of the stupid? I think "herd thinning" has been in order for decades. I find it hypocritical that so many "care" about COVID fatalities in the moment, yet don't GAFF about the hundreds of thousands that die every year due to starvation, religious skirmishes, tsunamis, etc. Is COVID different only because it might impact YOU?