A week or so ago, I talked about the new PA requirement for masks even outdoors "when social distancing is not possible," and when I questioned the need for them in situations such as walking for exercise and passing through a relatively empty parking lot, I got some pretty fierce pushback--not here directly, but on Facebook.
There were folks who said things like "you never know when someone might get out of their car within six feet of you, or turn a corner and be too close." When I said, in my experience, those instances have been few and far between....and well able to be handled in the moment...I was accused of not caring enough. There were even those who said they put a mask on anytime they walked out the door, even for something like walking the length of their own driveway to pick up the mail or bring in the trash cans.
To me, that's virtue signaling: "I'm better than you are because I'm more cautious than you are." To me, that attitude--brought to its logical conclusion--would have us all living in hermetically sealed bubbles. "I put a mask on before I open the door when the bell rings." That way lies madness.
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3 comments:
I disagree. Covid-19 is a very serious threat and no one knows who is going to get a mild case and who is going to wind up in hospital for months. People are cautious and afraid. Wearing a mask, even when not strictly necessary, may be a form of comfort. People pray and in my mind that is useless, but it gives comfort. I wouldn't belittle what gives comfort in these stressful times.
I wear a mask when I take Bel for a walk in the cemetery. I don't know when I will pass people and even tho it has been said that such short exposure will not pass the virus I am unwilling to take that risk when all I have to do to reduce risk is wear a mask. Since I go out infrequently the times I do are opportunities to get used to wearing one. And it is just easier to wear the mask than to have to watch all around me and be on guard to take evasive action.
I also put a mask on before opening the door. I don't know who is there, where they have been, or if they are wearing a mask. And they don't know where I have been. To me it is sensible caution and consideration.
Consideration. As social beings we frequently do things that are not necessary just because they are the considerate thing to do: holding a door, letting some one with 2 items go ahead of you in a check out line when you have a cart full. Wearing a mask is another form of being socially considerate.
My problem is not with what you are anyone else sees as their comfort level; my problem is when they insist my comfort level should be the same as theirs. Yes, when confronted with another human being, I will either don my mask or step aside to maintain a six-foot distance. But when the nearest person is on the other side of a four-lane road, or a car-width away (most cars these days are at least six feet wide), I see no reason to.
Back in the winter and spring, having the mask on outdoors didn't bother me. But now, in the heat and humidity of July, I have found it to be very uncomfortable for more than a few minutes. It's why I wouldn't even think of going anywhere like an amusement park where I'd have to wear it for hours without a break. It's why I limit my shopping to 20 or 30 minutes in the store.
I agree, they do get uncomfortable in the heat & humidity. I have found the disposable ones to be less uncomfortable in warmer weather and/or longer duration than the cotton ones. I will continue to wear them at all times in hopes of building up to the point where I don't notice them. Of course, as someone pointed out, it may be like wearing a bra: it annoys you all day and as soon as you walk through your door at home you rip the thing off.
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