Do you wear a face covering when going out in public during the COVID-19 pandemic?

I do when I go into a store, etc.  But not walking down the street.  Maybe I should have answered yes.

Mine is also a slightly qualified yes, as it kind of depends on how you define "public".

At work I'm required to wear a mask anytime I'm within 2 metres of patients or staff, which is pretty much any time I'm not alone in my office. I also wear a mask anytime I'm out and about walking down the street, in a store, etc. I don't wear a mask when I'm out running or cycling, since (a) I'm never very close to others and (b) the risk of transmission outdoors is tiny, unless you're in a crowd, which I am not. I did participate in a protest and did wear a mask then, but also spent the whole time walking around the perimeter of the crowd so that I was never close to any specific person for more than a few seconds. The rate of mask wearing out in public enclosed places is very high where I live.

cdthomas1981 said:

Matts3221 said:

Also are we just doomed to always repeat history , if you look up anything from the 1918 flu world epidemic , that had people fighting against wearing mask. Saying their liberty was being taken away or the government was going too far. A frontline doc on the issue said around 50% of deaths could have been avoided had everyone worn face coverings.

Yet 102 years latter we are arguing over masks.

I would just like to also say I don't think anyone is taking about someone taking a hike or walk by themselves in woods or outside not around anyone else.

If you are out in public walking down a busy street in the city with other people on it , shopping of any kind and going into any business wear a mask for gods sake. 

Anything less is showing your true moral character , you don't know if you are an A-symptomatic carrier , so you could be savings someone else.

I feel like when they first said seatbelts had to be used by law I bet idiots argued it was their right to die in a car accident.

I would agree about being in a secluded area distanced from other people.  At least have something with you to put on, in case you do end up in a populated area. 

Your analogy about the seat belt doesn't completely parallel this though.  You are only risking your well-being by not wearing a seat belt.  There is the chance you could risk others health by not covering your face around others.

There are larger implications for not wearing a seatbelt other than just harm to yourself. If there is anyone else in the car with you, you can become a projectile and harm others. Plus there are the costs to others like your family and the health care system when others have to deal with the consequences of the idiotic decision, like providing lifelong care if you are brain injured, paraplegic or the like. And yet some people still do cling to their "right" to not wear a seatbelt in a similar fashion to the mask argument. 

MF117973 said:

OnWis97 said:

Yes.  Even on bike rides and runs.*  Certainly at the grocery store (my liberal St. Paul grocery store usually has 0 to 1 mask-less person when I visit).  It's still unbelievable to me that this is a political issue and that some people are literally saying "I can't breathe."

*On runs and bike rides, I do pull it down when nobody's around...I'm not going to pretend that the mask doesn't bother me at those times.

I do the same thing when I run. It is hard to wear when running, but I do it until I reach an area where no one is around. Then I will pull it down. But when I see that I am about to pass someone, I pull it right back up. When I pass someone who is running and not wearing one, I pull mine up and look them right in the eye while doing so.

A benefit of living in suburbs is that I can cross the road easily and not have to pass by anyone.  
You run in the city, right?  
So crossing the street might not be am option sometimes.

F Me In The Brain said:

MF117973 said:

OnWis97 said:

Yes.  Even on bike rides and runs.*  Certainly at the grocery store (my liberal St. Paul grocery store usually has 0 to 1 mask-less person when I visit).  It's still unbelievable to me that this is a political issue and that some people are literally saying "I can't breathe."

*On runs and bike rides, I do pull it down when nobody's around...I'm not going to pretend that the mask doesn't bother me at those times.

I do the same thing when I run. It is hard to wear when running, but I do it until I reach an area where no one is around. Then I will pull it down. But when I see that I am about to pass someone, I pull it right back up. When I pass someone who is running and not wearing one, I pull mine up and look them right in the eye while doing so.

A benefit of living in suburbs is that I can cross the road easily and not have to pass by anyone.  
You run in the city, right?  
So crossing the street might not be am option sometimes.

Yes. It is not easy to cross the street in the city. Basically, my first and last 3/4 of a mile is running on the NYC sidewalks - so mask is uncomfortably up for most of that time. Then when I hit the East River there are some nice wide paths to run and bike. That is where I can go for long stretches with my mask pulled down. But even then there are some areas where the path narrows. That is when I tend to pull my mask up for a short time. That is also where I sometimes see people running without a mask and I give them the look as I considerately pull up my mask for their benefit.

tempo_n_groove said:

There should be a "sometimes" in there.

When I am out doors next to no one, I don't wear one.  When I am in close proximity or enter a public place I do.

I consider that a yes. That’s what I do. If I take the kids to the park on the dogs on a walk I don’t wear it. If I go inside a store I do.

I see lots of people still wearing masks when out jogging, I don’t get that. All reports say that is completely unnecessary. Almost every for the first  few months, it’s about 50/50 now. Same with people driving inside their cars.

mace1229 said:

cdthomas1981 said:

Hi! said:

Only when going in closed public spaces, store, gas stations. Otherwise I keep distance from people best I can. I would wear one at work , but unfortunately it isn’t mandated and  not worth the abuse of being the only  person wearing one.

I'm one of the very few that wears one at my job.  I honestly could care less if anyone wants to give me shit about it.

Anyone who gives you crap is a moron. It’s not to protect the wearer, but those around you.

I wonder what the overall take would be on masks if they helped the wearer more than those around the wearer.