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19th July Lockdown Easing - Observations and Compliance

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greyman42

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I actually felt quite vulnerable at first, and I’m not normally the type of person who would be like this.
Vulnerable to what?

I was intrigued by the number of people getting off the Avanti train in Edinburgh last night who suddenly found a mask from somewhere.
I wonder why people do this when nobody could care less.
 
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duncanp

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I wonder why people do this when nobody could care less.

Perhaps they thought that the Mask Gestapo British Transport Police would be at Waverley Station trying to enforce Mrs Murrell's mask regulations.
 

ChrisC

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Vulnerable to what?
Vulnerable to the risk of catching Covid. It was just before the vaccination programme had started and we knew far less about the virus than we do now. After the best part of a year mainly remaining within my local relatively rural community, and only had holidays in quiet rural areas, going into a busy city and large shops was for me quite a big step. Those who live in a city or continued going into busy places for work probably wouldn’t understand. I’m over it now and back to normal but sadly there are a lot of people are still not.
 

hst43102

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You are not everybody.
But the vast majority of people can't care less.

For some very strange reason, people seem to put on a mask when there are repeated signs/messages instructing this, or when there is an announcement. If there isn't, or other people aren't wearing them, nobody seems to wear them!

I just don't understand it. Do people generally believe they work, or not?
 

102 fan

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Vulnerable to the risk of catching Covid. It was just before the vaccination programme had started and we knew far less about the virus than we do now. After the best part of a year mainly remaining within my local relatively rural community, and only had holidays in quiet rural areas, going into a busy city and large shops was for me quite a big step. Those who live in a city or continued going into busy places for work probably wouldn’t understand. I’m over it now and back to normal but sadly there are a lot of people are still not.
Did you feel vulnerable to the flu virus before April 2020?
 

35B

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But the vast majority of people can't care less.

For some very strange reason, people seem to put on a mask when there are repeated signs/messages instructing this, or when there is an announcement. If there isn't, or other people aren't wearing them, nobody seems to wear them!

I just don't understand it. Do people generally believe they work, or not?
Two separate points. @greyman42 asserted that nobody could care less; I observed that it is factually incorrect that while he does not care about whether people wear masks, others may care.

There is then the behavioural driver. Humans do respond to other humans, and the cues from others' behaviour do act as influences on us - for good and ill. His comment was in response to @takno referring to people choosing to wear masks when alighting at Waverley - where they are a legal requirement. I've not been to Scotland since before Covid, but have visited London over the summer, and have chosen to wear a mask when on the Tube, because I have chosen to abide by the terms of the contract by which I've been on the Tube. In contrast, when I've used LNER I've decided whether or not to wear a mask based on a combination of factors, including whether I would feel that the attitudes of others would cause me discomfort.

However, I have been and continue to be willing to wear a mask when asked notwithstanding my general view that the period where they could have been of value has now passed. If I felt more strongly in either direction, my approach would probably be different.
 

ChrisC

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Did you feel vulnerable to the flu virus before April 2020?
Vulnerable was probably not the best word to use to explain how I felt the first time I ventured into a city after almost a year of remaining in a more rural location.
As far as feeling vulnerable to the flu virus before 2020 I think the fact that I worked for 37 years as a primary school teacher perhaps answers that. I never felt vulnerable despite them coughing and sneezing all over me. Like I said vulnerable was perhaps not the best word to use.
 

102 fan

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Vulnerable was probably not the best word to use to explain how I felt the first time I ventured into a city after almost a year of remaining in a more rural location.
As far as feeling vulnerable to the flu virus before 2020 I think the fact that I worked for 37 years as a primary school teacher perhaps answers that. I never felt vulnerable despite them coughing and sneezing all over me. Like I said vulnerable was perhaps not the best word to use.

We weren't told to be frightened of the flu.
 

trebor79

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Vulnerable to what?


I wonder why people do this when nobody could care less.

Perhaps they thought that the Mask Gestapo British Transport Police would be at Waverley Station trying to enforce Mrs Murrell's mask regulations.
I observed the exact same thing upon arrival at Glasgow. Hardly anybody masked on train. Group of lads in front of me at the door, one says "Remember your masks lads", they all put one on as they got off into the cavernous fresh air of the station. I assumed that BTP must be doing random spot checks.
 

takno

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I observed the exact same thing upon arrival at Glasgow. Hardly anybody masked on train. Group of lads in front of me at the door, one says "Remember your masks lads", they all put one on as they got off into the cavernous fresh air of the station. I assumed that BTP must be doing random spot checks.
FWIW I've never seen any enforcement of any kind anywhere in Scotland since August. You do stick out a bit without a mask though, and my colleague apparently got an ear-bashing from the bus driver earlier for not having one.
 

Highlandspring

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FWIW I've never seen any enforcement of any kind anywhere in Scotland since August. You do stick out a bit without a mask though, and my colleague apparently got an ear-bashing from the bus driver earlier for not having one.
I'm in Scotland and haven't worn a face covering since August 16th; I've been challenged twice in shops since then. The compliance in my area is still virtually 100% in shops (it's very rare to see a bare face even in massive supermarkets and you definitely do stick out) but fewer bother on public transport. I've noticed that the vast majority of bus drivers I see these days aren't wearing a face covering, though most bus passengers still seem to comply.

Most train passengers I see are wearing their mask around their chin - most bafflingly a high percentage of people wear a mask outside on an open station platform then pull it down once they board the train. I see BTP officers patrolling quite regularly but haven't seen them challenge anyone about face coverings yet. I just walk past them bare faced and they've never even glanced at me.
 
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zero

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The BTP were on the lookout for masks when I arrived at Aberdeen early afternoon two weekends ago. Everyone was wearing one on arrival bar a young man who was motioned aside. I didn't stick around to see whether he claimed to be exempt or if he was penalised.
 

route101

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I have seen the BTP go after people at Queen St and Glasgow Central earlier this year but not recently as its got busier.

Only on a First Glasgow bus a few months ago, the bus driver refused to move until everyone had masked up.
 

Merseysider

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Only on a First Glasgow bus a few months ago, the bus driver refused to move until everyone had masked up.
That’s needlessly risking conflict... I’d have hoped their managers aren’t asking individual drivers to police the law.
 

LowLevel

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100%. I have to go to Glasgow on a business trip. Flight from Stansted about an hour and 50 quid-ish each way (but get rinsed for hold baggage so I can take my razor blades etc of course).
Train from local station. All day journey and 150 quid-ish return.

Train gets my business because I just can't be bothered with the Easyjet and Stansted airport mask stupidity. Easyjet even go so far as to specify FFP2 - this after a big spiel about how safe it is with HEPA filters and the air changed every few minutes.
On the train I can work, relax, not have to wear a stupid mask, or be worried I will be denied boarding because someone decides it's the wrong kind of mask, at least until I enter Queen Nicola's fiefdom, and even there I expect the word "exempt" will have the same effect it had before 19th July in England.


To be fair the EMR service I'm on right now still has posters plastered all over the place banging on about "legally required" and £6,400 fines for non compliance.
GA have replaced all of their mask signage with low-key requests, seems EMR just can't be bothered. It's no wonder some people are confused.

For what it's worth I did come across one unit, 156470, with the old "£6400 fine" posters still in place the other day. It was out of traffic for a while for repairs so I assume they were missed whilst it was laid up. Had it again yesterday and the said posters had gone.
 

Berliner

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There were enforcement officers at North Greenwich tube station the other day making sure anyone who passed through barriers and down to platform level had a face covering. First time I've seen that on the tube, face mask use was still pretty high, at Least 75% on my train when I got off. When I started my journey from North Greenwich a few hours later the officers had gone but masks were still being worn by a clear majority of passengers.
 

big_rig

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There are many more masks on SWR than the tube oddly enough I’ve noticed over the last few weeks. I imagine the demographic on the former is more ‘Nervous of Guildford’ going back to the office for the first time which must explain it.
 

trebor79

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For a train from Glasgow to Edinburgh today as part of my journey back home to East Anglia.
Everyone seemed to be complying with the law to some extent, although a lot of very loose masks and some chin wearers (including yours truly).
Chap at the table across from me had his on his chin. 2 wifeys got on a Polmont or somewhere and chose to sit oppost him. Immediately started asking him to put his mask on and lecturing him on "the law in Scotland". He ignored them to start with but they persisted at which point it got a bit testy, with the 2 ladies swapping sarcastic comments. I felt compelled to intervene and asked them why if they were so bothered by a bare face did they choose to sit directly opposite someone not wearing a mask? Why put themselves into that situation? Of course they didn't really have an answer for that, and more to the point didn't proceed to challenge me on my naked face. Chap put his mask on properly "to shut everyone up", I kept mine on my chin and nothing more was said.
Edinburgh to Peterborough train there was an announcement about legal requirement to wear, but no enforcement during the ticket check north of the border. Needless to say they all disappeared before Newcastle.

Really things to my mind are very much back to normal in England.
Glasgow in the evening was full of young folk clubbing and pubbing, all seemed very normal. Other than masks on transport and whilst making the dangerous journey from the door to your restaurant table or hotel room, Scotland seemed pretty normal. I went to an independent place for breakfast this morning (I'd rather give 8 quid to them for something decent than 8 quid to Travelodge for rubbish). Staff all very friendly and chatty to customers and clearly "do you mind if I remove my mask to talk to you?" Be my guest pal!
I did notice loads of social distancing signs and stickers on floors everywhere, is that still a thing in law up there? Nobody paid any heed to it.
 

Cowley

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OK everyone, we’re going to lock a couple of threads tonight including this one as things have either moved on, changed or become less relevant generally.
(sorry @takno, I was already typing this out when you posted that, but it’s probably a good final post in the thread).
Thanks for your contributions everyone. :)
 
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